Part 60 (1/2)
”We only want one or two.”
”'Barbara' is a nice dark name. Is she going to be pretty?”
”Her mother says she is. I didn't recognize the symptoms. Very pretty and very clever and very high-spirited, her mother says. Is there a name for that?”
”_I_ always call them whoppers,” said Miss Middleton.
”How do you like 'Alison Mary'? That was my first idea.”
”Oh, I thought it was always 'William and Mary.' Or else 'Victoria and Albert.'”
”I didn't say 'Alice AND Mary,' stoopid. I said 'Alison,' a Scotch name.”
”But how perfectly sweet! Why weren't you MY G.o.dfather? Would you have given me a napkin ring?”
”Probably. I will now, if you like. Then you approve of 'Alison Mary'?”
”I love it. Thank you very much. And will you always call me 'Alison' in future?”
”I say,” I began in alarm, ”I'm not giving that name to you. It's for my G.o.dchild.”
”Oh no! 'Alisons' are ALWAYS fair.”
”You've just made that up,” I said suspiciously. ”How do you know?”
”Sort of instinct.”
”The worst of it is, I believe you're right.”
”Of course I am. That settles it. Now, what was your next idea?”
”'Angela.'”
”'Angelas,'” said Miss Middleton, ”are ALWAYS fair.”
”Why do you want all the names to yourself? You say everything's fair.”
”Why can you only think of names beginning with 'A'? Try another letter.”
”Suppose YOU try now.”
Miss Middleton wrinkled her brow and nibbled a lump of sugar.
”'Dorothy,'” she said at last, ”because you can call them 'Dolly.'”