JUGGINS. Probably she never supposed you were, sir.
BOBBY. Oh, I say, Juggins, you are a pessimist.
JUGGINS. [preparing to go] Anything else, sir?
BOBBY. [querulously] You havnt been much use. [He wanders
disconsolately across the room]. You generally put me up to the
correct way of doing things.
JUGGINS. I assure you, sir, theres no correct way of jilting. It's
not correct in itself.
BOBBY. [hopefully] I'll tell you what. I'll say I cant hold her
to an engagement with a man whos been in quod. Thatll do it. [He
seats himself on the table, relieved and confident].
JUGGINS. Very dangerous, sir. No woman will deny herself the
romantic luxury of self-sacrifice and forgiveness when they take the
form of doing something agreeable. Shes almost sure to say that your
misfortune will draw her closer to you.
BOBBY. What a nuisance! I dont know what to do. You know, Juggins,
your cool simple-minded way of doing it wouldnt go down in Denmark
Hill.
JUGGINS. I daresay not, sir. No doubt youd prefer to make it look
like an act of self-sacrifice for her sake on your part, or provoke
her to break the engagement herself. Both plans have been tried
repeatedly, but never with success, as far as my knowledge goes.
BOBBY. You have a devilish cool way of laying down the law. You
know, in my class you have to wrap up things a bit. Denmark Hill
isn't Camberwell, you know.
JUGGINS. I have noticed, sir, that Denmark Hill thinks that the
higher you go in the social scale, the less sincerity is allowed; and
that only tramps and riff-raff are quite sincere.
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