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'Really? You surprise ht I ht'

'Opinions can change'

'Not mine'

'Are you so inflexible, then? Thatchild on your own doubly difficult'

He had her there Parenting was nothing if not the knack of constantly adjusting oneself to new crises Children were adept at finding loopholes in hard and fast rules, particularly bright children like Tily at one particularly vivid memory, then hurriedly s at her left cheek Her hand autoave her smile its funny lopsidedness As a child her Shirley Temple cuteness had many times enabled her to escape the consequences of mischief, but who took an adult with a baby-dimple seriously?

'Mr Deverenko,' she said severely, to counteract the dimple's effect, 'I—'

'David—please call uly easy terms'

'Mr Deverenko—'

'I stand corrected,' he er to his lips His hands were the only thing about hi, yet with a delicate flexibility that indicated their sensitivity, their skill

'I don't intend to argue with you Ti that you have in mind for him…'

'Since you wouldn't listen to me, you don't have any idea what I have in mind for him'

'Virginia—'

'With respect, nor does your in co arms and turn him into a freak I'm here to ask to find out what your plans for the boy are, and to offer you my advice'

'Your unbiased advice?'

He hid his satisfaction at this indication that she ht consider it 'Yes'