In all seriousness I rose to my feet and looked her straightly in the eyes. "I can't," said I.
"Why not?"
"I'm going out."
"Where?"
She saw me pause, I suppose, for the next instant she was apologizing for her inquisitiveness.
"You mustn't apologize," said I, "I'm your guest. It's only right that you should look after me, and see that I don't get into mischief."
"Well—you mustn't think I want to know," she continued, quickly. "I don't. I'm sure it must have sounded like common curiosity, but it wasn't really. I expect I was surprised. I just asked without thinking."
"So you don't really want to know?"
"No," said she, emphatically, and she began putting on her garden gloves once more.
"I take it then," said I, "that you know already."