Wilbur looked patently horrified. "Surely you wouldn't consider living on Suds Row," he said. Then he lowered his voice. "If the major won't marry you, I will." Lily was now exasperated as well as winded. "Of course I don't mean to live on the Row," she answered, ignoring Wilbur's whispered offer to make an honest woman of her.
In the book "Lily and the Major," Wilbur expresses shock at the thought of Lily living on Suds Row, a place he implies is beneath her. His concern for her future is evident when he proposes to her, suggesting that if the major does not marry her, he is willing to take that step.
Lily, however, feels frustrated and overwhelmed by Wilbur's unsolicited proposal and the pressure to settle down. She quickly asserts that she has no intention of living in such a disreputable area, dismissing Wilbur's offer in order to focus on her own desires and future without relying on a man.
