“Oh, on the contrary! He-he-he! A queer thing to say!”

“Believe me! Why should I disguise it? In fact, I feel it strange myself how timid, chaste and modern she is with me!”

“And you, of course, are developing her⁠ ⁠… he-he! trying to prove to her that all that modesty is nonsense?”

“Not at all, not at all! How coarsely, how stupidly⁠—excuse me saying so⁠—you misunderstand the word development! Good heavens, how⁠ ⁠… crude you still are! We are striving for the freedom of women and you have only one idea in your head.⁠ ⁠… Setting aside the general question of chastity and feminine modesty as useless in themselves and indeed prejudices, I fully accept her chastity with me, because that’s for her to decide. Of course if she were to tell me herself that she wanted me, I should think myself very lucky, because I like the girl very much; but as it is, no one has ever treated her more courteously than I, with more respect for her dignity⁠ ⁠… I wait in hopes, that’s all!”