"You don't know her, Robert; and, somehow, I fancy now (I had other ideas formerly) that you cannot know her. You and she are not so constructed as to be able thoroughly to understand each other."
"It may be so. I esteem her, I admire her; and yet my impressions concerning her are harsh--perhaps uncharitable. I believe, for instance, that she is incapable of love----"
"Shirley incapable of love!"
"That she will never marry. I imagine her jealous of compromising her pride, of relinquishing her power, of sharing her property."
"Shirley has hurt your _amour propre_."
"She did hurt it; though I had not an emotion of tenderness, nor a spark of passion for her."

"You don't know her, Robert; and, somehow, I fancy that you cannot know her. You and she will never thoroughly understand each other."
"Maybe. I admire her; but I believe she is incapable of love-"
"Shirley incapable of love!"
"And that she will never marry. She will not relinquish her power or her pride."
"She hurt your feelings."
"She did; though I had not a spark of tenderness or passion for her."
