He was fond of argument if you did not answer him, and often wanted me to tell him if I thought he was in love; if so, why did I think so; if not, why not.

What makes me on reflection fancy that he was sincere is that in his statements he would let his pipe go out.
Of course I cannot give his words, but he would wait till all my other guests had gone, then softly lock the door, and returning to the cane chair empty himself in some such way as this: "I have something I want to talk to you about.

Pass me a spill.

Well, it is this.

Before I came to your rooms to-night I was cleaning my pipe, when all at once it struck me that I might be in love.