He made no pretense to listen or to look. "She says she doesn't want to marry me."
He made the statement dispassionately, as though laying down a subject for academic discussion.
It was some little time before she could think what to say.
"Well, that doesn't surprise me," she risked at last.
"Doesn't surprise you?"
She shook her head. "On the contrary, I should be very much astonished if she did—now. I should be astonished at any woman in her position wanting to marry a man in yours."
"I don't care a hang for my position."
"Oh yes, you do. And even if you didn't, it wouldn't matter. It's naturally a case in which you and she have to see from different angles. With you it's a point of honor to stand by her; with her it's the same thing not to let you."
"In honor it's the positive, not the negative, that takes precedence, and the positive happens to be mine."
"I don't think you can argue that way, you know. What takes precedence of everything else is—common sense."