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'There are three facts regarding which I am afraid there is no possible argument. You are now married to an unemployed man. That is number one. There are no jobs for this out-of-work in this country. That is number two. Number three is the said man will in about two months sail for Canada. You may add to these facts if you like, a fourth: another world war is about to break out—as they say.'

'As to that last fact, René, I have something to say.'

'Yes.'

'It does not happen to be a fact, I think.'

'No? Evidently I must be mistaken.'

'I think you are. Most people do not think there will be a war. Stephen, for instance, was telling me the other day that Hitler's aeroplanes are all made of Ersatz—is that the right word? They often drop to pieces in mid-air.'

'Indeed? How very interesting.'

'It is, isn't it. Stephen also told me that the uniforms of the German soldiers are Ersatz, too. They have no raw materials, so practically everything is Ersatz. Actually, the cloth of their tunics is a sort of paper. Stephen said a friend of his had seen them marching along the street and suddenly it came on to rain. They all got under cover in an archway. Had they not done so their uniforms would have dropped to pieces once the rain had soaked into them. You laugh, but I really think you ought to listen to what is said by eye-witnesses, René.'