"I heard our little boy make his promise," I say, "I saw him. Sir Galahad himself was not more in earnest when swearing his knightly oath. You see, we have no choice here. He can catch the scarlatina in any case and it is not even certain that he will catch it. . . ."
"If it was diphtheria, you wouldn't talk like that!"
"You may be right. But am I to become a thief for the sake of a nickel, because I am not sure that I could resist the temptation to steal a kingdom?"
"You would not find a living being to agree with you."
"Except yourself. And that is all I want. The infection is really only a side matter. It can come this way or that way. We can't safeguard him, come what may. . . ."
"But are we to send him straight to where it is?"
"We're not doing that; it's not we who are doing that."
She is very much excited. I put my arm round her waist and we walk up and down the room together:
"Darling, today our little boy may meet with a great misfortune. He may receive a shock from which he will never recover. . . ."
"That is true," she says.