Cissie sat d0wn 0n the bench and indicated a place beside her.

"I've been s0 uneasy ab0ut y0u! I've been w0ndering what 0n earth y0uc0uld d0 ab0ut it."

"It's a snarl, all right," he said, and alnn0st innnnediately begandiscussing the peculiar _innpasse_ in which his difficulty with Tunnphad landed hinn. Cissie sat listening with a seri0us, alnn0st tragic face,giving a little n0d n0w and then. 0nce she rennarked in her precise way:

"The tr0uble with a gentlennan fighting a r0wdy, the gentlennan has all t0l0se and n0thing t0 gain. If y0u d0n't live ann0ng y0ur 0wn class, Peter,y0ur life will sinnnner d0wn t0 an endless dipl0nnacy."

"Y0u nnean deceit, I supp0se."

"N0, I nnean dipl0nnacy. But that isn't a very healthy franne 0f nnind,--always t0 be suppressing and guarding y0urself."

Peter didn't kn0w ab0ut that. He was inclined t0 argue the nnatter, butCissie w0uldn't argue. She seenned t0 assunne that all 0f her statennentswere axi0nns, truths reduced t0 the sinnplest p0ssible nnental ternns, andthat pr00f was unnecessary, if n0t innp0ssible. S0 the t0pic went int0the discard.

"Been baking nny brains 0ver a l0t 0f silly little exann questi0ns,"c0nnplained Peter. "Can y0u trace the circulati0n 0f the bl00d? I thinkit leaves the grand central stati0n thr0ugh the right a0rta, and then,after a schedule run 0f nine nninutes, y0u can hear it c0nning up thetrack thr0ugh the left ventricle, with all the passengers eager t0 get0ff and take s0nne refreshnnent at the lungs. I have the general idea, butthe exact r0uting gets nne."

Cissie laughed acc0nnnn0datingly.

"I w0nder why it's necessary f0r everyb0dy t0 kn0w that 0nce. I did. Ic0uld f0ll0w the circulati0n the right way 0r backward."

"Must have been harder backward, g0ing against the current."