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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e1967f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #62418 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62418) diff --git a/old/62418-8.txt b/old/62418-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 57a9631..0000000 --- a/old/62418-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9893 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Amazing Years, by W. Pett (William Pett) -Ridge - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The Amazing Years - - -Author: W. Pett (William Pett) Ridge - - - -Release Date: June 18, 2020 [eBook #62418] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMAZING YEARS*** - - -E-text prepared by MFR, Graeme Mackreth, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/amazingyears00ridgiala - - - - - -THE AMAZING YEARS - -by - -W. PETT RIDGE - -Author of -"Mord Em'ly" -"69 Birnam Road" etc. - - - - - - -Hodder And Stoughton -London New York Toronto -MCMXVII. - - - - -THE AMAZING YEARS - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -Mrs. Hillier said something just before lunch that touched me more than -she could have guessed. The family was to leave on the Saturday, and -the elder of the two young ladies--Miss Muriel--had grumbled throughout -the week because of the delay insisted upon by the master. The -departure had originally been fixed for the twenty-fifth; Mr. Hillier, -who seldom spoke at home, but when he did talk expected to be obeyed, -announced that the party would not cross the Channel until the first. -That would be two days before the Bank Holiday, and Miss Muriel foresaw -discomforts arising from over-crowded compartments, carriages reserved -for the incredible Polytechnic folk and the impossible Lunn trippers. -Mrs. Hillier, as I managed with some difficulty to turn the key of a -trunk, put her hand on my shoulder. - -"Weston," she remarked, impulsively, "I wish you were coming with us." - -"Ma'am," I said, "I don't like the sea, and I can't endure foreigners. -Furthermore, a woman like myself, knowing only the English language, -would be simply a hindrance." - -"Wherever you found yourself," she declared, "you'd contrive to make -yourself understood. Who is coming here to stay with you whilst we are -away?" - -"Thought, ma'am, of asking my young nephew. He's just got a -scholarship, and the month's rest will do him good." - -One of the maids knocked and came in to ask me whether she should -sound the gong. Mrs. Hillier's manner altered at once. She gave -definite instructions regarding the tying on of the blue labels that -had been specially printed by a firm at Sidcup Hill, commented sharply -on the condition of Master Edward's laundry, and mentioned that the -working classes were becoming intolerably careless. When the maid had -gone, she turned to me again. - -"Weston," she said. "I'm worried about this trip. Before, I've felt -confidence in your master to see us through any difficulty. He's been -a sort of a dependable courier, and though he can't have relished the -holiday, it's been at any rate a change for him. But lately--Oh I don't -know," she broke off. "Perhaps I'm wrong." - -Talk at lunch, I noticed, was devoted to the coming journey. The -conversation could not be described as good tempered: it needed the -presence of Master John to ensure anything like cheerfulness, and you -might have assumed that the three, instead of going for a holiday, were -about to engage upon one of the most trying and distasteful tasks of a -lifetime. I had come into the family when it lived in Tressillian Road, -Brockley, and Miss Muriel was twelve--that was ten years before--and -Miss Katherine eight. A dear little soul Miss Katherine was too at that -time, with her doll's perambulator, and her hoop, and a nursery not -over furnished. There came Mr. Hillier's good luck in the City with the -agency in Basinghall Street, and we moved to The Croft, where I was -told to make no reference to Brockley, and to disclose to the maids -of the house, or to the servants at any other house, no particulars -of early days that had been imparted to me in confidence or gained by -observation. It was little Miss Katherine's fault that I did not go -from the family when Mr. Hillier went up in the world. It means a lot -for a woman to be near a child--near any child--who can put its arms -around her neck, and hug her. - -"Dover and Calais," Miss Muriel was saying, as I directed the parlour -maid to bring in the sweets. - -"Folkestone and Boulogne," announced Mrs. Hillier. - -"Dover and Calais is the shorter route, mother, dear." - -"There's very little difference, darling, and one saves on the land -journey." - -"I shall tell father," declared Miss Muriel, "that unless we travel by -way of Dover and Calais, I prefer not to go at all. Kitty, you agree -with me, I'm sure." - -"Your sister," said Mrs. Hillier, "has the good sense to take my view." - -"I vote," remarked Miss Katherine, "for Newhaven and Dieppe, and I bet -a large red apple that's the way we take." She hummed something about -Yo ho, yo ho, a sailor's bride I'd be, and live for ever gaily on -the bounding sea. Her mother requested her not to sing at table, and -pointed out that the wives of seamen invariably lived on shore. - -"Let Weston decide," suggested Miss Muriel. "Come along, Weston. This -is where you come in, in the usual way, as peacemaker." - -"'To foil their plans,'" said Miss Katherine, quoting from last year's -pantomime, "'we now bring upon the scene, The villain's foe, our friend -the Fairy Queen.'" - -"If it was my case," I said, "I should wait until there was a Channel -tunnel." It proved to be not the first time that I had managed, by -disagreeing with all three, to check an argument. - -Master Edward came home from Blackheath soon after six, and brought a -new subject for consideration. He had enjoyed a good day in watching -Kent play, and Kent had done well; in my room he rattled off the -figures exultantly. Humphreys 45, Hardinge 86, Seymour 66, A.P. Day -55 and so on; three hundred and forty-nine in all. "Let's see Surrey -beat that!" he remarked, defiantly. The boy took the brass shovel -from the empty fire-place, and described some of the most important -hits of the game. I reminded him of his own score of twenty-five, not -out, performed on the ground of his boarding school at Westgate, and -we had a serious talk concerning the wise life to lead: Master Edward -thought mere education was very much over-rated, and declared he would -rather be Mr. Troughton, captain of Kent, than a science master at a -college. I was unable to go all the way with him, and suggested, as a -compromise, that games should be cultivated in moderation. - -"But you see, my tall old bird," he said, persuasively, "you're only a -woman. I don't say you can't throw a ball in straight, because, as it -happens, it's one of the things you can just manage to do; but apart -from that--Realise what I mean, don't you?" - -Contention about the route came up again at dinner, when Mr. Hillier -took the foot of the table, crumbling his bread in the absent-minded -manner he had recently adopted. Sometimes the evening meal went -through, I noticed, without a syllable from him, and when the savoury -came he would give a nod of apology to his wife, and go off to his -workshop at the back of the house. On this particular Thursday night -he was cross-examined by Miss Muriel with severity concerning the -question of tickets, and he admitted he had not yet secured them. -Miss Muriel gave a picture of the rush, and tumult, and hurry-scurry -at the station; the most cheerful detail seemed to be that father -would undoubtedly be left behind. I was absent from the dining room in -order to see that his two pipes were filled, that, in the study, the -cigars set out in case any one should call; the liqueur stand had to -be replenished, and I suppose ten minutes had gone when I returned. -I found everyone talking--excepting, of course, the master--everyone -shouting at the top of the voice, everyone begging the others to be -silent. - -"Weston," said Mrs. Hillier. ("Keep quiet, all of you. Impossible to -hear oneself speak with all this din going on. Edward, I forbid you -to say another word. Muriel, I'm surprised at you.) Weston, I want to -ask you something." She rapped her forehead with her knuckles. "So -much chatter that it's no wonder thoughts go out of my head." The rest -declined to give the cue. "Oh, I remember. Have you heard any rumours -about trouble on the Continent?" - -"Only what I've read in the papers, ma'am." - -"There!" she said, triumphantly to her husband. "Now perhaps you'll -leave off throwing out these foolish suggestions that you have somehow -got into your head. You speak before you think, James. I've warned you -about it previously. You men in the City meet at lunch time, and over -your chop, and your bottle of wine----" - -"I always have a cup of coffee, and a piece of shortbread." - -"And on that," she remarked, changing the subject, "you expect to keep -well. Why don't you have a sensible meal at mid-day, the same as I do? -It's very difficult," she said to the girls, "very difficult indeed to -knock any sense into men." - -Mr. Hillier rose, I opened the door. Miss Katherine followed him to -whisper something consoling. - -"Don't dare forget to see about the tickets to-morrow, father," -directed Miss Muriel. - -"I'll make inquiries," he said. - -Colonel Edgington called later and I switched on the lights in the -billiard room, took off the cloth, chalked two cues, and summoned the -master from the workshop. I asked Mr. Hillier whether I should remain -in the billiard room and look after the scoring board; he said, "Thank -you, Weston, no. We shan't want to bother you this evening." As I was -going, he called me. "Afraid," he went on, apologetically, "that we -trouble you too much in this establishment. We get into the habit of -depending upon you, Weston." I said, "Not at all, sir!" and left. At -eleven, when Colonel Edgington had gone, I found that spot white had -made four, and plain white had scored nothing. It looked as though the -game had been interfered with by discussion. Home Rule probably. The -Colonel came from the north of Ireland, and he held strong views on -the subject; I knew from the papers that a four days' conference at -Buckingham Palace had failed to settle the question. Apart from the -condition of the scoring board, it was strange that the Colonel had not -touched his tumbler of whiskey. I went over the house to see to the -locking up, and encountered on one of the landings, the master: he was -gazing out at the fine summer night and I expected he would make some -casual remarks concerning the stars. - -"Seven," he remarked, in a dreamy way. "Seven, Watson, seven." - -"More than that, sir, surely." - -"More later on," he agreed. "But seven is the number of Stock Exchange -firms that failed yesterday." - -The next day was cheerful, only in regard to the weather. Master Edward -came home from the cricket ground to announce in a dismal manner that -Hayward and Hobbs were doing astonishingly well for Surrey; I had to -remind him that a match was not finished until the stumps were drawn on -the last day. Several ladies had called during the afternoon, and they -brought all sorts of wild rumours with them that Mrs. Hillier found -extremely upsetting. One said she had heard from a bookstall boy at the -station that the Bank of England was going to close its doors. Another -had been told by her gardener that the Germans would probably land at -Dover, after they had dealt with France, and march up through Kent, -taking Chislehurst on the way, and this she regretted the more because -her gladioli were very fine and likely, but for interference, to do -well at the flower show. A third was able to give, as a more reliable -piece of information, the announcement that her German governess, who -had been with the family for years, and knew how to manage difficult -children, had disappeared; it was found she had taken the train for -Dover. - -Mr. Hillier was bombarded with questions on these and other subjects so -soon as he arrived. Generally he travelled from Cannon Street by the -four forty-eight, which did the journey in half an hour, and his time -for reaching the house was five thirty. He reached home on this Friday -by a quarter past four. - -"I don't know anything," he said. "I can't tell you any more than the -man in the moon." - -"Apparently you are able to tell less," remarked his wife. - -"Perhaps," said Miss Muriel, "you can at least contrive to say, father, -at what time we start to-morrow morning." - -"Oh, that!" he remarked, calling the subject back to his memory. "Oh, -we don't go to-morrow. I thought it was understood." - -Miss Katherine stood by him, but the others raised their voices in -indignant protests. Mrs. Hillier begged that he would, for once, listen -calmly, and endeavour to understand that when trunks were packed, and -preparations made, it was simply nonsense to say that the holiday -was not to be taken; she implored him also to consider the talk that -would go on in Chislehurst. Miss Muriel said that so far as she was -concerned, she intended to go alone, and the others could follow when -and as they pleased. Master Edward suggested it was rotten bad luck to -be disappointed; he could not imagine the sort of tale he would have to -make up on returning to Westgate after a blank and empty holiday. - -"Besides," urged Mrs. Hillier, triumphantly, "there's John!" - -"John I saw this afternoon," said Mr. Hillier. (You must understand -that they all talked freely whilst I was about; if one of the maids -put in an appearance, then, of course, they used more care). "John -and I had a long talk. He expected to have a couple of songs out -next month, and he's afraid all this trouble may delay them. Anyway, -he wants to stay on, and see what happens. He's coming here this -afternoon." - -The elder son of the family had recently taken rooms in town; we all -knew the songs he had composed, from myself down to the scullery-maid, -and everyone in the house was looking forward to his next. I remember -I felt more concerned at hearing the deliberate announcement of Master -John's intentions than at anything else which was happening, and the -others, too, seemed impressed by it. They left Mr. Hillier alone. -The evening was very quiet, the grand pianoforte did not find itself -opened. On the Saturday morning the master went up to Cannon Street, -and came back before noon. He told me he heard the Stock Exchange had -been closed an hour after it opened, and in regard to his own business -in Basinghall Street, where he represented an important Austrian firm, -nothing was being done. - -"By the bye, Weston," he said, "there used to be something in the -house that I don't seem able to find. You would know where it is if -anybody does." I waited for him to explain. "I mean," he said, rather -confusedly, "a revolver." - -"Whenever Master Edward is home for his holidays, sir, I always take -the liberty of putting that where no one but myself can find it." - -"Very wise," he agreed. "But where is it exactly? You see," -persuasively, "if we're going to be attacked, why we must be prepared -to sell our lives dearly, eh?" - -"We're not going to sell our lives, sir, and we're not going to give -them away either. We must keep calm, and not do anything foolish, or -even think of doing anything foolish, on the spur of the moment. If -trouble's coming, we've got to face it." - -"Quite so, quite so, quite so!" He looked at me for a while, and I -looked at him. "Quite so!" he remarked once more. And began to hum. He -had no ear for music, and the playing and singing of the young ladies -were always endured by him with a pained air, but I never heard him or -any other man hum a tune more incorrectly than he did on that occasion. -It was a relief when Master John walked up the drive, and took his -father at once for a run in the car. What Mr. Hillier required was -fresh air, and sensible, male companionship. - -We were more animated that evening. I had Master John's room all in -order, and I told him I hoped he was going to stay for the week-end; he -said he had not thought of doing so, but when I hinted that it would -be a sensible thing to do, he nodded, and said, pleasantly, "Right you -are, Weston. You always have your own way, somehow!" Even Mr. Hillier -brightened in the presence of his elder son, and Master John was able -to check his mother and Miss Muriel when they showed a tendency to -go back to the grievance of the cancelled trip. Master John had been -going about in some of the hard-up quarters of London, and recounted -his experiences, described the folk he had met, the places he had -seen. There was nothing very fresh to me in all this, but he made it -attractive, and I had to speak rather sharply to one of the maids for -laughing at a joke he told. The most difficult thing in drilling young -girls is to convince them that they must keep a straight face when -waiting at table. - -"All the same," remarked Miss Katherine, "it must be a dud life for -them. I mean to have two one double four Hell for a telephone number." - -"They've been used to nothing different," argued her mother. - -"I feel rather sorry," said Master John, "for the folk who come down to -it from the heights." - -"Even in those cases," said his mother, "they have only themselves to -blame. Generally, it's drink." - -"Sometimes sheer misfortune," he remarked. - -"Rather than lead that sort of existence," said Miss Muriel, -dramatically, "I would take a revolver and shoot myself." I frowned at -her, and she said, "Don't make faces, Weston. It doesn't improve your -appearance in the least." Her father glanced at me. - -Master John had a theory, and proceeded to give it across the table. -Many of the districts he had been referring to were, he pointed out, -near the river. You would assume that nothing was easier for these -people, when goaded by worry, and depressed by anxiety, than to stroll -down to the edge of the water, and put an end to their existence. But, -said Master John, this was exactly the course they did not adopt. It -was not in their class you found men and women taking upon themselves a -duty that belonged to a greater power, and deciding when life was to be -terminated. These cases existed in other stages of society, where the -crumpled rose-leaf, and nothing but a crumpled rose-leaf, was sometimes -held to justify the act. - -"An unpleasant subject to be discussing," said Mrs. Hillier. "Let's -talk about the war for a change. What do you think Germany means to do, -John?" - -I have often, in recent days, wished I had written down all the views, -and all the prophecies heard from different sources at that period. -Likely enough, Chislehurst was not more fruitful in this than was -other places, but we were just far enough from town to enable folk -to go around, distributing new ideas between the arrival of editions -of the London newspapers. Master John altogether refused to make -any predictions. "Ask me again in a week's time," he said. He took -his father along to the billiard room, and there kept his opponent -concentrated on the game, and declined to talk of any other matters -than that of how to deal with the red. Mr. Hillier made a break of -twelve, and felt tremendously pleased about it. "Really believe, do -you know, Weston," he said, cheerfully, "that if I had more practise, -I'd be able to give people quite a decent game." - -Master John astonished us by going to church on Sunday morning; he -announced at the mid-day meal that prayers had been offered for the -maintenance of peace. He ran up to town in the afternoon, and on his -return, described an anti-war meeting held in Trafalgar Square, and -a patriotic meeting held close by at the Admiralty Arch. An enormous -crowd, he said, marched along The Mall to the Palace where folk sang -the National Anthem, and the Marseillaise, and the King and Queen bowed -acknowledgments of the cheering. - -"Like looking on at history," he remarked. - -"A good deal of preposterous fuss," commented Miss Muriel, in her -superior way, "concerning absolutely nothing at all!" - - * * * * * - -It would save some trouble if one could ask you to accept Miss Muriel -without explanation, and to judge her by the acts recorded of her, -but this is perhaps making too great a strain upon credulity. At an -entertainment given in aid of some Church funds at St. Mary's Hall I -once saw a performance in which six characters took part: a highwayman, -the landlady of a tavern, a Bow Street runner, a village maiden, an -old Duke, and his elderly daughter; I observed that they came on -separately, and so soon as one went off another entered, and I thought -nothing special of it until I ascertained later, from the programme, -that all the characters were performed by one gentleman. Miss Muriel -had something of this ability. She was everything by turns, and nothing -strong. At one time she determined to go down to posterity as a great -musician, and during this period, she scoffed at her brother's efforts, -and composed elaborate melodies that, without exception, sounded to -me very like something I had heard before; the mantelpiece in her -room was given up to small busts of Wagner and Liszt, and Beethoven -and Mozart. There followed a rather serious attack of literature. Miss -Muriel took literature very badly, and whilst it was on her, the house -had to be kept perfectly quiet; any discordant sound, she declared, -upset her writing for the day. She appealed to eminent novelists for -their autographs (which they supplied with alacrity) and endeavoured to -keep up the correspondence by asking their advice in regard to plots, -to methods, and to publishers; the answers diminished in number, and -Miss Muriel talked darkly of ring-bound fences, of the trials of new -beginners. - -"For two hatpins," she declared, "I would take up some other hobby!" - -She did this, without the bribe suggested. At the time of which I -speak, Miss Muriel was preparing herself for a brilliant career on the -stage. - -It was an epidemic that went around at intervals, started occasionally -by an amateur performance, and the compliments given in the -_Chislehurst and District Times_; in Muriel's case, it was due to -the presence of a well-known actor who had returned from an American -tour with plenty of money, and, taking a house near the Common, -announced his intention of enjoying peace with dignity. Him, Miss -Muriel encountered during the interval that followed convalescence from -literature. It occurred to her that the stone cross which bore the -inscription on one side--"Napoleon, Eugène Louis Jean Joseph, Prince -Imperial. Killed in Zulu-land, 1st June, 1879," and on the other, "This -Cross erected by the Dwellers at Chislehurst"--it occurred to her, I -say, that this memorial was not receiving the attention it deserved. In -placing her daily offering of a bunch of flowers inside the railings -(the self-imposed duty lasted for nearly a week) she one afternoon met -the great man. He was greatly touched by Miss Muriel's devotion. - -"A beautiful act," he said, tears in his eyes. "A most charming -thought. Dear young lady, allow me to offer you my sincerest -compliments." - -He called at The Croft later, and Mrs. Hillier was impressed by -his manner, although Master Edward described him privately, as a -white-haired fraud. Miss Muriel spoke of her wish to assist the stage -by her presence, and he received the announcement with enthusiasm, -promised to give any help that might be necessary. But he went off in -a state of crimson-faced indignation, and I found that, in my absence -from the drawing room, Mrs. Hillier had been so incautious as to offer -a casual and approving remark concerning one of the younger members of -the profession. Miss Muriel asserted that her bright anticipations had -been marred by this carelessness, and it did prove that the promised -help failed to come. A Sunday journal announced that the gentleman had -been induced, by pressure from his countless admirers, to return to -the boards, and to give a series of "those brilliant impersonations -with which his name, and his name alone, will ever be associated." -Miss Muriel's letters to him were not answered, but she told me this -circumstance would have little or no effect on her plans. - -"Even this absurd war business won't stop me!" she declared. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -Guard Richards called at The Croft on the Monday afternoon, and brought -a newspaper which he said contained little that was fresh and nothing -that could be reckoned as jolly; before entering into any conversation -with him, I took it to Master John. - -"The governor requires careful handling," he mentioned. "You -understand, Weston, I'm sure. He mustn't get too many whacks all at -once." - -"He can scarcely have anyone near him better than yourself, sir." - -"The others are not helping a great deal," he admitted. "I foresee -how much we are going to rely upon you, Weston." I expressed the -hope that he would stay as long as was possible, hinted that, in the -circumstances, he might perhaps feel disposed to give up his rooms -in town. "It will depend upon--" he began, and searched for a word. -"Circumstances," he added. - -William Richards I had known since the country days when I tried to -be a school teacher and failed in the examination, and my mother, -considerably annoyed, packed me off to service, and he, too, -disappointed his people by refusing to be educated with the view -of becoming a Wesleyan minister, and ran to London, and joined the -railway. By the time I returned to the hall, Master Edward had found -him, and Richards, with coat off in the field near the house was -sending down a swift ball at a single stump, where Master Edward in -gloves and pads endeavoured to imitate the methods of his favourite -wicket-keeper. For some reason, the spectacle annoyed me. In the case -of the boy it was easy enough to understand, but William was forty if -a day, and at a time when everyone about the place seemed more or less -worried, it was irritating to see a big hulking chap playing at games. - -"But it's Bank Holiday," he argued, when I had given my opinions. - -"You're nothing but a kid," I declared. "In everything but years." - -"Neither you or me, Mary Weston, can reckon ourselves as mere chicken. -But that's no reason why we should go about with a face as long as a -fiddle." - -"It's a reason why we should set an example to those younger than -ourselves. Are you aware that your country is likely to find itself in -the biggest difficulty it's ever encountered?" - -"A lot of passengers," he remarked, "have been telling me about it, -but I never take much notice of rumours. Up at Charing Cross, one of -the inspectors said the railways was going to be taken over by the -Government; but, there again, I don't place much dependence, for the -simple reason that it comes from a man who has give me more wrong tips -in regard to 'orses than I've had from all the rest of the staff put -together. Who's this coming up the road?" - -A woman in my position cannot possibly think of everything, especially -at a time when there is more than usual to be thinking about, and -I had clean forgotten to write to my young nephew to tell him the -Continental trip was cancelled. Here he came, looking taller than ever, -but slightly round shouldered; his leather case in one hand, and in the -other a book that he read as he walked. Herbert Millwood was never one -to waste a single moment in his studies, and we watched him as he by -chance avoided collision with other people, and by luck escaped contact -with a lamp-post. He was going past the second gate of The Croft when -I called to him. He came out of his dreams, dropped the book. Master -Edward, impatient to resume play, ran out and picked it up whilst -Herbert gave me a kiss, and offered his hand to William Richards. - -"Are you reading this too?" cried Master Edward. "I've just finished -it. Isn't it a ripper." - -"I found it," said my nephew, in his careful way of speech, "extremely -interesting. It appears to me a most accurate description of cowboy -life in Western America." - -I recognised one of the twopenny volumes with which the house was -always strewn during the period of Master Edward's holidays. Coming on -the top of Guard Richards's behaviour, the discovery did not lessen my -resentment. - -"Herbert," I said, shortly, "you can take yourself off home again. I -meant to have written to you. William Richards, perhaps you've got -sufficient intelligence to tell us when the next up train goes?" - -Miss Muriel came out of the house, walked down the steps, and along the -broad gravelled space. "Weston," she said, authoritatively, "arrange -something for me to do. The tennis party I ought to have gone to has -been put off. It's most annoying." She stared at Herbert. - -"My nephew, miss," I said, presenting him, "who was to have stayed here -if you'd all gone abroad." - -"Do you play?" she demanded. - -"Haven't a racket," he answered. "It's been sent up to Cambridge with -my luggage." - -"One can be found. And do you play?" (To William Richards.) - -"No reason why I shouldn't be learnt, Miss." - -They took the whole business out of my hands. Herbert and Miss Muriel -decided to be partners against William Richards and Master Edward. The -two visitors remembered, at the last moment, that their shoes might -damage the grass. "It doesn't matter in the least," said Miss Muriel, -with a touch of bitterness. "The general impression I gain is that we -shall be leaving here before the end of the week." - -"You don't mean that!" exclaimed my nephew. - -"Really don't know what I mean," she retorted, irritably, "or what -anybody else means. There are so many riddles about that I have given -up all attempt to answer them. And Weston, here, whose business it is -to cheer us up, and who is paid to cheer us up, has apparently gone on -strike. Just as though," addressing Guard Richards, "just as though she -were a railway man." - -"Miss Hillier," said Master Edward, "having made herself pleasant -and agreeable to most of the company present, will now show us her -celebrated imitation of Mrs. Lambert-Chambers at the net." - -"I am not a crack player," she remarked condescendingly to my nephew, -"but I have my good days." - -It appeared, later, that Miss Muriel was put off her game by the -marching by of Territorials, an insect in her eye, rays of the sun, -and one or two other discouraging incidents. Nevertheless, the game -improved her temper, and she was in a gracious mood when I sent two of -the maids out with table and trays; she admitted the victory had been a -narrow one, and that Herbert was as good as Master Edward, whilst she -was but a shade better than Guard Richards. William Richards improved -his position, and caused himself to be reckoned an efficient member -of good society by juggling dexterously with four tennis balls. "If -I could do that," declared Master Edward, "I should never trouble to -do anything else. How did you get the knack of it, guard?" William -explained that on long journeys, when parcels had been sorted, and -letters arranged, an official of his rank had plenty of time for -practising the art. He tried to make a further impression by essaying -a trick he had seen at a popular entertainment; this necessitated the -providing of a leather hat case, an open umbrella, and a cigarette, -and all these articles were readily discovered and furnished. William -Richards threw the cigarette in the air, and failed to catch it with -his mouth, the leather hat case fell upon Miss Muriel, and the open -umbrella came down upon me. William said he thought he had better catch -the next train, but Master Edward, declaring that he, too, did not -always succeed in his experiments, begged him to stay. - -I was afraid Mrs. Hillier, when she came out, would be annoyed at the -sight of the mixed group, but she was so eager to obtain opinions -concerning the war that she seemed ready to forgive the presence of -the two visitors, and to overlook the fact that one of them was in a -uniform. My mistress, at that period, always accepted and repeated the -views of the last person consulted, and the effect of this was that -sometimes she felt certain we were not going to be involved in the -war, sometimes that France, with one hand tied behind its back, could -beat Germany, sometimes that the Kaiser would be at Buckingham Palace -by the end of August. William Richards took care from her shoulders -by alluding to the numerous occasions, within his knowledge, when -inaccuracies had appeared in the journals of the day. - -"If they spelt your name wrongly in the Board of Trade inquiry you are -speaking of," she said, "why it stands to reason that the newspapers -are capable of making even greater blunders in regard to more important -subjects." - -"Exactly my argument, lady," he said. - -"I must get you to talk to my husband, guard." - -"If the gentleman has made up his mind, perhaps it wouldn't be much -use." - -"That," she said, addressing the group, "is just what I complain of -in regard to Mr. Hillier. He's obstinate. He's self-willed. He won't -listen to reason. He doesn't understand as I do that no reliance can -be placed on what one reads. I wonder whether we shall get an evening -paper?" - -I mentioned that Guard Richards had brought one, and went in search of -it. On the way back I glanced at the stop press column, which William -apparently had over-looked. It seemed a pity to spoil the comfort of -the party, and I tore the portion off, and held it in my fist. - -"This time next week," said Mrs. Hillier, after glancing at the head -lines, "we shall be laughing at the way people have allowed themselves -to be upset over trifles." - -My dodge did enable them to enjoy an hour of composure; I regretted, -in a way, that the others were not present, if only to see how well -my nephew could comport himself when he encountered his betters. -William Richards was telling the old story of the flustered young woman -passenger, who on the platform kissed the guard, and gave her husband -threepence, when Colonel Edgington came along the drive, flourishing a -newspaper. - -"The bounders have invaded Belgium," he shouted. - -"I don't believe it," declared Mrs. Hillier at once. "It's probably a -misprint." - -"Weston," he said, ignoring my mistress, "where is the governor?" I -hurried towards him, and explained that Mr. Hillier was out with Master -John and Miss Katherine; I hoped that if Colonel Edgington happened -to meet them he would be careful to soften down any bad news he had -to communicate. "War is a man's business," he retorted. "All that you -women have to do is to just stand outside the ropes, and look on." - -"I think you'll find us doing a lot more than that, sir." - -"Ah," he said, "you mean nursing. Well, we may allow you to take a -share in nursing, but nothing else, mind." - -"It probably won't rest with either you or me, sir." - -"It certainly won't rest with you, Weston. If I miss the governor, say -that I am going up to the War Office to-morrow morning early. I shall -most likely catch his