“You keep on like that because you are out of humour yourself.⁠ ⁠… But that’s nonsense and it has nothing, nothing whatever to do with the woman question! You don’t understand; I used to think, indeed, that if women are equal to men in all respects, even in strength (as is maintained now) there ought to be equality in that, too. Of course, I reflected afterwards that such a question ought not really to arise, for there ought not to be fighting and in the future society fighting is unthinkable⁠ ⁠… and that it would be a queer thing to seek for equality in fighting. I am not so stupid⁠ ⁠… though, of course, there is fighting⁠ ⁠… there won’t be later, but at present there is⁠ ⁠… confound it! How muddled one gets with you! It’s not on that account that I am not going. I am not going on principle, not to take part in the revolting convention of memorial dinners, that’s why! Though, of course, one might go to laugh at it.⁠ ⁠… I am sorry there won’t be any priests at it. I should certainly go if there were.”

“Then you would sit down at another man’s table and insult it and those who invited you. Eh?”