One moment she was nothing but a resentment; but when she looked up again the light in her eyes had been softened by that half-sarcastic pity which a well-bred woman feels for the ignorance of man.
"Your sister has not called on me," she said.
He replied: "I beg your pardon for overlooking the ceremonious flirtation which women insist shall be indulged in, for I assure you that their ways are sometimes a mystery to me; but I admit that the commonest sort of sense should have kept me from falling into this error.

My sister shall call on you." "Pardon me, but she must not." "And may I ask why not ?" "My aunt lives in a flat," she answered.
"Suppose she does?
What difference can that make ?" "It makes this difference: Your sister couldn't conceal the air of a patron, and I couldn't hide my resentment; therefore," she added with a smile that brought back all her brightness, "to be friends we must remain strangers." "But suppose I should call on you; would you regard it as a patronage ?" "No." "Why not ?" "Because you are a man." "You women are peculiar creatures." "An old idea always patly expressed," she replied.
"But isn't it true ?" "It must be, or it wouldn't have lived so long," she answered.
"A pleasing sentiment," he replied, "but old age is not a mark of truth, for nothing is grayer than falsehood." "But it finally dies, and truth lives on," she rejoined.
"No, it is often buried." "So is a mummy buried, but it is brought to light again." "Yes, but it doesn't live; it is simply a mummy." "Oh, well," she said, "I know that you are wrong, but I won't worry with it." John Richmond opened the door of Henry's room.

"Come in," Henry called, advancing to meet him.

"How are you?
And now that you are here, make yourself at home." "All right," Richmond replied, sitting down, reaching out with his foot and drawing a spittoon toward him.

"How is everything running ?" "First-rate." "You are getting out a good paper.