He looked down into her face and laughed softly.
"You're not," he returned. "You're perfectly stunning to-night."
"Of course I am," she retorted, laughing and pouting; "but you can't put me off with a compliment. If you hadn't meant to tell me, you wouldn't have spoken about it at all; and I think you've teased me enough. What is it about the President and you?"
She touched the tips of her fingers to his cravat, as if she were straightening it, whereas she was probably only exerting instinctively her privilege of proprietorship in Jack and his belongings.
"Well," he laughed, "you have borne it beautifully, and I've had you crazy with curiosity till I don't dare put off telling you. But you'll probably lie awake half the night thinking about it."
"That depends upon how important it is."
"I expect to be paid for telling you," he declared with a look that made her flush.
"I should think you might be generous enough to tell me for nothing," she responded; but her dimples deepened.
He stooped forward quickly, and kissed her. Then he took both her hands in his, and stood caressing them while he went on.
"The news is this," he said. "We've got to change our plans for the wedding journey from stem to stern."