. And, oh, Carl, she says that 'Gertrude' isn't
suited to me (and 'Gertie' certainly isn't!) and she calls me
'Eltruda.' Don't you think that's a sweet name? Would you like to call
me 'Eltruda,' sometimes?"

"Look here, Gertie, I don't want to butt in, and I'm guessing at it,
but looks to me as though one of these artistic grafters was working
you. What do you know about this Deitz person? Has she done anything
worth while? And honestly, Gertie----By the way, I don't want to be
brutal, but I don't think I could stand 'Eltruda.' It sounds like
'Tottykins.'"

"Now really, Carl----"

"Wait a second. How do you know you've got what you call a
temperament? Go to it, and good luck, if you can get away with it. But
how do you know it isn't simply living in a flat and not having any
work to do _except_ developing a temperament? Why don't you try
working with Ray in his office? He's a mighty good business man. This
is just a sugges----"

"Now really, this is----"

"Look here, Gertie, the thing I've always admired about you is your
wholesomeness and----"

"'Wholesome!' Oh, that word! As Miss Deitz was saying just the other
day, it's as bad----"

"But you are wholesome, Gertie. That is, if you don't let New York
turn your head; and if you'd use your ability on a real job, like
helping Ray, or teaching--yes, or really sticking to your ceramics or
dancing, and leave the temperament business to those who can get away
with it. No, wait. I know I'm butting in; I know that people won't go
and change their natures because I ask them to; but you see you--and
Ray and Adelaide--you are the friends I depend on, and so I hate to
see----"

"Now, Carl dear, you might let me talk," said Gertie, in tones of
maddening sweetness. "As I think it over, I don't seem to recall that
you've been an authority on temperament for so very long. I seem to
remember that you weren't so terribly wonderful in Joralemon! I'm glad
to be the first to honor what you've done in aviation, but I don't
know that that gives you the right to----"

"Never said it did!" Carl insisted, with fictitious good humor.

"----assume that you are an authority on temperament and art. I'm
afraid that your head has been just a little turned by----"

"Oh, hell.... Oh, I'm sorry. That just slipped."

"It _shouldn't_ have slipped, you know. I'm _afraid_ it can't be
passed over so _easily_." Gertie might have been a bustling Joralemon
school-teacher pleasantly bidding the d