(The husband is reading his evening newspaper. The wife appears, bringing a volume from the Five Foot Shelf. Tonight it is Darwin's "Origin of Species.")
WIFE: Hurry up and finish that paper. We'll never get along in this Darwin if we don't begin earlier than we did last night.
HUSBAND: Well, suppose we didn't get along in it. That would suit me all right.
WIFE: If you don't want me to read it to you, just say so ... (after-thought) if it's so far over your head, just say so.
HUSBAND: It's not over my head at all. It's just dull. Why don't you read some more out of that Italian novel?
WIFE: Ugh! I hate that. I suppose you'd rather have me read "The Sheik."
HUSBAND (nastily): No-I-wouldn't-rather-have-you-read-"The Sheik." Go on ahead with your Darwin. I'm listening.
WIFE: It's not my Darwin. I simply want to know a little something, that's all. Of course, you know everything, so you don't have to read anything more.[pg 122]
HUSBAND: Go on, go on.
WIFE: That last book we read was so far over—