SHOULD WE SAY WHAT WE THINK, OR THINK WHAT WE SAY?



A mad friend of mine will have it that the characteristic of the age
is Make-Believe. He argues that all social intercourse is founded on
make-believe. A servant enters to say that Mr. and Mrs. Bore are in
the drawing-room.

"Oh, damn!" says the man.

"Hush!" says the woman. "Shut the door, Susan. How often am I to
tell you never to leave the door open?"

The man creeps upstairs on tiptoe and shuts himself in his study.
The woman does things before a looking-glass, waits till she feels
she is sufficiently mistress of herself not to show her feelings, and
then enters the drawing-room with outstretched hands and the look of
one welcoming an angel's visit. She says how delighted she is to see
the Bores--how good it was of them to come. Why did they not bring
more Bores with them? Where is naughty Bore junior? Why does he
never come to see her now? She will have to be really angry with
him. And sweet little Flossie Bore? Too young to pay calls!
Nonsense. An "At Home" day is not worth having where all the Bores
are not.

The Bores, who had hoped that she was out--who have only called
because the etiquette book told them that they must call at least