"I say, you are revengeful," she cried. "Just because, in the most harmless way——"
"I don't mind any one making the most complete fool of me—once," he interrupted. "A very moderate sense of humour carries that off. One doesn't want to make a habit of it, that's all. And I always think it's a perilous thing to begin playing with the truth."
"So you'll never believe anything I say?"
"We're so very unlikely to meet that it hardly matters. Won't you shake hands?"
She held out the tips of her fingers and, as he released them, caught him by the sleeve of his coat. He noticed that she was biting her lip and had either improved her acting or lapsed into sincerity.
"Are you like Jim?" she asked. "D'you despise me so much that you refuse to meet me?"
He looked carelessly at his sleeve, but she refused to understand the movement of his eyes.
"I should be honoured to meet you. Only I never go anywhere. Lady Pentyre and Lady Knightrider are about our only two links."
"And I suppose Jim will have me turned out of their houses, when he comes back. If you knew how I hated having people angry with me.... Will you meet me, if I don't have any of my objectionable friends, if I'm on my best behaviour——"