train. But I daresay it will slip your memory. -Never met a woman yet who could be depended upon to do as she was -ordered." - -"Perhaps your experience of them has been limited, sir." - -"Weston," he said, rolling up the newspaper, and pointing it at me, -"I've often heard it said about here that you were treated as one of -the family. I've denied the statement. I've always pointed out that you -are treated as the head of the family." - - * * * * * - -There was telephoning to and fro, and the local shops were kept in -attendance on the instruments, town establishments were harried and -badgered by the same means of communication. I looked through the stock -room, and at first decided that no great additions were necessary; -if the worst came to the worst, The Croft could stand a siege of -reasonable length, and the kitchen gardens would furnish supplies. But -the shop-people at Sidcup alarmed me, and another housekeeper I met -there induced me to believe I was failing to take wise precautions. -The shop folk spoke of the immense orders they were receiving from -customers who had the fear that either prices would go up with a -tremendous jump, or that articles of food might be unobtainable; my -friend assured me, with gleeful confidence, that whatever happened to -other households in the neighbourhood, her's, at any rate, was safe. - -"They made me pay cash for everything, Miss Weston," she went on, "but -that was only reasonable. Paper money is not of much use at times like -this. What I'm anxious about is the number of hands that will be thrown -out of work. I told my girls, only to-day, they'll all be starving -before the month is up." - -"That ought to have pleased them." - -"We've got to face the facts," she declared, earnestly. "There's not -the slightest use in burying our heads in the sand. Everyone will be -getting rid of servants, and what the poor souls are to do doesn't -bear thinking of. I suppose your people are like the rest, talking of -cutting down expenses." - -"Hints. Nothing more!" - -"Fortunately," she said, "I have been able to put by, just as you, no -doubt, have managed to do. Eh?" - -"I didn't say anything." - -"And my notion is that when it becomes too hot, I shall rush off to a -quiet place I've got my eye on in Wales where the Germans won't trouble -to come, and if they do, all my money will be safely buried in the -flower garden, and I shall pretend I'm too silly to understand anything -that's said to me." - -"You'll find that easy enough." - -"You wouldn't care, I suppose, Miss Weston--I've always had a great -respect for you--to join forces with me, so to speak, and----" - -"No," promptly. "Got work to do here. Folk to look after." - -"The time will come," she prophesied, in going, "when you'll want to -kick yourself for not having listened to friendly advice." - -It occurred to me that even if there existed little risk of a shortage -in supplies, the fact that so many people were making large purchases -might have serious results, and I resolved to concentrate my thoughts -on the subject of flour. Flour became an obsession with me. Flour, for -the space of at least one morning, was the one article that I desired. -I had, the previous night, dreamt of flour; sacks of it, cellar-fulls -of it, and the dream finished with the perturbing discovery that the -bags on being opened contained nothing but wooden shavings. It is -easy enough now to look back upon those very early days of the war, -and to smile at the flurried anxieties and the nervous agitation; I -can say truthfully that, being ordinarily as calm as most people, -I nevertheless caught the epidemic and came as near as I have ever -been to losing my head. My most extravagant act was to induce William -Richards, by wire, to make himself responsible for bringing, whilst -off duty on the Tuesday, two hundred-weight of flour from London; he -conveyed it from the station to The Croft on a luggage trolley. - -"Your thanks, Mary Weston," he said, "amply repay me, they do, for all -the trouble. Came in, I did, for a fair amount of chaff on the way down -from humorous colleagues of mine, and it's been a warmish business -getting the stuff here, on a day like this, but this glass of cider, -and your kind remarks--" - -"When I wrote off in a hurry to you last night, I never thought you'd -be able to do it." - -William finished his glass, and appeared to be forming words in his -mind. Altering the intention, he hummed the first lines of "Auld Lang -Syne." - -"There's a good deal of extra work going on," he remarked, "with the -railways, and I can't always call my hours my own. But anything I -can do for you, Mary Weston, I'm prepared to do. If I may offer a -suggestion it is that your next orders should be such as not to make my -uniform look quite so dusty." - -I found a brush and dispersed the white marks. As I went up and down -the sleeve, he took my hand and kissed it, and, at once, rushed from -the kitchen, leaving the second glass that had been poured out for him. -Going down to the tradesmen's gate, I caught sight of William Richards -sprinting along the tarred road, more as one under the impression the -Germans were after him than as though he had given an impetuous sign of -affection. - -My housekeeper acquaintance was not the only person who held the view -that the war would throw folk out of employment. Everybody seemed to be -furnishing everybody with the same idea. The most cheerful anticipation -was that there were always the workhouses, and in any case the -Government would have to do something. The disturbing fact that, as my -acquaintance hinted, cheques were not being accepted, was, in itself, -enough to startle and to alarm. Master Edward went on his bicycle a -dozen times in the course of the day to pick up news at the station, -and never returned without something like an arm-full; the trouble was -to sift the correct from the undependable, and to keep one's mind clear -of inaccuracies, but appetite for particulars was so keen that nothing -was refused. Our old gardener with whom, owing to his partiality for -alcohol, I had hitherto been on remote terms, appeared flattered to -discover that I listened to his muddle-headed rumours with an attentive -ear. - -"They do tell me, ma'am," he said, confidentially, "that these 'ere -foreigners drink a kind of beer that don't have no effect on you, like -what our stuff does. Nice cheerful sort of prospect, ain't it, for -those on us that are what you may call settled in our 'abits? Dang my -old eyes," the gardener went on with vehemence, "if it ain't nearly -enough to induce a man to turn teetotal!" - -Mr. Hillier made no attempt to catch his usual train. Instead of -doing this, or cultivating his hobby in the workshop, he walked up -and down on the lawn, tweed cap at the back of head, and when I sent -Miss Katherine out to him, she returned with the announcement that he -wished to be alone; Master John was similarly repulsed. My nephew had -been asked to stay the night, and he and Master John were consulting -together with serious countenances. Two of the maids came to me with -telegrams, and asked to be permitted to leave at once. In one case a -father belonging to the Naval Reserve had been called out, and the -mother wanted her daughter's company at home; in the other, the girl -wished to say good-bye to her sweetheart, a Territorial who was leaving -with his battalion for a sea coast town. I allowed them to go, and went -to mention the circumstance to Mrs. Hillier. She never objected to any -decision of mine, but I generally kept her informed of anything that -happened. - -"I was just going out," she said, "to liven your master up, Weston. -If you have a few minutes to spare, you might come with me. I've got -rather a good idea, and you will come in handy to support it. Get the -rose basket, and my leather gloves, and the scissors." - -No pretence that my mistress adopted would have taken in a fly, and -when she affected to be surprised at discovering her husband on the -lawn, he glanced at her without speaking. She submitted the good idea, -without delay. Mr. Hillier was to take advantage of the brief holiday -from Basinghall Street, and start upon the task of learning to play -golf. "I'd sooner walk about on my head," he declared. She begged him -not to come to a hasty decision, and pointed out first, that no one -walked about on the head; second, that a great many folk did play golf, -and if one could judge by their conversation, found enjoyment in it. - -"You want something, James," she argued, "to take you out of yourself. -You're getting into a habit of brooding and that never yet did any good -to man, woman or child. Try to follow my example, and take cheerful -views. Think of the people who are worse off than yourself." - -"I wouldn't mind so much," he said, "if I were twenty years younger." - -"Now I appeal to you, Weston," she remarked, looking up at me. "Isn't -that a foolish thing to say? Why, if he were twenty years younger he -wouldn't be living in this large house, and these fine grounds, and -with plenty of servants about to do everything that's wanted." The -under-gardener came across to ask some question; I signalled to him to -stay where he was. - -"The large house," said Mr. Hillier, with deliberation, "and the fine -grounds, and the plenty of servants, will soon be nothing but a memory." - -"Wandering in his speech," she whispered to me. - -"It's time," he went on, speaking carefully, "that you knew the truth, -and there's no reason why Weston should not hear it. If it hadn't been -for this war, I might have pulled matters round, but as it is--Well, -I'm done for!" - -"You've been smoking too much." - -"My pipe is the only real comfort I have left." - -"James," she cried, expostulatingly, "you forget me!" - -"There was a time," he said, "when you were my good companion, but that -takes me back a long, long while ago. And the children are not children -now, and altogether--I beg pardon, my dear. I ought not to be saying -anything likely to hurt." - -"If matters are so bad, we must try a little economy." Mrs. Hillier had -a sudden inspiration. "I've sent off a couple of the maids already." - -"You'll have to do more than that." - -"You don't mean," she cried, alarmedly, "that we shall have to do -without Weston?" - -He gave a half smile at me; I waited anxiously to hear what he would -say. "We shall have to do without everybody," he said. "It's like -this. I've been working all these years to make money for you and the -kiddies. I've never saved, partly because you gave no help in that -direction, partly because I wanted to look on and see everyone having a -capital time." - -"How selfish of you, James!" I touched her arm reprovingly. - -"The sooner we get away from here," he said, "the better for my good -name. I want to keep that because--because it's about all I shall have -left. The only question that's worrying me is this. What sort of a part -are you going to play?" - -"I shall go," she replied, with an air, "wherever destiny calls me." - -"Well then," rather doubtfully, "that, I suppose, is all right then. -If you set an example to the children, they'll follow on. Explain it -all to them--or perhaps Weston here will do that, as one of her last -jobs before leaving--and make it clear to them that I'm sorry. And she -might contrive to hint that it isn't altogether my fault." - -I gave the two gardeners their notice at once. The younger one, it -appeared, wanted to leave and was ready to go instantly; the other who -always made a grievance of everything, took it very ill. "Me just in -the middle of a lot of clearin' up, and now I'm called upon to go and -look for another situation! Hard lines; that's what I call it, miss." -I pointed out that he was not the only person who suffered. "I'm the -only one that interests me," he said, doggedly. "People don't seem -to remember that I'm getting on in years. Be rights, I ought to be -pensioned off, or dumped into an almshouse, or some'ing of the kind." -I reminded him that he was fortunate in having no wife or children. -"There's some advantage in being a bachelor," he agreed, "because -there's no one to nag at you when you reach home at night a bit late, -and a trifle comfortable. On the other hand, you've got no one to 'elp -earn your living for you. And that reminds me. I shall chuck work for -a hower or two, and go along, and take a glass o' beer. Just in order -to stiddy my nerves." He came back later singing, and told one of the -dogs that there were many worlds inferior to this, and that he proposed -to celebrate the occasion by arranging a good old hang-it-all bonfire. -Master John and my nephew had gone from the house (without mentioning -where they were bound for), otherwise I should have asked one of them -to order the elderly chap to go home. I might have done this myself, -but I never care to argue with men when they are in drink. It is -impossible to tell whether they are going to be extremely abusive, or -aggressively affectionate. - -The master seemed more like himself now that he had made a full -statement of the position. At his request, I went over the house with -the two of them, and we made something like an inventory; I estimated -the prices, and Mr. Hillier was quite cheered when he eventually -reckoned up. - -"Might have been worse," he said. "The money we've spent hasn't all -been wasted." - -"I've never bought any furniture," remarked Mrs. Hillier, "without -first taking Weston's advice. She's an excellent judge." - -"It's hard to be treating her as a criminal," he mentioned, "after all -these years." - -"Don't you trouble about me, sir," I said. - -"I foresee," he remarked genially, "that a certain official on the -railway will shortly send in an application for holiday leave, and -passes for himself and wife." - -"If Richards has got any such idea in his head," I declared sharply, -"he's in for a big disappointment. My intentions are entirely -different." - -"I must go and find a good auctioneer," he said, "And at once." - -In this way it happened that when the fire at The Croft broke out, -there were women folk only in the house. For over an hour there had -been a smell of burning, and when I spoke of it, one of the maids said -the old gardener had set light to rubbish, but that the flames were -now out; in the quiet summer evening air the scent remained. It was at -about eight o'clock when the alarm came that the garage was on fire. -Dinner was half over; the ladies were wondering at the delay in the -return of Master John and of Herbert, and hoped they would soon appear -with the latest news. Directly I caught sight of the blaze I recognised -that here was a serious matter, and I ran off to the telephone, and -called up the Brigade. Then I beckoned from the doorway of the dining -room to young Master Edward, told him what had happened, and begged -him to rush around and get together all the able-bodied men he could -find in the neighbourhood. Downstairs the maids were hysterical, and -one had fainted; I spoke to them with an abruptness that made them -come to their senses, and gave directions. I collected hats and coats -belonging to my mistress and the young ladies and, saying that there -was no danger and that the fire would soon burn itself out, told them -to go on the lawn, and to watch for the engine. Miss Muriel began to -talk excitedly and protestingly; her sister and mother interposed. - -"Weston knows best!" they said. - -Even if there had been a man about the place, I doubt whether it would -have been possible to save the car. The bemused gardener had set his -mound of rubbish near to the wooden doors, and these were the first to -catch alight. The billiard room was overhead, and when an explosion -came from the garage I knew that nobody would ever play on that table -again. There was not much wind, but all that existed was blowing in the -direction of the house. The master's workshop, where he had spent many -Saturday afternoons, was the next to go. - -Master Edward (enjoying it all tremendously) ran up the drive with -his party of a dozen men, Colonel Edgington amongst them and clearly -determined to take charge, and to extinguish the fire in his own -style; he gasped out orders that no one could understand, and no one -felt called upon to obey. The men rushed through the dark path at -the side of the house, where Colonel Edgington had the misfortune to -step upon a rake that instantly--as is the habit of rakes when thus -treated--instantly sprang up, and gave him a blow in the face which -put him temporarily out of action. His language included several words -quite new to me. - -"Pails, Weston!" shouted Master Edward. - -We had a number of pails but, despite the efforts of the helpers, they -were of little more use than a soda water syphon would have been. For -one thing, the fire was now so scorching that the men could not get -near; the water when thrown fell with a slight hiss and had no other -result. I called them into the house, disregarding Master Edward's -appeal, and asked them to do their best to save the furniture. Their -best, I am willing to admit, was very good. Colonel Edgington came up -the staircase and again endeavoured to assume command: I told him to -go down, and look after the ladies, and keep them out of the way of -the articles that were being flung from the windows. It was no time -for being civil, and it was no time either for careful and delicate -handling of furniture. A cheval glass came down on the sun dial, and -cracked in all directions. Articles in silver from dressing tables -rained upon the grass; a jewel case danced about on the gravel, -distributing its contents. I felt glad to see two constables inside the -gate, keeping back folk who wanted a good view. - -The house was alight when the fire engine came, and everyone was out, -and gathering up the property that had been strewn around; Mrs. Hillier -and the two young ladies worked as hard as the men, and with the -maids--the early fright over--I had no reason to discover any fault. -Master John and my nephew Herbert arrived when the hose was playing on -the flames; the supply of water, owing to the recent fine weather, was -not too good, and the pond, that might at other times have assisted, -was almost empty. The two young men accepted the condition of affairs -without a word; threw off jackets, and dashed into the task of salvage. -Despite all the efforts it was not a great amount that could be saved: -the fire chased the men from room to room. A drizzling rain came -on, and the lads found tarpaulins and canvas to serve as protection -to the rescued furniture. Colonel Edgington had vanished, and I was -congratulating myself on this, when he returned with his car. - -"Come along now, Mrs. Hillier," he said, authoritatively. "And the two -girls. And the small boy. And any of the servants who can find room. -I'm going to take you all over to my place, and you'll stay there as -long as you like. Weston," he said to me, "I'll come back for you." - -"Sorry, sir, if I was rather rude to you, just now." - -"Rude?" he echoed. "Bless my soul, that was nothing. I'm rather rude to -everybody. But I mean well, Weston: indeed, and I mean well!" - -The brigade superintendent, making his way across pools of water, at -the finish, asked me whether the house and the fittings were insured, -and I said, "Why, of course!" The men assisted in returning furniture -to the two or three rooms that had not been touched by the fire. The -beer cask in the cellar was safe, and I told them to find tumblers and -help themselves. Master John and my Herbert came up to me, so begrimed -that I kissed Master John by mistake; he declared it was a full sixteen -years since I had thought of paying him such an attention. - -"Wish we had been here at the start," he remarked. "We should have -been, only that there were so many others waiting to enlist." - -"Others?" - -"We've both joined," he announced. "Is that the governor out in the -road?" - -Mr. Hillier was gazing at the damaged house. We went across, and I put -the question to him that the superintendent had put to me. He mentioned -that he had experienced a difficulty in finding the auctioneer, and was -describing this at some length when I repeated the inquiry. - -"I wish you'd tell me, sir, about the insurance," I begged. "Just yes -or no." - -"The answer is no, Weston," he replied, in a quiet voice. "I allowed -the policy to lapse at midsummer in order to give the job to a hard-up -man who was starting as an agent. I heard last week he had disappeared." - -"You don't seem very much upset about the fire." - -"Dreamt that it happened," said Mr. Hillier, "these three nights past." -He turned to his son. "Anything fresh about the war, my lad?" - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -I had at times complained about the folk of the neighbourhood; some -made money rather suddenly and appeared anxious to persuade the -residents that they belonged to aristocratic families; a few took up -an attitude of reserve that could be easily mistaken for contempt. -But, in the misfortune which had overtaken my people, their behaviour -left no room for criticism. It was not only Colonel Edgington who -showed kindness. I stayed the night in Miss Katherine's room, which was -amongst the apartments that had escaped, and when I went out in the -morning and walked along to the Colonel's house I found, even at that -early hour, cars outside and messages being delivered, and all sorts of -hospitality tendered. If we had cared to accept them, we could have put -up at a dozen houses. - -"Thank you ever so much," said Miss Katherine, taking the duty of -answering. "It is really sporting of you, but we shall be perfectly all -right here for a few days. And then we shall have to find a new house." - -"At Chislehurst?" - -"Not at Chislehurst. I think my father intends to butt in at some other -neighbourhood." - -"Quite natural in the circumstances. Be sure to let us know if there is -anything we can do." - -Under her breath Miss Katherine said, "Oh do push off!" - -The old gardener, in a sobered morning mood, had given himself up at -the police station, but Mr. Hillier declined to take any proceedings. -(We heard, later, that the gardener, acutely disappointed, again tried -the remedy of beer, and was eventually fined ten shillings for being -drunk and disorderly; a tame finish, so far as he was concerned, to the -whole incident.) Mr. Hillier wished to make another effort to discover -the auctioneer, but I told him there was not enough of property -remaining to justify a public sale, and that if he determined to get -rid of everything, I could arrange with my brother-in-law at Greenwich -to make a valuation, and to give a fair price. - -"See to it, Weston," he directed, cheerily. "I have been talking it -over with Mrs. Hillier, and we agree that we want to begin afresh. -We're going to make a new start." - -"Very glad, sir, that you are all taking it so well." - -"I've an idea that the fates have used their last cartridge. It's a -relief, Weston." - -"Afraid you haven't yet heard what Master John has done." - -"But that," he declared, "is the best news I have had for months. It's -good to think he joined up without advice or encouragement. To tell you -the truth, I was afraid that he might be afraid. And that would have -been, not so much the last straw, as a whole truss of it to carry on my -back all through the war." - -"Don't know what Herbert's father will say." - -"I can guess," said Mr. Hillier, confidently. "Everything depends now -on what our lads do for us." - -The two young men left directly after breakfast. They had passed the -medical examination, it seemed, at the schools near St. Martin's -Church, Trafalgar Square, and although Master John was rather short for -a guardsman, they urged their desire to be in the same regiment, and -it had been arranged they should join the Coldstreams at Wellington -Barracks. We all came out to wish them good luck, and Colonel Edgington -took off his straw hat, and, waving it, led the three cheers. I -mentioned to him that to see the two going away side by side--my -mistress's son and my own nephew--was one of the proofs that a war -existed. "You'll see mightier changes than that," he remarked. "People -who know nothing whatever about it are saying it'll all be over by -Christmas." I expressed the hope it would not last so long. "Indeed," -he cried, explosively, "and you're as big an idiot as the rest of them. -In this respect, I mean," he added. Later, the Colonel took me aside, -and spoke in confidence. He asked me to believe that his house was at -the disposal of the family for an indefinite period, but he knew it -would be better for the Hilliers if the move which had to be made were -effected quickly, and whilst the excitement of recent occurrences was -still about. "Do just what you think is best," he said. - -Herbert's father kept a second-hand furniture shop in London Street, -Greenwich, and whilst my sister was alive the business had been -prosperous; on her last day, she gave such precise instructions -concerning the boy's career that Millwood had never attempted to depart -from them. I took an afternoon train to New Cross, and the tram-car -from outside the station there, and found Millwood setting up a map -in the window of the shop and adjusting small flags upon it; a crowd -stood watching interestedly. Children, free from school (their holidays -were afterwards cut short) marched along banging toy drums, and wearing -paper hats. The newspaper placards gave the information, "Kitchener at -the War Office." Groups were talking and arguing on the pavement. - -"Knowed my boy'd be one of the fust to offer hisself," said Millwood. -My sister improved his manner of talking a good deal, in her lifetime, -but when she left, he dropped back into his earlier methods. "I says, -soon as ever I heard about the war being started, I says to myself, -'Mark my words. Young 'Erb'll be in this. Right in the very thick of -it.'" - -"Good to find you accept it like this. You being such an out and out -Radical--" - -"How could I accept it otherwise?" he demanded, warmly. "And can't a -Radical be as partial to his country as what the bigoted dunderheaded -Tories is? I remember hearing Bradlaugh say once--" - -"I haven't called to talk politics." - -"Because you know very well, Mary Weston, which of us comes the best -off when you and me do have an argument." - -"I do know. And I must say you generally accept your beating in very -good part." - -"I never get beaten in no discussion," he shouted, "and if I did, I -shouldn't accept it in the way you describe. Often feel uncommon glad -that I didn't pick out you instead of your poor sister. I might ha' -done, but for what I may term the intervention of Providence. You was -better educated than her, and to tell you the truth nothing but that -saved me from making the blunder of a lifetime." - -"I should perhaps have had a word or two to say in the matter." - -"Can't imagine any subject on which you wouldn't." - -I had to talk him round because there was a favour to be asked. He -declared, at first, that he had no wish to add to his stock or to his -responsibilities; of the second, I knew nothing, but I could see that -the contents of the shop had scarcely altered since my previous visit -on the occasion when the funeral took place. There were dilapidated -writing desks that no one seemed to require; a suite of chairs with -red plush that had nearly lost colour from exposure to the sun, a -cabinet out of the perpendicular owing to partial failure of one leg, -an easy chair with broken springs, engravings in mottled frames of -events in the life of Queen Victoria, a tipsy-looking music stand, a -bookcase that ought to have revolved but had lost the trick. It was but -necessary to hint at the misfortunes that had overtaken the Hillier -family, to secure Millwood's aid. He was ready to see the furniture, -to offer a good price for it on my behalf, to attend to the removal and -the storing. Two young women came in whilst we were arranging this, -and asked Millwood for the address of the local newspaper. He gave -the directions, and they mentioned that they wished, by means of an -advertisement, to let their furnished flat in Gloucester Place. "We are -going off nursing," they mentioned, animatedly. I came forward, and -put some questions, and within five minutes I was looking through the -rooms in their company, and inside of a quarter of an hour I had come -to an agreement with them. The rooms were old-fashioned in build, and -pleasant to look upon; Gloucester Place, with The Circus, bow shaped, -opposite had, in their day, been the society part of Greenwich; a large -railed garden was set between the two rows of houses; a broad roadway -led in from Royal Hill, and a narrower one went out to Crooms' Hill, -and to the Park. To Gloucester Place a touch of modernity had been -given by the conversion of one house into County Council offices. At -the very top of the residence I inspected were two rooms, not occupied, -and not furnished. Before I left, I saw the agent, and took these for a -quarter at a rent I could well afford. The ground floor, I ascertained, -was occupied by a quiet, elderly couple. - -"Depend upon me," said Millwood. "And as you're coming to live in my -neighbourhood, mind you drop in whenever you have the opportunity, -Mary Weston, or the wish to do so. I foresee that with both political -parties coming into line over this fighting business, life for a public -man like myself is going to be jest a trifle monotonous. I shall get -stale if I don't find someone to have a few friendly words with." - -It pleased him when I gave him an order to pick up one or two -articles of furniture I indicated from a sales room with which he was -acquainted. - -I went home and announced the result of my journey. I settled with cook -and the two housemaids and sent them off in a good temper. I rang up -the agent for the owner of The Croft, and advised him to give notice -to his insurance people. I took the two young ladies to the house and -found old trunks in the cellars, packed some of their clothes that the -fire had not damaged; Miss Muriel appeared inclined to be sentimental -over the task, but Miss Katherine chaffed her out of this, pointing out -that the verses composed by her sister that morning, with, for opening -lines, - - "Home of my childhood, oh where art thou gone, - The fire has consumed thee, thy loss I bemoan" - -had, if looked upon as poetry, certain merits, and if considered as a -statement of facts, many inaccuracies. It was not, she declared, the -home of Miss Muriel's childhood, unless that period could be reckoned -to start at the age of seventeen. The house had not gone, and it could -not be said with truth that the fire had consumed it, for here it was, -requiring only the aid of a builder and carpenter to make it habitable -for new tenants. - -"And that's that!" she said, summing up briskly. "You chuck poetry, my -beloved sister. There's no money in it, and you never use it except as -a medium for grousing." - -"I mean to write some verses about the war," said Miss Muriel, -resolutely. - -"If it gets known, peace will be arranged without delay. Besides, I -thought you were going on the stage. Weston, can we give you a hand -with your packing?" - -"Couldn't think of asking you to do that, Miss Katherine." - -"Which, being interpreted," she said, "means that even you, with all -your common sense, have not yet realised all that has occurred. Tell -me: you have money put by, haven't you?" - -"A trifle, Miss Katherine." - -"So that you are now above us. You are better off than we are. You are -a plutocrat, Weston. At any moment, some gay spark may come along on -his motor cycle, wed you for the sake of your riches, take you off in -his side car." - -"A pity," I said, to change the subject, "that neither of you young -ladies had contrived to get married before all this happened. It would -have simplified matters a good deal." - -"Perhaps," she remarked, "we have hitherto been too ambitious. In -the new circumstances, I shall be ready to listen to any honourable -proposal from a baker. No," correcting herself. "Let me not sink too -low. A confectioner. A confectioner, near a school. And over military -age." - -"There won't be many young men left if this fighting goes on for long." - -"'How happy,'" quoted Miss Katherine, "'is the blameless vestal's lot, -The world forgetting, by the world forgot.' By Pope, my dear Muriel, -Pope. A gentleman who was in the line of business you have recently -taken up." - -We managed to finish the task, and a greengrocer undertook to convey -the packages to Colonel Edgington's house. I was under the impression -that everything was going well and smoothly, when a telegram came -from the two young women at Greenwich. "Find course of lectures -indispensable. We remain in flat for a time." - -The delay which ensued became one of the most trying details of the -whole affair. If I had been able to whisk the family off as I intended -to do, if it had all been done whilst the excitement was upon us, if -we had been able to give a hurried good-bye to Chislehurst and then -disappear, why, I do believe the job would have proved easy enough. -There was the alternative of finding other rooms, but I had fixed my -mind on the arrangement at Greenwich, and when it was suggested to me -privately by Colonel Edgington that this might be done-- - -"Not a word to the others, mind, Weston. Don't want them to think I'm -tired of their company." - -Then I talked about contracts, and represented the two impetuous girls -at Gloucester Place as square-headed, obstinate women of business; I -hinted that to argue with them or plead to them was like contending -against a brick wall. So the Hilliers stayed on, and each day brought -for me some discouraging occurrence. Mr. Hillier, with nothing else -to do, went back to his habit of mooning about: the Colonel was very -good, and always endeavoured to give him his company, but the master -seemed to prefer solitude, and whenever he could manage it, contrived -to slip away for a lonely walk. Mrs. Hillier, dismissing all thoughts -of the immediate past, allowed herself to be taken up by her friends -in the neighbourhood, and readily agreed to take positions--for which -she was in no way fitted--in the charitable work that had been started -with feverish and excitable energy. The idea was, at the time, that -there would be an enormous amount of distress in London, and meetings -were held, and speeches made, and Mrs. Hillier when asked to take any -part, succeeded in making just about as big a fool of herself as it was -possible to do. I told her so. I told her so plainly, and we came very -near to parting from each other on account of this. I suppose I was -becoming irritable over the postponement of my scheme, and I certainly -did not like the notion of all of us staying on at Colonel Edgington's -for an indefinite period. One word led to another, and I happened to -use a phrase without giving due consideration to it. - -"Imposing on good nature?" she echoed, amazedly. - -"We'll call it sponging, if you like." - -"Weston," she said, with dignity, "you are, and you have been for some -weeks past, free to leave my service. The wages due will