“I don’t know—it was the order of speech, and the order of acquaintance,” with a naive look.
“But not the order of—regard.”
“Content!” she exclaimed. “You did it very well for a—novice.”
He tapped the gray hair upon his temples.
“A novice?” he inflected.
“You decline to accept it?—Very well, sir, very well!”
“I can’t accept, and be honest,” he replied.
“And you must be honest! Oh, brave man! Oh, noble gentleman! Perchance, you will accept a reward: a cup of tea—or a high ball!” 233
“Perchance, I will—the high ball!”
“I thought so! come along.”