"You begin alphabetically, do you?" remarked Idris. "Amativeness: that, being interpreted, meaneth love—of—of the ladies generally. That organ is very large, of course?"
"No. Fairly large."
"O, come, you must be making a mistake. Feel again! It's a libel to limit my amatory sentiment to 'fairly large' only."
"I put it down as seven," replied Godfrey.
"What's the highest figure to which you ascend?"
"Nine—in my system."
"And I do not attain the top figure? Can't you make it eight, or at least seven and three-quarters?"
"The pupil must not dictate to the master," said Beatrice.
"Combativeness," Godfrey went on, his fingers ascending slightly.
"Combativeness," repeated Idris: "readiness to fight for—for the ladies. Don't say that isn't large."