"Then where is the line?—Miss Lois, you are smiling. Is it at my stupidity?"
"No," said Lois. "I was thinking of a lunch—such as I have seen it—in one of the great New York hotels."
"Well?" said he, without betraying on his own part any recollection; "how does that come in? By way of illustrating Mrs. Armadale, or me?"
"I seem to remember a number of things that illustrate both," said Lois; "but as I profited by them at the time, it would be ungrateful in me to instance them now."
"You profited by them with pleasure, or otherwise?"
"Not otherwise. I was very hungry."
"You evade my question, however."
"I will not. I profited by them with much pleasure."
"Then you are on my side, as far as I can be said to have a side?"
"I think not. The pleasure is undoubted; but I do not know that that touches the question of expediency."