"Mr.
Simpkins and Miss King are both English, and in England they manage
these things quite differently from the way we do here."
"Well, it's yourself ought to know about that, seeing that you're a
Protestant."
"It's not so much a question of religion," said Meldon. "It's
temperament. I don't suppose you understand what that means; but the
fact is, that an Englishwoman wouldn't marry a man who hadn't been
making love to her off and on for at least a week. If he hadn't got
her thoroughly accustomed to his occasionally squeezing her hand, and
offering to pick flowers for her, and picking up anything she dropped
about, and-- But I needn't go into details. The fact is, that if he
hadn't made love to her pretty violently, she wouldn't consider it
decent to marry him. That's the sort of people the English are."
"They're queer," said Callaghan, "and that's a fact."
"They are," said Meldon. "But we've simply got to take them as we find
them. There's no use our trying to teach them better ways, for they
wouldn't listen to us. I'm telling you all this so that you won't be
shocked if you happen to see Simpkins kissing Miss King.
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