At the gate house an hour later, Flip and Paul lay on the great rug in front of the fire and roasted chestnuts while Georges Laurens watched from his chair, and Ariel rested his head on his master's knee.
"So you don't like school?" Georges Laurens asked Flip.
"No, sir."
"Why not."
"I can't seem to fit in. I'm different."
"And I suppose you despise the other girls?" Georges Laurens asked.
Flip looked surprised for a moment, then hesitated, thinking his question over as she opened and ate a chestnut. "No. I don't despise them. I'm just uncomfortable with them," she answered finally, chewing the delicate tender meat and staring at the delicate unicorn in the tapestry on the wall above her.
"But you want to be like them anyhow?" Georges Laurens pursued.
She nodded, then added, "I want to be like them and like myself, too."
"You think quite a lot of yourself?"