 »He is always somewhere in the background.«
    Hermione paused before she answered. She saw perfectly well the other
woman's vaunt: it seemed truly vulgar.
    »Is he?« she said slowly, and with perfect equanimity. »And do you think you
will marry?«
    The question was so calm and mild, so simple and bare and dispassionate that
Ursula was somewhat taken aback, rather attracted. It pleased her almost like a
wickedness. There was some delightful naked irony in Hermione.
    »Well,« replied Ursula, »He wants to, awfully, but I'm not so sure.«
    Hermione watched her with slow, calm eyes. She noted this new expression of
vaunting. How she envied Ursula a certain unconscious positivity! even her
vulgarity!
    »Why aren't you sure?« she asked, in her easy sing-song. She was perfectly
at her ease, perhaps even rather happy in this conversation. »You don't really
love him?«
    Ursula flushed a little at the mild impertinence of this question. And yet
she could not definitely take offence. Hermione seemed so calmly and sanely
candid. After all, it was rather great to be able to be so sane.
    »He says it isn't love he wants,« she replied.
    »What is it then?« Hermione was slow and level.
    »He wants me really to accept him in marriage.«
    Hermione was silent for some time, watching Ursula with slow, pensive eyes.
    »Does he?« she said at length, without expression. Then, rousing, »And what
is it you don't want? You don't want marriage?«
    »No - I don't - not really. I don't want to give the sort of submission he
insists on. He wants me to give myself up - and I simply don't feel that I can
do it.«
    Again there was a long pause before Hermione replied:
    »Not if you don't want to.« Then again there was silence. Hermione shuddered
with a strange desire. Ah, if only he had asked her to subserve him, to be his
slave! She shuddered with desire.
    »You see, I can't -«
    »But exactly in what does -«
    They had both begun at once, they both stopped. Then Hermione, assuming
priority of speech, resumed as if wearily:
    »To what does he want you to submit?«
    »He says he wants me to accept him non-emotionally, and