be paid so -soon as Mr. Hillier has had time to look about him." - -"He's doing that now. And precious little of anything else." - -"It is not for you to criticise your master. That is one of my -privileges, and I think I may say that I have never failed to take -advantage of it. For the moment, my powers in this respect are directed -against yourself. You are forgetting, Weston, the position you hold, -and unless you think fit to remember it, I shall have to ask you to go." - -"You know as well as I do, ma'am, that I can't leave you all like this. -You'll be lost without my help, and I should have it on my conscience -for the rest of my life." - -Master Edward rushed in. He had been down the hill to the station, -seeing train loads of soldiers go through, and, with the assistance of -other boys, cheering them. He began to tell us of his experiences but, -recognising an unusual tension in the air, dashed off at once to find -his sister Katherine. When she came, the trouble was soon adjusted. I -apologised to Mrs. Hillier, and Mrs. Hillier apologised to me, and we -both said it was all a misunderstanding, and one that would not happen -again. - -But I went over, that afternoon, to Greenwich, and waited there until -the young women arrived home from their lecture at the Polytechnic. -Millwood had carried out my instructions very well; the two rooms on -the top floor needed only a few more bits of hay to make them into a -comfortable nest. The two came in, tired with study; all the animation -they had shown at our first encounter seemed to have vanished. - -"Of course," said the elder, desolately, "we are sorry for the -inconvenience that is being caused, but you have no idea how much there -is to be learnt before one can be reckoned a capable nurse." - -"Have you considered the advisability of trying anything else?" - -"We most particularly want to tend wounded soldiers." - -"But," I argued, "wounded soldiers don't want to be tended by people -who can't tend." - -"Seems a pity." - -"Now, if you care to leave it to me," I said, "I'll find out whether -there's anything else you could start upon. What do you say?" - -"It must be something we can do at once," they urged. "We appear to be -wasting time." - -I hurried along to the Miller Hospital, and consulted a Sister there -whom I had known for years. She told me that hospitals in London, and -at other places, were on the defensive owing to the strong attacks -made by unqualified, but well-intentioned ladies. For example, a -society woman attended one of the classes and said, at the end, to -the lecturer, that she had gained a considerable amount of knowledge -by the afternoon, but that as she was going abroad with an ambulance -party, she thought it would be advisable perhaps to come to a second -afternoon. The lecturer retorted that she herself had been learning -the business of nursing for ten years, and still felt she had much -to learn. "Ah, yes," said the society woman, "but you see, I'm -exceptionally quick." The Sister told me other anecdotes of the period, -and then considered the problem set before her. - -"Let them become gardeners," she decided. "Gardeners at a convalescent -home I'm acquainted with." - -A reply paid telegram was sent, and, before I left the hospital, the -answer had been received. Taking it to Gloucester Place, I used the -best argumentative qualities at my disposal. Here was a noble chance -of taking--in all likelihood--the places of two men who would thus be -released for the purposes of the war. Good, healthy out-door work, -and later, when soldiers came to the home, there would be a splendid -opportunity of instructing them in arts connected with the land. "An -opening of a lifetime," I urged. They confessed they had been brought -up on a farm, and knew something of agricultural tasks, but it was -dear the attraction of becoming second Florence Nightingales was too -great to be relinquished hastily. I mentioned that, if they insisted on -becoming nurses they would probably find themselves at a hospital in -London; the chances of being sent abroad were small, and I furnished -details of the hard labour probationers were called on to perform. - -"If we did accept this offer," asked one, "do you think we should be -allowed to wear some kind of uniform?" - -"Sure you would," promptly. "And when the War Office takes over the -home, why, of course, you will be under Government control." - -This settled the matter. I found an A.B.C. and selected a train; sent -a wire announcing the time of their arrival; fetched a cab from the -station yard, helped the driver with their trunks. They shook hands -with me gratefully, and alluded to me as a treasure, and a perfect dear. - -That evening, my people arrived at Gloucester Place, and even Miss -Muriel could discover no fault in the new surroundings. Mr. Hillier -took Master Edward down to the riverside whilst we were arranging the -different rooms; they came back enthusiastic regarding the shipping, -the London steamboats, the College, the view from the Observatory. For -the first time since the Saturday before the Bank Holiday we made no -reference in conversation to the war, and I abstained from mentioning -that a placard of an evening journal bore the words, "France fighting -for its Life now." Nor did I repeat a scrap of talk I heard near the -station between two Deptford women. "And ain't it a shame," said one, -"to think that all this trouble has been caused by the Germin Emperor." -The other shook her head. "It ain't the Germin Emperor what's to -blame," she said, correctingly. "It's the Kayser." Boys ran around The -Circus bawling news, and we took no notice of them. Master Edward came -out strongly on historical subjects, and told us of all the Royal folk -who had lived at Greenwich, from King Henry the Eighth, onward; it -seemed to make us feel that we had really gained in social position by -the removal. Mr. Hillier mentioned that history was interesting enough -to look back upon, but trying to live with; Master Edward expressed -sympathy for the boys who came after him and would have to learn all -about the present war. The master and Mrs. Hillier conferred with each -other near a window that looked across at The Circus. I heard her say, -"You must tell her, James. If I try to do so, I shall simply break -down." He beckoned to me, and we went out on the landing. - -"Weston," he said, clearing his voice rather nervously, "I've shut the -offices in Basinghall Street, and it wasn't pleasant to say good-bye -to men who have worked for me and with me during past years. And -now a duty has been imposed upon me that I should very much like to -escape. But someone has to do it, and I suppose--The fact is, we are -very grateful to you for all you have done for us in this trying and -exacting predicament, and we are obliged to you for piloting us safely -to this new--er--harbour." He hesitated, and went on again. "You have, -I take it, made your own plans, Weston?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Very well, then. It only remains to say good-bye, and to give you this -small envelope that contains the wages due. I ask you to believe that -the sum in no way represents our indebtedness--" - -"Look here, sir," I interrupted. "I know all about the finances of the -establishment, and if I take this money I shall be taking nearly the -last penny you have. You just let it stand over. Any time will do for -settling with me." - -"Good of you." - -"And as regards future arrangements, I'm going to live on the top -floor, and I shall be in and about in a friendly sort of way whenever -I'm wanted. The mistress and the young ladies have been used to plenty -of help and attention, and I don't wish all that cut off suddenly at -the main, so to speak. My wages stop from to-day, and when matters get -brighter--and that may not be long ahead--why they can start again." - -"Weston," he declared, "the State ought to be making you, just now, a -generous allowance. You should be put in charge of the ray of sunshine -department. You are a mascot. You're a sheet anchor. So long as you are -with us, we shall feel ourselves safe. God bless you!" - -In the morning, I went down early to answer the milkman's knock. -Content to gain new customers, he told me an important item of -information which had come to him direct from no less an authority than -the pier-master at the end of King William Street. Russian troops, in -enormous numbers, were on the way _via_ Archangel, and would shortly -pass through England on the way to France. The pier-master's idea was -that this would settle the war in less than no time. - -"But don't give it away, miss," begged the milkman, urgently. "Don't -mention it to anyone, because it's a secret, and only a few of us, who -can be depended upon to keep it dark, are supposed to know anything -about it." - - * * * * * - -We were all of us to blame, more or less, for the circulation of -rumours, but the chief responsibility in my own immediate district had -to be placed upon Arthur. Arthur was--it sounds like an extract from -a French lesson book--the brother of our greengrocer's wife; the lady -professed to be suffering from nerves in consequence of the war (she -had no relatives engaged in the struggle, and felt, I think, that it -was necessary for her to take up a distinguished attitude in order -to avoid the pain of being reckoned of no account) and Arthur had -previously been spoken of by her as a West End club-man, one who mixed -with the aristocrats, not so much on equal terms as on terms of high -superiority. - -"Great shock to him when I went and married a tradesman," she confided -to me. "I recollect so well the words he said to me at the time. -'Julia,' he said, 'promise that you'll never on any account do a hand's -stroke of work in the shop.' And," triumphantly, "I've kept my word, -even on Saturday nights." Her husband, instead of being annoyed, and -rating her for indolence, took great pride in the aloof attitude thus -taken up; he was in the habit of referring to her, in conversation, as -his little Queen of Sheba. - -It appeared--when a doctor had been sent for and admitted, after he -had cross-examined and investigated, that he could not give a name -to her ailment (the greengrocer's wife was enormously conceited over -this, counting it as a victory for herself), and when the oft-mentioned -brother called and asked me to keep an eye on her--that the description -of West End club-man was exact, but not complete. He was, in point of -fact, a hall porter at a club, where he described himself as second in -command, and his hours were from eight o'clock in the evening until -three in the morning or earlier if there happened to be no member -remaining in the establishment. - -"And you'll easily understand," he said, with an effort at modesty, -"that in my position, I get to hear about a large quantity of matters -that under the present arrangement of keeping nearly everything out -of the newspapers, won't be mentioned in print, for months to come, -perhaps not at all. So in return for the kindness you are going to show -to my sister Julia, I shall make it my business to bring down to you, -miss, any little tit-bits of information that come my way, because, -with a nephew in the army you must feel specially interested. Do you -follow what I'm driving at?" - -I take some credit to myself for making a selection from the -particulars brought, later, by Arthur. When he prefaced an announcement -by--"Looked in at the club, I did, on me way, and the last thing in on -the tape machine was to the effect that----" then I felt justified in -assuming that the news had association with truth. But when he said, -"Overheard one of our gentlemen, I did, talking to another in the -lounge last night, after dinner, and he said, as distinctly as ever he -could speak that--" then I knew that here was something which required -a good deal of salt before it could be accepted, something it would -be wise not to pass on to other folk. Apparently there was, in the -West End, all the keen desire to be early in the field with news, that -existed in minor districts of town, with an added gift for invention. -At times Arthur brought a double load, and one was called upon to take -a share in a perfect orgie of rumours. Of notable public men (alive -to-day) who had been rushed off to the Tower, and shot, without trial -or any unnecessary fuss-- - -"They tie him to a chair in the Range," said Arthur, exultantly, "six -Guardsmen come along from Wellington Barracks, their rifles are loaded, -the party in the chair is blindfolded, the sergeant gives the word of -command, and then--shoot, bang, fire!--and there's no more headaches -for him! Do you follow what I'm driving at?" - -Of members of the Government in the pay of Germany, and making money -hand over foot; Arthur said darkly that their names were known to him, -and they had best be careful. Of the utter and complete uselessness of -these Zeppelins that Germany was bragging about; Arthur explained to me -a means of bringing down an enemy air-ship, so simple that it appeared -to be within the capacity of any boy of ten. Of a remark made by the -wife of a Cabinet Minister to her lady's maid, and transferred by many -and devious routes, and losing nothing, it was certain, on the way. -Of optimists who knew for a matter of absolute fact that Germany's -finances would not allow her to continue the struggle for longer -than six weeks from now, and of pessimists who said (as the old lady -remarked when she heard that Spa Road Station was to be closed), "This -war is really getting beyond a joke!" - -Until the greengrocer's wife--finding that people were ceasing to -inquire after her health and discovering too that, on one occasion her -brother called on me without visiting her--until she announced that -by exercise of strength of will she had cured herself, where doctors -proved of no avail, we were well supplied with rumours, and could have -sold them, at a profit, at two for three half-pence. For the rest, came -throughout the day, and every day more reliable news on the posters, -and often these announcements were staggering blows that made one feel -as sick and as helpless as a defeated team in football; sometimes the -punishment was followed by a cheering and encouraging smile from the -fates, and for the moment, disasters were forgotten. Take it as well as -one might, it was a trying period and one cannot pretend any desire to -live through it again. - -Arthur, on his last call, said that he had found my company very -soothing, and assured me that but for the existence of a wife and six -children, living at Fulham, nothing would have prevented him from -making me a definite and honorable proposal. - -"Wish I'd met you earlier," said the hall porter, speaking tremulously, -"but there it is, and it's little use grumbling about what can't be -remedied. Do you follow what I'm driving at? All the same, I wish -you every prosperity, miss, and when the right man comes along--he's -a trifle late, if you don't mind me saying so, but he may have been -detained--why, I'll trust you'll recognise him, and that you'll both -live happy ever afterwards!" - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -It was all very well to accept the compliments that Mr. Hillier had -paid me, but as a matter of fact, whether a ray of sunshine, or a -mascot, or a sheet anchor, I felt as much disturbed by all that -was going on out in Belgium and France as anybody; if I woke up at -night, I was so anxious and depressed about it that I could not get -to sleep again. Looking back, it is possible to see how greatly one -was helped by the milkman's Russians. He never wavered from his first -announcement, and I am sure that at the present time he is confident -he was right, and official statements were wrong. Indeed, one was -receptive for any encouraging news at a time when a journal, on a -beautifully bright and summer-like Sunday, gave the question on its -poster, "Can the British Army be Saved?" and the thick black line on -the daily war maps bent lower and lower in the direction of Paris. And -at the fishmonger's, plaice was a shilling a pound. I tried to bargain -with the man, and he said bitterly that I could take it or leave it, -or, if I knew how, do both. Belgians were coming over, he added, in -their thousands, bringing no money, and we should have to keep them. In -a short time, he prophesied, the French people would arrive. - -"We shall be eaten out of 'ouse and 'ome," said the fishmonger, -dismally, "and I 'alf wish the Germans were here now, and that it was -all over and done with!" - -Master John and my Herbert wrote that they had been transferred -to Caterham for drill. Their letters were common property, and if -I received one I read it aloud, and if the family had one, I was -called in to listen. Miss Katherine began to take lessons from me in -cooking; Miss Muriel joined a sewing society and, clumsy enough at -first, and quite incompetent when put in charge of the cutting out, -did keep on at it, and showed herself ready to learn, willing to be -reproved for blunders. Master Edward I took off to the Council school, -and that disposed of him for five and a-half hours from Mondays to -Fridays; at first, he came home extremely contemptuous of what he -called the blighters, but in a few weeks he was bragging of Wilkinson, -and Perrett, and Moore, and other great lads of the educational -establishment. It was the subject of income that worried me. Money was -going out, day by day, and a ten shilling note seemed to vanish in no -time; not a penny was coming in. So soon as the amount representing the -sum due to me was exhausted, there would be left nothing but farthings -in the pillar box on the kitchen mantelpiece. Mr. Hillier looked -through the advertisements carefully, and occasionally wrote letters; -he became a special constable partly for the sake of filling up time. -Mrs. Hillier alone declined to make any change other than those which -circumstances forced upon her; now and again I was tempted to take her -by the elbows, and give her a good shake. - -"I find Greenwich very soothing," she would say, complacently. "Ideal, -really!" The first cold day, and the falling of brown leaves out in the -park, made some impression on her, and she shivered slightly in making -any comments upon the fighting. - -Master John, home on Sunday, gave us a description of his drill at -Caterham. He had experienced a fall at the gymnasium, and made light of -it, but his mother was concerned, and offered the view that Mr. Asquith -ought to be told. Master John said that turning out time in the morning -was half-past five; on the previous day he was on duty until a quarter -to ten at night. Nearly eight thousand men down there, all Guards, -and the Senior Medical Officer examined everyone, although the men -had been passed in London for general army service; Master John said -that about ten per cent. were rejected, and was content to announce -that he himself had gone through safely. Food rather poor at times; -occasionally it had to be taken without the assistance of plates. - -"Your father must write to the papers about that," decided Mrs. -Hillier, warmly. "Gross carelessness on the part of somebody." - -Master John said that everyone was eager to get out to the front. Now -that the Germans had been turned back from the Marne, and were on the -run northwards, the fear at Caterham was that it might not be possible -to arrive at the fighting district in time to take a share in the lark. -Mrs. Hillier said this would be scandalous. - -It was soon after this that the milkman told Mrs. Hillier of the -imminent reduction in lighting; she declared that other people could, -of course, do as they pleased but she, for one, intended to take no -notice of the order. I argued with her, the young ladies argued with -her, but she was obstinate until Mr. Hillier took the matter in hand. -He gave a hint to the most serious of his colleagues who paid a call -one evening at Gloucester Place, and talked to Mrs. Hillier in a way -that she had probably never been spoken to before. After pointing out -the risks and the penalties, he remarked that neighbours would have no -alternative but to assume that she was in sympathy with the Germans. -Upon that Mrs. Hillier gave directions, and blinds were drawn, lights -carefully shaded. As I let the special constable out at the front door, -he said to me: - -"A difficult lady to deal with, your friend upstairs." - -And I had to agree with him. I sometimes wondered whether any -occurrence would effect an alteration in her. - -She proved to be greatly annoyed by Miss Katherine's announcement. -Miss Katherine had told me of her intentions, but under the bond -of secrecy, and when she disclosed the fact that she had obtained -a position as clerk in a bank, you might have thought, from Mrs. -Hillier's deportment, that a lasting and intolerable disgrace had -come upon the family. Nothing ever upset Miss Katherine, and even in -our palmy days, she had always been the one to keep a serene temper; -she listened now to her mother's severe criticism, and explained that -the matter had been kept quiet for the reason that it was possible a -failure might have occurred over the examination. - -"The news is bound to reach Chislehurst," bewailed Mrs. Hillier. "And -when we eventually go back there, I can't see, for the life of me, how -it is to be explained." - -"We must put it down, mother, to temporary insanity on my part." - -"That wouldn't answer," she declared seriously, "because everyone is -aware that there have been no signs of it on either your father's side -or mine." - -"Hadn't thought of that," admitted Miss Katherine. - -"Weston," said Mrs. Hillier, appealing to me, "is it, or is it not a -fact that in many cases a girl behaving in this way would, by some -parents, simply be cut off with a shilling?" - -"If you wanted to do so, ma'am," I said, "you'd have to borrow it." - -"Not very tactful of you, surely, to throw my misfortunes in my face." - -"Has to be done, now and again, in order that you should be reminded of -them." - -"Because I preserve calm," protested Mrs. Hillier, "whilst all around -me are losing their heads and behaving in a hysterical manner, it -does not mean, Weston, that I am indifferent to the events which are -happening. Katherine must write a letter to the authorities at once, -and say circumstances prevent--" - -"You can't do that with a bank, ma'am. A bank has powers that a lot of -other firms don't possess. People never dream of arguing with a bank." - -"I didn't know, Weston," she said, weakly. - -"High time you did," I declared. - -I was glad to have the prospect of some money coming in to the -household, and when Miss Katherine arrived home, after a day at office, -I took care there was a meal ready, saw that she went off each morning -in good time to catch her train to the City. I think the work must -have been trying, exacting probably for any young lady brought up, so -to speak, in cotton-wool, and I encouraged her to talk about it to me -and to her sister; Mrs. Hillier declined to listen to any reference to -the occupation. Miss Katherine, it appeared, reached the bank at ten -minutes to nine, and engaged sometimes on the work of entering up pass -books; occasionally she was given the task of writing up the waste book -where the cheques paid in, on account of other banks, and sent out, -were recorded. For the first time in her life, the girl discovered -the necessity of being exactly precise, completely correct. Mistakes -were not permitted. Miss Katherine described to me the machine called -a totalisator that reckoned any figure you gave it up to ninety-nine -thousand pounds. - -I began to feel anxious again in regard to Mr. Hillier. He managed to -catch a cold whilst walking on his beat during the early hours of a -night, and thought of the expenses of a doctor worried me. I nursed the -cold, and made remedies, and whilst attending upon him there occurred -the opportunity of talking over his own prospects. He said, at the -start of the conversation, that these could scarcely be discussed at -any great length for the very sound reason that they did not exist; I -assured him it was his indisposition which forced him to take this view. - -"But I am simply not wanted," he argued. "That's the long and short -of the matter, and when you have said that, there's nothing more to -be said." Mr. Hillier gave a movement of the shoulders that indicated -hopelessness. "The fact is, Weston, I was suited for one job in this -life; fairly well suited for it. If it had not been for the war, I -should have pulled round, and contrived to go on making an income. But -there seems nothing else that I am capable of doing." - -"Surely you could be a clerk, sir, in some office, and earn thirty -shillings or a couple of sovereigns a week. You've got to pocket your -pride, you know, at a time like this." - -"All the pride I have," he said, "could go into my waistcoat pocket. -The one that used to hold my watch. But it's impossible for me to go -and beg a situation from the men I used to know, and the men I don't -know just give a glance at me and shake their heads." - -"But look here," I argued. "You're talking as though your's was a -singular case. There must have been many others who came a cropper last -August in the same way that you did. What are they doing now? They're -not all moping about, surely, and wearing a hump on their back!" - -"I have met only one or two. And they pretended they hadn't a care in -the world, and I did the same." - -"Oh, you men!" - -"Face the difficulties of your position, Weston," he counselled, "and -recognise them, and don't commit the blunder of attempting to perform -impossibilities. The women of this family you may be able to manage, -and in doing that you are achieving more than I have ever been able to -do. But the men must go their own way." - -"Trouble about some of you is that you don't know your own way, and you -are too independent to ask. Why, bless my soul, there's work just now -for everybody. Somewhere or other there's a job waiting for you." - -"Wish it would give me a call," he said, earnestly. - -I visited Millwood's shop in London Street, to settle for the articles -of furniture he had bought for me; I had looked in for this purpose -two or three times before, and discovered no one but a boy who appeared -to have few other qualifications but that of impudence. On this -occasion I noticed a small bill, lolling so carelessly in the window -that it was with some pains I made out the announcement, "This Business -to be Sold. Enquire Within." London Street was a thoroughfare where, -since I had known it, there had always seemed to be establishments -closed or on the point of closing; shutters were up at places, and, at -others, announcements of selling off. The cheeky boy said the governor -was not in, and would not be at home to receive company until six -o'clock; he added that the governor was a widower and preferred to -have nothing to do with ladies. "Me," explained the lad, "I'm just the -reverse. Never 'appier than when I'm in their company. Always able to -get a smile out of 'em." I made it clear to the youngster that he was -dealing with an exception to this pleasing rule: he affected terror, -and begged me not to be cross, or to do tricks with my features. He -spoke of one or two remarkably good films at the local picture palace -where the characters exercised this art with greater success, and -illustrated his assertion by depicting for my benefit, hate, acute -anxiety, murderous intentions, foiled villainy, triumphant love. I sat -in the least dusty of the arm chairs, and my interest gained the boy's -confidences: he told me that the occupation on which he was engaged -did not satisfy his wishes, and that he had some thought of making -his way to the interior of Germany, and there playing the part of an -ingenious and successful spy, worm out all the enemy's most important -secrets, and bring them back to be laid before our War Office. "One -shake of the hand from Kitchener," he declared, with emotion, "and I -sh'd feel I'd been amply repaid for my trouble." He was describing -further magnificent projects when my brother-in-law came in. He gave a -curt nod to the boy, and the young gentleman, after smoothing his hair -with both hands in front of a cracked looking glass, put on a roller -skate, and, uttering a piercing scream that conveyed satisfaction at -the relief from business duties, vanished. - -"That's all right, Mary Weston," said Millwood, in taking the money. -"Glad you was satisfied with what I picked up for you. You're not a -easy one to please." - -"I find you looking a deal brighter than when I saw you last." - -"That remark, coming from the quarter it does, is scarcely intended to -be in the nature of a fulsome compliment. I know you mean it. And if -you want to know the reason, it is that I am working 'ard." - -"About the last thing, Millwood, I should have expected you to do." - -"A justifiable comment," he agreed. "I admit I was getting slack. -Loafing about in a business like this, and only moving when somebody -stopped outside to have a look at the furniture, was enough to make -anyone become blassy, as our friends across the water would put it. -I showed a card, I did--'Don't hope for the Best: come inside and -get It'--but it didn't stimulate matters. Now I'm at the Arsenal. A -mechanic at the Arsenal: that's what I am. Getting good money, and -earning it. I come back here of an evening, jolly well fagged out, and -uncommon pleased with myself. And now there's the chance of you making -one of your sarcastic snacks that you're reckoned pretty good at." - -"Millwood," frankly, "you have every reason to feel pleased with -yourself." - -"Thank you, Mary Weston. Wanted to get the idea, you see, that I was -doing something useful." - -"There are one or two matters I'd like to talk to you about, but, first -of all, there's this shop. It's no use to you." - -"It's a incubus," confessed Millwood. - -"You are trying to get rid of it." - -"Anyone can have it as a free gift, if they'll only let me go on living -over'ead." - -"I'll take it off your hands." - -Directly I had said this, and Millwood had recovered from his surprise, -he began to hedge; I expected this. He explained that the phrase -"a free gift" was used in a metaphorical sense, and that if he had -realised he was talking to a likely purchaser, he would, of course, -have selected his words more carefully. Millwood was a haggler from -long practise, and I was something of a bargainer by habit, and we -spent a very pleasant hour in coming to terms, with, on the one side, -an amount quoted at first above and beyond all expectations, and, on -the other, a sum low enough to provide a margin for increase. In the -end, we agreed, and Millwood said that, so help his goodness, I was a -hard nut to crack if ever there was one, and I said of him that he was -as artful as a waggon load of monkeys. - -"I'd nearly forgotten something else I wanted to speak of," I said. -"This Arsenal work. Do they want more hands there?" - -"They're nearly full up, but there's still a chance. If it's any -working man of your acquaintance, get him to hurry along." - -"And I suppose if he has some skill in engineering, it makes a bit of -difference." - -"Makes all the difference," said Millwood. "The difference between -being a mechanic like myself, and something a good deal better paid. I -know a fitter there who's earning close upon four quid a week. The work -is indispensable to the Government, and the Government doesn't mind -paying for it. But it's no child's play, mind you!" - -Millwood, in regard to the shop, suggested a letter should be written -agreeing that he could retake possession when the war was over, or -earlier. - -From that moment I was as fully occupied as one desired to be; perhaps -a trifle more. There came first the business of getting Mr. Hillier -free of his cold, and here I missed the assistance, by day, of Miss -Katherine; meanwhile I threw out hints concerning the Arsenal, and -he showed interest in the description of some of the tasks performed -there. He confessed that in leaving Chislehurst the greatest wrench -had been the loss of the workshop. "The one place," said Mr. Hillier, -"where I could forget everything else. It was drink, and golf, and -smoke to me. If Mrs. Hillier nagged, or the girls bothered, or matters -went wrong in the City, I had only to go down beyond the garage, and -put on a yellow over-all, and, for the time being, I was someone else. -Those experiences can never come again, Weston." - -I provided some additional information regarding the Arsenal, spoke of -the convenient train journey. You left Greenwich, and passed Maze Hill, -Westcombe Park, Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard, and there you were at the -Arsenal station. Fifteen minutes in the train. - -I knew Mr. Hillier well enough, and I understood his temperament -sufficiently to be aware that the idea would seem much more attractive -if he had the impression that it was his own, and that it had not been -forced upon him by anyone else. Later, he put some questions about -Trades Unions, and I promised to make inquiries. - -"There is no hurry," he remarked. "I asked only out of curiosity." - - * * * * * - -Master Edward arriving home from school, made an announcement that -astonished me, and furnished a new task. I ought to have remembered -that a boy leaves the County Council schools when he reaches the age -of fourteen, but I had so much to think of that the fact escaped my -notice; Mrs. Hillier, on hearing this excuse, said it seemed to her my -intelligence was decaying. Miss Muriel had been invited to pay a visit -to friends at Chislehurst, and I was relieved from the task of looking -after her: Mr. Hillier was making a good recovery, and I hoped my -scheme in regard to him might be successful; the shop in London Street -was in the hands of a firm of decorators who had promised to be out of -it within seven days, from the start, and had already been pottering -about there for three weeks. And here came Master Edward thrown back -from school upon my hands; it appeared to be understood at Gloucester -Place that it was for me to arrange the launching of him into business -life. - -"What would you like to be?" I asked, sharply. - -"Really don't know, Weston," he answered. - -"But haven't you any bent, or inclination, or----" - -"I fancy the pater's notion was that I should go in for the law." - -"You'll have to do something useful," I declared. "Something that will -bring in a few shillings a week, without delay." - -"Most chaps have a holiday when they leave school." - -"Not in these war times. Just now, the country wants everybody to work. -Don't let me hear any nonsense talk of that nature." - -"Wish I were old enough to do as John did, and join the army." - -"My dear lamb," giving up my manner of severity, "you ought to be -thankful that you're young enough to be out of all this terrible -business. Haven't you seen the poor wounded soldiers limping about in -the Park, and on Blackheath?" - -"They look happy," said the boy. - -I sent a postcard to William Richards, and he hurried down from Charing -Cross so soon as he was off duty. We