A man may very strongly defend himself for preaching them.' The pursuit of this argument led Earwaker to ask: 'What proportion of the clergy can still take that standing in stolid conscientiousness ?' 'What proportion are convinced that it is untenable ?' returned Peak.
'Many wilfully shut their eyes to the truth.' 'No, they don't shut their eyes!' cried Godwin.

'They merely lower a nictitating membrane which permits them to gaze at light without feeling its full impact.' 'I recommend you to bring that into your paper,' said the journalist, with his deep chuckle.
An hour later they were conversing with no less animation, but the talk was not so critical.

Christian Moxey had come up as a topic, and Earwaker was saying that he found it difficult to divine the man's personality.
'You won't easily do that,' replied Peak, 'until you know more of his story.

I can't see that I am bound to secrecy--at all events with you.
Poor Moxey imagines that he is in love, and the fancy has lasted about ten years.
'Ten years ?' 'When I first knew him he was paying obvious attentions to a rather plain cousin down at Twybridge.

Why, I don't know, for he certainly was devoted to a girl here in London.