"That was awfully dear," remarked Jerry. "It would have been much cheaper to be born with it."
"As in your case?" asked the lady, raising her eyebrows a little and smiling.
"Oh, one can't inherit all the virtues!" responded Taberman with the greatest seriousness.
"Most certainly not," laughed Mrs. Fairhew. "At least I had not that good fortune."
"Nature left you one to get for yourself, because she knew you'd do it so easily," Tab said gallantly.
"Really," cried the lady, "you are evidently determined to overwhelm me, Mr. Taberman. Compliments drop from your lips like the traditional showers of pearls."
"There are frogs too in that fairy story," suggested Jack.
"Oh, Mr. Castleport," declared Katrine, coming to the rescue of Jerry, "that is simply brutal."
"Of course it's brutal," retorted Jack, willfully twisting her meaning, "but he keeps it up all the same."