“Mark.”
“Mark Lavendar. ‘Mark the perfect man.’ Where have I heard that; in Pope or in the Bible? Thank you; very good; your age is between thirty and thirty-five, with a strong probability that it is thirty-three. Am I right?”
“Approximately, madam.”
“You are unmarried, for married men don’t play games like this; they are too sedate.”
“You reassure me! Am I expected to acknowledge the truth of all your observations?”
“You have only to answer my questions, sir.”
“I am unmarried, madam.”
“Your nationality?”
“English of course. You don’t count a French grandmother, I suppose?”