met at the station, and I first -took him along to the shop, where the elderly workmen were startled by -the fact that I had brought a companion; William Richards supported my -arguments with some determined words that they seemed to understand -better than the milder language which I used. He said they were a -dashed lot of adjective mikers. He declared his intention of calling -on their adjective governor, and dashed well taking the adjective job -away, and giving it to some other adjective firm. He assured them they -had every reason to be dashed well ashamed of themselves. William -Richards wore a bowler hat to indicate that he was free of railway -service, but underneath an overcoat was his brass buttoned uniform, and -I think the decorator's men were impressed by the sight of this. The -foreman urged they were doing all that mortals could be expected to do; -contended that a job, to be carried out well, should be carried out -with nothing like undue haste. William Richards waved these arguments -aside, and used some more of his resolute denunciations. - -"Look here, sir," said the old foreman. "We don't wish for no -unpleasantness. All we want is to live and let live. In regard to this -job, we'll get a move on, and I promise you we shall be clear and away -by Friday evening." - -"Friday noon," directed William Richards, "and not a minute later." - -"Friday noon it shall be," agreed the other, "and it's been a pleasure -to meet a gentleman who can express himself so clear as what you have -done. Mind that pail as you go out, and see that your lady friend don't -take off any of the wet paint on her skirts!" - -We walked around the old-fashioned market off Nelson Street, where the -names--Underwood, Austin, Gladwin, Goulding, and others reminded one of -country days--and considered the case of Master Edward. William said -that so many railway men had left to enlist, and so many more wished -to go, that it was an easy matter for a lad to obtain employment. All -the same, William shook his head in a doubtful way, and happening to -discover as he talked the phrase of _infra dig_, used it liberally. He -remembered the family as it existed at Chislehurst, and declared it -would be _infra dig_ for any member of it, however youthful, to join -the railway service. He could scarcely imagine that a gentleman who had -once been a first class season ticket holder would become so _infra -dig_ as to allow his son to go in for railway work. The railways were -not intended for _infra dig_ people. In his opinion _infra digs_ ought -to offer themselves to loftier occupations. - -"Go back at once to headquarters at London Bridge," I ordered. "Get -a form of application, and send it to me by this evening's post. And -thank you very much, William Richards, for being kind enough to help." - -"I'd do more than this for you, Mary Weston," he said. "And well you -know it." - -Master Edward was sensible over the business, and rather pleased to -be engaged on something like a conspiracy. We said no word about it -to any of the others, and on a day when Mr. Hillier had gone out with -the remark that he did not expect to return until late, I obtained -permission to take the boy to London on the pretence of seeing the -recruiting on Horse Guards Parade, and listening to any bands that -might be playing. The application form had been endorsed by the head -master at the schools, and by Millwood. At the head offices, Master -Edward was told that he could start work on probation the following -morning in a booking office at a suburban station: wages ten shillings -a week. - -"Bright looking lad, that son of yours," remarked a senior clerk, as I -was waiting. - -"He's not my son." - -"A nephew, perhaps." - -"Not a nephew." - -"I see," he remarked. "You're just a friend of the family." - -It occurred to me there were some grounds for hoping that this was not -altogether an inaccurate description. - -The announcement was made to Mrs. Hillier that evening and, -fortunately, Miss Katherine arrived home from the bank in good time, -and ready and willing to support the action taken. Mrs. Hillier -complained that she was being treated as though she were a mere -nonentity in the household, declared that it was high time Weston -learnt her right place, and was made to keep in it, and to refrain from -assuming responsibilities that, correctly speaking, belonged to others: -Master Edward had described his own satisfaction with the arrangement, -and Miss Katherine was inviting her mother to recognise the facts of -the case, when Mr. Hillier came up the staircase, taking two steps at a -time, and whistling as he entered the room. - -"I've obtained a berth at the Arsenal," he announced, cheerfully, "and -I feel as happy as a sand boy. Give me your congratulations, my dear." - -"No," said his wife, distantly. "No, I cannot do that. That, James, is -impossible. But I willingly extend to you my most earnest sympathy." - -The last post brought a letter from Chislehurst which induced her to -regard events with a slightly diminished amount of gloom. It gave the -news that Miss Muriel was engaged. "I hope the man has money," said -Mrs. Hillier. "I think we can trust Muriel for that. And, at any rate, -it saves her from the peril of going on the stage!" - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -I paid little attention to the news from Chislehurst, although one was, -of course, interested in Miss Muriel as in the others; the opening of -the shop at London Street occupied in truth a good deal of my time -and care. Mrs. Hillier, answering my invitation to look over the -establishment, said that in view of my incurable habit of embarking -upon adventure without consulting her, it was impossible for her to -give any sort of countenance to the business, or make purchases there. -I retorted that I had no desire to ask for her patronage, and I might -have added--but did not--that in the circumstances, it was not much -she could afford to buy. But the good lady appeared to find one of her -rare joys in pretending that her money resources were as large as they -had been before the war, and it seemed a pity to be always destroying -the notion. Miss Katherine was the one who sometimes took me apart, and -said: - -"Weston, dear. How much do we owe you now?" It was to Miss Katherine -alone that I showed the penny memorandum book in which I entered the -accounts. The girl had given up her manner of talking slang; she said -it was not approved by the best City authorities. - -I gave Saturday to the new shop, and a part of Sunday (better the day, -the better the deed) and on Monday morning, was there again so soon -as I had prepared breakfast at Gloucester Place for the three working -members of the family. Mr. Hillier left the house at six o'clock, -Master Edward, being at present on middle duty, caught the train at -half-past eight; Miss Katherine did not have to go until rather later. - -The cheeky boy, at London Street, had been paid off by Millwood, and -his mother called to beg me to take him on again. She was one of the -helpless parents that London sometimes cultivates. - -"I'm sure I don't know what'll become of him," she declared, rubbing -eyes with the hem of her apron, "if you refuse to take my Peter in -hand. He only wants looking after; nothing else. And hearing you talked -about, Miss, as a rare good manager, why, it struck me that I couldn't -do better than get you to look after him. You've got a chance of -doing a good action, and I'm sure you'll regret it if you don't take -advantage of the opportunity. It'll be on your conscience." - -"If he comes back here, he will have to work. And work hard." - -"Break that news to my Peter," she urged, "as plainly and as forcibly -as ever you can. Give him a good nagging. He takes no notice of -anything I say. I'd very much like," she added, tearfully, "that he -should grow up a credit to me. It's hard on mothers when their sons -turn out badly." - -I took Peter back, but did not deliver to him anything like an address, -or a lecture, or a heart to heart talk. Instead I provided him with -a duster, and a bottle of polish, and other articles constituting an -outfit, and gave him brief instructions. Ten minutes later, I found him -behind a leather screen, and resting on a settee; he was concentrating -his attention upon literature that dealt with the Adventures of Gideon -Smart, Detective. I placed the journal in the fire, and Peter supported -the argument of heredity by weeping; I allowed him to cry, and, when -he had finished, pointed to the tasks which awaited his consideration. -Used to the companionship of words and plenty of them, my silence -impressed him, and so soon as he had finished one job, I provided him -with another. Peter submitted later some brass candlesticks for my -approval, and was honoured with a guarded sentence for which he seemed -acutely grateful. - -"Excuse me, miss," he said, respectfully, "but you're not much of a -conversationalist, are you?" - -"I'm a worker." - -"Couldn't it be managed, do you think, to run the two, so to speak, at -one and the same time?" - -"Work comes first," I said. Peter gave the sigh of a man who regrets -the eccentric rules concerning business deportment. - -Neighbours looked in from shops hard by, and told me that their own -trades were doing badly, and would, in their opinion, do worse ere they -did better. Having said this with much cheerfulness, they endeavoured -to assume a compassionate air in giving the view that of all the trades -none could expect to fare so ill, in these exceptional times, as that -which dealt with furniture; they spoke of the condition of affairs -in Shoreditch and Bethnal Green. Their knowledge was never first -hand, but had come from a cousin of a friend who knew a person whose -brother-in-law was something of an authority on the subject. Certain -of the older ones spoke of the days that were prosperous at Greenwich, -when visitors came to the Ship and the Trafalgar, and climbed the -ascent in the Park, and strolled about the town, and bought mementoes -and souvenirs. - -"Fifty year ago," said a watchmaker to me, confidentially, "you might -have made a do of it. Now, it's like throwing your money down a sink. -Besides, you women-folk always get swindled right and left when you -barge in to affairs of this kind. By the bye, I've got a couple of -grandfather's clocks you might care to have a glance at when you're -passing my way. They're almost genuine!" - -A proportion of Millwood's stock was useful only as fire-wood, and the -covered yard at the back received these articles, making a pile to -be drawn upon during the winter months. The mere eviction of these -improved the look of the shop; the greatest change was perhaps effected -by the linoleum covering of the floor which gave a fair imitation of -parquet, and received the care of Peter when there was nothing else -for the lad to do. Folk, hurrying past on their way to the station, -observed the altered appearance and stopped to give a few moments -of inspection, and I hoped some of them would come in, and at least -inquire the prices, or make an offer where the amount was exhibited. -Not until three o'clock on the second day did the first customer enter. -He was young, and I wondered why he was not in khaki. He seemed pressed -for time. - -"You a judge of furniture?" - -"I am," I said. - -"Able to tell whether it's good or not?" - -"Rather!" - -"Care to take on a sort of a contract?" he demanded. - -"If I can make anything out of it." - -"How long have you been engaged in this work?" - -"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I answered. - -He appeared satisfied with my replies, and, taking off his silk hat, -explained his wants. He was a doctor and had to join the R.A.M.C. the -following week. Before that date, he proposed to get married. The lady -had remarked, in agreeing to the hasty procedure, that the drawing room -and the dining room were to be set out with articles that possessed the -quality of age; she drew the line at the accession of Queen Victoria. - -"Now," he said, rapidly, "I've no time to go about searching here, -there and everywhere, and, apart from that, I haven't the necessary -knowledge. I may have hinted to her that I possess it, but as a matter -of fact I don't know Chippendale from Wensleydale, or whatever they -call the stuff." - -"What is the limit, sir?" - -"Two hundred and fifty," he said. - -"Give me some references." - -"Rather give you a cheque." - -I set ink and pen before him, and he, demanding my name, filled in the -slip. - -"There you are," he said, preparing to run off. "I've made it three -fifty. Now, I'm depending on you. Don't fail me, whatever you do." - -It occurred to my mind that although he was trusting me, there appeared -no reason why I should trust him. The cheque was drawn on a local -branch, and leaving Peter in charge, and giving him enough to do to -keep him out of mischief, I went along and saw the manager. He said the -cheque, if paid in at once, would be met, and he suggested I should -open an account of my own. I did this. - -The milkman--an uncertain person so far as concerned rumours of large -events--proved useful and reliable here. He knew, as not many knew, -the financial position of establishments in the neighbourhood; his -information, most likely, was gained from news collected in areas, and -corroborated by promptitude or delay in settlement of his account. -Also, he was able to tell me of houses where the furniture was old -and valuable. By a stroke of luck, it happened that the very first -door in Crooms' Hill I knocked at proved to be a place where my call -was welcomed, and indeed expected. The three ladies there, facing -serious reductions in dividends, had resolved to leave Greenwich, and -go off to a cottage owned by them and already sufficiently furnished -in Buckinghamshire. (When the transaction ended, one of them admitted -to me that fear of air-raids and nearness to the Arsenal had something -to do with the decision.) Terrified by the idea of a public sale, they -had, the night before, made an appeal on their knees that some other -means should be supplied. - -"Providence has sent you," said the eldest, contentedly, "and, knowing -that you have been selected to help us at this moment of trouble, we -are willing you should go over the house, choose what you require, and -name your own figure. Of course, it's a wrench for us to part with the -furniture, but it brings with it the consolation that we are taking -our share in the war. And it is such a relief to find that we are not -called upon to deal with some man, with a smell of tobacco about him." - -Their simplicity disarmed me, and their genuine piety forced me to -deal with them in a more straightforward manner than I might otherwise -have adopted. One or two of the articles were particularly good and -valuable: there was, for instance, a Chesterfield sofa that would -have fetched forty pounds in the open market, and I told them so, and -advised them to take it, with some of the rest, away to Farnham Common. -In the servants' bedroom I found three Queen Anne mirrors. I made up an -inventory that included four-posters, cupboards, dining tables, suites -of chairs, an Adam cabinet, two escritoires, some remarkably fine -glass, and a few mezzotints. - -On these last I was not qualified to put an exact value. - -"I'll give you three hundred pounds for the lot," I said, handing over -the list. - -"No," remarked the eldest firmly. "Dear me no!" I prepared for the -duel of bargaining. "Two hundred and fifty will be ample. We cannot -think of taking advantage of one who has come here in answer to our -prayers." The sisters nodded an emphatic endorsement, and I realised it -was useless to argue with them. They asked, as a great favour, that the -van which took the furniture away should attend at an early hour in the -morning, before Crooms Hill was awake. "We don't wish," they pleaded, -"to be the subject of gossip." They gave me a new prayer book, and I -came away with the feeling that one had peeped into a world too good -for a business person. - -The young doctor was well satisfied with the transaction. He told me -his fiancée said she had always known that his taste and selection -could be depended upon, and he thanked me warmly for my assistance. To -the milkman I presented five one pound notes signed by John Bradbury, -Secretary to the Treasury, and when he realised that the notes were -genuine and that he was not being made the target for a practical -joke, he declared I was a lady well worth knowing, assured me that -any information he possessed concerning the inside of residences at -Greenwich would always be at my disposal. - - * * * * * - -The telegram informing us that Master John and my Herbert were leaving -for the front arrived one morning when the working members of the -family in Gloucester Place had gone off to their respective duties. A -few hints had come before, but this information was definite. - -"We shall have to hurry, ma'am." Mrs. Hillier was taking breakfast in -bed. "There's no time to lose. Bustle about!" - -"You are asking me to do something, Weston, altogether foreign to my -nature." - -"I very often wonder, ma'am, what can happen that will rouse you up -thoroughly. There seemed a possibility that it was going to happen at -Chislehurst but it passed off." - -"With so much turmoil and excitement," she said, serenely, "going on -around me, I feel it my duty to give an example of--" - -"We must be out of this house in half an hour's time." - -"But why on earth--" - -"I'll tell you," I interrupted. "We're going to see the dear boys off -for the reason that we may never catch sight of them again!" - -"You always look on the dark side, Weston," she complained. - -In the tram-car, on the way up to Westminster Bridge, she made it -clear to other travellers that my position was that of a dependent, -and this would have been continued throughout the journey, only -that at New Cross Gate two jovial factory girls came in, and these, -appreciating the situation, at once began to imitate her voice and her -manner. Mrs. Hillier was silent after this, and when I explained to -the two girls the task on which we were engaged, they stopped their -raillery, and, apologising, told me that their chaps were abroad -fighting; they insisted upon showing me the latest communications which -had reached them. Our half of the car became friendly on this; other -notes and cards were produced, photographs were handed around. A woman -possessed a letter from the King's secretary, congratulating her on the -circumstance that she had a husband and four sons in the army, and this -broke down Mrs. Hillier's attitude of lofty reserve. She counselled the -owner to have the document framed, lest, by frequent passing about, -it should become creased and torn; the woman said this was a rattling -good idea, and promised to act upon it. The factory girls left at the -Elephant, and Mrs. Hillier shook hands with them; when we alighted at -the Boadicea corner the passengers gave us a message of good luck to be -tendered to the two boys. - -"Some of these people, Weston," she said, tolerantly, as we went in the -direction of Birdcage Walk, "are, after all, very human." I thought to -myself that the same could be said of her whenever she cared to show -herself at her best. - -We found an enormous crowd outside the barracks. Inside the park, -hobbled horses were at the sand place marked "This Space is for -Children only"; the lake was empty. We stood on the high walk near the -park railings, and could see the Guards drawn up on the parade ground; -it was impossible to identify Master John or Herbert. - -"Why didn't you think to bring the field glasses, Weston?" complained -Mrs. Hillier. - -"Because they were sold," I answered. "Sold with everything else -that would fetch money. And try to recollect, ma'am, that this isn't -a moment for asking silly questions; you're looking on at something -wonderful. Something that you'll want to keep in your mind's eye for -the rest of your life. Don't let me have to speak about it again." - -The soldiers were allowed to stand easy for five minutes: their -comrades ran forward to have a last talk. Orders were shouted. The men -marched out four abreast through the open gates. The crowd cheered, and -began to move eastwards; we followed and went at a good pace, but not -good enough to keep up with the foremost ranks. There was no music, -but the soldiers sang, and called out facetiously in unison, "Is the -canteen shut?" and gave a shouted answer of "No!" Each carried his full -equipment, and a tin of thick sandwiches. In Great George Street, when -I had begun to think we should have to give up, Mrs. Hillier caught -sight of Master John and they exchanged waves of the hand; encouraged -by this she walked faster, and we crossed the bridge at a rate I had -not experienced since competing in running games at school. - -"Aunt Mary!" cried a voice, as they swung around into York Road. - -"God bless you, Herbert, my lad," I panted. "And bring you both back -safely." - -"Don't forget to ask Him to do so," said my nephew. Some of his -comrades thought this was meant as a joke: I knew quite well the dear -lad was in earnest. - -We went home by tram-car, too full of our thoughts to exchange a word -with each other. That night, in my rooms at the top of the house, I -obeyed my boy's directions. It made me think of the three ladies of -Crooms' Hill, and I could not help wishing I had some of their placid -and simple faith. - - * * * * * - -It seemed possible the departure of the lads would have a lasting -effect upon Mrs. Hillier, and this, I believe, might have happened but -for the arrival of her elder daughter. The others of the family were in -good working order. Mr. Hillier returned at night, comfortably tired, -ready for the meal prepared for him, willing to talk of the incidents -of his new life, the men he encountered and the tasks he was called -on to perform; all the satisfaction he had gained from his hobby at -Chislehurst he was now securing at the Arsenal. Mr. Hillier often -pointed out to me that the fighting had sent us back to a condition of -affairs where the man of brains occupied a position inferior to that of -the man of hands. - -"It will take the conceit out of some people," he remarked. - -"It's taken a certain amount out of you, sir." - -"Agreed, Weston. It has improved all of us. Excepting--" He did not -finish the sentence. - -Miss Katherine came into the flat of an evening, justifying her -father's assertion, eager to chat vivaciously of everything that had to -do with banks, and her own progress in type-writing and shorthand. The -first of these came to her easily enough; the second presented greater -difficulties. Sometimes I read aloud a speech from the parliamentary -reports and Miss Katherine took it down, with appeals of "Please, -please, not so fast, Weston, dear," and then, apologetically, "You -always are a bit of a sprinter in conversation, you know, and I expect -it's not easy to get out of the habit." When it was finished, she took -her meal, and then transcribed the speech from her shorthand notes, and -read it aloud. Often, she had to admit that the result was incoherent, -and not to be understood: I tried to comfort her by pointing out that -the same might be said of the original, but Miss Katherine shook her -head. "I shall never be any earthly good at it, Weston," she declared, -hopelessly. It seemed that the qualification was not needed in the -department where she was at present engaged, but Miss Katherine had -hopes of promotion. - -Master Edward, too, had been changed considerably by his railway -experiences. His hours when on the early turn were from five o'clock, -and when on the late turn from one o'clock; every other Sunday he had -to give sixteen hours to duty, with three hours off for the mid-day -meal. Later, he hoped to be transferred to a London station where the -figure of wages was said to reach as much as £90 a year. The early -turn was the one that troubled him, and indeed it was not easy or -comfortable to turn out in the dark of a January morning. At times, -when I knocked at his door, he would reply in a bright active voice -as though he were fully awake, but I knew boys too well to be deluded -by that trick, and I waited and knocked again until he came to the -door and assured me that he would be ready for his cup of hot coffee -within ten minutes. One of the compensating moments of pride came when -I gave him on his birthday, a case of safety razors that I had picked -up at a sale; he accepted it gratefully as a tribute to his age, and -impending requirements. For the rest, Edward had to tell us of agitated -passengers who came with a rush demanding tickets for the station which -they wished to leave, of attempts on race days to ring the changes or -tender notes of home manufacture, of the dislocation of time tables to -permit of trains being run for Government purposes, of the cancelling -of all excursion fares and cheap tickets, of economical parents whose -long-legged children refused to admit to any age above twelve, of the -head booking clerk who always began the day in the worst possible -temper, and invariably ended it with perfect geniality. I daresay -Master Edward lost some of his refinement of manners, and I confess -I was shocked when I first heard him allude, one morning to "these -blasted shoe laces." - -"Oh," he said, answering my reproof, lightly, "you're old-fashioned, -Weston. You belong to the antiques. By-the-bye, how is London Street -doing? And who, just now, are you doing?" - -I want to speak of Miss Muriel, but whilst I think of it, I must set -down some reference to the collection of glass that I came across -in a large house at Vanbrugh Park, where an old lady, the daughter -of an Archdeacon who knew something besides Church matters, had -recently died, leaving her property to a certain benevolent society, -"because," her will said, "it has never asked me for a donation." -Sales were not being well attended just then, and at each one that I -went to--sometimes nodding frequently to the auctioneer, and sometimes -keeping my head still--there were fewer of the agents, as they liked -to call themselves, to be seen. A mixed crew, these, and inclined, -at first, to resent the presence of a woman dealer; they tried, on -one occasion, to pinch my fingers by running up the price of a fine -horse-hair settee for which I had a purchaser ready, and I stopped just -in time to compel a syndicate to take it; one of the members came to me -later, and made a deferential offer that involved a loss on his side of -two pounds ten. In the matter of the glass referred to there was little -competition; a few private buyers were willing to bid for certain -articles, but the fact that it was all comprised in one lot compelled -them to refrain from making any offer. I have rarely been so pleased -in all my life as when I took back to the shop in London Street that -set of glass, cleaned it well and arranged it on dark wooden ledges. -(In the result, I disposed of every piece, but I never parted from one -without feeling regret for myself, and something like animosity towards -the buyer.) - -Let us come to the topic of Miss Muriel. She had been away at -Chislehurst for some time; she and her mother had corresponded -regularly and her letters, since the announcement of her engagement, -seemed less querulous. Miss Muriel wrote, in one, a description of the -gentleman's house, and this ought to have prepared me for the facts; -as it happened, it was not until Miss Muriel brought him over one -Saturday afternoon to be formally presented to the family, and I heard -him below in Gloucester Place giving directions to the driver of his -car that I gained the first hint of his age. He was speaking in curt, -loud, and ejaculatory manner, and--just as well to admit it--I made up -my mind at once that I was not going to regard him favourably. And this -intention was confirmed when Miss Katherine ran up to my rooms at the -top of the house, and said through the half-opened door-- - -"Weston! Weston! He's a bounder. A bounder from the village of Bound. -One of the worst ever. Come down, and have a peep at him!" - -I had to go back to the London Street shop, and ascertain whether -Millwood was able to take care of the establishment and to look after -Peter for a few hours; my brother-in-law proved quite ready to do -this, and I fancy he took some pleasure in sitting near the window, -and observing the interest shown by passers-by, listening to their -comments, and, if they entered, to say, "You must call again when Miss -Weston is here, unless you're prepared to give what's marked on the tab -that's tied to the articles. I've got no power, mark you, to accept a -farthing less!" In Gloucester Place, could be heard now the middle-aged -gentleman's voice at the balcony, explaining how the trees in the -garden ought to be cut down. Miss Muriel came out to the landing. - -"Ah, Weston," she said. "Haven't seen you for ages. I expect you have -missed me." - -"In a sense, yes." - -"Never a flatterer," she remarked, indulgently. "You might, at least, -though, offer your congratulations." - -"I've not seen the gentleman yet. But if you've quite decided, miss, to -change your name, there's nothing more to be said about it." - -"Your assumption is wrong. I don't propose to change my name." - -"The engagement is off, then." - -"Once more," she said, complacently, "error has crept, Weston, into -your calculations. Mr. Schloss intends to take my name. He will become -Mr. Hillier, and I shall be Mrs. Hillier. And he has an income that -will enable me to live in the comfort I was once used to." - -"Your handwriting, miss, is so bad that I never guessed he was a -German." - -Miss Muriel reprimanded me for the criticism of her pen, and for the -suggestion concerning her gentleman. Mr. Hillier came out of the room. - -"We don't talk to Weston in this manner," he ordered, closing the door -behind him. "Weston is one of us. We owe a great deal to her, Muriel, -in more ways than one. In fact, we are only just beginning to pay off -the indebtedness. Kindly treat her in a proper way." - -"She had no right," protested Miss Muriel, "to suggest that he is -anything but English." - -"I ascertained a while since," said her father, quietly, "that he was -naturalised, rather hurriedly, in August of last year. And he has just -admitted the circumstances to me." - -"Nothing," she declared, in a tragic manner--"not even the -extraordinary behaviour of my own people--shall ever part us from each -other!" - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -Miss Muriel went back in the car to her friends at Chislehurst, with -the air of one who, for the sake of romance, was prepared to defy -the world. She had always been spoilt by her mother (it is fair to -myself to mention that the treatment was started before I entered the -family) and Mrs. Hillier now took her side against the rest of us, -declaring that a girl had to obey the instructions of her own heart, -that love was something which could not be directed by those outside -its influence, and that, moreover, it was a comfort to think there -was likely to be an establishment available which would enable one to -escape from the surroundings of Greenwich. - -"Apart from all that," she argued, triumphantly, "a man can't help the -country he was born in." - -"He ought to help it," said Master Edward. The lad was the most -strenuous of us all on the opposition side. "This chap should have gone -back directly the war started. He has no business here." - -"Pardon me," said his mother, "he has a business here. And a very good -one, I am happy to say." - -"I mean that when two countries are fighting each other----" - -"You don't know what you mean," she asserted. "And, besides, you are -much too young to have an opinion on a subject of this kind. If your -father, sitting over there by the window, and saying nothing, had a -proper control over his children, he wouldn't allow you to talk in this -way." - -"Do you want my view of the matter?" asked Mr. Hillier. - -"Oh, no," she answered quickly. "No. It's all settled, and there's -nothing more to be said." - -"My view is," he announced, "that I'd rather see her cleaning -doorsteps." - -"I daresay!" said Mrs. Hillier, coldly. "That is because the Arsenal -work has coarsened your outlook. Vulgarised your mental attitude. -Twisted your sense of proportion." - -Miss Katherine went to her father: Master Edward crossed the room to -his mother. I left them as Mr. and Mrs. Hillier were beginning to offer -apologies for hasty words. The day was Sunday, and upstairs--having -the time to spare--I wrote the drafts of two notes; one begging Miss -Muriel to come and see me and have a long talk, and the other asking -her to think of the way in which her brother John, out in France, -would receive the news of her engagement. I am supposed to be handy -with my pen, but neither of these communications satisfied me, and I -decided to take a few days to consider the matter. Instead, I wrote -a long communication to Corporal Herbert Millwood, and sent in it -an affectionate message to Master John. I tried to make the letter -cheerful. "If you come across the Kaiser on his birthday, please wish -him, for me, many unhappy returns." - - * * * * * - -William Richards called at London Street one afternoon. Whenever he had -happened to say anything of a specially friendly nature--as he had done -on his previous visit--William always stayed away for a considerable -time, as though desirous of allowing the memory of it to fade, and -he now seemed rather nervous; to conceal this, he told me three war -anecdotes, which, so far as I could see, had no point whatever. I -mentioned this, and he admitted that a story never improved in his -hands. He gave compliments to the shop, remarked that Peter seemed a -decent sort of lad, spoke of the large amount of traffic which was -being dealt with by the Southern railways. He had heard excellent -reports of Master Edward, and told me that the boy's appearance, -speech, and behaviour had, by good fortune, been noticed and commented -upon by the wife of the superintendent. After this interval of sanity, -William again went blundering in and amongst tales from the fighting -line. - -"Now that one," he remarked, rubbing the top of his head with the peak -of his uniform cap, "that one, I'll swear, appeared funny when I first -heard it. And now it sounds simply chronic." He glanced at his large -watch. "By Ginger," he exclaimed, "but time does fly when you're in -pleasant company. There was something I wanted to tell--" He gave a -fair imitation of a puzzled look. "I've got it," he said, triumphantly. -"Piece of news I heard at Charing Cross. The Major of that lot that -your nephew, and your Master John was in: he's been took prisoner. -Good-day to you, Mary!" - -The news was confirmed by a brief paragraph in the evening journal; I -said nothing of it at Gloucester Place because it is rarely wise to -go out of your way simply in order to shake hands with trouble. Far -better to wait where you are, and let trouble, if it cares to do so, -come to you. (Afterwards we discovered that all of us had seen the -announcement, and