This bit of sarcasm did not pass; my cousin laughed again that merry laugh of his.
"I think we shall become great friends," he said. "I like frankness."
"My remark in its literal sense was the antithesis of frankness."
"Ah, you said too much not to be frank. Frankness is one of the reasons why I do not get on well with the women. I can't lie in the right place, and when I do it is generally ten times worse than the plain truth."
"You're a man of the world, I see."
"No, merely a spectator."
"Well, you have the price of admission; with me it's a free pass. Some day we will compare notes."
"Who is your banker?"
"Banker? I have none. I distrust banks. They take your mite and invest it in what-nots, and sometimes when you go for it, it is not there."
"And then again it multiplies so quickly that you have more than you know what to do with; eh?"