She laughed good-humoredly.
"We'd spare the Southerners for your sake; besides, the English have always had a weakness for Southerners. You're more like us. You don't make little set speeches, and you are delightfully quiet and grave."
Ethan burst out laughing.
"One has to come to England to be praised for one's blemishes," he said.
"Blemishes! Do you know the most objectionable thing in the American manner is excessive cheerfulness?"
"You surprise me."
"I've already said I didn't mean you."
Whereat Ethan laughed again with more amusement than he often showed.
"Say the most obvious, commonplace thing, and an American will laugh," she said, reproachfully.