Several times, he seemed to be listening.
"May I talk ?" she said at last.
"Why, certainly," he returned.

"I want you to feel perfectly at ease.

You must be altogether at home here.

Just let yourself go--say what you like, with no conventional restraints whatever--consider me a mechanical something that is no more than an article of furniture--be as thoroughly yourself as if alone in your own room." "How funny," she said musingly.
"Not at all"-- he returned--"just a matter of business." "But it _would_ be funny if I were to take you at your word," she replied; suddenly breaking the pose and meeting his gaze squarely.

"Is it--is it quite necessary for the mechanical something to look at me like that ?" "I said that you were to _consider_ me as an article of furniture.