“Yes ... Way West.”
“Oh, yes.... Are you staying East for some time?” It was precisely what a much-resented New York cousin had once said to Madeline.
“Well, I don’t— Yes, I guess I may be here quite some time.”
“Do you, uh, do you find you like it here?”
“Oh, yes, it’s pretty nice. These big cities— So much to see.”
“‘Big’? Well, I suppose it all depends on the point of view, doesn’t it? I always think of New York as big but— Of course— Do you find the contrast to North Dakota interesting?”
“Well, of course it’s different.”
“Tell me what North Dakota’s like. I’ve always wondered about these Western states.” It was Madeline’s second plagiarism of her cousin. “What is the general impression it makes on you?”
“I don’t think I know just how you mean.”
“I mean what is the general effect? The—impression.”