"Yes, Dutch."

"Write in French next time: then I can read it."

She laughed and gave her promise, poured him out a cup of tea, handed the chocolates. He nibbled at them:

"Are you so serious? Have you always been? You were not serious the other day."

"Sometimes I am very serious."

"So am I."

"I gathered that. If I had not come that time, you might have become very serious."

He gave a fatuous laugh and looked at her knowingly:

"You are a wonderful woman!" he said. "Very interesting and very clever. What you want to happen happens."

"Sometimes."