'I only thought,' I said, 'that to-day we might talk together instead of reading. Just for once—just for a change. If you don't like the idea of telling stories out of our lives let us just talk. Tell each other what we think of things—of the big things like—well, like love and death for instance. Things,' I reassured her, 'that don't really touch us at this moment.'
'I do not care to talk about love and death,' said Mrs. Barnes frostily.
'But why?'
'They are most unsettling.'
'But why? We would only be speculating—'
She held up her hand. 'I have a horror of the word. All speculation is abhorrent to me. My brother-in-law said to me, Never speculate.'
'But didn't he mean in the business sense?'
'He meant it, I am certain, in every sense. Physically and morally.'
'Well then, don't let us speculate. Let us talk about experiences. We've all had them. I am sure it would be as instructive as Merivale, and we might perhaps—perhaps we might even laugh a little. Don't you think it would be pleasant to—to laugh a little?'
'I'd love to,' said Dolly, her eyes shining.