Lawrence smiled his sudden, fascinating smile, and resting his arms across his knees, leaned toward her.
“What were you thinking about, Patricia!”
“Nothing,” said Paddy, and shut her mouth with a little snap.
“Come!” coaxingly, “you may as well tell me.”
But she would not be inveigled, and picked up her papers again, saying that she had forgotten. Lawrence, however, was not so easily put off.
“Do you know you have such a funny mouth, Paddy,” he said. “It doesn’t shut properly, and when you want to be very firm you have to use great pressure. It almost looks as if it had a spring that didn’t work quite properly, and sometimes, although you are very determined to be severe, it persists in getting unmanageable and twitching. It’s quite the most fascinating, irresistible mouth I ever saw in my life.”
“Don’t be silly,” trying not to see how altogether engaging his manner had become. “In about two seconds I shall put up my umbrella.”
“Don’t do that,” he laughed. “It would be too unkind. I don’t mind your firing bombs at me in your conversation, but I should mind very much if you hid yourself.”
“That is the reason that would have more weight with me than any other for doing so,” promptly.
Lawrence sat back and laughed outright.