housekeeper was talking to the postman. It's too long to talk
about now, and I expect we're watched, but----"

Something in Turnbull made him want suddenly to be sick on the
grass; the mere healthy and heathen horror of the unclean; the
mere inhumane hatred of the inhuman state of madness. He seemed
to hear all round him the hateful whispers of that place,
innumerable as leaves whispering in the wind, and each of them
telling eagerly some evil that had not happened or some terrific
secret which was not true. All the rationalist and plain man
revolted within him against bowing down for a moment in that
forest of deception and egotistical darkness. He wanted to blow
up that palace of delusions with dynamite; and in some wild way,
which I will not defend, he tried to do it.

He looked across at MacIan and said: "Oh, I can't stand this!"

"Can't stand what?" asked his opponent, eyeing him doubtfully.

"Shall we say the atmosphere?" replied Turnbull; "one can't use
uncivil expressions even to a--deity. The fact is, I don't like
having God for my second."

"Sir!" said that being in a state of great offence, "in my
position I am not used to having my favours refused. Do you know
who I am?"

The editor of _The Atheist_ turned upon him like one who has lost
all patience, and exploded: "Yes, you are God, aren't you?" he
said, abruptly, "why do we have two sets of teeth?"