he same, the less we see of one another--"

"Well," said Thurston slowly, smiling. "That'll be a bit difficult--to
avoid one another, I mean. You see, I'm going to marry your sister."

Martin laughed. Inside him something was saying: "Now, look out. This
is all a trap. He doesn't mean what he says. He's trying to catch you."

"Going to marry Amy? Oh no, you're not."

Thurston did not appear to be interested in anything that Martin had to
say. He continued as though he were pursuing his own thoughts. "Yes ...
so it'll be difficult. I didn't think you'd like it when you heard. I
said to Amy, 'E won't like it,' I said. She said you'd been too long
away from the family to judge. And so you have, you know. Oh! Amy and
I'll be right enough. She's a fine woman, your sister."

Martin burst out:

"Well, then, that settles it. It simply settles it. That finishes it."

"Finishes what?" asked Thurston, smiling in a friendly way.

"Never you mind. It's nothing to do with you. Has my father consented?"

"Yes ... said all 'e wanted was for Amy to be 'appy. And so she will
be. I'll look after her. You'll come round to it in time."

"Father agrees ... My God! But it's impossible! Don't you see? Don't
you see? I ..."

The sudden sense of his impotence called back his words. He felt
nothing but rage and indignation against the whole set of them, against
the house they were in, the very table with the papers blowing upon it
and the candle shining ... Well, it made his own affair more
simple--that was certain. He must be off--right away from them all.
Stay in the house with that fellow for a brother-in-law? Stay when ...

"It's all right," said Thurston, moistening his pale dry lips with his
tongue. "You'll see it in time. It's the best thing that could 'appen.
And we've got more in common than you'd ever suppose. We 'ave, really.
You're a religious man, really--can't escape your destiny, you know.
There's religious and non-religious and it doesn't matter what your
creed is, whether you're a Christian or a 'Ottentot, there it is. And
if you're religious, you're religious. I may be the greatest humbug on
the market, but I'm religious. It's like 'aving a 'are lip--you'll be
bothered with it all your life."

But what more Thurston may have said Martin did not hear: he had left
the room, banging the door behind him. On what was his indignation
based? Injured pride. And was he really indignant? Was not something
within him elated,