Pass! There's a world full of men;

And women as fair as thou art

Must do such things now and then.

Thou only hast stepped unaware

Malice not one can impute;

And why should a heart have been there,

In the way of a fair woman's foot?

'I didn't I didn't I didn't!' said Mrs. Hauksbee angrily, her eyes
filling with tears; 'there was no malice at all. Oh, it's too
vexatious!'

'You've misunderstood the compliment,' said Mrs. Mallowe. 'He
clears you completely and ahem I should think by this, that he has
cleared completely too. My experience of men is that when they
begin to quote poetry they are going to flit. Like swans singing
before they die, you know.'

'Polly, you take my sorrows in a most unfeeling way.'

'Do I? Is it so terrible? If he's hurt your vanity, I should say that
you've done a certain amount of damage to his heart.'