"That I hardly know. When I am present, of course they only talk about ordinary women's interests, household affairs, and so on."
"Then you have no means of—well, of knowing whether she has spoken about me to your wife in any particular way?"
"Nothing of the kind has ever been hinted to me"
"Waymark," Julian continued, after a pause, "you are a strange fellow."
"In what respect."
"Do you mean to tell me honestly that—that you—"
"Well?—you mean to say, that I am not in love with the girl?"
"No, I wasn't going to say that," said Julian, with his usual bashfulness, heightened in this case by some feeling which made him pale. "I meant, do you really believe that she has no kind of regard for you beyond mere friendship?"
"Why? Have you formed any conclusions of your own on the point?"
"How could I help doing so?"