"No, never."

"Never?"

She lifted her eyes and cooed the word. Cleopatra caught Mark Antony by such methods.

"Never."

"Oh, I can't believe that. Major, you were made—just made—to be a hero of romance."

"Do you think so?"

He was ironically amused.

"Yes, I do. Many's the pretty woman who has kissed your feet." Figuratively speaking, it was quite true, and Hector knew it. She laughed merrily, a hand on his arm. "Listen: I'm going to do something no-one's ever had the grit to do before!"

"You've done that already."

She was entertaining him, in a way.