"'Favour me with your reasons for such an opinion, Miss Keeldar.'
"'How will _you_ manage to marry, I wonder?'
"'I shall manage it with ease and speed when I find the proper person.'
"'Accept celibacy!' (and she made a gesture with her hand as if she gave me something) 'take it as your doom!'
"'No; you cannot give what I already have. Celibacy has been mine for thirty years. If you wish to offer me a gift, a parting present, a keepsake, you must change the boon.'
"'Take worse, then!'
"'How--what?'

"'How will you manage to marry, I wonder?' she went on. "'Accept celibacy as your doom!'
"'You cannot give what I already have. Celibacy has been mine for thirty years. If you wish to offer me a parting gift, it must be something else.'
"'Take worse, then!'
"'How - what?'
