"I have forgotten nothing."
She made a pretty mouth of doubt. "Would it not have been more kind to forget?"
"Such compliments are not easily forgotten."
"You are sure, quite sure it was a compliment?"
"No-o; by no means sure. Still, I am a man, and I am giving you the full benefit of every doubt."
She laughed, not ill-pleased. "But what a man! how blessed of the gods to be able to laugh at yourself as well as at me."
"Undeceive yourself: I could never laugh at you, Liane. Even if one did not believe you to be a great natural comedienne at will, one would always wonder what your purpose was--oh yes! with deep respect one would wonder about that."
"And you have been wondering these last three days? Well, tell me what you think my purpose was in abandoning all maidenly reserve and throwing myself at your head."
"Why," said Lanyard with a look of childlike candour, "you might, you know, have been uncontrollably swayed by some passionate impulses of the heart."
"But otherwise--?" she prompted, hugely amused.