"You should have thought of that before you spoke," said Macdonald with a smile. "Oh," I replied, "I don't regret saying it in the least; at the time I felt it was the only thing to say. What I regret is the meanness of Wylie or his wife. Brown is a decent old chap, and I'm rather fond of him. Why the devil are people so dirty in mind, Macdonald? We all say things that we don't want carried to the person we are speaking about. I say things about you that I would hate you to hear, and I guess that you are in a similar position with regard to me. But the unpardonable social crime is to tell one man what another has said about him. It's the lowest down trick I know." "What'll you do about it?" "I'll go straight down to Brown and apologise for Wylie's bad taste." "And your own!" "Not at all. I'll tell him I've said worse things than that about him, but I'll implore him not to let them make any difference in our friendship." "I've got a nasty little problem myself," said Macdonald. "You know that confounded committee of villagers that has charge of the Soup Kitchen Fund?" "I do," I cried fervently. "Well, I called a meeting for last night ... and I forgot to post Mrs. Wylie's invitation." "Call that a nasty problem?" I cried; "my dear chap, you've raised a whirlwind and tempest combined ... and there won't be any still small voice at the end of 'em either. You've committed the Unforgivable Sin this time." "She's in an awful wax," he continued; "says that she never was insulted like this before. She came up to-night and gave me beans ... told me that you were a perfect gentleman!" "I took care never to omit her when I called the committee," I said modestly. "She'll never forgive me," said Macdonald dolefully. "Oh, yes she will ... if you play your cards well. Your game is to send a notice of the meeting to the local paper. Then commence a new paragraph thus:--The Convener, Mr. Macdonald, intimated that Mrs. Wylie's invitation to the meeting had been unintentionally overlooked, and he expressed his very earnest regret that his mistake had deprived the meeting of the always helpful advice of the injured lady. "Publicity salves all wounds in the village, Macdonald. Do as I suggest and Mrs. W. will support you for all eternity." "They are so small-minded," he said.