he night." A knock
at the door. "Come, Maggie."

XIII

JIM AND SUSY, MRS. FOUNTAIN, FOUNTAIN

_Jim and Susy_, pushing in: "We can't sleep, mother. May we have a
pillow fight to keep us amused till we're drowsy?"

_Mrs. Fountain_, desolately: "Yes, go and have your pillow fight. It
doesn't matter now. We're sending the presents all back, anyway." She
begins frantically wrapping some of the things up.

_Susy_: "Oh, father, are you sending them back?"

_Jim_: "She's just making believe. Isn't she, father?"

_Fountain_: "Well, I'm not so sure of that. If she doesn't do it, I
will."

_Mrs. Fountain_, desisting: "Will you go right back to bed?"

_Jim and Susy_: "Yes, we will."

_Mrs. Fountain_: "And to sleep, instantly?"

_Jim and Susy_, in succession: "We won't keep awake a minute longer."

_Mrs. Fountain_: "Very well, then, we'll see. Now be off with you." As
they put their heads together and go out laughing: "And remember, if
you come here another single time, back go every one of the presents."

_Fountain_: "As soon as ever Santa Claus can find a moment for it."

_Jim_, derisively: "Oh, yes, Santa Claus!"

_Susy_: "I guess if you wait for Santa Claus to take them back!"

XIV

MRS. FOUNTAIN, FOUNTAIN

_Mrs. Fountain_: "Tiresome little wretches. Of course we can't expect
them to keep up the self-deception."

_Fountain_: "They'll grow to another. When they're men and women
they'll pretend that Christmas is delightful, and go round giving
people the presents that they've worn their lives out in buying and
getting together. And they'll work themselves up into the notion that
they are really enjoying it, when they know at the bottom of their
souls that they loathe the whole job."

_Mrs. Fountain_: "There you are with your pessimism again! And I had
just begun to feel cheerful about it!"

_Fountain_: "Since when? Since I proposed sending this rubbish back to
the givers with our curse?"

_Mrs. Fountain_: "No, I was thinking what fun it would be if we could
get up a sort of Christmas game, and do it just among relations and
intimate friends."

_Fountain_: "Ah, I wish you luck of it. Then the thing would begin to
have some reality, and just as in proportion as people had the worst
feelings in giving the presents, their best feeling would be hurt in
getting them back."

_Mrs. Fountain_: "Then wh