“Of course, I might be able to persuade him …”
“Unfortunately, there is a difficulty. Last night Mr. Kuvetli asked me if I minded his going with me as he had never been in Athens before.”
It gave him a great deal of pleasure to say it; but she was disconcerted only momentarily. She burst out laughing.
“You are not at all polite. Not at all. You let me say what you know to be untrue. You do not stop me. You are unkind.” She laughed again. “But it is a good joke.”
“I’m really very sorry.”
“You are too kind. I wished only to be friendly to you. I do not care whether I go to Athens or not.”
“I’m sure Mr. Kuvetli would be delighted if you came with us. So should I, of course. You probably know a great deal more about Athens than I do.”
Her eyes narrowed suddenly. “What, please, do you mean by that?”
He had not meant anything at all beyond the plain statement. He said, with a smile that he intended to be reassuring: “I mean that you have probably danced there.”
She stared at him sullenly for a moment. He felt the smile, still clinging fatuously to his lips, fading. She said slowly: “I do not think I like you as much as I thought. I do not think that you understand me at all.”