He really thought that he was speaking the truth, although upon that first
day if she had declared herself lazy and languid he would have found her
equally to his taste--because it was the first day.

"That's kind of you, after my speech," she said smiling, "but let's wait a
bit before we begin to talk about me. Let us talk about you first--you're
the company, you know."

"But there's nothing to tell about me," said Jack, "except that I'm always
in difficulties--financial--or otherwise,--oftenest 'otherwise,' I must
confess."

"But you have a rich aunt, haven't you?" said Mrs. Rosscott. "I thought
that I had heard about your aunt."

"Oh, yes, I have a rich aunt," Jack said, laughing, "and I can assure you
that if I am not much credit to my aunt, my aunt is the greatest possible
credit to me."

"Yes, I've heard that, too," said Mrs. Rosscott, joining in the laugh,
"you see I'm well posted."

"If you're so well posted as to me," Jack said, "do be kind and post me a
little as to yourself. You don't need information and I do."

She turned and looked at him.

"What shall I tell you first?" she inquired.

"Tell me what you like and what you don't like--and that will give me
courage to do the same later," he added boldly.

She laughed outright at that and then sobered quickly.

"I told you that I liked to drive and to do everything," she said lightly;
"what else do you want to know about?"

"What you dislike."

"But I don't know of anything that I dislike;" she said
thoughtfully--"perhaps I don't like England; I am not sure, though. I had a
pretty good time there after all--only you know, being in mourning was so
stupid. And then, too, I didn't fit into their ideas. I really didn't seem
to get the true inwardness of what was expected of me. Oh, I never dared
let them know at home what a failure I was as an Englishwoman. I mortified
my husband's sisters all the time. Just think--after a whole year I often
forgot to say 'Fancy now!' and used to say 'Good gracious!' instead."

Jack laughed.

"My husband's sisters were very unhappy about it. They did want to love
me, because I had so much money; but it was tough work for them. Did you
ever know any middle-aged English young ladies?" she asked him suddenly.

"No, I never did," he said.

"Really, they seem to be a thing apart that can't grow anywhere but in
England. Every married man has not less than two, nor more than three, and
they always are a little gray