I marched off at about five miles an hour. He wore an air of meekness which was so little in keeping with his general character that, at the bottom of my heart, it rather appalled me.
"I would sooner be snubbed by you than flattered by another woman."
"Snubbed by me! Considering how you're always snubbing me, that's amusing."
"I never mean to snub you."
"You never mean to? Then you must be singularly unfortunate in having to so constantly act in direct opposition to your intentions. To begin with, you hardly ever treat me as if I were a woman at all."
"Well, you are not a woman--are you--quite?"
"Mr Sanford! When you talk like that I feel--! Pray what sort of remark do you call that?"
"You are standing at the stepping stones."
"At the stepping-stones?"
"Happy is the man who is to lead you across them."