The glistening youth of Aaron, the impetuousness of Lilly fascinated him.

And both these men seemed calmly to contradict his own wealth and honours.
Lady Franks tried to turn off the conversation to the trickles of normal chit-chat.

The Colonel was horribly bored--so were all the women--Arthur was indifferent.

Only the young Major was implicated, troubled in his earnest and philosophic spirit.
"What I can't see," he said, "is the place that others have in your scheme." "Is isn't a scheme," said Aaron.
"Well then, your way of life.

Isn't it pretty selfish, to marry a woman and then expect her to live on very little indeed, and that always precarious, just because you happen to believe in Providence or in Chance: which I think worse?
What I don't see is where others come in.
What would the world be like if everybody lived that way ?" "Other people can please themselves," said Aaron.
"No, they can't--because you take first choice, it seems to me.
Supposing your wife--or Lilly's wife--asks for security and for provision, as Sir William says.