‘I don’t know,’ said Paul, ‘that I’m more romantic than other people. I’m not the only man who ever fell in love, and I’m sure nobody ever had a better excuse than I have.’
‘Upon my word!’ cried the lady, ‘you have a very nice way of saying things. Do you know, Paul, if you go on like this, you’ll begin to be dangerous—in a year or two.’
‘I don’t belong to the dangerous classes,’ Paul answered. ‘I’m much likelier to suffer myself than to make you suffer.’
‘Oh, I’m not talking about me,’ said Claudia. ‘I’m thinking of the other ladies.’
‘There are no other ladies,’ Paul declared. ‘There never will be any other ladies. There is only one lady in the whole world for me.’
‘Now, seriously, Paul, how long do you think this ridiculous infatuation for me is going to last?’
‘For ever!’ cried Paul boldly. ‘For ever and ever. And it isnt an infatuation, Claudia. It’s a perfectly reasonable thing to fall in love with you. Why, you can’t walk down the street without half a dozen men doing it I know how they turn round to look at you.’
‘Oh, you outrageous little flatterer! Wherever did you learn to tell such fascinating fibs?’
‘They’re not fibs, Claudia. You know it as well as I do And I’ll tell you something. You ask me why I love you. I’m a judge of character.’
‘Oh, you dreadful boy! You’re not going to judge my character, I hope!’