Janet. "Good-morning," I said to him. "Excuse me, but are you Mr. Albert Shawn?" Because I wasn't sure, you know. And he looked.
Carve. (After laughing.) The man is an ass.
Janet. Is he?
Carve. Not content with being an ass merely, he is a pompous and a stupid ass. (Laughs again to himself.) Now there is something very important that he ought to know, and he wouldn't let me tell him.
Janet. Really?
Carve. Yes, very important. But no. He wouldn't let me tell him. And perhaps if I'd told him he wouldn't have believed me.
Janet. What did he do to stop you from telling him?
Carve. (At a loss, vaguely.) I don't know—Wouldn't let me.
Janet. If you ask me, I should say the truth is, you didn't want to tell him.
Carve. (Impressed.) Now I wonder if you're right.