“You’ll end by not getting any one at all.”
“Which, from my point of view, don’t you see, won’t be an unmixed evil. Having lived happily for twenty-three years without a husband, I don’t see why I should throw away a perfectly good bone for the most enticing shadow that ever was.”
“I don’t believe you’re human.” Before there could be a retort to this Elsie went on to ask, “How did poor Stephen take it?”
“Well, he didn’t go into fits of laughter. He took it more or less lying down. If he hadn’t—”
“If he hadn’t—what?”
“Oh, I don’t know. The least little bit of fight on his part—or even contempt—”
As this sentence remained unfinished I could hear Elsie rise.
“Well, I’m off to bed,” she yawned. “What time do you have breakfast?”
There was some little discussion of household arrangements, after which they said their good nights.