Father and mother slaved to give me my education

"Merely what people call happiness, dear.""'People call'--you see you don't believe in it yourself! Well,neither do I--in that form, at any rate. "He considered. "I believe in trying for it--even if the trying'sthe best of it.""Well, I've tried, and failed. And I'm twenty-two, and I neverwas young. I suppose I haven't enough imagination." She drew adeep breath. "Now I want something different." She appeared tosearch for the word. "I want to be--prominent," she declared. 　　"Prominent?"She reddened swarthily. "Oh, you smile--you think it'sridiculous: it doesn't seem worth while to you. That's becauseyou've always had all those things. But I haven't. I know whatfather pushed up from, and I want to push up as high again--higher. No, I haven't got much imagination. I've always likedFacts. And I find I shall like the fact of being a Princess--choosing the people I associate with, and being up above allthese European grandees that father and mother bow down to,though they think they despise them. You can be up above thesepeople by just being yourself; you know how. But I need aplatform--a sky-scraper. Father and mother slaved to give me my education. They thought education was the important thing; but,since we've all three of us got mediocre minds, it has justlanded us among mediocre people. Don't you suppose I seethrough all the sham science and sham art and sham everythingwe're surrounded with? That's why I want to buy a place at thevery top, where I shall be powerful enough to get about me thepeople I want, the big people, the right people, and to helpthem I want to promote culture, like those Renaissance womenyou're always talking about. I want to do it for Apex City; doyou understand? And for father and mother too. I want allthose titles carved on my tombstone. They're facts, anyhow! 　　Don't laugh at me ...." She broke off with one of her clumsysmiles, and moved away from him to the other end of the room. 　　He sat looking at her with a curious feeling of admiration. Herharsh positivism was like a tonic to his disenchanted mood, andhe thought: "What a pity!"Aloud he said: "I don't feel like laughing at you. You're agreat woman.""Then I shall be a great Princess.""Oh--but you might have been something so much greater!"Her face flamed again. "Don't say that!"He stood up involuntarily, and drew near her.