about religion," he said. "They mean mischief." Having delivered

hissoul upon these points, and silenced the little conversation to

the left of him from which they had arisen, he became, after an

appreciative encounter with a sanguinary woodcock, more amiable,

responded to some respectful initiatives of Crupp's, andrelated a

number of classical anecdotes of those blighting snubs, vindictive

retorts and scandalous miscarriages of justice that are so dear to

the forensicmind. Now hereposed. He was breathing heavily with

his mouth a little open and his head on one side. One whisker was

turned back against thecomfortable padding. His plump strong hands

gripped the arms of his chair, and his frown was a little assuaged.

How tremendously fed up he looked! Honours, wealth,influence,

respect, he had them all. How scornful and hard it had made his

unguarded expression!

I note without comment that it didn't even occur to me then towake

him up and ask him what HE was up to with mankind.

9

One countervailinginfluence to my drift to Toryism in those days

was Margaret's quite religiousfaith in the Liberals. I realised

that slowly and with a mild astonishment. It set me, indeed, even

then questioning my own change of opinion. We came at last

incidentally, as our way was, to an exchange of views. It was as

nearly a quarrel as we had before I came over to the Conservative

side. It was at Champneys, and Ithink during the same visit that

witnessed my exploration of Lady Forthundred. It arose indirectly,

Ithink, out of some comments of mine upon our fellow-guests, but it

is one of thosememories of which the scene and quality remain more

vivid than the things said, amemory without any very definite

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