She gave one long sigh of relief, that for the life of her she could not repress.
“Concerning whom, then?” she asked.
“Concerning your friends the Gurtners. There is a general idea about that their sympathies are violently pro-German. As you had been there lately, I thought you might be able to give me some information about them.”
“I can,” she said. “I heard them both consistently express sentiments the very opposite of those which you say are attributed to them.”
He paused a moment.
“And there was nothing that led you to think that those sentiments were not quite sincere?” he asked.
She also paused over that question. The two were very good friends when they met, always polite, always anxious not to strain the cord of friendship. But she thought she might permit herself a further question in answer to that.
“And is your question quite sincere?” she said. “Is there not an irony behind it?”
He laughed.
“Robin always tells me you are so clever,” he said, “and I always agree. There is an irony. What I mean is are you sufficiently intimate with Lady Gurtner to know if she is sincere or not when she professes these pro-English sentiments?”