‘Yes. And do you know, he’s a Tory. He thinks that people who complain about the system are barmy. I went to a football game with him last week. I wish I were him.’ Now he laughed again; but this time Anna felt chilled by the sound. He went on: ‘Do you remember Tony?’

‘Yes,’ said Anna, remembering one of his school friends, who had surprised everyone by deciding to be a conscientious objector. He had worked in a coal-mine for two years instead of going into the army, very much annoying his respectable family.

‘Tony became a socialist three weeks ago.’

Anna laughed but Tommy said: ‘No, that’s the point. Do you remember when he became a conscientious objector? It was just to annoy his parents. You know that’s true, Anna.’

‘Yes, but he went through with it, didn’t he?’

‘I knew Tony very well. I know it was almost — a sort of joke. He even told me once he wasn’t even sure he was right. But he wasn’t going to let his parents have the laugh on him — that was exactly what he said.’

‘All the same,’ Anna insisted, ‘it couldn’t have been easy — two years, doing that sort of work, and he stuck it out.’

‘That’s not good enough, Anna. And that’s exactly how he became a socialist. You know the group of new socialists — mostly Oxford types? They are going to start a magazine, The Left Review, or something. Well I’ve met them. They shout slogans and behave like a lot of …’

‘Tommy, that’s stupid.’

‘No it isn’t. The only reason they’re doing it is, no one can join the Communist Party now, it’s a sort of substitute. They use that awful jargon — well I’ve heard you and my mother laughing about the jargon so why is it all right for them to use it? Because they’re young. I suppose you are going to say, but it’s not good enough. And I’ll tell you something. In five years’ time Tony will have a fine job on the National Coal Board or something like that. He’ll be a Labour MP perhaps. He’ll be making speeches about left this and socialist that —’ Tommy had become shrill again, he was out of breath.

‘He might also be doing a very useful job,’ said Anna.

‘He doesn’t really believe in it. It’s an attitude he’s taken up. And he’s got a girl — he’s going to marry her. A sociologist. She’s one of that crowd too. They rush around sticking up posters and shouting slogans.’

‘You sound as if you envy him.’

‘Don’t patronize me, Anna. You’re patronizing me.’

‘I didn’t mean to. I don’t think I was.’