         /**
          *  @private
          */
-        private function clearFlag(mask:uint):void
+        public function clearFlag(mask:uint):void
         {
             flags &= ~mask;
         }

        // and needs to be regenerated on demand,
        // because with htmlText what-you-set-is-not-what-you-get.
        if (!styleSheet)
            htmlText = null;
        
        if (!textFlow)
            return;

         *  which control what work validateNow() needs to do.
         */
        private static const FLAG_TEXT_SET:uint = 1 << 6;
        public static const FLAG_HTML_TEXT_SET:uint = 1 << 7;
        private static const FLAG_TEXT_LINES_INVALID:uint = 1 << 8;
        private static const FLAG_GRAPHICS_INVALID:uint = 1 << 9;
        
