TREBELL smiles at some mental picture he is making.

TREBELL.  Can your cousins and aunts make it so awkward for you, Horsham?

HORSHAM. [Repaying humour with humour.] I bear up against their affectionate attentions.

TREBELL.  But I quite understand how uncongenial I may be.  What made you take up with me at all?

FARRANT.  Your brains, Trebell.

TREBELL.  He should have enquired into my character first, shouldn’t he,
Cantelupe?

CANTELUPE. [With crushing sincerity.] Yes.

TREBELL.  Oh, the old unnecessary choice ...  Wisdom or Virtue.  We all think we must make it ... and we all discover we can’t.  But if you’ve to choose between Cantelupe and me, Horsham, I quite see you’ve no choice.

      HORSHAM now takes the field, using his own weapons.

HORSHAM.  Charles, it seems to me that we are somewhat in the position of men who have overheard a private conversation.  Do you feel justified in making public use of it?

CANTELUPE.  It is not I who am judge.  God knows I would not sit in judgment upon anyone.

TREBELL.  Cantelupe, I’ll take your personal judgment if you can give it me.

FARRANT.  Good Lord, Cantelupe, didn’t you sit in a cabinet with ...  Well, we’re not here to rake up old scandals.

BLACKBOROUGH.  I am concerned with the practical issue.

HORSHAM.  We know, Blackborough. [Having quelled the interruption he proceeds.] Charles, you spoke, I think, of a mortal sin.

CANTELUPE.  In spite of your lifted eyebrows at the childishness of the word.

HORSHAM.  Theoretically, we must all wish to guide ourselves by eternal truths.  But you would admit, wouldn’t you, that we can only deal with temporal things?

CANTELUPE. [Writhing slightly under the sceptical cross-examination.] There are divine laws laid down for our guidance ...  I admit no disbelief in them.

HORSHAM.  Do they place any time-limit to the effect of a mortal sin?  If this affair were twenty years old would you do as you are doing?  Can you forecast the opinion you will have of it six months hence?

CANTELUPE. [Positively.] Yes.

HORSHAM.  Can you?  Nevertheless I wish you had postponed your decision even till to-morrow.

      Having made his point he looks round almost for approval.

BLACKBOROUGH.  What had Percival to say on the subject, Farrant?

FARRANT.  I was only to make use of his opinion under certain circumstances.

BLACKBOROUGH.  So it isn’t favourable to your remaining with us, Mr. Trebell.

FARRANT. [Indignantly emerging from the trap.] I never said that.

      Now TREBELL gives the matter another turn, very forcefully.

TREBELL.  Horsham ...  I don’t bow politely and stand aside at this juncture as a gentleman should, because I want to know how the work’s to be done if I leave you what I was to do.