a simple enough question . but every one of the passengers who heard it turned to see who asked it . the girl &apos;s voice was charming . and so was the girl herself . but you often find that an attractive voice and an attractive appearance go together . their owner probably takes pains with both ! people generally are responsive to voices . one voice will give you pleasure , and another will give you a headache . listen to Mollie . that girl could charm the bird from the bush . but Ethel &apos;s flat voice has as much charm as a codfish ! no wonder that employers advertising for a secretary often state : good speaking voice . listen and learn . listen to voices and you will learn how to improve your own . variations in pitch and speed , changes in expression , a warm quality in the voice itself , clear enunciation - those can help you to that good speaking voice . and you will notice , too , that pleasant voices usually belong to pleasant people . is there a moral there for you ? incidentally , it &apos;s easy to forget a face . but a voice once heard is never forgotten . a cynic has said that a good conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself . and there is enough truth in that to set you thinking . keep an ear open for snatches of talk you hear during the day . what I said and what I did are very popular subjects . but they make poor conversation ! sometimes you do meet some one who says little himself . but he seems willing to listen a lot . be cautious - there &apos;s an old adage which tells you to beware of the man who lets you do all the talking ! so what ! just this . a good conversationalist talks neither too much nor too little . he has the knack of putting things in an interesting way . but more than that , he stimulates you to contribute to the conversation too . and he can set a whole group talking . no wonder such a talker is always welcome ! conversation is still a popular form of entertainment . and one in which we all can share . you can help yourself to play your part in good conversation , either with strangers or in your own circle . and it will do wonders for you ! you think the man opposite would like to chat . and so would you . all right ! seize your opportunity when he looks up from his book . what will you say ? as you have never seen him before , you can n&apos;t very well open with , my wife has toothache ! - or something of that sort . the usual opening , and you can n&apos;t better it , is to remark on the weather . and why not ? the weather is of interest to everybody . and he will understand you are just sticking to the rules . he will do the same . if he does n&apos;t want to talk , a quick smile and a brief , horrid ! - and he returns to his book . but if he likes the look of you he will most likely toss the ball back to you by saying lightly , yes - all the fault of the atom-bomb scientists ! - or some such remark . and if you come back again with , disturbing chaps - in more ways than one ! each of you will think the other is talkable-to . and away you go . good conversation can be wonderful fun . and a grand shortener of journeys . useful , too ! one V.I.P has said that he learns more from conversation than from all the books he has read . at least you learn something about human nature . we &apos;ll say you arrive - on your own - at a party , and the hostess leaves you with a group of strangers . two or three of them give you a fleeting smile , but continue to listen to what seems to be a dramatic story by one of the group . she is telling of her battle with a play producer , but she has n&apos;t yet reached the point where she laid him out flat ! splendid ! it gives you a breathing-space , and time to get your bearings . you are sure to see something of interest to you , something you can talk about . it may be a bit of antique furniture , a picture , a tapestry , or even flowers . well , there you are . you may - when the producer has been humbled - get by by answering questions . but unless you are to appear as a tongue-tied ninny , you simply must say something original . for instance , you notice an old writing-desk . so you say to your neighbour , lovely desk ! do you think it &apos;s Chippendale ? you could n&apos;t do better . talk about furniture - especially antiques - and most people will want to join in . just a bit of chatter about some one else - but two completely different styles of talking ! one of the gossips talks with sledgehammer blows . she is so sure about things . but the other feels her way more gently . that sledgehammer style - if the blows are short and sharp enough - may suit at a political meeting . but conversation wilts under it . try , instead , a more inquiring style - do n&apos;t you think that &amp;hellip; ? will encourage the other one to give his views . oh , that &apos;s nonsense ! will shut him up , or start an argument . and an argument can be poor conversation . you find yourself more concerned to prove the other fellow wrong than to encourage him to say what he thinks . and do n&apos;t be a know-all . there are plenty of people - both sexes - who delight in showing their knowledge . maybe it &apos;s nice to know more than some one else , but it &apos;s a mistake to show it - if you want good conversation . let the other fellow tell you something - if he wishes to ! at some time or other you will speak in public . perhaps you will join in the discussion at a committee meeting , take sides at the debating society , open a local f&amp;ecirc;te , propose a toast - or even make a political speech from the platform . no matter what the occasion is , you will want to make a good job