“There! I won’t disturb your scientific studies,” she said. “You are English, are you not?” she added, in our language.

“I am. Like you.”

“Am I?”

“I think so.”

“A good guess.”

“Hardly a guess. You could scarcely be anything else.”

“By my bad German, or something worse?”

“By your good English.”

“And my bad style?”

“Not at all.”