“I think he is; nice and tiresome. I differ from him on almost every point of any importance, and so, I expect⁠—I may say I hope⁠—you will differ. But his is a type one disagrees with rather than deplores. When he first came here he not unnaturally put people’s backs up. He has no tact and no manners⁠—I don’t mean by that that he has bad manners⁠—and he will not keep his opinions to himself. We nearly complained about him to our depressing Signora, but I am glad to say we thought better of it.”

“Am I to conclude,” said Miss Bartlett, “that he is a Socialist?”

Mr. Beebe accepted the convenient word, not without a slight twitching of the lips.

“And presumably he has brought up his son to be a Socialist, too?”