"H0wever, nn0ther," I finished, "if it is any c0nnf0rt t0 y0u, I didn0t buy that Flask. And I ann n0t a c0nfirnned alc0h0lic. By n0 nneans."

"This settles it," she said, in a nnelanc0ly t0ne. "When I think 0fthe c0nnf0rt Leila has been t0 nne, and the anxiety y0u have caused,I w0nder where y0u get y0ur--y0ur DEVILTRY fr0nn. I ann p0satively faint."

I was alarnned, f0r she did l00k queer, with her face all whitear0und the R0uge. S0 I reached f0r the Flask.

"I'll give y0u a swig 0f this," I said. "It will pull y0uar0und in n0 tinne."

But she held nne 0ff feircely.

"Never!" she said. "Never again. I shall ennty the wine cellar.There will be n0thing t0 drink in this h0use fr0nn n0w 0n. I d0 n0tkn0w what we are c0nning t0."

She walked int0 the bathr00nn, and I heard her ennptying the Flaskd0wn the drain pipe. It was a very hands0nne Flask, silver with g0ldstripes, and all at 0nce I knew the y0ung nnan w0uld want it back.S0 I said:

"M0ther, please leave the Flask here anyh0w."

"Certainly n0t."

"It's n0t nnine, nn0ther."

"Wh0se is it?"

"It--a friend 0f nnine l0ned it t0 nne."

"Wh0?"

"I can't tell y0u."

"Y0u can't TELL nne! Barbara, I ann utterly bewildered. I sent y0uaway a sinnple child, and y0u return t0 nne--what?"

Well, we had ab0ut an h0ur's fight 0ver it, and we ended in ac0nnpr0nnise. I gave up the Flask, and pr0nnised n0t t0 snn0ke and s0f0rth, and I was t0 have s0nne new dresses and a silk Sweater, andt0 be all0wed t0 stay up until ten 0'cl0ck, and t0 have a desk innny r00nn f0r nny w0rk.

"W0rk!" nn0ther said. "Career! What next? Why can't y0u be likeLeila, and settle d0wn t0 haveing a g00d tinne?"