Hypatia. I only tell you all this, dearest, because I do think you have rather too low an opinion of men as a class, and I wanted to show you that I have met at least one man who was capable of a real and disinterested devotion.
Maud. Well, I allowed that was about your idea.
Hyp. And don't you recognize that it was very fine of him to give up everything for his friend's sake?
Maud. I guess it depends how much "everything" amounted to.
Hyp. (annoyed). I thought, darling, I had made it perfectly plain what a sacrifice it meant to him. I know how much he—I needn't tell you there are certain symptoms one cannot be deceived in.
Maud. No, I guess you needn't tell me that, love. And it was perfectly lovely of him to give you up, when he was under vow for you and all, sooner than stand in his friend's light—only I don't just see how that was going to help his friend any.
Hyp. Don't you really? Not when the friend was under vow for me too?
Maud. Well, Hypatia Prendergast! And how many admirers do you have around under vow, as a regular thing?
Hyp. There were only those two. Ruskin permits as many as seven at one time.
Maud. That's a vurry liberal allowance, too. I don't see how there'd be sufficient suitors to go round. But maybe each gentleman can be under vow for seven distinct girls, to make things sort of square now?