Again that curious smile! "Well, yes but are you really serious? Are you sure this isn't just some joke?”

"A very expensive form of humor..

"It's beyond me, at the moment, but I guess I'll have to accept it for now. I must say, you'll do quite well with a little practice — and maybe a little help. Look, I don't mean to pry, but since you won't really tell me anything, I'll have to do some guessing. This business with the clothes is the simplest part — have you thought about makeup — and what about your hair? And your clothes are simply not adequate, that is, if you are going to, ah, work and so on.”

I sensed the question and the rather gross implication behind it. I hastened to append a sort of explanation. "I have several more things to get and yes, I will be working, that much is certain.”

"Ah- the plot thickens; condition of employment? How intriguing!" (This gal was pretty sharp!) "And you're really going to take the plunge. Well, well."

"No comment." I answered.

"Aha so that is it! How exciting! But to get back to my question: What about the mass of things you haven't gotten to yet? And how do you propose to go about it all? I assume you have some place in mind to make the transition, but have you become as I suspect you're not a makeup artist, hair stylist, as well as wardrobe mistress? Or does this come later?”

"Truthfully, I don't know anything about them. I shall have to practice, I suppose, and learn as best I can."

"Have you considered the fallacy involved in that?" she asked.

"I don't understand."

"There might not be room for even a first error . .

That certainly was a sobering thought! Everyone was certainly eager to impute all this sort of thing to me as a matter of course. Nevertheless, by the same law of nature (perversity), they would be quite unwilling to actually see the plan in operation.