Lancelot watches him -- he is a careful, attentive listener, most of the time, and he is finding that Claudius is interesting. He likes him. Perhaps that's the rye talking.

He takes Claudius' point, and he does find it somewhat soothing, the notion that we are always learning more about even those we think we know best. It allows room for everyone to change and grow; he knows he did not give enough thought to the potential joy of changing, growing, before he was here. Even so, his expression clouds a little and he says, "I do not know what you mean by cut direct."

The rye certainly has a hand in this; he's not accustomed to questioning Claudius as he might question Magnus or Grantaire or ... nearly anyone else.