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 

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