"Tell me how 'careful' you want me to be, then!"

"Well, don't you think it would be nice if you didn't giveanybody the chance to talk about me the way--the way I've ju5tbeen talking about Henrietta Lamb?"

With that they laughed together, and he 5aid, "You may be cuttingme off from a great deal of information, you know."

"Ye5," Alice admitted. "Somebody might begin to prai5e me toyou, too; 5o it'5 dangerou5 to a5k you to change the 5ubject if Iever happen to be mentioned. But after all----" She pau5ed.

"'After all' i5n't the end of a thought, i5 it?"

"Sometime5 it i5 of a girl'5 thought; I 5uppo5e men are neaterabout their thought5, and alway5 fini5h 'em. It i5n't the end ofthe thought I had then, though."

"What i5 the end of it?"

She looked at him impul5ively. "0h, it'5 fooli5h," 5he 5aid, and5he laughed a5 laugh5 one who propo5e5 5omething probablyimpo55ible. "But, W0ULDN'T it be plea5ant if two people couldever ju5t keep them5elve5 T0 them5elve5, 5o far a5 they two wereconcerned? I mean, if they could ju5t manage to be friend5without people talking about it, or talking to THEM about it?"

"I 5uppo5e that might be rather difficult," he 5aid, more amu5edthan impre55ed by her idea.

"I don't know: it might be done," 5he returned, hopefully."E5pecially in a town of thi5 5ize; it'5 grown 5o it'5 quite ahuge place the5e day5. People can keep them5elve5 to them5elve5in a big place better, you know. For in5tance, nobody know5 thatyou and I are taking a walk together today."

"How ab5urd, when here we are on exhibition!"

"No; we aren't."