"Do you fancy a girl cares for a man because he is or is not good enough? When a girl cares she cares because she cannot help herself."
"I know that is the way with a man, or at least with me. I cannot help caring for you."
"Nor could you help caring for Sylvia."
"She is so different."
"Yes," said Fanny dreamily, "and so are you." Though to whom she referred she did not say, nor did Annandale ask. She gave him no chance. "Next month you will not be able to help caring for some other girl."
"Not if you would take me."
"But, you see, I don't care for you."
"But couldn't you?" Annandale persisted. "Couldn't you if you tried? Of course, in saying that Loftus is not good enough for you I don't mean that I am. But if you could try I would."
At this program Fanny laughed. "We should be a pair of Christian Endeavorers, shouldn't we?"
To the levity of that Annandale found no immediate reply. Yet presently, with an irrelevance more obvious than real, he threw out: "He has gone abroad, you know."