But John had his answer ready.
"Oh, I wrote ever so many," he said, "and I have got them all at Cambridge.

But that is the only one I quite remember.

I wrote them just after the day when I waked up Muggins--the only time I had seen you till now.

I think I could--" "How funny it seems," said Mrs.Goddard, "without knowing a person, to write verses to them! How did you manage to do it ?" "I was going to say that I think--I am quite sure--I could write much better things to you now." "Oh, that is impossible--quite absurd, Mr.Short," said Mrs.Goddard, laughing more gaily than usual.
"Why ?" asked John, somewhat emboldened by his success.

"I do not see why, if one has an ideal, you know, one should not understand it much better when one comes near to it." "Yes--but--how can I possibly be your ideal ?" She felt herself so much older than John that she thought it was out of the question to be annoyed; so she treated him in a matter of fact way, and was really amused at his talk.
"I don't see why not," answered John stoutly.