"Very well, then, if you insist. How shall we begin?"
"Well, suppose we begin with our bargain—see what its terms are and whether we can live up to them and whether it's for our benefit to do so."
"All right. What do you consider the terms of our bargain to be?"
They were both talking in the measured tones of people determined to keep control over themselves at all costs. They looked at each other warily, as though guarding against being maneuvered into a betrayal of temper or feeling.
"Well, in the first place, I assume that we want to present a good front to the world. Bold and united. We want to prevent people from knowing...."
"Certainly."
"And if we give the impression of being happy together we've gone a good way toward that end."
"Yes, that's logical."
"Well—?"
"What?"