"No! No! No!" cried Hench again and earnestly. "I never was in love until I met Gwen. I told you so. But I did say that I admired another girl."
"You didn't say that you had proposed to her," said Mrs. Perage grimly.
"No, I didn't, because----"
"Because you loved her."
"I didn't!" cried Owain, thoroughly exasperated by these constant interruptions. "As I have already stated, I didn't know the meaning of the word love until I met with Gwen."
"Then why did you propose to this Zara creature? One doesn't propose unless love has something to do with the matter."
"Has your experience of life only taught you that much, Mrs. Perage? A man proposes for the sake of money."
"Was this Zara creature rich?"
"No. She was very poor."
"Then you didn't propose to her on that account. Come"--Mrs. Perage spoke in her roughest manner--"don't waste my time. Why did you propose?"