"Oh—er—certainly."
He got up, rather stiffly, still keeping his place in the book with one finger, while she sat down. Then he too sat again, and there was silence for a moment.
"Why, you're not smoking," she said.
"I forgot. I will now, if you don't mind!"
She saw his fingers tremble a little as he put out his hand to a box of cigarettes at his side. But he put the book down, after looking at the page.
She could keep her question in no longer.
"What do you think of that," she said, nodding at the book.
He filled his lungs with smoke and exhaled again slowly.
"I think it's extraordinary," he said shortly.
"In what way?"