make a row when he found out. He had always been addicted to
truculent anecdotes about unfaithful wives, and the very formula of
his perpetual ejaculation--"Caught you at it, eh?"--seemed to hint at a
constant preoccupation with such ideas. But now it was evident that,
as the saying was, he had "swallowed his dose" like all the others. No
strong blast of indignation had momentarily lifted him above his normal
stature: he remained a little man among little men, and his eagerness to
rebuild his life with all the old smiling optimism reminded Susy of the
patient industry of an ant remaking its ruined ant-heap.

"Tell you what, great thing, this liberty! Everything's changed
nowadays; why shouldn't marriage be too? A man can get out of a business
partnership when he wants to; but the parsons want to keep us noosed up
to each other for life because we've blundered into a church one day and
said 'Yes' before one of 'em. No, no--that's too easy. We've got
beyond that. Science, and all these new discoveries.... I say the Ten
Commandments were made for man, and not man for the Commandments; and
there ain't a word against divorce in 'em, anyhow! That's what I tell my
poor old mother, who builds everything on her Bible. Find me the place
where it says: 'Thou shalt not sue for divorce.' It makes her wild, poor
old lady, because she can't; and she doesn't know how they happen to
have left it out.... I rather think Moses left it out because he knew
more about human nature than these snivelling modern parsons do. Not
that they'll always bear investigating either; but I don't care about
that. Live and let live, eh, Susy? Haven't we all got a right to our
Affinities? I hear you're following our example yourself. First-rate
idea: I don't mind telling you I saw it coming on last summer at Venice.
Caught you at it, so to speak! Old Nelson ain't as blind as people
think. Here, let's open another bottle to the health of Streff and Mrs.
Streff!"

She caught the hand with which he was signalling to the sommelier.
This flushed and garrulous Nelson moved her more poignantly than a
more heroic figure. "No more champagne, please, Nelson. Besides," she
suddenly added, "it's not true."

He stared. "Not true that you're going to marry Altringham?"

"No."

"By George then what on earth did you chuck Nick for? Ain't you got an
Affinity, my dear?"

She laughed and shook her head.

"Do you mean to tell me it's all Nick's doing, then?"

"I don't