"I am still rather sad," I said.
"Why? Doesn't anybody love you?"
"Millions adore me fiercely. It isn't that at all. The fact is I've
just had a birthday."
"Oh, I AM sorry. Many happy--"
"Thank you."
"I thought it was to-morrow," Miss Middleton went on eagerly. "And
I'd bought a cricketing set for you, but I had to send it back to
have the bails sawn in two. Or would you rather have had a bicycle?"
"I'd rather have had nothing. I want to forget about my birthday
altogether."
"Oh, are you as old as that?"
"Yes," I said sadly, "I am as old as that. I have passed another
landmark. I'm what they call getting on."
We gazed into the fire in silence for some minutes.
"If it's any comfort to you," said Miss Middleton timidly, "to know
that you don't LOOK any older than you did last week--"
"I'm not sure that I feel any older."
"Then, except for birthdays, how do you know you ARE older?"