Stranger in a Strange Land

seems to me that Mike's error lay only in accepting your hypocrisy as solid coin. But he does have the weakness-a godlike one-of never doubting his 'water brothers'-but even Jove nods-and his weakness-or is it a strength?- comes from his early training; he can't help it. No, Ben, Mike behaved with complete propriety; the offense against good manners lay in your behavior."
                "Damn it, Jubal, you've twisted things again. I did what I had to do-I was about to throw up on their rug!"
                "So you claim reflex. So stipulated; however, anyone over the emotional age of twelve could have clamped his jaws and made a slow march for the bathroom with at worst the hazard of clogged sinuses-instead of a panicked dash for the street door-then returned when the show was over with a euphemistic but acceptable excuse."
                "That wouldn't have been enough. I tell you I had to leave!"
                "I know. But not through reflex. Reflex will evacuate the stomach; it will not choose a course for the feet, recover chattels, take you through doors and cause you to jump down a hole without looking. Panic, Ben. Why did you panic?"
                Caxton was long in replying. He sighed and said, "I guess when you come right down to it, Jubal-I'm a prude."
                Jubal shook his head. "Your behavior was momentarily prudish, but not from prudish motivations. You are not a prude, Ben. A prude is a person who thinks that his own rules of propriety are natural laws. You are almost entirely free of this prevalent evil. You adjusted, at least with passable urbanity, to many things which did not fit your code of propriety whereas a true-blue, stiff-necked, incorrigible prude would promptly have affronted that delightful tattooed lady and stomped out. Dig deeper.. Do you wish a hint?"
                "Uh, maybe you'd better. All I know is that I am mixed up and unhappy about the whole Situation-on Mike's account, too, Jubal!- which is why I took a day off to see you."
                "Very well. Hypothetical situation for you to evaluate: You mentioned a lady named Ruth whom you met in passing-a kiss of brotherhood and a few minutes conversation-nothing more."
                "Yeah?"
                "Suppose the actors had been Ruth and Mike? Gillian not even present? Would you have been shocked?"
                "Huh? Hell, yes, I would have been shocked!"
                "Just how shocked? Retching? Panic flight?"
                Caxton looked thoughtful, then sheepish. "I suppose not. I still would have been startled silly. But I guess I would've just gone out to the kitchen or something . . . then found an excuse to leave. I still feel like a fool for having made that mad dash to get out."
                "Would you actually have sought an excuse to leave? Or were you looking forward to your own 'welcome home' party that night?"
                "Well," Caxton mused. "I hadn't made up my mind about that when this happened. I was curious, I admit-but I wasn't quite sold."
                "Very well. You now have your motivation."
                "Do I?"
                "You name it, Ben. Haul it out and look at it-and find out how you want to deal with it."
                Caxton chewed his lip and looked unhappy. "All right. I would have been startled if it had been Ruth-but I wouldn't really have been shocked. Hell, in the newspaper racket you get over being shocked by anything but-well, you expressed it: something that cuts deep about right and wrong. Shucks, if it had been Ruth, I might even have sneaked a look ~ -even though I still think I would have left the room; such things ought to be-or at least I feel that they ought to be-private." He paused. "It was because it was Jill. I was hurt . . . and jealous."
                "Stout fellow, Ben."
                "Jubal, I would have sworn that I wasn't jealous. I knew that I had lost out-I had accepted it. It was the circumstances, Jubal. Now don't get me wrong. I would still love Jill if she were a two-peso whore. Which she is not. This hands-around harem deal upsets the hell out of me. But by her lights Jill is moral."
                Jubal nodded. "I know. I feel sure that Gillian is incapable of being corrupted. She has an invincible innocence which makes it impossible