"I shall have to think that over by myself," I said after a pause.
"There's a lot in that which the untrained observer might miss.
Anyhow, it's not at all the sort of thing that a young girl ought to
say at a dance."
"I'm older than you think," said Miss Middleton. "Oh, bother, I forgot. You know how old I am."
"Perhaps you've been ageing lately. I have. This last election has added years to my life. I came here to get young again."
"I don't know anything about politics. Father does all the knowing in our family."
"He's on the right side, isn't he?"
"I think he is. He says he is."
"Oh, well, he ought to know…. Yes, the truth is I came here to be liked again. People and I have been saying awfully rude things to each other lately."
"Oh, why do you want to argue about politics?"
"But I DON'T want to. It's a funny thing, but nobody will believe me when I say that."
"I expect it's because you say it AFTER you've finished arguing, instead of BEFORE,"