“Thank you, Lord Ruthven; I adore Englishmen, too, but I know so few of them.”
“You’ve not been here long, then?”
“No, only a few weeks. And there’s so much I want to learn.”
“Let me teach you,” said his Lordship, eagerly. “I do not think you would prove a dull pupil.”
Patty’s eyes smiled. “No Americans are dull,” she said.
“That’s true; my experience has already proved it. I’ve met six, I think, including yourself. But what sort of things do you want to learn?”
“The language, principally. I just want to learn to say ‘only fancy’ occasionally, and ‘d’y’ see?’ in the middle of every sentence.”
“It’s not easy,” said Lord Ruthven, thoughtfully, “but I think I can teach you in, say, about ten lessons. When shall we begin the course?”
Patty looked at him reproachfully. “If you knew the American nature at all,” she said, “you’d know that we always begin things the moment the plan occurs to us.”
“Good! there’s no time like the present.”