4
Next day, at three p.m., Mrs. Hilary told Mr. Cradock all about it. Mr. Cradock was not in the least surprised. Nor had he the slightest, not the remotest doubt that Nan and Stephen Lumley were doing what Mrs. Hilary called living in sin, what he preferred to call obeying the natural ego. (After all, as any theologian would point out, the terms are synonymous in a fallen world.)
"I must have your advice," Mrs. Hilary said. "You must tell me what line to take with her."
"Shall you," Mr. Cradock enquired, thoughtful and intelligent, "find your daughter in a state of conflict?"
Mrs. Hilary spread her hands helplessly before her.
"I know nothing; nothing."
"A very great deal," said Mr. Cradock, "depends on that. If she is torn between the cravings of the primitive ego and the inhibitions put upon these cravings by the conventions of society—if, in fact, her censor, her endopsychic censor, is still functioning...."
"Oh, I doubt if Nan's got an endopsychic censor. She is so lawless always."
"Every psyche has a censor." Mr. Cradock was firm. "Regarded, of course, by the psyche with very varying degrees of respect. Well, what I mean to say is, if your daughter is in a state of conflict, with forces pulling her both ways, her case will be very much easier to deal with than if she has let her primitive ego so take possession of the situation that she feels in a state of harmony. In the former case, you will only have to strengthen the forces which are opposing her sexual craving...."
Mrs. Hilary fidgeted uneasily. "Oh, I don't think Nan feels that exactly. None of my children...."