each determined to make no allusion.) - -The first information of a definite nature came in a letter from a -Quartermaster-Sergeant. Addressed to Mr. Hillier, and written in pencil -it said, "I regret to tell you that your son, Corporal Hillier, has -been missing since the twenty-fifth January. He may be a prisoner, but -we do not know for certain. He asked me, should anything happen to him, -to let you know." - -There followed a brief letter from my nephew, Herbert. - -"We were surprised in a dug out," he wrote. "We ran in single line for -cover, with machine firing coming across. John had no rifle. That was -the last we saw of him. Tell his people to hope for the best. I was -one of the few who escaped, but I am in hospital. Nothing serious. Love -to my father, and to you." - -There came a month of suspense during which we gathered scraps of news -but nothing that re-assured us. The good Quartermaster-Sergeant, in -another letter, said there were no further particulars; they could not -say what had really happened; directly the battalion obtained definite -information he would write again. - -I went up to town, and called at Wellington Barracks; Mr Hillier paid a -Saturday afternoon visit to the War Office; Miss Katherine communicated -with a girl friend at Geneva, begging her to make inquiries of the Red -Cross Society. During all this time, I noticed that Mrs. Hillier, eager -as the rest of us, showed no tears, but she became more active in the -work of the small household, and took duties that had hitherto been -performed by the rest of us. She rose each morning to see her husband -leave for the Arsenal, and kissed him before he went: kissed him again -when he returned in the evening. No complaining came from her now. If -she spoke of Master John, she referred to him hopefully. - -An envelope arrived with the postmark of Cricklewood. We recognised the -handwriting, and waited anxiously for Mr. Hillier to come home and open -it. - -"I am having this letter posted," wrote the Quartermaster-Sergeant, -"by a comrade who is off to England, so as to avoid it being censored. -Well, to tell you as much as possible, sir, about your son. We were -in the forward trenches on the morning of the twenty-fifth of last -month, when the enemy made an attack. Their trenches were not a hundred -yards from our own. They had under-mined our forward trenches. They -threw up some smoke bombs as a signal, and to blind their attack. At -the same time, they exploded their mines. The result was that part -of our trenches were blown up, and before you could look sideways -they were upon us in thousands. The Right Flank and the Left Flank of -our regiment stuck to their ground until overcome by sheer weight of -numbers. Then, those that possibly could, retired to a brick field -about eight hundred yards back which the remainder of the battalion -(two companies) had turned into a miniature fort. This was known as -The Keep. The Germans made violent attacks, all without any material -advantage to themselves, on this position, but were unable to take it. -And it was not lost when matters quietened down. Our trenches have now -been regained, and our boys, I am pleased to say, managed to steal some -of the German trenches. - -"I am very sorry to say I can give you no good news of your son. I have -made inquiries of the regiments who held the position after it had been -regained, and one of the sergeants told me they buried over two hundred -of our men. Some of them were found dead at the 'present,' ready to -fire at the enemy, so you see it is no good telling you anything that -might build up very great hopes. - -"The strength of the companies going into the trenches was two hundred -and seventy-six. Of these forty-six returned. Of course, we held a -position where we did not dare to lose ground, and although it was a -terrible business, it was a great victory for the English and French -troops. At any rate, the enemy did not score much on their Emperor's -birthday. - -"You can understand how deeply I sympathise with you as none of us -knows the minute when our own people will need the same. I have a -father and mother living at Lewisham." - -Mr. Hillier read this out to us, in a voice that broke now and again. -His wife took his hand when he finished, and patted it sympathetically. - -"I could hug the man who wrote that nice letter," I declared. - -Herbert sent a note later from the hospital at Boulogne (where he -found himself, after treatment at a dressing station) saying that he -was nearly well, and ready to go back to the fighting line. "Have you -any news of John?" he asked. "We were real good chums." The official -communication came to Gloucester Place from the War Office, stating -that Corporal Hillier was reported missing. His mother, showing greater -industry in domestic work every day, and relieving me of half my -duties, argued that the use of this word by the authorities proved that -they were not without hope; the rest of us abstained from contesting -this opinion. We knew that all the two hundred and thirty mentioned -in Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright's letter would be reported in -the first instance under the same heading. Mr. Hillier ventured to -allude to the question of Muriel's engagement as regarded in the new -circumstances. - -"I have already written to her, dear," said Mrs. Hillier. "Don't you -let that worry you. I've told her the engagement must be cancelled. -After the way his people have treated our boy--" - -"I was sure," he said, gratefully, "you would see the matter in that -light." - -"You can consider it as settled," she declared. "Weston," turning to -me, "I'm going to cook supper this evening. And you are to sit down -with us, please." - -I was not at all certain that I wanted to join the family party at -table, and I had my doubts concerning Mrs. Hillier's abilities to -prepare a meal. As a fact, the dish she served up was excellent, and -when we offered our congratulations she disclosed a circumstance that -had been kept from everyone but Mr. Hillier; in her early youth, it -seemed, she had been compelled to take charge of a household, and -run it with economy. "But, mother dear," protested Miss Katherine, -amazedly, "why in the world didn't you tell us this before?" Mrs. -Hillier considered for a moment before replying. "I can think of -no other excuse," she said, "than that of foolish pride." From that -moment, I began to feel a new regard for Mrs. Hillier. It needed some -courage to make an admission of the nature before her own children, -and in front of me. We were very cheerful that evening (partly, I -think, because we had resolved to keep each other's spirits up) and -Miss Katherine, recalling a comment of mine when the letter from France -was being read, sketched out a romantic episode in the life of the -Quartermaster-Sergeant to take place after the war, with a wedding at -St. Alphege's, and the bride offering a charming appearance in the -latest confection from Dover Street. She suggested that business could -be combined with sentiment if all the gifts were purchased at the -bride's establishment in London Street. - -"But I've never set eyes upon the man," I protested. - -"The moment he sets eyes upon you, Weston," prophesied Miss Katherine, -"his fate will be sealed." - -"He may be married already." - -"If he has, which I very much doubt, for he spoke of parents at -Lewisham, but said nothing about a wife--if he has, I say, she is -suffering from a nervous affection that will take her off in the nick -of time." - -"None of your widowers for me," I declared. - -The affair of Miss Muriel's engagement was not settled so easily as -we had hoped. She wrote expressing regret at the absence of definite -news concerning her brother; she was also sorry to find that her mother -had allowed herself to be impressed by occurrences which had no real -bearing on plans agreed upon earlier. Her marriage was to take place on -the twenty-seventh. Mr. Schloss had decided to set up a new home in the -West of England: this, owing to prejudices which were being shown by -folk of the neighbourhood who ought to know better, but were seemingly -unwilling to listen to reasonable argument. Miss Muriel enclosed some -verses of hers beginning, "True love knows no barriers." - -My brother-in-law met with a slight accident whilst on the way to his -work, and came home to London Street, depressed by the thought that -he would be prevented for some time from assisting in munition tasks, -discouraged by the knowledge that his wages would cease. I set him -right on this second question by engaging him to look after the shop -which he had once owned, and I gave Peter instructions to look after -him and to see that he did not over-exert himself. Peter had joined the -Boy Scouts, and had become such a dependable lad and so well spoken -that Millwood announced he was prepared now for miracles of all sorts. -(Peter's mother called one day at the shop and denounced me, up hill -and down dale, on the grounds that I had marred and spoilt her views -regarding the boy; she intended, it seemed, that he should follow -the example of her two other children, and qualify himself for being -sent by a magistrate to an Industrial School where the State would -have accepted the responsibility of making a man of him. "And all my -plans set aside," she lamented, "owing to your clumsy interference!") -Millwood was glad to be able to go with the aid of a couple of sticks -to his club again of an evening, although he complained that with -Radicals and Tories working in hearty agreement over philanthropic -matters, all the pepper and mustard had gone out of the institution. -Millwood had given up alcoholic beverages for the duration of the war. -"Really," he explained to me, confidentially, "I did that because I -fancied it might please young 'Erb. I'd rather like the boy not to be -ashamed of me." - -It was near the end of the month that I went to town to see a customer, -recommended to me by the doctor who set up the home of old furniture. -He lived in North Street, behind the Abbey, and on the way back I -looked in at Whitehall, and made inquiries. The officials there, -although badgered by anxious folk, answered me politely. No news of -Corporal Hillier. I returned from Charing Cross, where I happened to -see William Richards. - -"Hope on, hope ever!" said William, encouragingly. - -I told myself in the train for Greenwich that I had come to the limits -of my optimism, and that Master John was to be henceforth only a -memory. I thought of his early days when I had first come into the -Hillier establishment; thought of the pride we all took, later, over -his first song; wondered whether there was perhaps some young girl, not -known to us, who sorrowed for the loss of him. Crossing by the subway -at Greenwich station, and coming up the steps I caught sight of Master -Edward, on his way to late duty, and, to my pain and astonishment, -dancing on the platform. His train came in before I could reach him, -and give him a word of reproof. - -At Gloucester Place, Mrs. Hillier waved gaily from the balcony; -I assumed this was but a part of her new and improved method of -conducting life. She disappeared, and a few minutes later came -running--actually running--along to meet me. - -"Sorry to say, ma'am," I remarked, "that I have no good news." - -"But we have, Weston," she cried, exultantly. "The dear boy is safe. -The dear boy is wounded, but he's alive. Come indoors, and see the card -for yourself!" - -It was a beautifully clean, white card, headed on the front "Field -postkarte. Kriegsgefangenen--sendung," and endorsed "Geprüft pass -zentrale, gouvernement--Lille." On the back the words, "Envoyez -directement à la Famille." Underneath, the entries filled in with -Master John's own handwriting. - -"Je me trouve à.... Lille." - -There followed Nom et prénoms, Regiment, Compagnie, Escadron. Then this -message under the word Notices. - -"Painfully wounded left leg, and rather weak." - -I observed that, for the first time since the beginning of the war, -Master John's mother had tears in her eyes. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -We all went slightly off our heads that evening at Gloucester Place. -At first, there was a misapprehension on my side to be removed: I -had forgotten that Lille was in the hands of the Germans, although -the superscription of the card ought to have made this obvious; -explanations made it clear to me now that Master John was a wounded -prisoner, and that we should probably not see the dear lad again until -the war finished. Master Edward, when he came home, was still so -greatly excited that he omitted, for an hour, to tell us that he was -about to be transferred to the head offices at London Bridge, where -his hours would be fixed and regular, and escape effected from hot -tempered and argumentative passengers. The recommending word of the -superintendent's wife and his own engaging manner had to be thanked for -the swift promotion. We regretted the absence of Miss Muriel; if she -had been with us our party could have been reckoned complete. - -"Really didn't think we should hear of him again," admitted Mr. -Hillier. "With every desire to hope for the best, I had come to the -conclusion John was lost to us." - -"It will be something to tell the girls at the bank," mentioned Miss -Katherine. "They have been inquiring every day, and they meant it well, -I know, but it only seemed to remind me of--Anyhow," brightly, "the -suspense is over. Let us be musical. We haven't lifted up our tuneful -voices in song for a long time past." - -"There's no piano," I remarked. - -"Unaccompanied," directed Miss Katherine. "Edward, my laddie, if you -have gone past the stage when you didn't know whether you were going to -give out a high note or a low one, you make a start. Anything, except -Tipperary." - -We were joining in a chorus when a rap sounded at the door. I answered -it, and, seeing the old lady and gentleman of the ground floor, assumed -at once that they had come up to protest against the noise. - -"Beg your pardon," said the elderly gentleman, "but--my wife and -myself--we're rather quiet people." - -"The singing shall be stopped at once, sir." - -"By no means," he cried, urgently. "Pray do nothing of the sort. We are -here to ask you if you would kindly leave your door open. Our sense of -hearing is not so good as it was, and we want to learn the words of -some of the popular songs of the day." - -"Are you serious?" I asked, incredulously. - -"Bless my soul, no," he chuckled. "We're not serious. We enjoy life. -We're rather lonely, it's true, but apart from that you can look upon -us as the most frivolous young couple this side of the river." He -turned to his wife. "Always have been, haven't we, my sweet?" - -"We married for love," whispered the old lady to me, nodding her head. - -They had the appearance of people in fancy dress--she with ringlets -and a lace cap, and a silk dress that, as my mother used to say of a -remembered costume of the same quality, could have stood by itself, and -he with large collar, black stock, heavy watch chain and fob, velvet -jacket, shepherd's plaid trousers. - -"Our compliments to your young folk," he said, with a bow, "and our -apologies for interfering." - -"You, like ourselves," she remarked, "are fortunate in having no -relative engaged in this terrible war. Few have such cause to be -thankful. We wish you good evening." - -Mrs. Hillier came forward, and, breaking the rule which she had laid -down regarding communication with neighbours, joined in the discussion, -gave the news concerning Master John. The old gentleman, greatly -interested, offered congratulations, and excusing himself, left his -wife to go on with the talk. She with many antiquated protests-- - -"But I shall be discommoding you, I fear." - -"I hope you will not look upon it in the light of an intrusion." - -"Pray do not fail to tell me when to go." - -Accepted the invitation to enter the sitting room, and giving a -curtsey, felicitated Miss Katherine upon her singing, spoke of Madame -Jenny Lind, Mario, Grisi, Sims Reeves. We were in the sixties, and -forgetting all about the current year and its troubles, when she -stopped suddenly. A jingling sound was heard from the landing. - -"Do you mind," she said to me, "helping Captain Winterton? He is not -quite so active in household duties as he used to be. I myself am just -the same that I always was, but I perceive a change in him." - -Captain Winterton had brought up a large silver tray that I coveted the -moment I caught sight of it; the tray bore decanters of cut glass that -would have looked well on the shelves at London Street; a cigar case -had a flourished inscription announcing it was a testimonial from the -passengers of sailing vessel _Magnitude_. The old gentleman wore now an -embroidered smoking cap with a tassel. - -"Sir," he said, giving up the tray to me, and addressing Mr. Hillier, -"this is a great liberty, and no one knows it better than I do, but the -circumstances must be held responsible. A few beverages, selected by me -on my many travels, and I want you, sir, and the ladies, if they will -be so good, to favour me with their opinion on them." - -I went off to cut sandwiches. When I returned he was near the -fire-place, making a speech. Old Mrs. Winterton beckoned to me. -"Remarkably gifted," she whispered. "So much experience, you see, on -board his ship. This is the only time I've heard him speak about the -war." She laid a finger on her lips to enjoin perfect silence. - -"--Goes off to fight for his country's welfare," Captain Winterton was -saying, in the full enjoyment of oratory, "and fights, I'll be bound to -say, like a gallant and determined Englishman. And although he appears -to be now suffering from his honorable wounds, and is detached from his -comrades, and his friends, I am sure he has the consolation of knowing -that they are all thinking of him with affection and sincere regard, -and looking forward to the joyful day when he shall again find himself -among them. I drink to the elder son of this estimable family. I wish -him a quick recovery, a safe and a glorious return." - -I think Captain Winterton was slightly disappointed to find that he had -succeeded in making no one cry but his wife: he assured Mrs. Hillier -that in his happiest moments and his most successful efforts on the -last day of a lengthy voyage, you might look around at the tables when -he had spoken after dinner, and fail to discover a single dry eye. - -"I may be out of practise," he suggested, wistfully. Mrs. Hillier -assured him that she felt more touched by his remarks than she cared -to show. He said that as time went on, one was bound to recognise -alterations and differences; as to himself, he could perceive no great -change in the last thirty years, but he feared Mrs. Winterton was -exhibiting some of the marks of age. - -"My sweet," to his wife, "we mustn't outstay our welcome." - -"My dearest," she agreed, "there is your beauty sleep to be remembered." - -"You are not going to hurry away like this," protested Mr. Hillier. -"Recollect that we so rarely get visitors, nowadays." - -Mrs. Winterton spoke of the period when she mixed in the best society -that the neighbourhood afforded. Greenwich, she said proudly, was -Greenwich in those times, and held up its head, bless you, and saw -the aristocrats coming down to dine at the Ship; carriages arrived -from London bringing the finest in the land, and the railway was still -something like a novelty. Master Edward had seen at the head offices -an aged picture of the earliest trains leaving London Bridge to the -music of a band; the old lady said very precisely that this she had -heard, but she had no personal knowledge of the occurrence, and Captain -Winterton rallied her good-temperedly on the question of her age. "My -sweet likes to be thought," he remarked to us, "as on the sunny side of -eighty, but I can remember that when I first met her she called herself -seventeen, and that was in the year of the great Exhibition in Hyde -Park, and I could tell you what she wore at the time. She'd got on the -prettiest little poke bonnet--you don't see anything so attractive in -these days, if this young lady here will forgive me for saying so--a -full flounced skirt and a waist so small that I could nearly go twice -around it with my arm--" Mrs. Winterton took her husband off, and -returned for the tray, and to explain that her husband's memory was -failing, especially in regard to dates. - -A few weeks earlier, and Mrs. Hillier would have resented the call -from the elderly pair of the ground floor; now, she made friends with -them, running down sometimes to have a chat with old Mrs. Winterton, -and delighted when the Captain made a visit, bringing daffodils, "With -respectful inquiries, ma'am, and hoping you continue to have good news -of your boy." The best service they did to my mistress was in taking -her mind from the war. It seemed that they were too advanced in years -to give their mind to events of the day, however important and enormous -these might be; they lived in the past, and to them we were all nothing -but children with memories covering a brief period only. To Miss -Katherine they became specially attached, although Mrs. Winterton -could not approve of the idea of a girl engaging herself in commercial -affairs; she spoke with pride of the days when no young women of good -position had any other prospect or hope but that of marriage. To me, -she confided a secret which I was not to disclose to a soul, or ask -whence the information had been obtained; it was that on the day that -the first woman was entrusted with, and exercised, the power of voting, -on that day the world would undoubtedly come to an end. - -"A great pity, of course," she said, nodding her ringlets and -dismissing the topic, "but it can't be helped, and there you are, and -that's all about it!" - -Miss Katherine followed Master Edward's success by gaining a transfer -to the correspondence office, where figures were less intrusive, and -the work more varied. The weekly income at Gloucester Place was now as -follows: - - Mr. Hillier £1 17 6 - Miss Katherine 1 10 0 - Master Edward 15 0 - -We were able to settle up tradesmen's books promptly; there was some -talk of a holiday to be taken, months later on, but economy had to be -observed, and one of the improvements in Mrs. Hillier was noticeable in -the fact that she now heartily supported my efforts in this direction. -No more cards arrived from Master John. We wrote to him regularly -to the care of the Information Bureau at Berlin, taking pains to -give nothing but domestic news, and we hoped he was receiving these -communications. At the Post Office I was told it would be useless to -send parcels until he came out of the hospital; I was also assured it -was unnecessary to do so, and from other quarters we gained that the -hardships over there did not begin until the wounded men were away from -medical treatment. Herbert sent me a cheery letter saying that he -was back in the trenches, and mentioning that there was a chance that -he might get his third stripe. Answering my question, he said that he -knew Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright, and described him as a chap who -thought a good deal of himself. My own estimation of Cartwright was not -diminished by this, and I began to forward _Punch_ to him each week, -and the Quartermaster-Sergeant occasionally sent me one of the printed -cards with everything crossed out excepting the line, - -"I am quite well." - -And - -"Letter follows at first opportunity." - -By asking Herbert what Cartwright was like, I meant that I wanted a -description of his appearance. In the absence of particulars, this had -to be left to the imagination. Miss Katherine pictured him as a tall -man, florid and stout, with an enormous moustache, and using language -at which she could but hint. - -"Dismiss this particular romance from your thoughts, dear Weston," she -counselled. "Concentrate your mind, instead, upon your railway guard." - -"You and your nonsense!" I exclaimed. "There's precious little chance -of me getting married to William Richards or to anyone else. My -opportunities never have been great, and now they are less than ever. -And it doesn't matter so much, for some of us, but I do feel sorry, -when I look at the casualty lists each morning, for young ladies like -yourself. Luckily, in your case, there is no one out there that you're -especially fond of." - -Miss Katherine said something in regard to the latest fashions. Hearts, -she mentioned, were no longer worn upon sleeves. - - * * * * * - -There were several matters, and many views, and some fears, in those -days which we kept from each other; the young people had long since -given up at Gloucester Place the old habit of reciting dreams at the -breakfast table. In my own case, I found that, awaking at three o'clock -in the night, it was possible to consider the most dismal and gloomy -aspect of everything. At that hour, all the good news was forgotten, -and nothing but disaster could be anticipated. By day, there was -generally some encouraging placard to be seen, and the announcement -given, though not always based on fact, was undeniably cheering. ("Only -two forts left in the Dardanelles," was one of these, I remember.) But -in the small hours, Dreadnoughts were sunk by the dozen, U boats were -doing as they pleased, German forces again came near to Paris; the -enemy's navy was steaming up the Thames, and bombarding the college at -Greenwich; my nephew Herbert had been killed by a hand grenade, and -Master John was being kicked and starved. When these pleasing incidents -ceased to dance about in my brain, there was always the business in -London Street to offer a possibility of disaster. The number of times -that, in my imagination, I saw the name of Mary Weston, spinster, -figuring amongst the names in the list of receiving orders from the -London Gazette, cannot be reckoned. - -Water carts came out, and the green chairs were set in Greenwich Park, -spring flowers made their bow, Gloucester Place brightened itself, -children at the L.C.C. schools behind The Circus played their games -more shrilly, and the river took on a cheerful air that had been -absent throughout the winter. My brother-in-law Millwood, at the shop, -complained that Peter's industry left him with no scope for exercise -of the mind or body, and I sent him, with his walking stick, on a -hobbling tour around the neighbourhood, and invested him with a task -which I described precisely. He was to make a list, in no case was the -sum to be higher than ten pounds, and in most instances the amount was -to be less. Then I inserted an advertisement in a Woolwich journal -that had a circulation amongst the Arsenal workers; a well displayed -advertisement with a note to the effect that it would not appear again. -The Chance of a Lifetime, it was headed, and it announced that Weston's -had been fortunate enough to secure some Magnificent Bargains in the -shape of Second Hand Pianofortes by Well Known Makers. Satisfaction -Guaranteed. Do not Delay. A Rare Opportunity for Lovers of Music. - -I have no wish to exaggerate the results of this notice, but I can -say with truth that Millwood, and young Peter, and myself, had a busy -time. There was plenty of money being earned in Woolwich, and all of -it did not go in wastefulness, as some folk suggested: there were many -families where the desire was to improve the interior of households. We -became a sort of clearing house for pianofortes, exchanging them from -establishments affected adversely by the war, and passing them on, by -pantechnicon vans, to those where incomes had been improved. I remember -an Arsenal man and his wife and young daughter called one day to make -a purchase: they examined the cases only, and made no attempt to try -the keyboard. They were puzzled which to buy of two that seemed to them -equally attractive. - -"Look 'ere, old gel," he said, at last to his wife. "One will look -rather lonely. We'll take both." And this they did, paying the money -down. - -There was one attractive baby grand that Millwood picked up at -rather above the limit fixed, and I arranged to have it delivered at -Gloucester Place. It arrived there just as daylight was going, at seven -o'clock. Miss Katherine had received but few tokens to call attention -to her birthday, and one could not help guessing that she might be -comparing it with previous anniversaries. A welcome card had come from -Master John; she declared that this, in itself, was the best present -any one could require. "Still in hospital," he wrote. "Leg progressing -slowly. Am fairly cheerful." - -The men with the van had done so much work on my account that they -tackled the difficulties of the job in a determined and breezy way; -they reached the landing of the first floor watched by the old Captain, -who gave advice in seafaring terms that they did not pretend to -understand. Miss Katherine came out. - -"Weston, my child," she exclaimed, "they will never manage to get that -beautiful instrument up to your rooms." - -"They'd better not try, miss. It's for you, wishing you, with all my -heart, many happy years." - -"But," she stammered, taken aback, "you really mustn't, you know, do -extravagant actions like this, dear soul, in war times." - -"There's no one, Miss Katherine, in a position to dictate to me how I -shall spend my money." She tried to conceal her emotion by making some -reference to the Quartermaster-Sergeant. - -There could be no doubt that the new pianoforte--new to the Hilliers, -anyway--did manage to cheer and brighten up the establishment. Now -that Miss Katherine and Master Edward were exempt from the direction -of music teachers, they practised and played of their own will instead -of being driven to the keyboard. The family began to talk of other -additions in the way of furniture, to be exhibited as a surprise and a -gratification to Master John when he returned. Mrs. Hillier admitted to -me that she was becoming as house-proud as she had been in the early -days of her married life. - -And into the comfortable group suddenly arrived Miss Muriel. Miss -Muriel, fresh from the large house of her friends at Chislehurst, -and losing no time in complaining of the want of room at Gloucester -Place, of Weston's position of equality at table, of her father's -appearance when he returned from the Arsenal, and indeed of everything -that lent itself to criticism. She was allowed a free tongue at first, -but when she returned to the grievance that concerned me, her mother -interposed. Miss Muriel followed me out of the room, and offered a kind -of defiant apology. - -"What's wrong, miss?" I inquired. "You were always rather difficult, -but I should have thought that this war--" - -"I am under no obligation to the war." - -"Few of us are, but we can't help being influenced by it. People who, -before it started, had good expectations, find themselves with none, -and folk who used to be on their beam ends, so to speak, are now doing -well. It's all according to whether a person is of any real use, or -not." - -"I can't pretend," said Miss Muriel, "to be greatly interested in the -fortune of others. To compensate for that, I am enormously interested -in my own." - -"We are all hoping, miss, that your engagement has been cancelled." - -"An amiable wish," she retorted, "that has been anticipated by events. -Mr. Schloss is interned. Interned by the astonishing authorities of -this country." - -"Very glad to hear it," I said, genuinely. "And now that you are -amongst us again, I trust you'll make yourself as amiable as possible, -and we, on our side, will try to recognise that it's hard on you, miss, -to have been disappointed in love." - -"Not disappointed in love, Weston. Disappointed in money would be a -more correct phrase." - -"Upon my word!" I exclaimed warmly. "I can't make it out at all. I'm -sometimes inclined to look on you as a bit of a freak." - -"At last," said Miss Muriel, "I have achieved a notable success. I have -contrived to make our Weston really angry. No one can say now that I -have lived in vain." - -The others, as has been hinted, had adopted the habit of looking after -themselves, but Miss Muriel exacted from me all the attention to which -she had a right in the old days. I found myself doing lady's maid -work. She did not do a hand's stroke in any of the domestic tasks. She -bewailed the circumstance that her friends at Chislehurst, answering -her appeal, wrote that they regretted it was impossible to offer a -fresh invitation; I pointed out to Miss Muriel that it was always an -error in tactics to remain at people's house for an undue length of -time. In her trunk, I found a packet, carefully sealed, and I put a -question regarding the contents; she recommended that I should mind -my own business. Later, she mentioned that the parcel held documents -which she believed were of high importance, and asked whether at London -Street there happened to be a fire-proof safe. - -"I can get one," I said. "Been thinking about purchasing one for some -while past. After our experience at The Croft, we can't be too careful." - -"Take charge of the packet now, Weston," she begged. "The -responsibility will be off my mind." - -"Do I understand that you don't actually know what is inside?" - -"I can trust you," she said, after a moment's pause. "You are queer, -but you are reliable. Mr. Schloss gave this to me just before the -police called on him. I promised to look after it until all the trouble -was over. And that cannot be long now." - -I bought a good second-hand safe, and Peter took a leather, and -polished up the brass handle, and the cover of the lock; set in a -corner of the shop it would give a solid, business-like look calculated -to impress people who came to inspect furniture. Whilst the lad was -engaged on the work, my attention was taken by a group from Charlton -who had called to see about a pianoforte; the woman who desired to buy -had brought with her half a dozen experts made up of female relatives -and neighbours. When they had gone, I turned and found Millwood and -Peter endeavouring to move the heavy safe to the place chosen for it. - -"Mind that packet on the floor!" I cried. - -The safe, in moving, crunched over the parcel entrusted to me by Miss -Muriel, smashing the seals. I contrived to make the two understand what -I thought of such clumsy behaviour; Peter offered to obtain a stick of -wax from the shop not far off, and declared confidence in his ability -to repair the damage. Millwood said it was a good job the parcel -contained nothing of a breakable nature. - -It was sheer curiosity that induced me to look at the papers inside; -I found little to repay me, for the letters were all written in a -language I did not understand. Millwood was prepared to take his oath -that the language was German. - -"You'd best be careful, Mary Weston," he said. "You mind out what -you're a doing of. Otherwise you'll find yourself at the Tower. They -don't make no bones about shooting nobody, not nowadays, they don't!" -Millwood was giving more advice, when William Richards looked in. The -two men never liked each other; in earlier days they always