The excerpt presents the most essential part of the conversation between Ellie Dunn and Alfred Mangan, guests at HH.

E. asks M. if he likes those part of the country.

M. says that the air suits him and he plans to settle there.

E. says that it pleases her very much.

M. doubts that they suit each other, but E. explains that they can be sensible and can go on very well without pretending Romeo and Juliet.

M. isn't sure that he is kind because he has ruined E.'s father.

E. supposes that he's done it not intentionnaly.

M. disagrees.

E. doesn't understand him and M. explains to her his methods.

E.'s father's buisness was a new one.

M. never start new buisnesses.

People put all their money and their friends' money into starting them.

But the first dead lift is too much for them.

In a year or so the whole show goes bust.

M. says that E. wastes his gratitude and that he can't stand seeing his father's beaming at him. By M.'s words E.'s father is silly and never believe the truth.

M. asks E. what does she think of him.

E. tells him that her mother should have been quite right about him.

M. is amazed at E.'s mother letting her marry him.

E. says that her mother married a very good man, the soul of goodness for whatever M. may think of him.

M. asks her if she wants to marry him.

E. very calmly replied that she does.

M. says that he consider her a person who is rather particular about people's characters.

E. tells him that if they women were particular about men's characters they should never get married at all.

M. is very surprised because he thinks that E. is a child. He asks her is she is earnest.

E. says that she is.

M. asks her if he wants to hold him to it.

E. asks M. if he wishes to back to it.

M. says that he doesn't.

So E. wins this battle of words.