My heart began to pound: ‘Well,’ I said, ‘for some time now I haven’t believed in God.’ Her face fell: ‘My poor darling!’ she said. She went to shut the door, so that my sister might not overhear the rest of our conversation; in a pleading voice she embarked on a demonstration of the truth of God’s existence; then, with a helpless gesture, her eyes full of tears, she stopped suddenly. I was sorry to have hurt her, but I felt greatly relieved: at last I would be able to live without a mask.