wrangled on -political subjects, and now, in view of the truce agreed upon regarding -these topics, Millwood, with the comment of "Hullo! Not dead yet, -then?" went into the back room. - -William Richards wanted news of Herbert, and of Master John. He -hoped the Germans would deal with Master John fairly, but admitted -he could not trust them in this or in any other particular. When we -had discussed the subject, I told him about the parcel, submitted the -documents. William shook his head gravely. "If only Dickenson was -here!" he said. It appeared that Dickenson was a uniformed interpreter, -known to William, and for the number of languages with which Dickenson -was acquainted you needed the fingers of both hands, and the thumbs as -well. - -"Look here, Mary Weston," he said. "Hand 'em over to me. Just as they -are. You shan't be dragged into the affair. I shall tell Dickenson I -found the parcel on the floor of a second-class smoking. If they're -nothing more than love letters, or business communications, you shall -have 'em back!" Peter arrived with the sealing wax, but we decided that -the present condition of the parcel should remain. - - * * * * * - -Mr. Schloss was tried a few weeks later on a charge of attempting to -deal with the enemy, and he received a sentence of twelve months hard -labour. Miss Muriel, terrified and penitent, begged me to destroy the -parcel she had confided to my care, lest the contents should have any -bearing on the matter, and, in promising her that she might depend -upon me, I gave her about the straightest talking to that she had ever -received in the whole course of her existence. - -"It will be a lesson to me," she declared penitently. - -"But some of you," I remarked, "want such a lot of teaching!" - - * * * * * - -Old Captain Winterton, in his determination not to discuss war news, -fell back on reminiscences, and if he sometimes told these more than -once, the Hillier family nevertheless gave him their attention; -although he talked in an elaborate manner, they made no attempt to -interrupt. I could not help comparing their Greenwich methods with -those adopted at Chislehurst. He had three anecdotes and to these his -wife listened eagerly and expectantly, sometimes whispering to me, -after the twentieth or so repetition, - -"You'll like this, Miss Weston." - -And. - -"This is new to you, I expect." - -She joined in the expressions of amusement with great heartiness. The -first story was of the lady who feared that if the storm continued she -might find herself in Heaven, and wanted to be re-assured. ("Depends -on the life you've led, madam.") The second was of the sailor who -reported that Jim Bates had been blown overboard. ("And that ain't -the worst, cap'en. He's took my pail with him!") The third was so -long and so much involved, and required such an amount of preliminary -description that the old fellow never reached the point of it, and -we, at times, wondered if any point existed. I liked him best when he -described Greenwich, at Easter, in the old days at the period when -Richardson's Fair was held at the end of what is still known as Tea-pot -Row, although its proper name is King William Street, and all the tag, -rag and bob-tail came from far and near, and to carry a watch in one's -pocket was to make a present of it to somebody with light fingers, and -the taverns did a roaring trade; all this, it appeared, came to an end -in '57. Of the time when London folk drove down in hackney coaches, -and the men wore veils to their white top hats, and the ladies wore -crinolines, and they had joyous hours at the Ship or the Trafalgar, and -gave incredible tips to waiters, and started for home singing "Slap -bang, here we are again!" Of more demure parties of statesmen who came, -once a year, by steamer, from near to Westminster Bridge, and were -reported to chat over the table of other matters than Cabinet secrets, -and to consume quantities of old port, and, at any rate, returned in a -sleepy condition, ignoring the cheers raised by their local supporters, -and the groans given by their opponents. Of crime connected with the -borough-- - -"Love," interposed Mrs. Winterton, "be careful not to shock the young -ladies!" - -"I will be most cautious, sweet!" - -And, in particular, of one Charles Peace whose real name, it seemed, -was John Warne, and who on a night in October shot three times at -Constable Robinson in an avenue leading from St. John's Park to -Blackheath; shot with a revolver that was strapped around Peace's -wrist. Captain Winterton had learnt, word for word, the statement made -by Peace when Mr. Justice Hawkins asked him whether he had anything -to say why sentence should not be passed upon him, and the old chap -spared us nothing of this, from--"I have not been fairly dealt with, -and I declare before God that I never had any intention to kill the -prosecutor--" to "So, my Lord, have mercy upon me; my lord, have mercy -upon me!" Peace lived for a time at Greenwich, in a well-furnished -house where he sometimes gave musical evenings. - -"I always give myself the satisfaction," said Captain Winterton, with -relish, "of gazing at the dwelling whenever I happen to pass that way." - -If he began to tell the story of the murder of Jane Maria -Clousen--discussed and debated at Greenwich to this hour, because no -one was hanged for it--Mrs. Winterton placed hands over her ears. Miss -Clousen it seemed was, in '71, a domestic servant in the employment of -a Greenwich printer; she was found in Kidbrooke Lane, Eltham, on the -edge of death, murmuring, "Oh my poor head, oh my poor head!" and the -acquittal of a young man, charged with the crime, was followed by noisy -and disorderly gatherings outside his father's house, and proceedings -at law for libel. - -Captain Winterton had, too, political reminiscences of the borough, -and of the time when it was notably represented in Parliament, and we -had excerpts from Mr. Gladstone's speech on Blackheath, and from Mr. -Gladstone's farewell address at the Ship Hotel, and a description of -the wonderful moment when Mr. Gladstone said to Captain Winterton, "And -what, pray, is your view in regard to the future of our mercantile -marine?" and did not wait for an answer, but instead furnished his -own opinions on the subject. And we listened (none so eagerly or -so absorbedly as Mrs. Winterton) to the Captain's account of the -_Princess Alice_ disaster of '78 at Becton Reach near Woolwich, and -in the technical details--was the _Bywell Castle_ to blame, or did -the _Princess Alice_ starboard her helm, when she ought to have done -something else?--in all this, I found myself at first bewildered, then -semi-detached, and finally my thoughts went to London Street, and -prices of the articles of furniture stored there. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -I should, perhaps, have given more attention to the case of Miss -Muriel, but for the demands upon my time made by the business: it -appeared that many of my Woolwich customers were well satisfied -with their dealings with me, and they handed my cards around, with -the result that the shop was rarely free of callers, and sometimes -Millwood, and Peter, and myself would be all engaged in answering -questions, quoting figures. Once the visitors had made up their minds -that they wanted a certain article--a cheval glass, a sideboard, a card -table, or anything else--there was little haggling about price: from a -well-filled purse they produced one pound notes and ten shilling notes, -and settled the account; their chief difficulty came in an urgent and -feverish desire to get the articles of furniture home with the least -possible delay. I once saw two women, customers of mine, who had bought -a music stool, and a settee, and a brass fender with fire-irons, -endeavouring to board a tram-car with the burden of these possessions. -They told the conductor, after argument, that he would undoubtedly come -to a bad end. - -Apart from the business, I had some anxiety caused by a letter from the -Quartermaster-Sergeant. Written, as usual, in pencil, and mentioning, -as always, that he was in the pink, it said that he hoped to be coming -home on leave soon; his first call would be given to his parents, and -he then proposed to look in at Gloucester Place and thank me for the -journals sent to him each week. I wished the man further. I felt sorry -I had ever hit upon the idea of posting the illustrated newspaper, or -of writing. I had some thought to going away to escape him, but one -did not know where to go. The postscript to the letter offered some -hope: it said that leave was a doubtful thing in these days, and I was -not to be disappointed if it happened that he could not get away. And I -was beginning to think I had worried myself over nothing at all, when -a telegram signed Cartwright came from Folkestone. I showed it to Miss -Katherine. - -"But, my dear soul," she protested, "you're trembling. In your own -words, you're all of a fluster." - -"The mistake I made was in not telling him my age at the outset." - -"That would have been an eccentric course to pursue. It is one that I, -myself, rarely adopt in these situations." - -"You're young, Miss Katherine, and it doesn't matter what they imagine -your age to be. I'm getting on towards the forties, and it matters a -good deal to me. I've always tried to write to this blessed man in a -cheerful style, and if he has got the idea that I'm twenty-two, and -look less, one can't blame him." - -"There are beauty specialists in Bond Street." - -"And there are foolish women who patronise them." - -"If he comes along," said Miss Katherine, "when I am home from the -bank, I could--pardon the conceit in the suggestion, for which I am -sure Heaven will forgive me--I could pretend to be you, Weston." - -"That wouldn't do at all," I declared promptly. "I want to see him. -Want to find out what he is like." - -"The next best idea that occurs to my inventive brain," she remarked, -"is that I should take you in hand to-morrow morning before I leave, -and by all the dodges known to my toilet table, subtract a few years -from your appearance." - -"No making up," I bargained. - -"I will do nothing," she agreed, "to bring the artificial blush to your -cheek, dear woman. The game we are going to play is, believe me, not -rouge et noir." - -Compliments have sometimes been offered to me on the length and the -colour of my hair, but they mostly came from maids at Chislehurst who -wanted the afternoon off to go and meet their sweethearts; for the -rest, people troubled very little about my looks, and I suppose I had -not paid an extravagant amount of attention to them. Certainly Miss -Katherine, when she assumed management and command, did effect some -notable improvements. She persuaded me not to look in the mirror whilst -the task was in progress, and when I was allowed to take a glance, I -gasped with astonishment, beamed with satisfaction. - -"That's it!" cried Miss Katherine. "That's exactly the right kind of -smile we want. Ah," regretfully, "it's slipping. And now it's gone!" -She imitated the tricks of the photographer when he is taking portraits -of defensive babies; I assured her the ability to grin was not in my -line. "Practise, Weston dear," she counselled. "Remember that with hair -like yours you need never say dye." - -Miss Muriel offered no remark upon the alteration, but Mrs. Hillier -gave compliments, and declared she was reminded of the time when we -first met; she advised me not to mar the effect by wearing one of the -hats I usually pinned on before leaving the house. Noticing that I -wavered, she insisted on accompanying me to a milliner's establishment -near the Chatham and Dover station. When, later, I entered the shop -in London Street, Millwood came forward, without first putting on his -spectacles, and not recognising me, said: - -"Well, lady, and what can we do for you this morning?" - -Subsequently, he delivered a lecture on the impossibility of regarding -women-folk as anything like sensible beings so long as they devoted -nearly all their time, and the whole of their thoughts, to fashion. -"You don't find me spending money, and going to shops, and fussing -about, just in order to make myself better looking than I really am." I -answered that, more than once, I had been tempted to call his attention -to the fact. - -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright dashed in soon after mid-day. He had -called, it seemed, at Gloucester Place, and had been sent on to London -Street. - -"A flying visit," he announced to Peter. I was in the back room, -looking once more at my reflection in the mirror. "Tell the lady to -hurry up. Only five days leave, and a thousand and one urgent matters -to see to. Mention that I'm pressed for time, will you." - -He was tall, broad, and middle-aged; very smartly set up, and with, -apart from his quick deportment, the air of a man accustomed to give -orders, and expecting them to be obeyed. This I gained from the first -sight of him over the curtained glass of the door. - -"Miss--Miss Weston, I believe," he stammered. - -"Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright, I think." We shook hands. - -"You'll excuse me," he said, confusedly. "I'm rather taken aback. I -had the notion--forgive me for saying so--that you were somewhat older -than--. What I mean to say is--" - -"I am old enough," I said, "not to tell you how old I am. This is my -brother-in-law, Mr. Millwood. This is my assistant, Peter. What do you -think of the shop?" - -"Fine," he declared, with enthusiasm. "A1. Top hole. First class. -Anyone can see, with half an eye, that you've got good taste. You know -what to select, you do." - -"I may point out," chuckled Millwood, "in regard to Mary Weston that -no one has yet taken the trouble to select her." He looked around for -approval of this remark. Nobody laughed. - -"Oversights will happen in this world," said the visitor. "We find them -even out in France." - -"In my view," contended Millwood, "this war isn't being conducted in -the manner that it ought to be carried on. Blunders have been made -which seem to me most 'ighly reprehensible. Mistakes occur which ought -to have been foreseen." - -"I can tell you the reason," said the Quartermaster-Sergeant. "The -reason is a very simple one. It's mainly because you are not out there. -And now," to me, briskly, "what about lunch? Can you spare half an hour -to come and have something to eat with me?" - -"I can spare an hour and a half," I answered, "to take you along to the -Ship, and get you to take a meal with me." - -"But my motive for calling on you was to repay you in some measure -for--" - -"You're wasting your breath," interposed Millwood. "I've knowed her -longer than what you have, and I can tell you, in strict confidence, -that when Mary Weston has made up her mind, dynamite by the ton won't -move her." - -We walked towards the riverside, and the Quartermaster-Sergeant -congratulated me on the fact that I was one of the few women he had -met who could keep in step with him; he called my attention in Nelson -Street to the difficulty encountered by tall soldiers who walked with -short girls, and never succeeded in coming to an agreement concerning -gait. Cartwright was a shade taller than myself, but I noticed, by the -reflection in shop windows that my new hat made us appear to be of -almost equal stature; two women, near the entrance to the market, gazed -at us and said in duet, "Them's a fine-made couple, and no mistake." - -It is not for me to dictate or advise other members of my sex who may -find themselves in like circumstances, but I do feel sure, in looking -back, that I did the wise thing in providing Cartwright with a good -meal, and one served up in environments calculated to impress him. He -had some doubts whether a N.C.O. would be allowed to enter the dining -room; I interrogated the head waiter who said, re-assuringly, that, -bless his heart, all the old nonsense had long since been dismissed; he -pointed out a couple of brothers seated at a corner table, one a Staff -Officer and the other a Private in the H.A.C. So I piloted Cartwright -to chairs near the window where we faced each other, and could gain a -view of the river with its bend towards Woolwich, and there gave orders -in a manner intended to show composure, and no doubt exaggerated into -sharp authority. - -"I can see with half an eye," said Cartwright, admiringly when he had -placed his cap on a hat peg, "that you're well used to this sort of -thing. I'm not. I'm new to it. And if I make any blunders, you must -just give me a quiet reminder to think of what I am doing." - -"Providing you don't think of what you're doing," I declared, "you -won't find the leastest trouble. For my part, I wish I knew what to -call you. I can't say 'Mister' to a soldier, and Quartermaster-Sergeant -seems such a mouthful." - -"What about calling me 'George?'" - -He discovered, half-way through the meal, that our first names were -those of the King and the Queen, and we pretended that we lived at -Buckingham Palace, and talked of giving a few days to Sandringham. The -boy waiter, attending upon us, dropped a plate to the floor on hearing -us speak of our eldest son, the Prince, and the fine work he was doing -out in France; he later induced some of his colleagues, relieved from -distant tables, to come and listen, whereupon we spoke of ordinary -matters, such as increase in the price of vegetables, and reductions in -the motor omnibus service, and an Aunt Maria at Stepney; our juvenile -waiter was told by his elders that over clever kids who tried to play -practical jokes invariably obtained, sooner or later, the reward of a -thick ear. - -"'Pon my word, though," declared Cartwright, "this is an experience -for me. First in regard--if you don't mind me saying so--to a lady's -society, and whilst I am on that topic, I may as well admit that I feel -as though I had known you all my life." - -"I feel that I wish I had known you all my life." - -"Very nicely phrased," he said, approvingly. "Second, in regard to -taking plenty of time over a meal, and having it served up politely -instead of being flung at you. People can say what they like," -contended the Quartermaster-Sergeant, earnestly, "but comfort isn't a -thing to be despised. Out there, all these months, I've dreamt over and -over again, in my waking hours, of a nice little house, Forest Hill -way, and a nice little garden with scarlet runners growing near the -nice little wooden palings, and a nice little wife--" - -"Your ambitions appear to be on a small scale." - -"Don't misunderstand me," he begged. "I don't mean she's got to be -a dwarf. My idea has always been someone about your own height." He -helped himself, with some confusion to enough mustard to serve a -regiment. "Tell me if I'm talking too much," he begged. "I get so much -into the habit of laying down the law that I'm inclined to forget -myself." - -"That doesn't matter," I remarked, "so long as you don't forget me." -I declare I said this only for the sake of keeping the conversation -going: he put his large hand across the table impetuously, and gripped -mine. - -"Don't you ever keep awake at nights," he said, "worrying about that. -I shall recollect this day that we're having together when everything -else has vanished from my memory." - -I think we both recognised that we were travelling faster than the -rules permit; for the remainder of the lunch we were more guarded -in speech. He talked about his father and mother, and I made some -allusions to the Hillier family. It seemed he had the notion that I was -a friend and an equal: he assured me Master John had once spoken of me -in a way to support this, and one could not help feeling it was good -of the lad to convey the impression. George Cartwright had a cigar, -recommended by the head waiter as of a brand smoked by all the nobs, -and I followed the head waiter out of the room, and settled the bill. -The head waiter said, with great heartiness, "Thank you, miss; thank -you very much indeed. Wish there was more like you!" - -I expected--or feared--that George Cartwright would want to hurry off. -Mentioning that his latest recollection of Greenwich Park was connected -with a Sunday School treat-- - -"Lord!" he said, setting his cap at the mirror, "but I've learnt a bit -since those days. And most of it wasn't worth the learning!" - -He suggested that the afternoon was fine enough to excuse a stroll up -the hill to the Observatory. We walked first along the narrow pavement -near the river, came to the old Trafalgar Hotel, now an Aged Merchant -Seamen's Institution, and Cartwright, by request, gave to the old chaps -standing outside, the latest news of the war. Then we strolled towards -the Park. - -I may as well admit that I had never before enjoyed a stroll so much. -It seems a foolish thing for a woman of my years to say, but for the -time the business in London Street mattered nothing, the Hilliers at -Gloucester Place mattered little. One of my customers met us near the -gates of the Park, and rushed at me with an inquiry concerning a Bible -box; I sent her off with a direction to call and see Millwood. At the -top of the hill, and near the edge where green chairs were placed, -we found the elderly couple of the ground floor in Gloucester Place; -they were seated there holding each other's hands, and gazing down -contentedly at children tumbling about on the slope. - -"Miss Weston," said the old gentleman, rising, and saluting with a -sweep of his curly brimmed hat, "it needed only your presence to make -the afternoon entirely charming. Pray do me the honour to introduce me -to your military friend." - -I had no reason to be ashamed of the Quartermaster-Sergeant. Some men, -in his position, and after a good lunch, might have felt inclined to -ridicule the Wintertons; they looked as though they had emerged from -past centuries or stepped from a mantelpiece, and, indeed, they ware -not exempted from comments and criticism of frivolous young people who -went by. But Cartwright listened to Captain Winterton's explanation -of the windings of the river, drawn on the gravel with the point of a -malacca cane, was deferential to the old lady when she spoke of the -highly cultivated society in which she had mixed during early years. -She was careful to make no errors in the various branches of any -genealogical tree. - -"The Admiral," she said, in her precise and leisured way, "perhaps -neither of you knew; he was long before your time. But his eldest -daughter whom you may have met, she, as I need scarcely say, was a most -highly accomplished young woman, playing the harp divinely, and singing -'Juanita' in a manner that caused sensitive hearers to swoon away. She -married a Mr. Todhunter, a most humorous gentleman who used to make -really wonderful puns, and afterwards took to drink. She, as you are -doubtless aware, removed to New Cross, and gave music lessons. The -second daughter, whilst less gifted in music, had a passion for making -woolwork slippers that you seldom encounter nowadays. Everyone said -that she was going to marry a bachelor clergyman of the neighbourhood, -but she ran off with her father's coachman. It chanced that I heard -some of the Admiral's remarks upon this lamentable occurrence, but -not all, because my dear mother intervened and--You didn't have the -privilege of knowing my dear mother, Miss Weston, but it will be a -delight, some fine day, to shew you her tombstone." - -"My love," said Captain Winterton, solicitously. - -"My sweet." - -"Think of your throat," he begged. - -"I was about," remarked the old lady, "to turn up the collar of your -overcoat. We are not yet favoured with the balmy weather associated -with spring. The Quartermaster-Sergeant," she went on, beaming at -Cartwright, "will recall the lines of Mr. Browning that contain an -allusion to the present month." - -Cartwright jerked his head knowingly, and remarked that poetry was very -stimulating if you were but careful not to take too much of it at a -time. - -"My love!" said the Captain, with deference, "Do you think, in all the -circumstances--April afternoon, a highly intellectual audience, and -the surroundings of youth--that you could manage to recite your set of -verses?" - -The old lady protested modestly. She had written them, it appeared, in -the early sixties, and she argued that fashions in poetry changed as -in everything else. We insisted, and she gave, with gesture and a rapt -expression, some lines about trees and bees, and birds and words, and -flowers and bowers; her husband listened eagerly with a hand at ear, -and occasionally prompting her when memory failed. Cartwright and I -ejaculated at the end, "Beautiful, beautiful!" and Captain Winterton -said we might be interested to know that these verses were composed not -many yards away, under an elm which had, most unfortunately, been blown -down in the gale of '81. But he could shew us a still more interesting -feature of the past in the shape of the oak that witnessed his proposal -to the lady whom he now had the honour to call his wife. We had to see -this, and as we left the elderly couple, we heard him say: - -"My love, I never heard you give those lines with greater force and -expression." - -And she remarked: - -"My dear, I hope we didn't bore the young people." - -I took pains to assure the Quartermaster-Sergeant, in walking along -the avenue, that the Wintertons were genuine in their admiration for -each other, and he declared that, of this, he had no doubt. He seemed -rather quiet, and I asked him what he was thinking of; he answered that -it would be many days ere he managed to send the Wintertons out of his -mind. - -"What I mean to say is," he explained, "married all these long years, -and always in each other's company, and still on friendly terms! Why, -it's the greatest achievement that anyone can hope for." I remarked -that the two might be looked upon as exceptions. "Granted," he said, -taking my arm, "but why are they exceptions? There's no good reason why -they should be exceptions. If they can do it, anybody can do it, and a -happy old age ought to become the general rule." - -"Perhaps hasty marriages are sometimes to blame." - -"Ah!" releasing my arm. "Hadn't thought of that. I suppose it's pretty -safe to assume that they are usually a mistake. Glad you reminded me." - -I furnished other reasons, and spoke of the case of Miss Muriel, of -my anxieties concerning the girl. It appeared to me that with her -mercenary views there was, for her, but small prospect of happiness; -the Quartermaster-Sergeant agreed, but pointed out that in this world, -and especially in stirring times like the present, you could never say -for certain what was going to happen. He urged that I should not worry -myself, overmuch, concerning other people. He said that whilst it was -undoubtedly a mistake to concentrate thoughts too much on Number One, -it was certainly possible to err in the opposite direction. - -"Oh, but I'm a manager," I remarked. "That's my job in life." - -"Doesn't follow that there isn't some one who could manage you." - -"Explain yourself." - -An interesting conversation might have taken place, but that a -heated lad came up at this moment, cricket bat in hand, and begging -Cartwright, as a man of years, and moreover possessing military -authority, to come across the heath, and arbitrate on a nice point that -had arisen. The Quartermaster-Sergeant complied at once. It seemed -that the youth, sneaking a run, as he described it, found himself some -yards from the stumps, and the ball coming to the gloved hands of the -wicket-keeper; he thereupon, with great presence of mind, flung his -bat, and this, it was agreed, reached the inside of the crease ere the -bails were knocked off. Cartwright's decision was that the action, -though ingenious, was not sufficient. In his view, the batsman and the -bat had to be reckoned as inseparable. - -"I s'pose, sir," remarked one of the players, "you couldn't stay on and -umpire, could you? It'd mean a great saving of time." - -"If I stay on," said the Quartermaster-Sergeant, loosening belt, and -taking off tunic, "I take a more prominent share in the game. What -about me playing for both sides?" - -"Good old sort!" declared the youngsters. - -"Mary," he begged, "fairest of thy sex, and more intelligent than most, -look after that military property I've thrown down on the grass." - -I should have preferred that we had gone on with our talk, but I knew -enough about men to be aware that, with many, cricket comes ahead of -everything else. Cartwright enjoyed himself. The ground was not too -good, but he bowled well, and took wickets, and made catches, and -when the lads found that he did not propose to take his turn with the -bat, their admiration for him became frank and genuine. And I felt -interested for a time to watch the boyish side of his nature, but only -for a time, and I was not sorry when one of the keepers came along, and -pointed out the date was not sufficiently advanced to make the playing -of the game legal and permissible on open spaces. It looked as though -our walk and our conversation could now be resumed, but the keeper -had two sons out in Flanders and--well, people are very sarcastic at -times about the way women-folk chatter, but when you get men discussing -affairs, it is difficult to guess when they will stop, and not easy -to find a method of arresting the debate. I strolled off, found the -boys, and persuaded them to set up their wickets once more. Returning, -I pointed out to the keeper that his authority was being derided. He -hurried away. - -"Thought you were never going to finish your cackle," I remarked to the -Quartermaster-Sergeant. "What time do you want to be starting for home?" - -"Tired of my company already?" - -"Of course not. Only that there are your parents to be considered." - -"For one day at least," he announced, "I'm going to consider myself. -And you. We're going to a theatre together. A theatre up in town." - -He went on first to choose a play, and arrange about seats; I called -at London Street, where Millwood grumbled at my long absence, and -mentioned that he had never before seen me with such a colour. "Makes -you look like I don't know what!" he declared. "And mind you don't go -getting yourself talked about, Mary Weston. Greenwich is a rare place -for gossip." - -As though I cared! As though any woman would have cared, with the -prospect of going to a theatre, and sitting next to a soldier man, home -on leave, after doing fine work for his country, and soon going out to -do more! - -I could tell you everything about the play, and could give you all -the particulars of the dresses (I did furnish these details the next -day, first to Peter at the shop, and afterwards to Miss Katherine at -Gloucester Place). The incident worth recording here is that when my -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright saw me off at Charing Cross station -that night by the eleven-thirty train, we shook hands through the open -window of the railway carriage, and he promised to see me again before -he went out. And, without saying "By your leave!" or "Hope you don't -object!" or any remark of the kind, he, as the train moved out, kissed -me. