"He blinked at me, a little startled. 'Why, no,' he said, 'we're not in conflict with the Bible. It's organized religion that's in conflict with us.' "'And the creation of life has nothing to do with it? I always thought that all conflicts and arguments came back to that basic point. Who was responsible--a Supreme Being or a process of evolution from dead matter?' "'Listen,' he said, 'why are you asking me all this?' "I noticed then how extremely nervous he was. He had taken hold of my arm and I could feel his hand trembling. "'I'd like to know,' I answered, 'but it's not that important. Forget it. I'm a little dubious about the scientists anyway. Whether you worship Science or God sometimes gets to seem like six of one and a half-dozen of the other. Or do you think it's possible to create life, Maugham?' "'I wonder,' he said. And nothing else. "All this time we had been walking along toward his place. I noticed that his steps began to lag a trifle and the closer we got to his home the slower he walked. I gathered finally that for some reason he was reluctant about my coming but was much too courteous to say so. "'As long as we're so close to your place,' I said at last, 'I might as well stop in and take another look at Herman.' "He stopped short at that and showed his distress pretty plainly. A newspaperman has to be impervious to most emotion and I guess I was. I didn't bat an eyelash and let on I never saw a thing. "'I don't know in what shape the house is in,' he said then. 'I've forgotten just what I set Herman to doing.' "'Well, we'll see,' I said. "We went in. Maugham led the way, jittery as a confirmed tosspot too long gone without a drink." "Which reminds me," I put in. "Will you have another, Harrigan?" "Sure. But find something stronger," he said. "Well, we went in, as I said. I don't know what I had expected to see but there was nothing unusual about the place. It was spic and span. You'd think he'd had a housemaid working on it all day. And as for Herman--he was sitting in the living room in an easy chair that was clearly enough Maugham's own favorite. "Maugham stared at his creation, as if he hadn't expected to see him there. 'Herman,' he said, 'go to the laboratory.' "The robot got up without a sound--I had expected to hear creaks, the meshing of gears or something--and walked out of the room. Maugham sat down. I could see that he was sweating but he seemed relieved about something. "'He looks perfected,' I said. "'He's a very serviceable robot,' Maugham agreed. 'He certainly did himself proud on this room.' "'You mean he cleaned it?' I asked. "'Every foot of it,' he answered. 'I gave him his orders before I left the house.' "'But I thought you didn't know what you'd find, what you'd set him to doing?' "'Oh, I knew, all right. What I didn't know was what Herman might get to do. He's not quite perfect yet, you see, Mr. Harrigan.'