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"Ohyes,"shesaidinnocently,"itwouldbewonderfulifanythingcouldevermakehimchange."
"Heismakingthingsexceedinglyhardforhimself."
"Healwayshas."
"Buteventshaveawayofbeatingusallintoamore...pliableframeofmind,soonerorlater."
"I’veheardmanycharacteristicsascribedtohim,but‘pliable’hasneverbeenoneofthem."
"Well,thingschangeandpeoplechangewiththem.Afterall,itisalawofnaturethatanimalsmustadaptthemselvestotheirbackground.
AndImightaddthatadaptabilityistheonecharacteristicmoststringentlyrequiredatpresentbylawsotherthanthoseofnature.We’reinforaverydifficulttime,andIwouldhatetoseeyousuffertheconsequencesofhisintransigentattitude.Iwouldhate—asyourfriend—toseeyouinthekindofdangerhe’sheadedfor,unlesshelearnstocooperate."
"Howsweetofyou,Jim,"shesaidsweetly.
Hewasdolinghissentencesoutwithcautiousslowness,balancinghimselfbetweenwordandintonationtohittherightdegreeofsemiclarity.Hewantedhertounderstand,buthedidnotwanthertounderstandfully,explicitly,downtotheroot—sincetheessenceofthatmodernlanguage,whichhehadlearnedtospeakexpertly,wasnevertoletoneselforothersunderstandanythingdowntotheroot.
HehadnotneededmanywordstounderstandMr.Weatherby.
