Hermione, stopping in front of Ursula, and turning to her with clenched fists thrust downwards.

‘Yes,’ said Ursula. ‘I do. I am sick of all this poking and prying.’

‘I’m so glad you are. Sometimes,’ said Hermione, again stopping arrested in her progress and turning to Ursula, ‘sometimes I wonder if I OUGHT to submit to all this realisation, if I am not being weak in rejecting it. But I feel I CAN’T — I CAN’T. It seems to destroy EVERYTHING. All the beauty and the — and the true holiness is destroyed — and I feel I can’t live without them.’

‘And it would be simply wrong to live without them,’ cried Ursula. ‘No, it is so IRREVERENT to think that