"
"What's that?"
"It's too absurd. I don't think I'll tell you."
"But why not? If it's too absurd it's sure to be amusing."
"I don't think so."
His voice sounded almost angry.
"Tell me, Robin."
He looked at her quickly with a warm light in his dark eyes.
"If you only knew how I--"
"Hush! Go on about Miss Schley."
"They're saying that she's wonderfully like you, and that--have some more
tea?"
"That--?"
"That you hate it."
Lady Holme smiled, as if she were very much entertained.
"But why should I hate it?"
"I don't know. But women invent reasons for everything."
"What have they invented for this?"
"Oh--well--that you like to--I can't tell you it all, really. But in
substance it comes to this! They are saying, or implying--"
"Implication is the most subtle of the social arts."
"It's the meanest--implying that all that's natural to you, that sets you
apart from others, is an assumption to make you stand out from the rest
of the crowd, and that you hate Miss Schley because she happens to have
assumed some of the same characteristics, and so makes you seem less
unique than you did before."
Lady Holme said nothing for a moment. Then she remarked:
"I'm sure no woman said 'less unique.'"
"Why not?"
"Now did anyone? Confess!"
"What d'you suppose they did say?"
"More commonplace."
He could not help laughing.
"As if you were ever commonplace!" he exclaimed, rather relieved by her
manner.
Pages:
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97