What surprised her even more than Archibald's table manners was his conversation; a flow, a positive torrent, which poured on in a constant stream, pausing only for the extreme exigencies of mastication, and not always then. In the intervals of her own talk, Joan caught occasional bits of this monologue. During the soup course it apparently concerned itself with the South American armadillo, habits and habitat. During the dessert it still appeared to linger about the armadillo.
Now and then Emily cast a puzzled glance across at Joan, and the débutante on his other side had long since been reduced to "Oh, really?" and "I can hardly believe that!" But the armadillo went on and on.
Joan had not suspected him of a concealed passion for natural history. She could hardly wait for dinner to be over to investigate this new development. But she had to call him to her side in so many words before he ventured to join her. His eyes had been upon her most of the evening, removing themselves hastily whenever they caught hers; but he did not wish to intrude. It was quite sufficient for him to be in the same room with her.
She began at once, "Why and whence the armadillo, Archie? You sounded like a University Extension lecture!"
"Did I?" he grinned. "Was it all right? There were some things I forgot to tell 'em. About the—"
"Never mind!" said Joan hastily. "What I want to know is how you came by the armadillo, anyway?"
"I'm taking a correspondence course," he confessed.
"In—in armadillos?"
"No, in conversation," he said seriously. "Subjects of General Discussion Suitable for Social Gatherings. I thought, seeing as I'm going out in society so much these days, I ought to work up a different line of talk than a fellow needs in business. The sort of things you like, you know—not learned, exactly, but sort of high-brow.—Books and all.—They send us out a subject once a week. 'All about the North Pole' it was once. 'The Infant in Portraiture,' another time. Last week it was 'The Armadillo and Its Ways.' Great scheme, ain't it?"
"Stupendous!" murmured Joan. "But, Archie, suppose you meet a fellow-student at some—er, social gathering who happens to be pursuing the same line of cultivation? Mightn't that be rather embarrassing?"