Stanton's terrifying illness along in January, these meetings
constituted the whole of the intercourse between the families. Rose had
done her best to carry Portia with her, to some extent at least, into
her new life--to introduce her to her new friends and make her, as far
as might be, one of them. And in this she was seconded very amiably, by
Frederica. But Portia had put down a categorical veto on all these
attempts. She hadn't the inclination nor the energy, she said, and her
mother needed all the time she could spare away from her business. Once,
when Rose pressed the matter, she gave a more genuine reason. Rose's new
friends, she said, would regard her introduction to them solely as a bid
for business. She didn't want them coming around to her place to buy
their wedding presents "in order to help out that poor old maid sister
of Rose Aldrich's." She was getting business enough in legitimate ways.
Sometimes she told herself that if Rose had really wanted her, she'd
have pressed the matter harder--wouldn't have given up unless she was
clutching with real relief at an excuse that let her out of an
embarrassment.
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