When George had finished Felician said with a smile after a short silence: "Oh well, you've got every reason to hope that you will come back as whole and sound from your journey as I will from Africa, and so our conversation has probably only an academic significance." "I hope so too, of course. But at any rate it reassures me, Felician, that you know all about my secret, and that I can be free from anxiety in every way." "Yes, of course you can." He shook hands with his brother. Then he got up and walked up and down the room. Finally he said: "You have no thought of legitimising your relationship?" "Not for the time being. One can never tell what the future may bring forth." Felician remained standing. "Well...." "Are you in favour of my marrying?" exclaimed George with some astonishment. "Not at all." "Felician, be frank, please." "Look here, one should not advise any one in affairs like that. Not even one's own brother." "But if I ask you, Felician? It seems to me as though there is something in the business you didn't quite like." "Well, it is like this, George.... You won't misunderstand me.... I know of course that you are not thinking of leaving her in the lurch. On the contrary, I am convinced that you will behave all through far more nobly than any ordinary man in your position. But the question is really this, would you have let yourself go into the thing if you had considered the consequences from every point of view?" "That of course is very hard to answer," said George. "I mean just this: Did you intend ... not to make her your companion for life, but to have a child by her all the same?" "Great heavens, who thinks of that? Of course if one had wanted to be so absolutely on the safe side----" Felician interrupted him. "Does she know that you are not thinking of marrying her?" "Why, you don't think, surely, I promised her marriage?" "No. But you did not promise to leave her stranded either." "It would have been equally mean if I had promised, Felician. The whole thing came about as affairs like that always do, developed without any definite plan right up to the present time." "Yes, that is all right. The only question is whether one is not more or less under an obligation to have definite plans in really vital matters." "Possibly.... But that was never my line, unfortunately." Felician remained standing in front of George, looked at him affectionately and nodded a few times. "That is quite true, George. You are not angry with me.... But now that we are talking about it.... Of course I am not suggesting I have any right to lecture you on your mode of life...." "Go ahead, Felician.... I mean if.... It really does me good." He stroked him lightly on the hand which lay on the back of the ottoman.