‘How many did you really love?’ she asked. ‘Please don’t joke about it, Frank. I really want to know.’
‘If I choose to tell you a lie—’
‘But you won’t!’
‘No, I won’t. I could never feel the same again.’
‘Well, then, how many did you love?’
‘Don’t exaggerate what I say, Maude, or take it to heart. You see it depends upon what you mean by love. There are all sorts and degrees of love, some just the whim of a moment, and others the passion of a lifetime; some are founded on mere physical passion, and some on intellectual sympathy, and some on spiritual affinity.’
‘Which do you love me with?’
‘All three.’
‘Sure?’
‘Perfectly sure.’