"Why, that—that—"
"Well?"
"Hang it! why is it always so abominably absurd? Why, that I love the ground you tread on, Claudia? Is this wretched thing to keep us apart!"
"Mr. Lane, you're magnificent; but isn't there a trifling assumption in your last remark?"
"How?"
"Well, you seemed—perhaps you didn't mean it—to imply that only that 'wretched thing' kept us apart. That's rather taking me for granted, isn't it?"
"Ah! you know I didn't mean it. But if things were different, could you—"
"A conditional proposal is a new fashion. Is that one of Sir Roderick's ideas?"
Eugene was at last angry. He was silent for a moment. Then he said:
"I see. I must congratulate you."