to his visitor, but does not hold out his hand.

MENDIP. [Taking MORE'S hand] Give me credit for a little philosophy,
my friend. Mrs. More told me you'd be back to-day. Have you heard?

MORE. What?

MENDIP. There's been a victory.

MORE. Thank God!

MENDIP. Ah! So you actually are flesh and blood.

MORE. Yes!

MENDIP. Take off the martyr's shirt, Stephen. You're only flouting
human nature.

MORE. So--even you defend the mob!

MENDIP. My dear fellow, you're up against the strongest common
instinct in the world. What do you expect? That the man in the
street should be a Quixote? That his love of country should express
itself in philosophic altruism? What on earth do you expect? Men
are very simple creatures; and Mob is just conglomerate essence of
simple men.

MORE. Conglomerate excrescence. Mud of street and market-place
gathered in a torrent--This blind howling "patriotism"--what each man
feels in here? [He touches his breast] No!

MENDIP. You think men go beyond instinct--they don't. All they know
is that something's hurting that image of themselves that they call
country. They just feel something big and religious, and go it
blind.

MORE. This used to be the country of free speech. It used to be the
country where a man was expected to hold to his faith.

MENDIP. There are limits to human nature, Stephen.

MORE. Let no man stand to his guns in face of popular attack. Still
your advice, is it?

MENDIP. My advice is: Get out of town at once. The torrent you
speak of will be let loose the moment this news is out. Come, my
dear fellow, don't stay here!

MORE. Thanks! I'll see that Katherine and Olive go.

MENDIP. Go with them! If your cause is lost, that's no reason why
you should be.

MORE. There's the comfort of not running away. And--I want comfort.

MENDIP. This is bad, Stephen; bad, foolish--foolish. Well! I'm
going to the House. This way?

MORE. Down the steps, and through the gate. Good-bye?

KATHERINE has come in followed by NURSE, hatted and cloaked,
with a small bag in her hand. KATHERINE takes from the bureau a
cheque which she hands to the NURSE. MORE comes in from the
terrace.

MORE. You're wise to go, Nurse.

NURSE. You've treated my poor dear badly, sir. Where's your heart?

MORE. In full use.

NURSE. On those heathens. Don't your own hearth and home come
first? Your wife, that was born in time of war,