The underplay of meaning was not the only subtleness of the speech, for the tone in which it had been uttered was rich in interrogation, as though its author, while realizing the pony's dimness of perception, half believed the animal had noticed Miss Radford's lapse of hospitality.
"I'm thinkin' you are laughin' at me again, ma'am," he said as he came to the edge of the porch and stood looking up at her, grinning.
"Do you think I am laughing ?" she questioned, again biting her lips to keep them from twitching.
"No-o.

I wouldn't say that you was laughin' with your lips--laughin' regular.

But there's a heap of it inside of you--tryin' to get out." "Don't you ever laugh inwardly ?" she questioned.
He laughed frankly.

"I expect there's times when I do." "But you haven't lately ?" "Well, no, I reckon not." "Not even when you thought your horse might have noticed that I had neglected to invite you off ?" "Did I think that ?" he questioned.
"Of course you did." "Well, now," he drawled.

"An' so you took that much interest in what I was thinkin'! I reckon people who write must know a lot." Her face expressed absolute surprise.