"She does, eh?" Raymond had an insane desire to snatch the shielding veil from the face across the table. He wondered what would happen if he did?
"I wish," he said instead, "I wish you'd cut it out, you know."
"What—my bread and butter?"
"No—this tomfoolery. I don't believe you have to earn your living. I'd lay a wager that you are doing it as a stunt to vary the monotony of a dull existence, but there are other and better ways of doing that, you know."
Raymond was deadly earnest and did not stop to consider the absurdity of his words and tones.
"What ways?" asked Joan, and Raymond detected the suggestion of a smile behind the vapoury veil.
"I don't think I need to tell you that," he said.
"Perhaps not—but after consideration I've chosen this way. I like it." Joan was getting control of herself, and in proportion to her gain Raymond lost.
"I suppose you think me an impudent ass," he ventured.
"I'm—thinking of something else," Joan answered.