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of person who goes to church. With Protestants, I mean, it's ordinarily safe to assume that if people do go to church they are of a church-going type; they belong to the 'unco' guid.' That isn't a safe assumption to make about Catholics; they seem to go to church whether they're 'unco' guid' or not. I don't mean that Davenant's a stage villain, but he's just an ordinary sort of person, and he's got red blood in him, whereas Marryatt hasn't⁠—I hope it's not unkind to say so. He wouldn't kill a man; you may almost say he couldn't."

"Couldn't morally, you mean, or couldn't physically?"

"I don't mean either. 'Couldn't psychically' would be nearer the mark. For one thing, Davenant's fought in the war, and killed people, I expect⁠—he was a bombing officer, wasn't he? Well, you know, I think to most people that makes an enormous difference. I suppose that's why there's generally a 'crime-wave' after wars⁠—part of the reason, anyhow. People have got accustomed to killing, and it isn't easy to murder people till you've done that."

"And Marryatt, you mean, really couldn't kill a man?"

"Physically he could⁠—he's rather strong. Morally he could⁠—morally any of us could do anything. Or so they taught us when we were small. But there's a third difficulty you've got to get over, if you want to murder people; a sort of nervous repugnance to the job. I don't say that if Marry-