droll in English; you are even more droll in English, I
think. You say, 'You will go to walk, will you not?' and the 'not' makes
no sense at all."

It was her turn to reflect, and be forced to acquiesce.

"Yes, that is true."

"And anyway," he went on, "it is polite for me to ask you twice
anything, because that shows that I am twice anxious to please you."

"So!"

"Yes;" he took a violet from the bowl at his side and began to unclose
its petals. "Why did he say that?" he asked, suddenly raising his eyes
from the flower to her.

"He! who?"

"Our friend."

"Why did he say what?"

"Why did he say that I was stupid? I have never been but nice to him."

She looked startled.

"He never said that you were stupid."

"You said that he told you that I was stupid."

"No, I did not. I said that he warned me that--"

"Oh, it matters not," he broke in, shrugging his shoulders slightly,
"_ca ne me fait rien_. What he may think of me matters me not at all.
_Pauvre garcon_, he is so most uninteresting himself that I cannot
expect interest from him. _Ecoutez-donc!_ for him nothing exists but
golf; for him where golf is there is something, elsewhere there is
nothing anywhere. What did he say to me of Paris? he said that for him
Paris was nothing, because no one plays golf; he said he could throw a
dog all over the grounds any morning. I did not ask him what dog, or why
a dog, for I thought it was not truly a dog, but just his bad American
_argot_; and, if I must speak truth, pardon me that I find it very good
that so stupid a fellow finds me dull. If he found me amusing, I should
naturally know that I, too, must be a fool."

He put the violet to his lips and smiled a little.

"He speaks but English," he added; "he knows but golf, he has been
around the world and has seen nothing. I am quite content to have such a
man despise me."

Then he was silent, biting the purple flower. Rosina rested her chin
upon her hand.

"Please go on," she said briefly, "I am listening."

He looked at her and smiled.

"I do like Americans," he went on, "and I see that all the women have
small waists, and do not grow so large so soon, but I do not see why
they do not learn many things and so become much more nice; why, for
example, are they so ignorant of all the world and think their own
country alone fine?"

"Are we so?"

"Yes, of a truth. Because I speak English I meet very many of America,
and they always want to talk, so nat