He's quite a bit of a snob, you know, and when he hears I'm going to marry the daughter of an earl - ""I say, old man," I couldn't help saying, "aren't you looking ahead rather far?""Oh, that's all right. It's true nothing's actually settled yet, but she practically told me the other day she was fond of me.""What!""Well, she said that the sort of man she liked was the self-reliant, manly man with strength, good looks, character, ambition, and initiative.""Leave me, laddie," I said. "Leave me to my fried egg.
The speaker is in a conversation with someone who displays a snobbish attitude, particularly regarding social status. The topic revolves around the speaker's interest in marrying an earl's daughter, prompting the snob to question the practicality of such aspirations. Despite the lack of a formal engagement, the speaker references a recent conversation with the woman, indicating she may have feelings for him. This suggestion seems to provoke disbelief from the snobbish character.
The speaker recalls that the woman described her ideal partner as someone who embodies strength, good looks, ambition, and character—traits the speaker appears to embody. However, amid this exchange, he brushes off the snob's doubts and chooses to focus on enjoying his meal instead of engaging further in lofty discussions about their social standings.
