‘Oh well,’ said Birkin,’ it’s a very admirable step to take, I should say.’

Gerald looked at him closely.

‘Why aren’t you enthusiastic?’ he asked. ‘I thought you were such dead nuts on marriage.’

Birkin lifted his shoulders.

‘One might as well be dead nuts on noses. There are all sorts of noses, snub and otherwise-’

Gerald laughed.

‘And all sorts of marriage, also snub and otherwise?’ he said.

‘That’s it.’

‘And you think if I marry, it will be snub?’ asked Gerald quizzically, his head a little on one side.