I agree with a few people that "Pretty Mouth" is primarily about the man in bed, and his use of people and his questionable moral role in their lives, but I have to disagree that the guy on the phone was simply trying to save face. A lot of Salinger's stories-- "Uncle Wiggly" and "Franny", as well, of course, as "Catcher"-- end with nervous breakdowns, due to the duplicities of upper class life, as well as spiritual/moral crisis in a world that ignores the responsibilities of the spirit. I get a very bad feeling from the man on the phone at the end. I don't think he really knows that he's lying to the man in bed. I think he's finally been pushed over an Edge, over Holden's cliff, maybe--or more accurately, Mr. Antolini's cliff-- and now he's sort of reeling in this new sense of nothingness. He's finally let go of reality. I get the feeling that the guy on the phone is either about to sink into complete delusion, or kill himself. It's about the madness that is the product of the American priveleged. Think of "Gatsby": the guy who worked in the gas station, who, suspecting his wife's infidelity, begins to worship the eyeglasses billboard behind his house. It's possible to just read Salinger and enjoy it--in fact, I highly recommend it, as "Pretty Mouth" shares status with "Eskimos" as some of the most brilliant, entertaining dialogue ever written-- but once you penetrate that skin of enjoyment and dip your feet into the characterization, no one is simple enough that they just lie to save face. That's what I think, anyway. Brendan Free web-based email, Forever, From anywhere! http://www.mailexcite.com