This was one of the things he had meant to speak about. He had resolved from the first to tell her two things⁠—that he was not chaste as she was, and that he was not a believer. It was agonizing, but he considered he ought to tell her both these facts.

“No, not now, later!” he said.

“Very well, later, but you must certainly tell me. I’m not afraid of anything. I want to know everything. Now it is settled.”

He added: “Settled that you’ll take me whatever I may be⁠—you won’t give me up? Yes?”

“Yes, yes.”