I don't want to know his girl friends." "Are you attracted to Mr.Dalzell, Cathy ?" asked her mother.
"Not especially, I assure you, mamma." "Oh, then it is not a serious affair." "It may be," laughed the girl lightly.

"If I can learn to endure Mr.Dalzell, then I may permit him to marry me when he is two years older and has his commission." "Even if you don't care much for him ?" asked Mrs.Atterly, almost shocked.
"If I marry," pouted Miss Atterly, "I don't want a husband that leaves the house every morning, and returns every evening." "Cathy!" "Well, I don't! In some ways I suppose it's nice to be a married woman.

One has more freedom in going about alone.

Now, a Naval officer, mamma, would make the right sort of husband for me.
He'd be away, much of the time, on long cruises." "But I understand, Cathy, that sometimes a Naval officer has a year or two of shore duty." "If that happened," laughed the girl, "I could take a trip to Europe couldn't I?
And the social position of a Naval officer isn't a bad one.

His wife enjoys the same social position, you know, mamma." "Yet why Mr.Dalzell, if you really don't care anything about him ?" "Because he's so simple, mamma.