“Don’t be silly.”
“Not young enough?”
“Oh, I say! Let’s talk of something reasonable.”
“Not old enough, perhaps?”
He was silent.
“Not wise enough? Not foolish enough?” she persisted.
“You’re foolish enough, in all conscience,” said he. “Well, then, why? What are the reasons why you couldn’t marry me?”
“What is the good of talking about this?” he groaned.
“I want to know. A man has the hardihood to inform me to my face that he’d spurn my hand, even if I offered it to him. I insist upon knowing why.” She feigned high indignation.
“You know why. And you know that ’spurn’ is very far from the right word,” was his rejoinder.