Kate looked up with a shade of alarm. She was not quite sure where analogies might lead them—they get to mean so much.

“Well, well,” she laughed, “who would have suspected you of a leaning towards fairy tales? Why don’t you ask if I enjoyed my ride?”

“Well, did you?”

“Listen to him! Well, did I? Oh,” said Miss Kate, pushing back her chair with a sigh of mock despair, “you’ll never learn! It is not in you to be ordinarily civil. Now listen, and I’ll teach you; and now repeat after me: ‘I hope—’”

“I hope—”

“No, no! You must hope with greater warmth. Say, ‘I hope you have enjoyed—’”

“I hope you have enjoyed—”

“‘Your ride immensely!’”

“Your ride immensely!”

“That’s better. And ‘I’m very glad indeed—’”