“Yes, but men;” said Ann Veronica, plunging; “don’t you want the love of men?”
For some seconds they remained silent, both shocked by this question.
Miss Miniver looked over her glasses at her friend almost balefully. “NO!” she said, at last, with something in her voice that reminded Ann Veronica of a sprung tennis-racket.
“I’ve been through all that,” she went on, after a pause.
She spoke slowly. “I have never yet met a man whose intellect I could respect.”
Ann Veronica looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, and decided to persist on principle.
“But if you had?” she said.
“I can’t imagine it,” said Miss Miniver. “And think, think”—her voice sank—“of the horrible coarseness!”
“What coarseness?” said Ann Veronica.
“My dear Vee!” Her voice became very low. “Don’t you know?”