He said it was between them." "I should think so!" "Shelley, there's a question I've been wanting to ask some one for quite a while." "What ?" "Why, this! You know, Laddie was in love with the Princess, like you are when you want to marry folks, for a long, long time, before he could be sure whether she loved him back." "Yes." "Well, now, 'spose she never had loved him, would he have had anything to be ashamed of ?" "I can't see that he would.

Some one must start a courtship, or there would be no marrying, and it's conceded to be the place of the man.
No.

He might be disappointed, or dreadfully hurt, but there would be no shame about it." "Well, then, suppose she loved him, and wanted to marry him, and he hadn't loved her, or wanted her, would SHE have had anything to be ashamed of ?" "I don't think so! If she was attracted by him, and thought she would like him, she would have a right to go to a certain extent, to find out if he cared for her, and if he didn't, why, she'd just have to give him up.

But any sensible girl waits for a man to make the advances, and plenty of them, before she allows herself even to dream of loving him, or at least, I would." Now I was getting somewhere! "Of course you would!" I said.

"That would be the WAY mother would, wouldn't it ?" "Surely!" "If that Paget man you used to write about had seemed to be just what you liked, you'd have waited to know if he wanted you, before you loved him, wouldn't you ?" "I certainly would!" answered Shelley.