I have known a case of a woman courageous in all other respects, who, at the sight of even a dead cockroach, would faint away.

I have seen one of the most gallant officers of my acquaintance turn pale at the sight of a spider.
Certainly no one would think of calling either one or the other coward; and assuredly such a name should not be applied to a man who would face a tiger armed only with a whip in defense of a native woman, because his nerves go all to pieces at the sound of firearms." "If you had told me all this before I should never have spoken as I did," Isobel pleaded.
"I did not go into the full details, but I told you that he was not responsible for his want of firmness under fire, and that I knew him in other respects to be a brave man," the Doctor said uncompromisingly.
"Since then you have by your manner driven him away from you.

You have flirted--well, you may not call it flirting," he broke off in answer to a gesture of denial, "but it was the same thing--with a man who is undoubtedly a gallant soldier--a very paladin, if you like--but who, in spite of his handsome face and pleasant manner, is no more to be compared with Bathurst in point of moral qualities or mental ability than light to dark, and this after I had like an old fool gone out of my way to warn you.

You have disappointed me altogether, Isobel Hannay." Isobel stood motionless before him, with downcast eyes.
"Well, there, my dear," the Doctor went on hurriedly, as he saw a tear glisten in her eyelashes; "don't let us say anything more about it.

In the first place, it is no affair of mine; and in the second place, your point of view was that most women would take at a time like this; only, you know, I expected you would not have done just as other women would.
We cannot afford to quarrel now, for there is no doubt that, although we may put a good face on the matter, our position is one of grave peril, and it is of no use troubling over trifles.