"Yes, she was wise. I can see now. She knew that sins are as vital a part of life as virtues, and she stuck up for the sins that are necessary to life."
"What's the matter with you, Jack Grant, that you go and start moralising?" said Old George.
"Why sir, it must be that my own sinful state is dawning on my mind," said Jack, "and I'm wondering whether to take Mrs. Watson's advice and repent and weep, etc., etc. Or whether to follow old Gran Ellis' lead, and put a sinful feather in my cap."
"Well," said Old George, smiling, "I don't know. You talk about courage and fidelity. Sin usually means doing something rather cowardly, and breaking your faith in some direction."
"Oh I don't know, sir. Tom and Lennie are faithful to me. But that doesn't mean they are not free. They are free to do just what they like, so long as they are faithful to the spark that is between us. As I am faithful to them. It seems to me, Sir, one is true to one's word in business, in affairs. But in life one can only be true to the spark."
"I'm afraid there's something amiss with you, son, that's set you off arguing and splitting hairs."
"There is. Something is always amiss with most of us. Old Gran Ellis was a lesson to me, if I'd known. Something is always wrong with the lot of us. And I believe in thinking before I act."
"Let us hope so," said Mr. George. "But it sounds funny sort of thinking you do."
"But," said Hilda Blessington, with wide, haunted eyes, "what is the spark that one must be faithful to? How are we to be sure of it?"
"You just feel it. And then you act upon it. That's courage. And then you always live up to the responsibility of your act. That's faithfulness. You have to keep faith in all kinds of ways. I have to keep faith with Monica and the babies, and young Jane, and Lennie and Tom and dead Gran Ellis: and—and more—yes, more."