But he went on eating heartily, chattering away between the mouthfuls.... I scarcely know what the man said! But I suppose all kinds of worthless people have that gift of making themselves "at home" in any company they like, and of carrying on that flow of talk that they contrive to make sound amusing, although it looks perfectly silly written down....
One can't imagine anybody really sterling (like my Mr. Brace, for example) exploiting a characteristic of this sort. The Honourable Jim is "at" it the whole time. Just to keep his hand in, of course!
(I never cease to see through him.)
At last he finished lunching. He pulled out a very pretty platinum cigarette-case.
(I wondered who he had "wangled" that out of.)
"Miss Lovelace, you don't smoke?"
"No, thank you. I don't."
"Ah! That's another pleasing thing about you, is it?"
This made me sorry I hadn't taken one of his horrid fat cigarettes.
I said: "I suppose you would think it unwomanly of me if I smoked?"