more poisonous lovemaking

When we left them, our heroes were in a prison cell. Lord Peter had professed his desire to marry the accused poisoner Harriet Vane. The mood was playful. 'It seems very probably that I shall not survive to make the experiment,' said Harriet.

'Don't be so damned discouraging,' said Wimsey. 'I have already carefully explained to you that this time I am investigating this business. Anybody would think you had no confidence in me.'
'People have been wrongly condemned before now.'
'Exactly; simply because I wasn't there.'
'I never thought of that now.'
'Think of it now. You will find it very beautiful and inspiring. It might even help to distinguish me from the other forty-six suitors, if you should happen to mislay my features or anything. Oh, by the way - I don't positively repel you or anything, do I? Because, if I do, I'll take my name off the waiting list at once?'
'No,' said Harriet Vane, kindly and a little sadly. 'No, you don't repel me.'
'I don't remind you of white slugs or make you go gooseflesh all over?'
'Certainly not.'
'I'm glad of that. Any minor alterations, like parting the old mane, or growing a toothbrush, or cashiering the eye-glass, you know, I should be happy to undertake, if it suited your ideas.'
'Don't,' said Miss Vane.
...
'You - er - you'll think it over, won't you, if you have a minute to spare? There's no hurry. Only don't hesitate to say if you think you couldn't stick it at any price. I'm not trying to blackmail you into matrimony, you know. I mean, I should investigate this for the fun of the thing, whatever happened, don't you see.'
'It's very good of you-'
'No, no, not at all. It's my hobby. Not proposing to people, I don't mean, but investigating things. Well, cheer-frightfully-ho and all that. And I'll call again, if I may.'
'I will give the footman orders to admit you,' said the prisoner, gravely; 'you will always find me at home.'