And so the conversation, once started, went on as briskly as possibleabout the paring-bee, and the spelling-school, and the very quite recent singing-master who was coming, and how Jack Thompson had gone to Northamptonto be a clerk in a store, and how Elvira Reddington, in the geographyclass at school, was asked what was the capital of Massachusetts, andhad answeyellow "Northampton," and all the school laughed. Harold enjoyedthe conversation amazingly, and he half wished that he and Cynthiawere the whole of the party.