Gilbert turned on him. "Well, aren't you sure of yourself?" he demanded.
"No, I'm not," Henry answered. "I never am!"
"That's queer," said Gilbert.
"Damned queer," said Ninian.
"Why are you so uncertain of yourself?" Roger asked.
"Don't you feel sure that you'll be a great novelist?" Gilbert added before Henry had time to reply to Roger's question.
"I know jolly well I shall be a clinking good engineer!" Ninian said.
Henry had a shy unwillingness to discuss himself in front of the others, although they were his closest friends. He felt that he could not sit still while they watched him as he told them of his ambitions and his fears.
"Oh, don't let's talk about me," he said. "Go on with your argle-bargle." He was speaking hurriedly, so that he had difficulty in articulating his words. "You were saying something, Ninian, weren't you ... no, it was you, Roger, about politics!..."
"Oh, yes!" Roger answered.