Aaron and I listen at the door.

Come and listen at the door." And David had yielded and listened at the door, and afterwards gone in and remained like one who could not tear himself away.

What was more, he and Elspeth had touched upon the subject of love in their conversation, Tommy sitting at the window so engrossed in a letter to Pym that he seemed to hear nothing, though he could repeat everything afterwards to Grizel.
Elspeth had said, in her shrinking way, that if she were a man she could love only a woman who was strong and courageous and helpful--such a woman as Grizel, she had said.
"And yet," David replied, "women have been loved who had none of those qualities." "In spite of the want of them ?" Elspeth asked.
"Perhaps because of it," said he.
"They are noble qualities," Elspeth maintained a little sadly, and he assented.

"And one of them, at least, is essential," she said.

"A woman has no right to be loved who is not helpful." "She is helpful to the man who loves her," David replied.
"He would have to do for her," Elspeth said, "the very things she should be doing for him." "He may want very much to do them," said David.
"Then it is her weakness that appeals to him.