Hermione was having a discussion with the bridegroom about nationality.

‘No,’ she said, ‘I think that the appeal to patriotism is a mistake. It is like one house of business rivalling another house of business.’

‘Well you can hardly say that, can you?’ exclaimed Gerald, who had a real PASSION for discussion. ‘You couldn’t call a race a business concern, could you? — and nationality roughly corresponds to race, I think. I think it is MEANT to.’

There was a moment’s pause. Gerald and Hermione were always strangely but politely and evenly inimical.

‘DO you think race corresponds with nationality?’ she asked musingly, with expressionless indecision.