"Monsieur wishes me to flatter myself into thinking he did me the honour of desiring to find me to-night?"
"Or any other. Do not depreciate the potency of your charms, mademoiselle. Who, having seen you once, could help hoping to see you again?"
"My friend," said Liane, with a pursed, judgmatical mouth, "I think you are much too amiable."
"But I assure you, never a day has passed, no, nor yet a night, that I have not dwelt upon the thought of you, since you made so effective an entrance to the château, a vision of radiant beauty, out of that night of tempest and fury."
Liane drooped a coy head. "Monsieur compliments me too much."
"Impossible!"
"Is one, then, to understand that monsieur is making love to me?"
Lanyard pronounced coolly: "No."
That won another laugh of personal appreciation. "What then, mon ami?"
"Figure to yourself that one may often dream of the unattainable without aspiring to possess it."