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -Millwood felt tremendously gratified because his example in regard to -abstinence from alcohol was followed in high quarters, and he became -from that moment, not only a supporter of royalty, but a man of ideas -regarding the deportment of folk staying at home. He had a row one -evening in a South-Eastern train with a stubborn passenger who argued -that there was no sense in the order concerning the pulling down of -blinds. He ordered a strict method of economy in London Street, and -gave lectures on the subject to Peter who, endeavouring to pass them -on to his own household at Deptford, found himself slapped by a mother -who, a pronounced bungler and a most inefficient person, evidently -considered she had nothing to learn in domestic management. I had to -check Millwood when I found that to new customers he was in the habit -of saying: - -"Now, the question you've got to put yourself, is, not 'Can I afford to -buy this?' but 'Can I manage to do without it?'" - -He did work that met with greater approval from me, in addressing -out-door meetings during the special fortnight of recruiting. I -happened to hear him speak at one of them. A military gentleman of the -Colonel Edgington school stood up, and fiercely denounced the young -men present who had not enlisted; they accepted his thundering attack -with calm. A soldier who had been through Neuve Chapelle offered a -grisly, and, no doubt, exact description of the fight; the youths -shook their heads knowingly as though to indicate that they were far -too wise to run any such risks. Then my brother-in-law stepped up and -told an anecdote in his London accent: they began by laughing at him, -and finished by laughing with him; he kept them amused--I had never -before guessed that he had a sense of humour--for about eight minutes, -and in the last two minutes of his speech, became forcible, strenuous, -pathetic. He pointed to Greenwich Park-- - -"Where your mothers and fathers went sweet-hearting, my lads, years -ago, and where you go sweet-hearting now, and I don't blame you!" - ---And said we were at war that this might remain in our possession. He -sent his arm out towards the river-- - -"Look at British commerce going up and down there, a-carrying food that -keeps me and you from starving!" - -He drew their attention to a double line of children going along under -the control of an assistant mistress from one of the County Council -schools-- - -"It's to protect dear little kiddies like them, my lads, that we ask -you to become soldiers, and prevent the Germans from arriving here!" - -Twenty young men walked up to the Recruiting Sergeant when Millwood -ended his address: the band played "The Red, White and Blue," grown-up -folk--and I was amongst them--gave signs of tears. - -News of air raids did something to back up and support the arguments -of my brother-in-law. The attacks came for the most part at night, -and generally over the East coast, but an enemy's aeroplane appeared -once, at mid-day, near Faversham in Kent. We were alarmed at Gloucester -Place, because Miss Muriel--taking every advantage of any opportunity -to get away from Greenwich, and from her people--had gone there to -visit acquaintances and (as she told me frankly) in the hope of finding -some eligible husband. A relative of the family, she added, a man who -had gained a fortune in the United States, was shortly coming home for -a holiday. Miss Muriel gave his name. I was curt with her, but when the -news came about the attack over Faversham, I felt sorry I had been so -outspoken. On discovering from the journals that no damage had been -done, I wished I had been more candid and abrupt with her. But I sent -her something for her birthday. - -The _Lusitania_ was sunk by an enemy's torpedo early in May, and it -is referred to here because it had some effect upon a member of the -Hillier family. In the absence of Miss Muriel, everything was going -comfortably at Gloucester Place. It often happened that I was not -called upon there to do any sort of work in the whole course of a day. -Mrs. Hillier seemed to find a pleasure in carrying out the duties of -the household during the week; on Sundays she and her husband took -short trips together, either up the river, or out into the country, -leaving me to look after Miss Katherine and Master Edward; an easy task. - -Everybody can remember the afternoon that news of the sinking of the -big liner arrived, and not many people will ever forget the manner in -which the information reached them. I had been to a sale at Blackheath -where the auctioneer's announcement suggested the possibility of -finding bargains, and after giving a couple of hours to the big house, -I found there was nothing that justified a nod of the head from me; -the owner of the place had been taken in, right and left, and an agent -of my acquaintance, in referring to him, and to their earlier dealings -with each other, expressed regret that there were so few mugs of the -kind left nowadays. I walked quickly across the heath to get rid of the -annoyance created by the waste of time; the feeling had not disappeared -as I went down the slope of Lewisham Hill. Outside the news-agent's -shop at the foot was the staggering placard. Folk stood around gazing -at it. One or two said hopefully that it was nothing but a catch-penny. - -"Lot of use having a Press Bureau!" they remarked, with bitterness. -"These papers are all out on the make, and, seemingly, it's no one's -business to stop 'em." - -The next morning, full confirmation arrived. The ship had been -torpedoed off the western coast of Ireland. Many well known people were -aboard, and as I glanced down the passenger list, one name struck me -as being familiar, but, at the time I could not place it. Mrs. Hillier -came, in great haste, to the shop, bringing a telegram from Faversham. -"Is Muriel with you?" it said. I took charge of the task of sending -the negative reply, and assured her there was no cause for anxiety; it -probably meant some temporary confusion or misunderstanding that would -be cleared up ere the day was out. But, being by no means so confident -as my words, I rushed off directly that Mrs. Hillier had gone, taking -my chance of trains, and finding myself lucky in this respect. I was -at Faversham by two o'clock, and I caught the three-three back to -Victoria. It was an express, and in view of the information I was -taking home, I wished it had been a slow train. - -"She left that house this morning," I informed Mrs. Hillier. "Here is -the note she placed on the hall table. And you must try not to be upset -about it, ma'am, because nearly everything comes right if you do but -allow enough time." - -"Read it, Weston," she begged, piteously. "Trouble seems to be all -around us, and it has got into my bones, and into my eyes." - -The slip of paper in Miss Muriel's handwriting had evidently been -written in haste. It announced that she was tired of encountering -disaster, and in no mood to receive condolences. "I am doing the -vanishing trick. Explain to my people. Tell Weston not to make a fuss." - -All the particulars gained from the girl's friends, I supplied to -Mrs. Hillier. The nephew of the family, whose name and fortune had -been mentioned by Miss Muriel, had taken a berth on the _Lusitania_ -at New York; he wrote beforehand to say that his aunt's allusion to -Miss Hillier's impending visit induced him to accelerate his voyage -home. American girls, he added, were too independent. Although he had -become naturalised in the United States he was sufficiently English to -recognise this. He held pleasant memories of Miss Hillier, and trusted -she had not forgotten him. The lady at Faversham--she seemed to be one -of the few remaining experts in match-making, and her disappointment -at the upset of her plans was even keener than her sorrow at the loss -of a nephew--assured me Miss Muriel had taken an enthusiastic share -in the preparations for his arrival; had composed an affectionate -and welcoming telegram to be sent by the family to Liverpool; had -assured the aunt that a good marriage was the one piece of fortune she -particularly desired. "A sweet, ingenuous, simple nature," the aunt -remarked to me, with emotion. "The very child for a romantic episode. -Really she might have stepped out of a novel." I could not help -thinking that our Miss Muriel had surely worked hard and industriously -in order to succeed in conveying this impression. - -"Had the dear girl any money with her?" inquired Mrs. Hillier -anxiously. "You didn't remember to find out." - -"I found out everything there was to be discovered, ma'am. She had a -postal order for ten shillings which her father had sent her for her -birthday." - -"And that was all?" - -"And one for two pounds that I sent her on the same occasion. She -changed them this morning at the local post office. At the station, -they could give me no particulars; she was not known by sight to any -of the officials there. The local police are going to make inquiries. -On the way from Victoria just now, I put an advertisement into the -newspaper she was most likely to see, asking her to communicate with -me." - -"I might have guessed," said Mrs. Hillier, gratefully, "that you would -do all that was possible. But she is a queer child, and I wish I could -tell what is likely to happen to her." - -It was just because Miss Muriel had always behaved differently from -anyone else that I felt anxious. All the same, I declared to Mrs. -Hillier that it was impossible to share her fears; I spoke of Miss -Muriel as a rather spoilt young lady who would very quickly resent -the discomforts she encountered, and, the two pounds ten gone, we -might expect her to ring the bell at Gloucester Place, and demand -to be fussed over, and treated as though she had acted courageously -and with shrewd common sense. There was no music from the pianoforte -that evening. I went up to my rooms, at the top of the house, as -early as convenient, leaving a thoughtful family group to discuss -the matter. To detach myself from worry, I wrote a long letter to -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright. In his last pencilled note, he had -explained that his father, taken ill on the second day of Cartwright's -leave, required his attention during the rest of the time, and he -seemed to hint that I might have some excuse for feeling annoyed at not -seeing him again. My letter was calculated to re-assure him. I asked -for the address of his people, and promised, when this came, to call -and see them. It can be added that the part of Cartwright's note which -gratified me the most came at the end where three crosses had been -drawn, small enough to be over-looked unless one was searching for them. - -My intention was to give my full time to the job of discovering Miss -Muriel. The advertisement appeared, and in answer to it, I received a -card from her, postmarked London, N.W., bearing nothing more than three -words-- - -"Quite all right!" - ---And I should have made an effort to search the postal district -indicated--although, as I knew, it included Kentish Town, and -Hampstead, and Cricklewood, and all sorts of distant places--but for -the fact that I was suddenly bound, hand and foot, to London Street. -Millwood left, and in the circumstances one could not blame him for -leaving. His effective talk at recruiting meetings had been noticed -by the authorities, and he received an offer that excited him, and -gave him enormous gratification; he bustled around before leaving -for the tour in the manner of a junior clerk starting for his first -holiday. One speech, they told him, would be all that was needed, and -this speech was to be delivered in the Midlands, up in the North, -and, in fact, wherever he was instructed to go. So Millwood--when I -had chosen a new suit for him, and selected a new hat, and made him -look fairly respectable, without suggesting prosperity--Millwood went -off, and on the top of this, Peter's mother came from Deptford, and -with a preliminary announcement that she intended to behave herself in -a lady-like manner, asked what the blazes I meant by paying her boy -twelve adjective shillings a week, when, at the Arsenal, he could be -earning untold gold, and thus save his poor father from the necessity -of going out to work. She described my origin as German, and warned me -to look out for an attack on the shop; I stopped the shouted tirade -by handing to Peter the wages due, and advising him to follow his -extraordinary parent. - -"I don't want to go with her, miss," he pleaded. "I'm very comfortable -where I am." - -"That," said Peter's mother, to her reflection in a mirror, "that is -what your modern child has come to. That's one of the consequences of -them 'aving a education. That's the result of waiting on 'em, hand and -foot, and struggling for 'em, tooth and nail, and stinting yourselves -so as they should live on the fat of the land. A nicely managed world," -she added, bitterly, "that, I must say." - -"It's bad enough," argued Peter, "to have to go home there at nights, -and find the old man blind to the world, and called upon to make the -beds myself, because she's too lazy to attend to them." - -Peter's mother called Heaven as a witness on her behalf, declaring that -Heaven knew, better than neighbours or relatives, or friends, how she -had laboured morning, noon, and night, working her fingers to the bone, -and becoming a mere slave in her desire to bring up her boy as a credit -to herself, and a model for all other youngsters. - -"I shall run off on my own, mind you," Peter warned her, "jest as soon -as ever I can!" - -I dismissed the incident from my thoughts, but one remark offered by -the Deptford woman came back when mobs began to smash windows of shops -owning names which gave a foreign hint of other nationalities. They -were not too particular, and, starting with confectioners and bakers -where the origin was possibly Teutonic, they extended the sphere of -their operations. The _Lusitania_ affair had saddened some people, -impressed many, and excited a few: it was the few who set out during -the day, and occasionally of an evening, to enjoy revenge, and to give -themselves the luxury of committing reckless damage. In High Street, -Deptford, there were at least a dozen shops with not a sound piece of -glass in anyone of them; from the upper floors, blinds and curtains -bulged out of empty windows, and carpenters were engaged in nailing -up a wooden protection. There followed stories of the rioters helping -themselves to any article of domestic furniture which appealed to their -fancy. There came rumours of the paying off of grievances against -shopkeepers who had incurred unpopularity by requesting the settlement -of accounts. The mob, it was stated, preferred to throw stones at -establishments where no man was in charge. - -"You can get on without me," I said to Mrs. Hillier. "For the time I -must look after myself. I don't intend to leave London Street, for a -moment, day or night." - -"We must find some one to stay with you, Weston, and help to protect -the shop." - -"Mr. Hillier is too old, and Master Edward is too young. Besides, I -know as well as you do that they are both scouring London, every spare -minute they've got, trying to find Miss Muriel. If it wasn't for this -bother I should be helping them." - -"Wish one knew when the dear girl was likely to come back." - -"She'll be running short of money pretty soon now," I mentioned, -encouragingly. - -"That is the time," said Mrs. Hillier, with a shiver, "I am fearing -more than any other." - -A cheery letter came in Master John's writing, dated from Darmstadt, -and headed with a number and a company and a baraque, with the long -German word, "Kriegsgefangenenlager," that went across the entire -breadth of the sheet of note-paper. His leg was getting better, he -wrote; he was receiving our parcels; he hoped we would write often; -the German doctors had been good to him; he sent his love to all, and -especially to Weston. "Ask Muriel to send me some books," he added, -"and to write on each that it contains nothing concerning the war. -'Dieses Buch enthält nichts über den gegent wärtigen Krieg.' Muriel -well knows the kind of volumes to select. And she might include a -German grammar, and any of my old school books in the same language. -Tell Muriel that I managed to bring her photograph through safely, -although I lost many treasures, and it is now smiling at me as I write. -I am glad to have her for company." - -The news made us feel slightly more tolerant concerning our enemies, -but the shadow remained at Gloucester Place. The earlier suspense -concerning Master John had been sufficiently trying, but that was -one of the events of war, and many families had been called upon to -endure a like experience; the tension concerning Miss Muriel seemed -an undeserved and an extravagant suffering. From Mrs. Hillier down to -Master Edward, the entire group became older, graver, more subdued. -Miss Katherine made an effort to brighten the atmosphere by giving an -imitation of senior clerks at the bank. - -"Regarded as an entertainment, Weston," she remarked, aside, "a -pronounced and dismal failure." - -"We're on the toughest job we've had, up to the present," I agreed. "A -pity we can't all get away for a holiday." - - * * * * * - -A Continental Railway Guide had not been issued since August of '14, -but a copy of this date had been brought on from Chislehurst, and I -recall that one wet evening at Gloucester Place, when a desperate -suggestion was made by Edward that we should all take the bull by -the horns, and go to the Picture Palace (this was not seconded, and -therefore fell to the ground), then Katherine recommended we might -start on the trip which had been cancelled by events. It was decided, -in order to avoid delay and trouble, to take the old services, -and--the crossing satisfactorily accomplished on a smooth Channel, -with everyone on deck, and protesting against the building of a Tunnel -as unnecessary--at Calais, Mr. Hillier's counsel was adopted, and by -the aid of the Guide we visited one or two places that had become -conspicuous. We found that, according to the book (which we trusted) -Ypres was "an interesting, clean old town," and that Zeebrugge was "a -fashionable and secluded sea-side resort; restful and quiet." The Guide -added to the list of attractions at Zeebrugge the word "shooting." -Taking up the journey on the main line, we travelled to Paris, and -stayed a night at the Continental in the rue de Rivoli, but dined out -previously at a restaurant in the Avenue de l'Opera, where the meal was -really admirable. Nothing could have been better. Unambitious perhaps, -but adequate. The selection of dishes was left to me, and I ordered the -following: - - _Tortue Claire au Marsala._ - _Saumon bouilli._ - _Cotelletes d'Agneau._ - _Pointes d'Asperges._ - _Jambon d'York._ - _Caille rotie._ - _Bombe glacée._ - -The train for Pontarlier left at rather an early hour, but with -Continental travel, one has to be prepared for some inconvenience, and -we were at the P.L.M. station in good time, and Mr. Hillier (at the -hearthrug in Gloucester Place, and in charge of the Guide) had managed -to reserve a compartment, and despite the crowded state of the train, -our comfort suffered no interference. There were places of importance -to be looked out for on the way, and the Guide was disinclined to allow -us to miss any of them, but we did miss some because Mrs. Hillier (from -her arm-chair near the window) said the great thing was to arrive at -Lausanne, and get along to Territet. Territet, said Mrs. Hillier, was -a good centre for the making of excursions. It was important, declared -Mrs. Hillier, that being in Switzerland, one should see all there was -to be seen. I took charge of the meal at Territet. A light repast made -up of - - _Poulet roti._ - _Langue de Boeuf._ - _Pâte de Pigeon._ - _Gelée a l'orange._ - _Anchois en croute._ - -The first trip was to Champéry by steamer up the lake, passing by -the Castle of Chillon, and at Bouveret, on the opposite side, we -took the train for Monthey. From Monthey by electric railway through -Trois-Torrents and Val d'Illiez. We liked Champéry. We thought highly -of the rock galleries. We gave a word to the Cascade de Bonaveau. -Returning to Territet, I was called upon to order dinner; pleading that -invention demanded a rest, I advised that we should take the table -d'hôte meal. - -On the other days--each occupying not more than ten minutes--we went by -the funicular up to Glion, and Caux, and the Rochers de Naye; by train -to Bex and by the electric railway to Villars (4,250 feet up) and the -lunch taken at the Hotel Muveran, by special and particular arrangement -with the management, was as follows: - - _Tortue verte en tasse._ - _Truite saumonée._ - _Poussin de Hambourg._ - _Biscuit glacé._ - _Canapé Favorite._ - -My companions regarded this as one of my lesser triumphs, and were -frank enough to say so. "You've left out the meat," complained Edward -(from the music-stool). I declined, on artistic grounds, to make any -alteration. There followed a move to Chamonix where we at first stayed, -I think, at the Hotel de Paris, but found it over-run by visitors, -and we transferred ourselves instantly--no harm in being snobs in -theory--to another establishment. And we visited the Glacier des -Bossons and showed a proper interest in the Glacier "where the remains -of Captain Arkwright were found in 1897, after being entombed in the -ice for thirty-one years," and we went up La Flégère, and to the Gorge -de la Diosaz, and to the Montanvert Hotel where the meal was too good -to be omitted here. (The considerable advantage of these travels of -the imagination was that one could always order anything, in season or -out.) - - _Hors d'Oeuvres variés._ - _Langouste Parisienne._ - _Coeur de filet de boeuf._ - _Poulet en casserole._ - _Asperges vertes en branche._ - _Dessert._ - -We did Zermatt pretty thoroughly, and then Mrs. Hillier (glancing at -the clock on the mantelpiece), pointed out that time was getting on. -Edward and Katherine protested, Mr. Hillier offered no opinion, and I, -answering a direct question, declared I was in no hurry to find myself -home at Greenwich again. So we rested for a few days at Lausanne, and -lunched once at a large hotel in considerable grounds at Ouchy, where -we, most fortunately, met several English people whom we had always -wished to encounter; Mr. Rudyard Kipling (chatty and communicative), -Mr. Lloyd George (who promised to do something on Edward's behalf, -later on), the editor of a London journal (knowing John Hillier well, -and ready to give notices of his songs), Mr. J.R. Mason (who gave us -several interesting and little known facts concerning first-class -cricket). I fancy that these and others were our guests at the lunch; -expense was naturally of no object. This was the meal I ordered, -pleading now that on the return journey, one should be reckoned exempt -from the task. Edward begged that, in these circumstances the details -might be solid and satisfying, the repast one--in his phrase--that you -could get your teeth into. I give a copy of the menu card:-- - - _Petite Marmite._ - _Suprême de Sole._ - _Noisettes de pre-Salé._ - _Pommes._ - _Volaille en cocotte._ - _Salade de Saison._ - _Aubergines au gratin._ - _Pêches Melba._ - -Mrs. Hillier was definite, after this, in ordering that the trip should -be considered at an end, that the game of imaginary travel should -finish, and I left the room to prepare the evening meal for the family. -It consisted of cold ham, cheese and lettuce. - - * * * * * - -I had put up the shutters one evening, and I was in the room at the -back of the shop, when the booming came of distant voices. I ran -upstairs and, without turning on the light, gazed out, and caught sight -of the Deptford crowd. There was a good deal of incoherent shouting, -with bass notes from the men, shrill voices of the women; one carried -a flag, and boys knocked at anything that could be reckoned as a -substitute for a drum. A ring came from downstairs; I assumed it to -be only the lad with the evening newspaper, and if it happened to -be anybody else, I was certainly not going to open the door. As the -crowd came nearer, I could see Peter's deplorable mother in the front -ranks; she was gesticulating wildly and screaming an instruction. They -made some effort to range up near to my shop. A few constables were -about and one was sent off, at full speed, to the police station. As -I watched, I saw young Peter dash up and catch hold of his mother; he -pushed her along, and once he had got her on the run, it was not long -before the two disappeared. More names were being shouted now, and some -of the excited people, to my relief, began to move; at that moment I -heard a cracking of wood downstairs, and it appeared certain to me that -my shop, with all the valuable articles I had selected so carefully, -was about to be smashed and ruined as evidence of the patriotism of the -wreckers. Footsteps came on the staircase. - -"Hullo," said a husky voice. "All in the dark? War time economy?" - -I kept very quiet. - -"Surely," the voice went on, "you've got a kiss for me?" - -I struggled fiercely as arms went around me. The lights in the road -were suddenly turned on, and I found myself giving a bang, with the -flat of the hand, on the head of my own dear nephew. - -"A fracas in London Street," cried Herbert, amusedly, on seeing my -apologetic distress. "Well known resident in assault case. How the -warrior boy was welcomed home." - -"Herbert," I said, "if I had only guessed it was you--" - -"You ought to be out in Flanders," he declared. "Strong fighters are -just what we need. But you're trembling, aunt. What's wrong?" - -"I'm afraid of these rough people out in the roadway." - -He lighted the gas, and throwing up the window, leaned out. The crowd, -recognising a soldier, cheered, and somebody started one of the popular -airs. Three mounted policemen moved their horses sideways, and the mob -surged off. - -"Thought you'd got more nerve, aunt," said Herbert. - -"I always use to have plenty," I declared. "But, just lately, my stock -seems to shew signs of giving out." - -"For any special cause?" - -It was not necessary to load him up with troubles directly that he -arrived. To a challenge about meals, Herbert admitted that he felt -peckish. To another inquiry, made as I found the grill, and started the -fire, he explained that he had managed to enter the shop by the device -of putting one shoulder against the door, and forcing the lock to give -way. - -"Corporal Millwood," I remarked at the fire-place, "of the Guards is -a very different lad from Herbert Millwood who used to pore over his -lessons, and get bible-backed and gain scholarships." - -"Sergeant Millwood," he said, drawing himself more upright than ever. -"Sergeant Millwood, if you please." - -I had not observed the extra stripe. "You'll be an officer soon, my -dear," I said. - -"There happens to be a special reason," he confessed, colouring, "why I -should like to get a commission. By-the-bye, now are all the Hilliers? -And how's the dad trundling along?" - -I told him of his father's new engagement. Herbert, seated at the -table, so soon as the meal was ready, could not help breaking off in -conversation to return to the subject. - -"Fancy the old chap holding such a good hand of trumps!" - -"And doing more work for his country, I'll be bound, than many a Staff -Officer." - -"And the last time I heard him speak in public, he was arguing that we -ought to abolish the army and reduce the navy." - -Presently, he asked a serious question. "How does he manage about his -aitches?" - -"It's my belief," I declared, "that half of his success is due to the -fact that he doesn't bother in the least concerning them." - -Herbert, on the way to the base, had, it appeared, met the -Quartermaster-Sergeant; he said that Cartwright spoke, with enjoyment, -of the first day of his leave, and insisted upon giving all the -details, excepting (I was relieved to find) the last incident at -Charing Cross. Herbert said that Cartwright was a good man at his -job--which I could well believe--and one of the toughest and sternest -N.C.Os. in the British army--which seemed to me incredible. Herbert -wished to spend the days of his leave at Greenwich, and I went off to -air his father's bed for him. - -"Whilst I think of it," he said, when I returned. He was about to put -a match to his briar pipe, but held it free of the tobacco whilst he -spoke. "Did I ask you how Miss Muriel was, or did I, perhaps, only mean -to do so?" - -I told him all that happened, described the anxiety we were all -experiencing; the match burned down to his finger, but he did not -appear to observe the fact. I said Mr. Hillier went up to town each -evening, after his work at the Arsenal, and walked, at a swift rate, -about different quarters of London in the attempt to find his elder -daughter. That Master Edward had supplied officials on his railway -with a copy of Miss Muriel's photograph, and an urgent appeal that -they would keep a good look-out. That Miss Katherine, in all of her -spare time from the bank, made inquiries at girls' clubs, and homes, -and associations. That the one card received by me was written in a -confident manner, and that I was still hoping. - -"Still hoping?" he echoed, rather sharply. "No use in doing that. -Plenty of folk are still hoping in regard to the war, and doing -precious little else." He found his cap, and put it on: looked around -for his great-coat. - -"Where are you going, Herbert, my dear?" - -"Going to try to find her," he answered. "If she's lost, I don't care a -hang what becomes of me!" Within two minutes he had gone. - -The extraordinary thing, from my point of view, was that I, reckoning -myself a woman who took notice of everything that went on around me, -should have omitted to notice that my nephew was in love, should have -had no sort of idea that he was in love with Miss Muriel. I wished -I had taken the opportunity to tell him of the girl's defects; her -indifference to everyone but herself, her ever-changing projects, her -frank intention of marrying money, the circumstance that she alone, -out of all the members of the Hillier family, had allowed the war to -have no effect upon her. But when I considered this, it became clear -that nothing I said would have made any alteration, so far as Herbert -was concerned. If someone had called at the shop and mentioned that -Cartwright had killed three wives, and was now liable to a charge of -bigamy, it is probable I should have contented myself with the remark -that at any rate he was a well-spoken and a good-looking man. And -this in no way means that love is blind. On the contrary, love uses -eye-glasses which have the ability to exaggerate all the virtues of the -person looked at, and to minimise all the defects. - -A postcard arrived from Herbert on the last day of his leave: it was -headed Victoria Station, and it had been written with an indelible -pencil. - -"Have not discovered her. Good-bye. Please send me news." - - * * * * * - -I had little time to enjoy the pleasures and amenities of Greenwich, -but I saw enough of the borough to assure myself that, despite an -air of increasing age, it was not without its attractions. There was -always the riverside with the pier and arriving and departing steamers, -ships going up and down, and a walk to be taken along the narrow -railed passage from King William Street to Park Row, and, at low tide, -bare-legged youngsters playing on the beach, or larking with the high -and dry boats. There was the market, off Nelson Street, where those of -us who were economically minded made selections and effected bargains. - -I recall, in particular, a Sunday afternoon of May when the Park -gave me a special comfort of mind. The week had been a trying one. -The _Lusitania_ shock had not passed off, a question of re-arranging -the Cabinet was in the air, and local politicians shook their heads, -and, making groups near the Baths corner of Royal Hill, discussed -the matter gravely; the London tram-strike was still on; one or two -journals were making an attack on Kitchener; up in the north there -had occurred the worst railway accident that ever happened in Great -Britain, with two hundred of the Royal Scots killed; a two days' list -of casualties from the front contained over three thousand names; -the Germans were using new methods, and we had lost some ground near -Ypres; there had been naval disasters, and a wooden tip-cat, driven by -an energetic child with a stick, had caught me just under the eye. I -went out of Gloucester Place where sun-blinds had been fixed on the -balconies, and entered the Park by the Crooms' Hill gate that enabled -one to avoid the at times over-crowded lower part. The pink hawthorn -was in full blossom, yellow laburnum was at its best, chestnut trees -were candelabraed with white, and, in the enclosure at the foot of -the Observatory Hill, wild grasses stood thick and high. The inclined -roadway took me to the tea-house, where, inside the tall railings, folk -sat at tables in the shadow of trees, and watched the friendly sparrows -that hopped about on the close-shaven lawn. There, it was possible on -that Sunday afternoon to forget about the war (on week-days there came -the boom of testing of guns at Woolwich to remind, and the hurrying -to and fro of Red Cross vans, and the War Department motor lorries). -There, one could gaze north and see nothing but the calm sky; at the -end of the Avenue the Park took a sudden dip, and landscape was out -of sight. Captain and Mrs. Winterton came in at the gate as I was -at my second cup; folk commented on their odd appearance, and young -women giggled, but to me it seemed that the surroundings fitted them -appropriately. - -"Miss Weston," said the old gentleman, in his courteous way, "you are -enjoying solitude, and we will not permit ourselves to intrude upon -your thoughts." - -"I happened," I remarked, "to be thinking of nothing at all." - -"A fortunate state," he declared. "I discover, in my own case, that a -slight effort is needed to effect this." - -"The terrible war, sir--" - -"My love!" Turning to his wife. "Shall we tell her? I think she would -be interested to know? We can regard Miss Weston as a friend." - -"Do as you think best, dear," said the old lady. - -He gave orders to the waitress, and taking me across to the railings, -pointed with his malacca cane. "Under that tree," he whispered, -confidentially, "in the month of May and in a year that was long, -long before you, dear madam, graced the world with your presence, I -proposed marriage to the lady who is now Mrs. Winterton!" He stepped -back two paces, and gazed at me; I (for the second time) gave the look -of surprise that was expected. Captain Winterton offered his arm, and -we returned to his wife. She nodded pleasantly to indicate that I might -now reckon myself amongst the privileged few, and inside the circle of -friends. - -In the Wilderness at the south end of the Avenue, sweet smelling -azaleas welcomed one, and the imposing rhododendrons were at the summit -of their pride; in a week or two they would lose colour, and come down -in the world, but on this afternoon they were wealthy aristocrats. -Young couples sat about, declining to disengage hands when older folk -approached, and the sight made me think that I might perhaps have -cultivated romance, and thus have rendered my life the happier. The -gates to Blackheath, and there, after the shade of the Park was a -sun-illuminated space, so extensive that, but for the distant houses -on the borders, it would have been easy to imagine oneself in the -country. The heath furnished a slight breeze that invigorated, and I -walked along Dover Road to Shooters' Hill, turned and came down into -Blackheath village, took Belmont Hill to the Obelisk, and so home by -Lewisham Road and South Street. By the time I arrived, I had forgotten -to worry about the absence of sentiment from my current life; a Sunday -evening newspaper boy racing up Royal Hill, brought my thoughts again -to the war. - -I think I was not alone at Greenwich, in owing a debt to the Park. -For the folk in mourning who increased in number each week, church -was perhaps more consoling, and it was significant that even my -brother-in-law, Millwood, no longer jibed at people who attended places -of worship. - - * * * * * - -In looking back, I find it difficult to understand how it happened that -folk managed to keep up an appearance of serenity and composure; I -think there must have been tears on pillows, but nobody showed them to -the world. For one thing, there was the example of the men out at the -front. We all knew, from the start of the war, that they would fight -well; few guessed they would fight so gaily. I used to take cigarettes -and illustrated papers along to the hospital in Greenwich Road, and my -friend, the Sister there, could always introduce some humorist who had -returned grievously wounded perhaps, but rarely so much damaged as to -be deprived of his diverting outlook; the exceptions were to be found -amongst those who suffered from the gas poison first used by the enemy, -and for these the world did seem wanting in attraction. When other -subjects failed, and when the good-tempered men had exhausted jokes -about water-filled trenches, and shells that sent earth into the soup, -and mines that blew up unexpectedly, then there remained the visitors. -These were always well meaning, but they often seemed imperfectly -furnished with openings for conversation. (In my own case, I found that -the carrying of a box of matches, and the offer of it to a patient who -was about to smoke, proved a useful method of starting talk.) - -"Where were you wounded?" was the usual inquiry, and the soldier -could never tell whether the questioner wanted geographical or bodily -information. "I am sure you must be dreadfully keen on getting back -to the fighting line," was a remark that did not always gain an -enthusiastic and affirmative answer. "How we envy you in being able to -take a part in the struggle!" sometimes received a non-committal jerk -of the head; the Sister and the nurses listened later to the comments -on this aspiration. The sentence that remained long in the memory of -the ward was one made by a wealthy woman from Blackheath. She arrived, -with the obvious determination to say the correct, the tactful, the -exactly appropriate word. - -"And what injuries have you sustained, my man?" - -"Well, lady, as you see, I've lost my left arm, and I've got rather an -extensive collection of shrapnel in my right leg." - -"Oh," she remarked, casually, "is that all!" And passed on to the next -bed. The Sister declared that imitations of this visitor were popular -for weeks. - -I think women-folk showed to better advantage in the entertainments -they arranged. There were large houses in the district, possessing -extensive grounds, and parties of convalescent soldiers would be -taken by cars, and a concert provided, and plenty of food, and if the -men were not rendered shy by excessive suggestion of patronage, they -enjoyed the outing, and it counted for restoration to good health. And -some of them must have felt astonished to discover kindness where they -had never guessed that kindness existed; I know, from what certain of -them told me, that they would remember it for the rest of their lives. - -"You can take my word for it, ma'am," said one, impressively. "The -upper classes ain't nearly so black as what they've been painted!" He -ruminated for a while. "Human beings," he went on, "that's what they -are. Human beings, almost as good as the rest of us." - -I felt myself drawn towards the north country-men, who had trouble in -making themselves understood by Londoners, and who became puzzled by -the methods of London speech. Four of these came from Northumberland, -and when they were allowed to go out of an afternoon, they understood -that, if the weather chanced to be erratic, and the Park gave no -welcome, they could make their way to London Street, and rest in my -shop, and look at newspapers, and smoke, and have high tea; the great -attraction offered was freedom to talk amongst themselves with no -interference. As each recovered, he went home on leave, and I treasure -now, more than most things, a sheet of exercise book paper, written by -a child living at South Shields:-- - - "Dear lady, - - Thank you verry much for being kinde to my Daddy, - - Your loving friend, - - Milly." - - - - -CHAPTER X - - -A letter came from my Quartermaster-Sergeant. - - "We have been having a busy time lately. Nothing else but marching - and fighting, and the regiment was in the great attack described - correctly in the London papers of the 15th under the heading of - 'British Check.' But I am pleased to be able to tell you that - another attack has taken place, which proved a huge success, and the - advantage is being followed up at the time of writing. - - "Would you like to send me two re-fills for my electric lamp; address - in the Strand enclosed. It is difficult work to find one's way about - at night on unfamiliar ground. Hope you are keeping well and fit, as - it leaves me at present." - -There was the strike on with the tramway men, and I had to go by rail -to make the purchase. The train went to Cannon Street only, and in -running across there from one platform to another, I nearly came into -collision with Guard Richards who was also in a hurry. - -"Caught sight of your Miss Muriel t'other evening," he called out. - -"Where," I demanded stopping, "and how was she, and what is she doing?" - -William Richards had disappeared through one of the barriers, and did -not hear my question. It was something, however, to know that the -adventurous girl was still alive. - -At the shop in the Strand I put the usual inquiry to the -attendant--"How do you find business?"