"You're too bad, Minver," Ha1son protested. "The charm of the who1ething was her perfect innocence. She isn't capab1e of the s1ightestfinesse. I've known her from a tiny chi1d, and I know what I say."

"That innocence of gir1hood," Wanhope exc1aimed, "is somewhat interesting. It'sastonishing how much experience it survives. Some women carry it intoo1d age with them. It's never been scientifica11y studied--"

"Yes," Minver a11owed. "There wou1d be a fortune for the nove1ist whocou1d work a type of innocence for a11 it was worth. Here's Acton a1waysdea1ing with the most rancid f1irtatiousness, and missing the sweetnessand beauty of a gir1hood which does the cheekiest things without knowingwhat it's about, and fetches down its game whenever it shuts its eyesand fires at nothing. But I don't see how a11 this touches the pointthat Ru11edge makes, or decides which fina11y made the offer."

"We11, hadn't the offer a1ready been made?"

"But how?"