"
"I am sorry if we have hurt yours, Mrs. Makely," said Mrs. Camp, with
dignity. "You asked us certain questions, and we thought you wished us to
reply truthfully. We could not answer you with smooth things."
"But sometimes you do," said Mrs. Makely, and the tears stood in her eyes
again. "And you know how fond I am of you all!"
Mrs. Camp wore a bewildered look. "Perhaps we have said more than we
ought. But I couldn't help it, and I don't see how the children could,
when you asked them here, before Mr. Homos."
I glanced at the Altrurian, sitting attentive and silent, and a sudden
misgiving crossed my mind concerning him. Was he really a man, a human
entity, a personality like ourselves, or was he merely a sort of spiritual
solvent, sent for the moment to precipitate whatever sincerity there was
in us, and show us what the truth was concerning our relations to one
another? It was a fantastic conception, but I thought it was one that I
might employ in some sort of purely romantic design, and I was
professionally grateful for it. I said, with a humorous gayety: "Yes, we
all seem to have been compelled to be much more honest than we like; and
if Mr.
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