really soulless, primitive: you know,—a creature absolutely and bewilderingly unenlightened."
"Really, I quite dislike you to-day, Stephen. You are positively in bad form!"
"Please forgive me."
"What special mark of her culture has Helen given you?"
"Culture? That would have been by far too bad. Besides, it was something perhaps even worse: a mark of character, firm conviction."
"Up to now," he continued, "I had been quite satisfied with the girl; so, a few days ago, I proposed that she should give up her employment and come to live with me. Would you believe it? I met with a point-blank refusal. You fancy, perhaps, it was marriage she wanted, or something of that kind; and, word of honour! If she had, I would have taken her willingly. … Not at all. She told me sententiously that 'although she recognized free love, she never would be a kept woman!' What do you think of that, eh? Ha, ha! It's something astounding, isn't it?"
But I could not laugh. I sat silent, thinking
