"That ought to form a bond of sympathy between us, seeing that I am one of the most matter-of-fact people in the City of London."
"I have been told that bonds of sympathy are very dangerous things. Papa's Three-per-cent. bonds would be a much safer investment."
Van Duren laughed.
"How would it be, Miss Byrne, if I were to go through a course of reading under your tuition?"
"Do you mean the reading of love-stories?"
"That, and nothing else, is what I mean.
"How would it be possible for me to act as your tutor in such a course of reading when I don't know the alphabet of the language myself?"
"How would it be if we were to try to learn the alphabet together?"
"I am afraid that I am too old to learn a fresh language. Besides, if you are as ignorant as you say you are, we should not know the proper sounds to give to the different letters."
"Nature would be our schoolmistress. With her to teach us, we should soon become apt scholars."