[ He pinches Bastien's earlobe - too gently to be a real reprimand, but a little scoldingly nevertheless. ]

Don't apologize. You know as well as I do that talking about oneself is the greatest bliss of all. All you need to do to get most people talking is to ask. I always want to be asked, and so very rarely am - something to do with people assuming they know me soon as they look at me.

[ A moment, then - ]

There were good memories. She taught us music. She laughed. She hated my father, too. There's a reason I like it when you speak Orlesian to me.