single tax and this--what is it?--oh,
syndicalism--and really studied them, would you do it? Make each other
study?"

"Love to."

"Does Dunleavy think much?"

She raised her eyebrows a bit, but hesitated. "Oh yes--no, I don't
suppose he does. Or anyway, mostly about the violin. He played a lot
when he was in Yale."

Thus was Carl encouraged to be fatuous, and he said, in a manner which
quite dismissed Phil Dunleavy: "I don't believe he's very deep.
Ra-ther light, I'd say."

Her eyebrows had ascended farther. "Do you think so? I'm sorry."

"Why sorry?"

"Oh, he's always been rather a friend of mine. Olive and Phil and I
roller-skated together at the age of eight."

"But----"

"And I shall probably--marry--Phil--some day before long." She turned
abruptly to Charley Forbes with a question.

Lost, already lost, was the playmate; a loss that disgusted him with
life. He beat his spirit, cursed himself as a clumsy mechanic. He
listened to Olive only by self-compulsion. It was minutes before he
had the ability and the chance to say to Ruth:

"Forgive me--in the name of the Blue Bowl. Mr. Dunleavy was rather
rude to me, and I've been just as rude--and to you! And without his
excuse. For he naturally would want to protect you from a wild aviator
coming from Lord knows where."

"You are forgiven. And Phil _was_ rude. And you're not a
Lord-knows-where, I'm sure."

Almost brusquely Carl demanded: "Come for a long tramp with me, on the
Palisades. Next Saturday, if you can and if it's a decent day.... You
said you liked to run away.... And we can be back before dinner, if
you like."

"Why--let me think it over. Oh, I _would_ like to. I've always wanted
to do just that--think of it, the Palisades just opposite, and I
never see them except for a walk of half a mile or so when I stay with
a friend of mine, Laura Needham, at Winklehurst, up on the Palisades.
My mother never approved of a wilder wilderness than Central Park and
the habit----I've never been able to get Olive to explore. But it
isn't conventional to go on long tramps with even the nicest new
Johnnies, is it?"

"No, but----"

"I know. You'll say, 'Who makes the convention?' and of course there's
no answer but 'They.' But They are so all-present. They----Oh yes,
yes, yes, I will go! But you will let me get back by dinner-time,
won't you? Will you call for me about two?... And can you----I wonder
if a hawk out of the windy skies can understand how darin