"Do you think that's impossible?"
He waited a moment before saying:
"I don't know. You don't make a very good start, ma'am."
"At least you are deliciously frank!"
"It pays; it does away with misunderstandings. I wouldn't want you to think—since you've asked me—that I believed you could make a go of this ranch, even if you wanted to."
That stung her sharply; she drew her breath in with a slight sound and leaned quickly forward as if ready to denounce his skepticism, but she did not speak.
She only arose impatiently and walked to the mantel.
"Do you smoke?" she asked, holding out a box of cigarettes.
"Yes; do you?"
"Yes."