So very innocent. There's surely no motive behind mentioning how easy it would be to tell stories, and James definitely doesn't take the bait knowingly but entirely willingly, speaking with a tone of affected wistfulness.

"Even his determined refusal to dine with myself and Sir John that first overwintering would not have spared Francis my dinner conversations."

Is James still slightly oblivious to the idea that it wasn't only Francis who found him annoying at those dinners? Maybe. Mostly. At least he knows he was annoying to Francis though, which is something, right? Right.