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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: things unsaid that John Mayrant came to the surface again, and began a
conversation of which, on both our parts, the first few steps were taken
on the tiptoes of an archaic politeness; we trod convention like a
polished French floor; you might have expected us, after such deliberate
and graceful preliminaries, to dance a verbal minuet.
We, however, danced something quite different, and that conversation
lasted during many days, and led us, like a road, up hill and down dale
to a perfect acquaintance. No, not perfect, but delightful; to the end he
never spoke to me of the matter most near him, and I but honor him the
more for his reticence.
Of course his first remark had to be about Kings Port and me; had he
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