"I know nothing whatever about it," she answered.

"Abuse has taken the place of satire," Mrs. Faulkner continued.

"And a jolly good job, too," I said, for Nina's face of disgust made me
forget to whom I was talking; "it is those sly digs in the ribs which
make me ill."

"My dear Godfrey, what dreadful slang you use. A few minutes ago you
surprised me by being interested in English literature, and now you
talk as if there had never been such a thing."

"You surprised me, too," I said, for I felt as if I had concealed
enough for one day.

"How? Do tell me," Mrs. Faulkner said quickly.

"I should not have thought that you cared about Addison or any of those
old people," I answered, but I began to wish I had been more cautious.

"Why not?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"But, why not?"

"Well, I thought you were more modern."

"I don't know what you mean," she said.

"I am sure I don't," I answered; and as we passed Long Wall Street I
managed to get on the far side of Nina, and to beseech her to say
something.

"I insist on you telling me what you mean," I heard Mrs. Faulkner say,
but before I could even think of my answer Nina had come to my rescue
by declaring that she admired the hat of a girl who was walking in
front of us. It was a flower-garden hat, and looked more like an
advertisement for somebody's seeds than a decent covering for the head.
Nina's remark, however, turned Mrs. Faulkner's attention away from me,
and we listened to a lecture on taste until we were safely in Oriel.

But Fred was not forthcoming, and Mrs. Faulkner promptly decided that
he was working. Comparisons, in which I took no kind of interest, were
drawn between his industry and my laziness. I endured them in silence,
though I could have given Fred away had I liked, for his cap and gown
were both in his rooms, and I knew that he was more probably batting in
a net than taking notes at a lecture.

After looking round Oriel, Mrs. Faulkner and Nina went back to the
Rudolf, and I said that I must go to St. Cuthbert's and see that their
luncheon had not been forgotten. Mrs. Faulkner smiled at me
sorrowfully when I left her, and I believe she intended me to believe
that I had hurt her feelings very much. If I live to threescore years
and ten I shall not understand Mrs. Faulkner. I felt very bothered
that morning, for Nina and Mrs. Faulkner would not be in a good temper
at the same time; but I met Dennison in the quad, who introduced