“You implied it, Lady Gwendolyn.”
“Don’t you know that speech was given to us to enable us to conceal our thoughts, Colonel Dacre?”
“You are fencing the question. I wish you would be frank with me for once.”
“It is a great mistake to be frank. You only put weapons into your enemies’ hands for them to wound you with.”
“But you are not obliged to be frank with enemies, Lady Gwendolyn.”
“If once people get into the habit, it is very difficult to break it off. Besides, who is to discriminate between friend and foe?”
“I thought a woman’s wonderful instinct always helped her there.”
“Not always. For instance”—saucily—“I have never been able to discover yet whether you like me or not.”
“Then you must be extraordinarily obtuse,” he answered, in the same tone.
“I acknowledged as much just now.”