make friends. The best way to do this, they appeared to think, was to agree with everything I said. Now, in most people, that would have annoyed me straight away, but these dear old ladies were so harmless and anxious to please that one couldn't be annoyed. If there is one thing that's irritating, it's people agreeing with whatever one says, I don't want anyone to argue with me. That annoys me even more. But I do like people to have minds of their own. I like to hear their views on subjects. I've an open sort of mind myself, always ready to learn, and I'm not above storing up someone else's epigrams for future use. But you can't learn much from an echo. It's very pleasant for a time, but it isn't exactly instructive, and it soon gets badly on the nerves.
At first, I think, those quaint old ladies still imagined I was mad. But after I had behaved quite properly and sanely for an hour or so in spite of an almost irresistible desire to laugh at them, they got more easy in their minds. If you want to make people quite sure that you are sane and respectable, be dull and solemn—especially dull. Never by any chance say anything witty or original. An Englishman doesn't understand, and gets suspicious of anything of that kind right away. He'll eye you askance at once as an eccentric sort of Johnny, if he doesn't call you mad outright. But if you are very dull, and never say anything that he might not have said himself, then he'll pass you as all right. I suppose it is that nothing
