And you know, dear, that it would make no difference to me in my relations with the girl--except that"-- she hesitated, smiling--"she is _not_ good enough for you, Garry, and so, if you catch the prevailing contagion, and fall a victim, you have been inoculated now and will have the malady lightly." "My frivolous and fascinating aunt," he said, "have you ever known me to catch any prevailing--" "O Garret! You know you have!--dozens of times--" "I've been civilly attentive to several girls--" "I wish to goodness you'd marry Virginia Suydam; but you won't." "Virginia!" he repeated, astonished.
"Yes, I do; I wish you were safely and suitably married.

I'm worried, Garry; you are becoming too good-looking not to get into some horrid complication--as poor Jim Wayward did; and now he's done for, finished! Oh, I wish I didn't feel so responsible for you.

And I _wish_ you weren't going to the Cardrosses' to live for months!" He leaned forward, laughing, and took his aunt's slim hands between his own sunburned fists.

"You cunning little thing," he said, "if you talk that way I'll marry you off to one of the faithful three; you and Virginia too.

Lord, do you think I'm down here to cut capers when I've enough hard work ahead to drive a dozen men crazy for a year?
As for your beautiful Miss Cardross--why I saw a girl in a boat--not long ago--who really was a beauty.