Pauline felt herself turning pale. Her lips tightened, and for a moment she was conscious of a sort of blur in her brain. This girl ... it was preposterous that she shouldn't understand! And always wanting reasons and explanations at a moment's notice! To be subjected, under one's own roof, to such a perpetual inquisition... There was nothing she disliked so much as questions to which she had not had time to prepare the answers. "I don't think you always grasp things, Nona." The words were feeble, but they were the first that came. "I'm afraid I don't, mother." "Then, perhaps--I just suggest it--you oughtn't to be quite so ready to criticize. You seem to imagine there is a contradiction in my belonging to these two groups of ... of thought..." "They do seem to contradict each other." "Not in reality. The principles are different, of course; but, you see, they are meant to apply to--to different categories of people. It's all a little difficult to explain to any one as young as you are ... a girl naturally can't be expected to know..." "Oh, what we girls don't know, mother!" "Well, dear, I've always approved of outspokenness on such matters. The real nastiness is in covering things up. But all the same, age and experience _do_ teach one... You children mustn't hope to get at all your elders' reasons..." That sounded firm yet friendly, and as she spoke she felt herself on safer ground. "I wish there were time to go into it all with you now; but if I'm to keep up with today's engagements, and crowd in a talk with Lita besides--Maisie! Will you call up Mrs. Jim?" Maisie answered from the other room: "The delegation of the League For Discovering Genius is waiting downstairs, Mrs. Manford--" "Oh, to be sure! This is rather an important movement, Nona; a new thing. I do believe there's something helpful to be done for genius. They're just organizing their first drive: I heard of it through that wonderful Mrs. Swoffer. You wouldn't care to come down and see the delegation with me? No ... I sometimes think you'd be happier if you interested yourself a little more in other people ... in all the big humanitarian movements that make one so proud to be an American. Don't you think it's glorious to belong to the only country where everybody is absolutely free, and yet we're all made to do exactly what is best for us? I say that somewhere in my speech... Well, I promise to have my talk with Lita before dinner; whatever happens, I'll squeeze her in. And you and Jim needn't be afraid of my saying anything to set her against us. Your father has impressed that on me already. After all, I've always preached the respect of every one's personality; only Lita must begin by respecting Jim's."