does not do them, that's all."

She nodded. The careless change of pronoun, which in a way included
her with himself, was not lost upon her.

"In the matter of half-truths," she inquired; "how about them?"

"I don't think I have given that subject consideration either," he
answered, rather amused; "there does not seem any need at my age. One
does things, or one does not; abstractions don't appeal to most men
after thirty."

Again Julia nodded. "It looks to me," she said, "as if you take your
morality, like your dinner, as a matter of course; it's always there;
you don't have to bother after it; you don't really know how it comes,
or what it is worth."

Now and then Rawson-Clew had observed in his acquaintance with Julia,
she said things which had a way of lighting him up to himself; this
was one of the occasions. "Possibly you are right," he said, with
faint amusement. "How do you take yours? Let us consider yours; I am
sure it would be a great deal more interesting."

"There would be more variety in it," she said significantly.

"What is your opinion about half-truths?" he inquired, with grave
mimicry of her.

"'Half a truth, however small,
Is better than no truth at all,'"