She shrugged, and I was morally certain that she did know them both, and well. But evidently, as to bringing herself personally or her theories directly into the case, there was a barrier.
"Mr. Shattuck seemed to be interested—but—you can never tell. He is one of those men who have the faculty of making every woman think she is the only woman."
"Did he ever discuss things with you—I mean Freud—current topics of conversation?" I ventured, covering my interest as best I could.
"Oh yes, in a general way. Almost everybody who comes here does. They all know my hobbies. That's why they come here, I guess. Isn't it, Belle?"
"To see you, dear—yes. I know I do. Without Zona—there are a dozen places one might go. They lack something."
"He seemed interested in Freud?" I pursued.
"Y-yes—but so are we all down here, just now."
Evidently Zona was hedging. I gathered that Shattuck's interest had been rather more than ordinary.
"And Vina Lathrop—was she interested, too? You must have known her."
"Yes, I knew her. Vina was interested—of course. But, then, who is not, just now? A few years ago only a few had read Freud. Even after he was translated, still there were only a few. But now—since my play—we have other plays, books, stories, articles—even Freud doctors, who before were unknown to the public, have come outside of the medical press with their names and work. Of course Vina Lathrop was interested. All women are interested in Freud. Don't you think it concerns us—just a bit more intimately than it does men?"