"You mean that you could never hate a person for a talent in them?"
"Yes."
"Suppose that some one, by means of a talent which you had not, won from you a love which you had? Talent is a weapon, you know."
"You think it is a weapon to conquer the affections! Ah, Emile, after all you don't know us!"
"You go too fast. I did not say a weapon to conquer the affection of a woman."
"You're speaking of men?"
"I know," Delarey said, suddenly, forgetting to be modest for once, "you mean that a man might be won away from one woman by a talent in another. Isn't that it?"
"Ah," said Hermione, "a man—I see."
She sat for a moment considering deeply, with her luminous eyes fixed on the food in her plate, food which she did not see.
"What horrible ideas you sometimes have, Emile," she said, at last.