of it . here is some advice . be sincere . if you mean what you say there is a ring in your voice and a force in your speaking which you can get in no other way . believe in what you say - or say nothing . be natural . in other words , be yourself . famous orators have their own style . you have yours , and by sticking to it you will make a better speech than by imitating some one else . but see to it that your own style improves every time you make a speech . those two bits of advice apply whether you speak to a crowd in the town Hall or to half a dozen in the committee room . be sincere . be natural . people will at least listen to you with respect - and maybe with enjoyment ! and if you make a good speech you too will enjoy the thrill of it . she was so beautifully dressed . and she looked just right for the job - to open the bazaar . but , oh , dear ! she unfolded a sheet of paper and proceeded to read her speech - every word of it . such careful enunciation ! and so terribly lifeless ! but here &apos;s a speaker of another calibre - at a mass-protest meeting . he , too , looks just right for the job ! and he is . his words pour out with the flow and force of Niagara . he has the crowd spellbound ! those two speakers are poles apart . between them come many other speaking-methods . which one is yours ? perhaps you rely on a few notes on a small bit of paper ? that , at least , is better than reading the whole thing . but the secret of a good speech lies in the contact between speaker and audience . stop to read from a paper , look down at your notes ! - at once you break the spell . yes , it &apos;s off the cuff for a really good speech . but that does not mean you need not think about it beforehand . some of the best impromptu speakers spend hours in preparation . so , by all means plan your speech and rehearse it - see next page . take your notes with you - if you must ! but if you can lose them and still speak naturally and easily , why - good for you ! you are a speaker ! embarrassed and tongue-tied ! poor fellow ! but it need not happen to you - if you plan your speech beforehand . you are going to make a speech , so presumably you &apos;ve got something to say . it may take you two minutes , it may take you twenty minutes ( a long time that ! ) . but before you start have it clear in your mind what that message is . in writing a letter , you arrange it in paragraphs . do the same with your speech . but do n&apos;t write it down . content yourself with giving a name to each paragraph , and put those names in a list . suppose , for instance , you finally have four names on your list . then you have four sections to your speech . decide then what you want to say in each - and the best way of saying it - and then rehearse it over and over again . but do n&apos;t memorize it word for word . all you need do is to remember the four names - and the order in which they come . each time you rehearse you will probably put things in a different way . all the better ! - it will sound much more spontaneous on the occasion itself . remember your four names - have the list with you if you like - and you simply can n&apos;t be flummoxed ! of course , in any speech a good start and a good finish are half the battle . so - see the next page ! yes , they are waiting for you . but there is no need to be frightened . the audience will eat out of your hand - if they like what you offer them . a good start will put them in a good humour . ladies and gentlemen ! I &apos;m afraid I have not had much experience of public speaking . but that &apos;s a terrible way to begin ! why tell them you are a novice ? it &apos;s their interest you want - not their sympathy . and you want to get it from the word go ! try something like this : it is said that television keeps people at home . but you , at any rate , have proved that wrong . and they say , too , that television makes its appeal to those of lesser intelligence . may I suggest that you have proved that right ! congratulations ! and away you go into your speech . take some thought , too , for your ending . thank you for listening to me so patiently . a political candidate often used that finish . no wonder he did n&apos;t get in ! instead he might have ended this way : well , those are my views . it &apos;s up to you now to give me an opportunity of putting them into practice . a stronger finish - and a stronger candidate ! note : it &apos;s a good plan to memorize your beginning and your ending . one speaker predicts that unemployment will considerably increase . but another puts it this way : half the working-men in the country will line up at the labour exchange . six words only - line up at the labour exchange - but enough to make vividly clear to you what he has in mind . he presents you with a picture , and it flashes in your mind &apos;s eye . you see what he is talking about . the managing Director is retiring . the senior employee makes a presentation and he gives the thing a seagoing setting . he calls the Director captain , refers to him starting as cabin-boy , keeping the ship off the rocks , etc . a sound idea . the metaphors give life to the speech . simple words and homely phrases give the clearest pictures . let some one say : it &apos;s like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut ! - and at once you get his meaning . but : using a great output of energy for an exiguous purpose ( it means the same thing ! ) gives you no picture at all . so , in preparing your speech , search for the homely phrase and the simple illustration . and then in giving your speech , you in effect give your hearers a series of pictures . 