“She is greatly interested in the Romeo and Juliet story,” remarked Edmund, strolling up to him.
“She—who?” asked Harold.
“The girl—the necessary girl. The—let us say, alternative. The—the handrail.”
“The handrail?”
“Yes. Oh, I forgot: you were not within hearing. There was something said about the perilous causeway of matrimony.”
“And that suggested the handrail idea to you? No better idea ever occurred even to you, O man of many ideas, and of still more numerous phrases.”
“She is responsive—she is also clever—she is uncommonly clever—she got the better of me.”
“Say no more about her cleverness.”
“I will say no more about it. A man cannot go a better way about checking an incipient passion for a young woman than by insisting on her cleverness. We do not take to the clever ones. Our ideal does not include a power of repartee.”
“Incipient passion!”