And I'll tell you the idea that I might
'ave of you--only might 'ave, mind you. Why, that you're a stuck-up
ignorant sort of feller, that's been rolling up and down all over
Europe, gets a bit of money, comes over and bullies his father, thinks
'e knows better than every one about things 'e knows nothing about
whatever--"

"Look here, Thurston," Martin interrupted, stepping forward. "I tell
you I don't care a two-penny curse what a man like--"

"I only said might, mind you," said Thurston, smiling. "It's only a
short-sighted fool would think that of you really. And I'm not a fool.
No, really, I'm not. I've got quite another idea of you. My idea is
that you're one of us whether you want to be or not, and that you
always will be one of us. That's why I like you and will be a friend to
you too."

"I tell you I don't want your damned friendship," Martin cried. "I
don't want to have anything to do with you or your opinion or your
plans or anything else."

"That's all right," said Thurston. "I quite understand. It's natural
enough to feel as you do. But I'm afraid you'll 'ave to 'ave something
to do with me. I'm not quite what you think me, and you're not quite
what you think yourself. There's two of each of us, that's the truth of
it. I may be a sham and a charlatan, one part of me, I don't know I'm
sure. I certainly don't believe all your governor does. I don't believe
all I say and I don't say all I think. But then 'oo does? You don't
yourself. I'll even tell you straight out that when I just came into
the business I laughed at the lot of 'em, your father and all. 'A silly
lot o' softs they are,' I said to myself, 'to believe all that
nonsense.' But now--I don't know. When you've been at this game a bit
you scarcely know what you do believe, that's the truth of it. There
may be something in it after all. Sometimes ... well, it 'ud surprise
you if you'd seen all the things I have. Oh, I don't mean ghosts and
spirits and all that kind of nonsense. No, but the kind of thing that
'appens to people you'd never expect. You're getting caught into it
yourself; I've watched you all along. But that isn't the point. The
point is that I'm not so bad as you think, nor so simple neither. And
life isn't so simple, nor religion, nor love, nor anything as you think
it. You're young yet, you know. Very young."

Martin turned back to the door.

"All very interesting, Thurston," he said. "You can think what you
like, of course. All t