"To be trusted by you is a glad honor."
"Well, I do trust you, Mr. Fair. I'm trusting you now—to trust me—that I really want to talk—man-talk. As a rule," continued Barbara, putting away her playfulness, "when a young lady wants to talk pure business, she'd better talk with her father, don't you think so?"
"As a rule, yes. And, as a rule, I make no doubt that's what you would do."
Barbara's reply was meditative. "One reason why I want to talk about this business at all this evening is also a strong reason why I don't talk about it to pop-a."
"I see; he's almost as fascinated with it as Mr. March is."
"It means so very much to the college, Mr. Fair, and you know he's always been over eyes and ears in love with it; it's his life." She paused and then serenely seized the strategic point at which she had hours before decided to begin this momentous invasion. "Mr. Fair, why, do you reckon, Mr. Ravenel has consented to act as commissioner?"
Fair laughed. "You mean is it trust or distrust?"
"Yes, sir; which do you reckon it is?"
He laughed again. "I'm not good at reckoning."
"You can guess," she said archly.