“Why is that an objection?”

“Can’t you guess?”

“No, indeed I can’t.”

“He loves you too, Ira.”

“Nonsense, Richard.”

“He does, really and truly.”

“Then, if he does, he’ll want to make me happy.”

O, the poignant, lovely inhumanity of women!

“Will he?” I said. “Well, to do him justice, I believe he would. But, supposing it were the other way about, and I was the rich one, and you and he were engaged and he wanted my help?”

“Then it would be very unwise of him to ask it, for I should fall in love with you, of course.”