cedly at Claire, and
sat down again.

"You think you are advanced because you are still unaware of anything
but beasthood!"

Lawrence grinned complacently.

"I am always amused at the way men speak of beasts as if they were
something base," he said. "'Beast' should not be a term of opprobrium.
The average dog or elephant, for example, is fairly wholesome and quite
naturally proper in his fulfilment of instincts. It is more than one can
say for men. Yes, I am a beast, if by that you you mean a physical
being; and if humanity ever does get anywhere in quest for a soul I
suspect it will have to start from that very admission."

"Of course"--Philip hesitated a little--"we are animals in that sense.
But who can think of us as nothing more? Take Claire, for example. We
both know her better than any one else. I could scarcely think of her as
an animal, subject only to its instincts. Even allowing that she is a
very intelligent animal, it isn't all or even the better part of her,
any more than it is of any good woman."

The speech was self-revealing, and Lawrence smiled.

"Now, it is strange," he observed; "that is precisely the way I should
think of Claire if I wanted to see her in the best possible light, as
the most splendidly intelligent, healthy animal I ever knew."

"You are more insulting than you intend. I am glad that you do not mean
to be," Philip growled.

"Tra-la-la. I shouldn't insult her for a good deal."

"Yet your attitude is debasing," Philip retorted.

"Oh, well, perhaps. She has my apology if she thinks so."

"But you can't actually mean what you say," Philip went on. "Your
attitude would lead you to make a cave of your home, and a mere lair of
your bed."

"Which, by the way, very elaborately arranged, and embellished with
thousands of psychological phases, products of the most highly
specialized part of me, is exactly what my home would be."

"Well, I certainly should deplore your household."

"Go as far as you like. It ought to be a fairly comfortable home, with
its basis on frankness, oughtn't it, Claire?"

Philip's eyes flashed.

Claire hesitated, fearing lest she provoke him further, and said
cautiously: "Yes, it ought to be based on frankness."

"But frankness doesn't mean an attitude of mind like that," Philip
protested.

"What does it mean?" Lawrence asked.

"It means an established order where love makes it possible for two
beings to speak their thoughts freely one to the oth