‘Nor do I, damn them. But am I a teacher because I teach, or a parson because I preach?’

Gerald laughed. He was always uneasy on this score. He did not WANT to claim social superiority, yet he WOULD not claim intrinsic personal superiority, because he would never base his standard of values on pure being. So he wobbled upon a tacit assumption of social standing. No, Birkin wanted him to accept the fact of intrinsic difference between human beings, which he did not intend to accept. It was against his social honour, his principle. He rose to go.

‘I’ve been neglecting my business all this while,’ he said smiling.

‘I ought to have reminded you before,’ Birkin replied, laughing and mocking.