I really don’t know what he means. He says he wants the demon part of himself to be mated — physically — not the human being. You see he says one thing one day, and another the next — and he always contradicts himself — ’

‘And always thinks about himself, and his own dissatisfaction,’ said Hermione slowly.

‘Yes,’ cried Ursula. ‘As if there were no-one but himself concerned. That makes it so impossible.’

But immediately she began to retract.

‘He insists on my accepting God knows what in HIM,’ she resumed. ‘He wants me to accept HIM as — as an absolute — But it seems to me he doesn’t want to GIVE anything. He doesn’t want real warm intimacy —