A DAY'S DRIVE IN THREE STATES 19 



taken into account, though it may not have 

 been absohitely necessary for him to bring 

 it out of doors in order to open it. On the 

 subject of comparative climatology, be it said 

 without reserve, it did not take him long to 

 come to the end of my resources. It is pos- 

 sible, of course, that his own concern about 

 it was but temporary, — the result of his 

 before-mentioned course of reading. There 

 is no better — nor better understood — rule 

 for conversation than to choose the subject 

 of the book you happen to have had last in 

 hand. Two to one the other man will know 

 less about it than you do. Then you are in 

 clover. But should it turn out that he is at 

 home where you have but recently peeped in 

 at the window, and so is bound to have you 

 at a disadvantage, you have only to be be- 

 forehand with him by acknowledging with 

 becoming modesty that you really know no- 

 thing about the matter, but happen to have 

 just been looking over with some interest 

 Mr. So-and-So's recent book. In other 

 words, you may pass for a special student 

 or a discursive reader, honorable characters 

 both of them, according as the way opens. 

 I am not saying that my noonday acquain- 



