After a moment's pause he said, "Thank you. Thank you very much for telling me. Then it is of use talking about it. Only not now, because I'm afraid we're just getting there. And to-morrow I am going to a conference at Leeds. I don't think I can wait till the day after. May I call for you to-night and we'll drive back together?" "Yes," said Kitty, and got out of the taxi. 8 When they were in it again they comported themselves for a little while in the manner customary on these occasions, deriving the usual amount of pleasurable excitement therefrom. Then the Minister said, "Now we must talk. All is not easy about our situation." "Nothing is easy about it," said Kitty. "In fact, we're in the demon of a mess." He looked at her, biting his lips. "You know about me, then? That I'm uncertificated? But of course you do. It is, I believe, generally known. And it makes the position exactly what you say. It means ..." "It means," said Kitty, "that we must get over this unfortunate passion." He shook his head, with a shrug. "One can, you know," said Kitty. "I've been in and out before--more than once. Not so badly, perhaps, but quite badly enough. You too, probably?" "Yes. Oh, yes," he admitted gloomily. "But it wasn't like this. Neither the circumstances, nor the--the emotion." Kitty said, "Probably not. Why should it be? Nothing ever is exactly like anything else, luckily.... By the way, when did you begin to take notice of me? Don't worry, if you can't remember." He thought for a minute, then shook his head. "I'm bad at these things. Didn't we meet at Prideaux's one night in the spring? I observed you then; I remember you amused me. But I don't think the impression went deep.... Then--oh, we met about a good deal one way and another--and I suppose it grew without my noticing it. And then came that week-end, and that did the trick as far as I was concerned. I knew what I was doing after that, and I tried to stop it, but, as you see, I have failed. This evening I told you, I suppose, under the influence of shock.... I am not sorry. It is worth it, whatever comes of it." "Nothing can come of it," said Kitty. "Not the least thing at all. Except being friends. And you probably won't want that. Men don't." "No," he said. "I don't want it at all. But I suppose I must put up with it." He began to laugh, with his suppressed, sardonic laughter, and Kitty laughed too. "We're fairly hoist with our own petard, aren't we?" he said. "Think of the scandal we might make, if we did what we chose now.... I believe it would be the _coup de grâce_ for the Brains Ministry." He stated a simple fact, without conceit.