But perhaps you don't know that people have begun to talk about you, and I think you owe it to me to be perfectly frank." Even then it didn't occur to Joan that there was anything serious in the business.

"I'll be as frank as the front page of The Times--'All the news that's fit to print,'" she said.

"What do you want to know ?" Alice proved her courage.

She drew up a chair, bent forward and came straight to the point.

"Be honest with me, Joan, even if you have to hurt me.