By the way how old is Bulmer ?" "Nearly seventy." Even Iris herself smiled then, though her tremulous mirth threatened to dissolve in tears.
"Ah, that's a pity," said Hozier.
"It is very unkind of you to treat me in this manner," she protested.
"But I am trying to help you.

I say it is a pity that Bulmer should be a patriarch, because his only hope of marrying you is that I shall die first.

Even then he must be prepared to espouse my widow.

By the way, is it disrespectful to describe him as a patriarch?
Isn't there some proverb about three score years and ten ?" "Philip, if only you would appreciate my dreadful position----" "I do.

It ought to be ended.