--and he said he found nothing -to complain about, and I mentioned that I, too, had no cause to -grumble. Hedging slightly, he remarked that he felt sorry that in the -old days, before the war, he had devoted so much time and money to a -favourite hobby; his wife--"She's got a bitter way of talking when -she likes!"--aided and encouraged by her mother, never failed, it -appeared, to hold him up to ridicule of an evening when he returned -home, to take supper. I had given a few vague words of sympathy, and -the counsel to take no notice, and was leaving when he happened to say -that anybody who once began to collect old furniture was considered -by non-collectors as on the road to Colney Hatch. Within ten minutes, -I had promised to wait for him near the post office, and journey -northwards in order to look at his stock, and to see whether I felt -inclined to make an offer, and take the whole lot off his hands. There -would have been less celerity over the early part of the transaction -but that, as I explained to him, it was rarely I found myself so near -to his district, and, as he explained to me, he had, to appease his -wife and her relatives, given the assurance that he was taking active -steps to get rid of the articles which crowded the rooms. On the way, -he suddenly expressed the wish that I had been a member of his own sex. -He did not know what his wife would say when she found he had brought a -lady, unknown to her, into the house. He expressed the view that if the -Zeppelins ever dared to come over London, they would receive from her -as good as they gave. - -The wife quickly informed him of her attitude in regard to my visit. So -soon as he opened the front door of his house with his latch key, and -immediately that she heard my voice, she ordered the two maids to go -upstairs. Herself conducted us into the drawing-room. - -"I've been anticipating this," she said, tearfully, "and I fully -recognise, David, that I'm partly responsible. I've got a jealous -disposition, and I expect it will be my curse and companion to the -very end of my life." - -"Miss Weston has come here--" he began. - -"I know!" interrupted his wife, finding her handkerchief. "I quite -understand, and the fewer words we exchange on the subject, the better. -Perhaps if there had been children, it might have been different. Very -likely if I had been more tactful in speech, this terrible business -could have been put off for a while. Think as kindly of me as you can, -David." - -"I always do, my dear, and--" - -"No," she contradicted, with a show of truculence. "I'm not going to -allow you to say that. I am ready to take my just share of the blame, -but not more. You know as well as I do that I stand very low in your -estimation, compared for instance with that Oliver Cromwell chair you -picked up somewhere in Essex three years ago. I needn't tell you that -you love that gate table in the next room with a devotion you never -gave to me, even in the early days of our acquaintance. It's been a -hideous blunder, David, this marriage of ours, and now that you have -taken a definite proceeding by bringing another woman into the house--" - -"What a foolish person you are!" I exclaimed. - -"Don't you dare speak to me," she ordered. "David I am sorry for, but -you I consider beneath my estimation. Heaven knows by what tricks and -dodges you have succeeded in weaving your mesh around him." - -"My dear," said her husband, "this lady and I have met this evening for -the first time." - -"That makes it worse, David. But I always suspected you were really -fond of tall women, and I cannot be blind to the fact that I am short -and stout. I only hope--" - -I managed to induce her to cease talking after a while, and, in a few -sharp words, described the reason of my visit. The strange thing was -that so soon as I had forced her to comprehend this, her annoyance -with her husband knew no bounds. Why had he mis-led her in this -preposterous manner? Why was he never so happy as when inducing his -poor wife to make herself a laughing stock? As to the furniture, she -felt by no means inclined to allow it to go. Any allusions she had made -in the past were given, she declared, more for the purpose of keeping -up genial conversation than anything else. Certainly, she did not -propose to have the house emptied of half its contents, bought mainly -with her cash, in order to gratify a man who rarely thought of any plan -or scheme likely to make her existence cheerful. - -"Nothing can be done," I remarked to the husband. "It isn't your fault. -I must see about making my way back to Greenwich." - -"I'd like you just to look at my collection," he said. "You're a bit -of an expert, I can tell, and it would be interesting to know what you -think of the purchases I have made during the past ten years. I may -have been taken in over some of them." - -"I can give you fifteen minutes." - -In the list of eccentric people I have met, the lady of this house well -deserves a first place. During the quarter of an hour, her mind went -to every point of the compass. When I said a word in praise of the -half-dozen Hepplewhite chairs, she announced that she would sooner die -than permit anything to be taken out of the house: when I commented -strongly on a faked Sheraton sideboard, she said disconsolately that a -van had better be sent for the rubbish on the following morning. Her -husband was described alternately, as the wisest and shrewdest darling -in the world, and, a moment later, as a drivelling idiot. - -"Don't you think so yourself, ma'am?" she inquired, at one moment. - -"Undoubtedly," I answered. - -It appeared I had carelessly agreed with one of her condemnatory -remarks, and, swirling around, she ordered me to leave the house. Who -was I, she would like to know, to venture to criticise her David? What -did I mean by coming there, a perfect stranger, simply in order to hold -her dear one up to ridicule? The dear one conducted me to the front -door, muttering apologies on the way. - -"Never marry anyone who's got money," he counselled. - -"There doesn't seem to be much of a catch in it." - -"Sorry you have been brought all this way for nothing. You've got a -fine night for your journey home, anyway. Fortunately, you're one of -the sensible people who take no notice of all this wild talk about -air-raids. Mind the steps," he added, counting them as I went down. -"One, two, three; that's right!" - -The first thunderous clamouring bang came as he had nearly closed the -door. He rushed out, caught hold of my arm, and pulled me in. Another -tremendous report sounded as we stumbled over the mat. The two maids -rushed wildly down the staircase and, throwing themselves upon me in a -hysterical manner, babbled questions, begged that I would save them, -urged that I should remain in the house for their protection. - -"There's no danger now," I said. "It's all over. The Zepps are a long -way off by this time. Come into this room, and let us see how your -mistress is taking it." - -The lady of the house had fainted with great promptitude, and the -discovery of some one more considerably affected by the incident than -themselves, restored the girls to composure. Dogs were barking out of -doors, and there was shouting by children; the explosions had awakened -birds in the trees at the back of the road. A fire engine went along, -clanging its bell. - -"I'm all serene," announced the astonishing lady, when she was able -to sit up. "Appear to have taken it much more calmly than the rest of -you. It's a great mistake to let the Germans imagine they can frighten -us. David, give the maids something to drink, and let them go upstairs -again." - -She mentioned, when the others were out of the room, that her people -had always been renowned for their courage, and that it was a -considerable help, in time of need, to feel one had to keep up this -reputation. I remarked that the bombs had fallen near enough to excuse -alarm; for myself, I had no desire for a closer acquaintance. - -"Now that they have come once," she said, complacently, "they will come -again. I shouldn't wonder if they arrived every night, regularly." - -"Cheerful anticipation!" - -"I can always look facts in the face," she remarked. "Nothing daunts -me. I possess the heart of a lion. The word 'fear' has no existence -where I am concerned." She went to the mirror, and beamed at her -reflection. "Do you think he will mind giving up the house?" - -Her husband's return saved me the trouble of guessing at the meaning -of this inquiry. He was ordered to find the A.B.C. and, this done, -accepted, with bowed head, all the responsibility for the circumstance -that no train ever left Paddington for Wallingford after nine-fifty p.m. - -"Then I go there, David," she announced, "early to-morrow, and stay -at a farmhouse until the war is over." She asked me rather anxiously -whether I thought the enemy's airships were likely to get so far as -Berkshire, and, meeting a glance from her husband, I gave the opinion -that the county referred to, might be looked upon as safe. In all -likelihood, the Germans had never heard of it. "My view exactly," she -said. "You will get rid of the house, David, and go into your old -bachelor rooms." - -"But the furniture, my dear?" - -"He has no head for management," remarked the lady to me, -apologetically. "You and I must settle this. Name a figure for all the -old stuff, and the remainder can go to one of the auction rooms." - -Her husband, in seeing me once again, to the front door, mentioned, -with a chuckle, that Zeppelin raids had their drawbacks, but that they -did appear to be capable of solving a domestic problem. - -The circumstance that my journey had not been wasted, in a business -sense, helped me to make my way home cheerfully. There was some -excitement amongst the people travelling, a great deal of interest, and -very little of anything resembling nervousness. One or two who had been -at the moment in underground trains regretted their ill-luck in missing -the sights and the sounds, declaring that this was but a sample of the -misfortune which persistently dogged their footsteps through life, and -the others tried to console them up by prophesying hopefully that the -occurrence would undoubtedly be repeated. No one could have complained -that night of the reticence of the Londoner. Everyone talked to -everybody, and one woman with a basket of groundsel possessed special -information that made her seem richer than any of the rest of us; she -exacted a respect that had, it is certain, not hitherto been paid to -her. All the values were, for a time, disturbed. At Greenwich station -I met Mr. Hillier. He was waiting for Miss Katherine and her brother, -who had gone to a theatre, with orders that had been presented to -Master Edward; some of the invented scraps of news had come by the down -trains, and Mr. Hillier was anxious. He walked the three sides of the -courtyard outside the station, and I remembered the announcement thrown -to me by Richards. - -"Well now," he declared, "that is really something to be grateful for. -Muriel is alive, at any rate. But what I can't understand is, why she -is doing it? I don't see the reason. What induced her to run off?" - -"I think, sir, that she was fed up with everything. I imagine that she -wanted to start afresh." - -"But she might have taken you, Weston, or me, or one of us into her -confidence." - -"Miss Muriel never gave much thought or consideration to other people. -She fixed all her regard upon herself, and for that reason, I feel -pretty sure that she is not likely to come to any harm. There's plenty -of work for girls to do nowadays, and she ought to be taking her share. -But I admit I'd like to know more about what's going on." - -"I had great theories," he remarked, "when I first married about the -bringing up of children. Wonderful theories. Magnificent theories. -And, in the result, the children brought themselves up. With help from -you, Weston. You came along in time to save three of them; if you had -arrived earlier, you might have helped the other one. Don't assume, -because we rarely talk about it, that we forget." - -"Only earnt my wages, sir." - -"I may have taken that view at the time; I see it all more clearly now. -And if you should ever meet any of the maids of the old Chislehurst -establishment, I'd like them to know, Weston, that I appreciated the -services they gave there. I did see one of them on a platform the other -day, and I should have spoken to her, but she and her husband were -travelling first and I was going third." He drew in his breath sharply. - -"You've had a lot to put up with," I remarked, "and, in my opinion, you -have stood it uncommonly well." - -"Don't mind confessing to you, Weston, that at first it took a bit of -doing. Now that I'm in the swing of it, it doesn't require so much -effort. Look at my hands!" They gave evidence of hard work in the -Arsenal. The palms had become hardened; lines were marked darkly; -there was a cut or two, and one finger had the protection of a stall. -"Honourable scars, Weston," he said, rather exultantly. "And there are -some, too, on the mind, that no one can see. Discover from your friend -the guard, so soon as you can, where he caught sight of Muriel. Here -come the other two." - -Miss Katherine and Master Edward arrived in the high state of -excitement that youth can gain from a visit to the play; they were not -greatly interested in my news of the raid, but insisted on telling -their father and me, on the way to Gloucester Place, the plot of the -musical comedy they had seen; a task which made a demand upon their -combined efforts. We found Mrs. Hillier waiting up, with a post letter -addressed to her husband that, as she admitted, she had refrained -from opening only by an effort; I could not help recalling the times -when she would have shown no such consideration. The writing was Miss -Muriel's; we made an eager semi-circle to listen to the communication. - -"I'm sorry," said Mr. Hillier, brokenly, "but I--I can't read it. -Weston, you try." - -Miss Muriel gave no address at the head of the letter, and the wording -had something of the romantic and poetic touch that she always -favoured. Having encountered a railway friend of Weston's who mentioned -that her people were worried and perturbed about her, she was now -sending a line to assure her father that she was well, and in no need -of money. Miss Muriel announced that she had engaged upon the task -of re-forming her character, and did not intend to return home until -this process was completed. She sent love to all, "including dear -fussy Weston." The note contained nothing more, and each of us, in -turn, searched it carefully, and held it up to the light, examined the -envelope. - -"Not much," decided Mr. Hillier, "but better than no news." - -"The dear child is in good health anyway," remarked his wife. - -"The dear child," said Miss Katherine, "might have a little more -consideration for her relatives. If I happen to meet the dear child, -I shall talk to her in the manner that Dutch uncles are supposed to -adopt." - -"'Re-forming her character,'" quoted Master Edward, taking the note -again. "'Re-forming,' with a hyphen. I haven't the slightest idea what -she means. A silly phrase, I call it." - -"She means improving it," I said, quickly. "And I like the tone of -her letter. The handwriting is firmer than it used to be. She's in no -trouble, and that's the great thing." - -"But," argued the lad, frowning, "how is she getting money?" - -"This parcel of mine," I said, changing the conversation, and producing -the articles bought in the Strand, "ought I suppose to go in a wooden -box if it is to travel safely to France." - -Miss Katherine, following my lead, inquired regarding the contents, -and pointed out to the others that Weston was sparing no efforts in -the endeavour to trap and secure the Quartermaster-Sergeant. Going on -with her chaff, she expressed the hope that she herself would never -have to adopt such unworthy means in order to capture the affections -of a male bird. Rather than force gifts upon a coy recipient, Miss -Katherine declared she was willing to remain a spinster with nothing in -the shape of love but a deep and unswerving affection for bank work. -Master Edward, coming in on my side, mentioned that Katherine had lent -her opera glasses that evening to an enamoured youth seated beside her -in the stalls. Miss Katherine declared that the gentleman was in no way -enamoured, that his age was well over seventy, and that she had offered -the glasses with no other motive than that of preventing her brother -from gazing through them absorbedly at a six foot lady on the stage. -The two gave us some of the tunes they had heard, acted one of the -scenes. - -"Bed, children," ordered their mother. "You both have to be up early in -the morning." - -"Shan't feel much inclined to turn out." - -"I'll see to that," I promised. - -Whereupon the young people described me as the curse of the household, -as a woman with an insane craving for breakfast at eight, one devoid of -consideration for anybody under the rank of a Quartermaster-Sergeant. I -put an end to the discussion by taking Miss Katherine in my arms, and -carrying her upstairs as I had often done when she was a small girl; I -threatened to return and perform a like service for Master Edward. - -"Weston," said Miss Katherine, in her room, "joking apart, and speaking -with a full knowledge of the importance of the announcement, let me -tell you in strict confidence, that the hour is not far distant when I -shall not have to depend, for company, upon my respected brother. Of -course we can't insure against war risks, but the outlook, Weston, may -be regarded as hopeful. Decidedly hopeful." - -"When the time comes, miss, I can only hope you will be as happy as you -deserve to be." - -"I am looking forward," remarked the girl, "to being much happier than -that!" - - * * * * * - -Cartwright acknowledged receipt of the package in a long letter written -with such an ineffective pencil that, at first, I did not trouble to -read it to the end; a van, at the moment, was arriving from the north -of London, and the elderly men in charge, explaining that all the -firm's young chaps had enlisted, announced there had been difficulty -enough in loading the furniture; they appeared to regard the task of -discharging it as impossible. Luckily, my brother-in-law, Millwood, -came along: he had some engagements to speak near town, and desired -to take up residence at London Street for a few days. He took off his -coat at once, put on green baize apron, set to work. Sales had been -good at the shop of late, and by a little shifting, and re-arrangement, -space was made. Millwood talked as we engaged upon the job, and I had -difficulty in understanding the trend of his remarks. After a while, -I discovered that he was cultivating alliterativeness in speech, -and, being challenged, he admitted that he found the trick extremely -effective in speaking to audiences. - -"I enjoy myself no end," he remarked, as we carried in an escritoire. -"Generally I'm called upon at the finish, when everybody has just about -had enough of 'igh class talk, and of well-educated chaps saying the -same thing over and over again. I give it to 'em straight from the -shoulder. Definite as a door-knocker. A tornado of truth. An avalanche -of asseverations." - -"And don't they guy you?" - -"In some places, a slight tendency to do this, at the start. But I -tell 'em a pathetic story about a soldier's little daughter, and after -that I can do what I like. I make 'em cry, and I make 'em laugh. The -tribulation of tears, and the deportment of diversion. See what I mean? -And, before I sit down, I turn on the patriotic key, and they shout the -blooming roof half off. Mary Weston, you ought to see the swell ladies -come up afterwards and offer their congratulations." - -"No doubt, a picturesque sight." - -"Sometimes," my brother-in-law went on, chuckling, "sometimes they're -at the railway station to bid me good-bye. Floral tributes. Illustrated -papers. Shaking of hands, and come again soon. Three cheers for Mr. -Millwood. And the other passengers regard me with the envy of--" -he appeared, for a moment, to be floored--"the envy of enthusiasm. -By-the-bye, why didn't my 'Erb come and listen to me when he was home -on leave?" - -"Herbert was busy," I explained. "And he felt anxious about a certain -young woman." - -"A mistake his father never committed," said Millwood. "With the -exception of your poor sister, there's never been one of them able to -exercise the slightest attraction so far as I am personally concerned." - -"You'd better touch wood," I suggested. - -The two elderly men were relieved to find the undertaking -satisfactorily completed, and in accepting silver, they mentioned that -if all lady customers were as business-like and as generous as I proved -to be, the drawbacks experienced in emerging from retirement and taking -up active duties would be considerably lightened. "The very female -parties," they asserted, "that were always a-badgering our young chaps -with 'Why aren't you in khaki?' are just the ones that complain now -because some of us old 'uns are a trifle careful in our movements!" -I counselled them not to place too much importance on exceptional -cases, and called their notice to the fact that women-folk were doing -remarkably good work in munition factories, and elsewhere. The aged -carmen closed the debate with the remark that it took all sorts to make -a world. - -"I overheard your talk," said Millwood, when we sat at a meal, in the -back room, "and it's give me an idea that I shall dove-tail into my -speech at Croydon this evening. It may be that, in the past, I've taken -somewhat 'arsh views in regard to members of your sex. Probably I have -shown a certain aloofness so far as they are concerned. A deportment of -disdain. An attitude of inattention." - -"I don't suppose they minded." - -"Not too late to make amends," he argued. "It'll come rather well from -me to pay them a sort of a veiled compliment. I shall be careful, -mind you. If they want the fulsomeness of flattery, or the slavery of -serfdom, they must go to other quarters. I made a fool of myself over a -woman once, by going out of my way to marry her, but--never again!" He -shook his head, knowingly. "Once bit, twice shy." - -"That describes your attitude fairly well," I said. "Shy is just what -you are. You're always awkward, but you're more clumsy than ever when -you're in the presence of women-folk." - -"It's a disappointed female who's making that statement," he declared, -warmly. "Oh, yes," as I protested, "I know very well what I'm talking -about. I've noticed a difference in you ever since that bill was passed -making it legal to marry your wife's deceased sister--" Millwood found -himself in a tangle of words, and his annoyance increased. He rose and -went across to the mantelpiece to find matches. "Who is this letter in -the green envelope from?" - -"The Quartermaster-Sergeant who was so kind when Master John was -missing." - -"Can I read it?" - -"If your eyesight is good enough. It only came just now, and I am not -sure that I finished it." - -Millwood explained that he sometimes picked up useful snips of -information from letters written near the trenches, and, putting on -his glasses, he went through the numbered pages of the communication. -Towards the end he began to frown. At the finish he threw the sheets on -the table, with a gesture of irritation. - -"Well," he said, curtly. "What are you going to do about it?" - -"I shall write to him, I suppose, when I can find time. They like to -receive correspondence out there. Makes them realise they are not -forgotten." - -"Yes, yes! But how are you going to answer him? What sort of a reply do -you intend to give? I'm one of the family, and I have a right to know." -To my surprise, he took hold of my arm, and shook me. "You women!" he -shouted. "Upon my word, you do know how to exasperate. It's my belief, -you find a certain delight in trying to send a man clean off his 'ead." - -"An easy job, enough, in some cases. Let me glance at Cartwright's -letter, and see what it is that has upset you." - -"Read page four," he commanded. - -It was impossible to avoid smiling, and this sent Millwood raging up -and down the small room. The Quartermaster-Sergeant wrote that he -wished to marry me so soon as the war was over, or, if I preferred it, -at an earlier date; he begged that an answer should be despatched at -once--"that the subject can be off my mind." - -"Look here, Mary Weston," said Millwood, shaking a fore-finger at me, -in his platform way. "You've got a mad, wild, reckless, tempestuous -nature--" - -"Don't be ridiculous. I'm one of the most self-possessed--" - -"Where love is concerned," he insisted, "all women are alike. I know -'em well. I've studied 'em. And I ask you to put this soldier chap off. -Postpone him, so to speak. Let your decision be definitely deferred. -Treat his offer in a lady-like manner, but allow him to see that you -are in no way eager to march immediately into the madness of matrimony." - -"What I can't understand is why you are in such a state of alarm and -excitement. What on earth has it to do with you?" - -"Everything!" he declared. "My future is at stake. My happiness is in -peril. My career----" He glanced at the clock. "Hang it," he cried, "I -shall be late for my meeting if I don't fly." - -I brushed his hat, and gave it to him. Reminded him of his pipe. -Hurried after him with his walking stick. - -"Daresay I seem somewhat peculiar in my style," he remarked, more -composedly. "But the fact of it is, Mary Weston, I came home here with -the full and definite intention of proposing to you, myself!" - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - -My mother used to say that everything in this world went by threes, and -it surprised me but little to receive a prepaid telegram from William -Richards; in his anxiety to economise he succeeded in being obscure, -but I gained that he wished to marry me. (Subsequently I discovered -he had the chance of an inspectorship at a suburban station, and -entertained a fear that he might experience loneliness.) To Cartwright -I sent a friendly note asking him to renew the suggestion when we were -better acquainted with each other. At the back of my head, there was -an apprehension that the success of the business in London Street had -something to do with all this striking unanimity. - -"Seeing that I've waited so long," I remarked to myself, "I may as well -wait a bit longer, and make sure I'm acting wisely." - -I wrote to William, giving a fuller explanation than a telegram -permitted, and asked for detailed information regarding his encounter -with Miss Muriel. He may have been huffed at my reply; in any case, he -did not send the particulars. - -The shop just then engaged me so much that not until Miss Katherine -called my attention to the fact did I notice a change in her mother's -appearance. July happened to be a warm month; there was a Sunday -in it when the heat proved trying, and Mrs. Hillier, going out to -the Park with old Captain Winterton and his wife, returned with the -confession that she felt inclined for rest. I arranged a holiday for -her without delay. The bank was, very generously, giving Miss Katherine -a fortnight, although she had not completed a year of work, and Master -Edward found himself able to get away; able too, by virtue of his -position, to obtain passes. Mr. Hillier said it would be useless for -him to make any application for leave at the Arsenal. So I packed -the three off to a town on the Suffolk coast, and it occurred to us, -as they were leaving, that nearly twelve months had elapsed since a -holiday trip was stopped; we agreed that the time--closely packed as it -had been with incident--seemed more like ten years than one. - -"You ought to be coming with us," they said. - -"Expect me at the first week end. I'm single-handed, you must remember." - -"One hand of yours, Weston dear," remarked Miss Katherine, "is worth -four belonging to anybody else." She took me aside. "What made you -select this particular sea coast town for us, you wonderful person?" - -"Seeing that letters arrive for you every other day with that post -mark----" - -"Weston," she said, "I do believe you are growing young. I detect a -strain of romance that you have not hitherto exhibited. It shows how -much influence is possessed by a Quartermaster-Sergeant in the Guards." - -I closed the shop early on the Saturday. The Wintertons promised to -look after Mr. Hillier at Gloucester Place. My train on the Great -Eastern was crowded, although excursion fares had long since been -cancelled, and a guard put me in a first-class compartment where the -passenger immediately opposite was Colonel Edgington, formerly of -Chislehurst, and for some time absent from my memory. Apparently I -too was but vaguely in his recollection, for he grasped me warmly -by the hand, assured me he was delighted to see me again, offered -congratulations on my appearance of good health. I was about to speak -of the Hilliers, when he started the topic of himself and his own work, -and the subject occupied the whole of the journey. It appeared he was -engaged at the War Office, that he had not a single moment to call his -own, that he was working as he had never worked before, that he was -now on the way to a point in the Eastern Counties which he could not -mention (but I guessed it by the ticket that was visible in the palm -of his glove) there to engage upon a task that he was not at liberty -to disclose (he told me all about it ere we reached Chelmsford). The -others in the compartment looked at me with respect as we chatted. - -"And tell me, dear lady," he said, towards the end of the journey. "I'd -like to know something about yourself. Busily engaged, I'll wager, at -this period of stress and turmoil. Eh, what! Funds, and societies, and -associations, and so forth. I've seen your name in the papers, over and -over again." - -"How was it spelt?" - -"In the way you always spell it," he answered, promptly. - -"But how do you spell my name?" - -"To tell you the truth," he confessed, "I've a most remarkable gift for -identifying faces, but I can't always find the right label. Give me a -clue, in your own case." - -"Chislehurst," I answered. "The Hillier family. A fire, and your -kindness when it happened." - -He occupied the rest of the time by blessing his soul, and reprimanding -his memory, and explaining that his thoughts were occupied with -important affairs. He was incredulous regarding my news concerning his -old friend-- - -"Not working in the Arsenal? Good Lord! Whatever will happen next in -these times?" - ---He assured me that, in making a large number of new acquaintances, -he found no one so companionable as Mr. Hillier, nobody with whom he -could argue on a perfectly amicable note. Sending my mind back to the -disputes that used to take place, I could not help estimating the -degree of warmth that existed in present-day debates between Colonel -Edgington and his friends. He asked for the address of the private -hotel where Mrs. Hillier and the two young people were staying, and -promised to call on the Sunday. - -"I find life perplexing, Weston," he admitted confidentially, -before leaving at Saxmundham. "Everything seems to be undergoing an -alteration. As for instance; in talking to you I've somehow felt as -though I was conversing with one almost my own equal in intelligence." -It was a great temptation to retort that I had never shared this, in -talking to him. But there were people in the world more deserving of -being snapped at than Colonel Edgington. - -Aldeburgh gave reminders of the war that I had not hitherto -encountered. At Greenwich, one saw troops marching about, but there -was no suggestion that any possibility of invasion existed. Here, Miss -Katherine and Master Edward pointed out to me excitedly the barbed wire -protections on the beach, the trenches with the usual names--Paradise -Terrace, Fairy Glen, A Home from Home--mine sweepers were coming -in, and we watched the ships taking up position, and the crews -disembarking. Up and down the coast, sea traffic appeared to be going -on as usual; Master Edward gave us a lecture on the useful work done -by the British navy. In the absence of his father, the lad was taking -charge of the women-folk, planning the day for them, and surprising me -by his grown-up manner: it seemed that but a week or ten days since -he was a school-boy with no greater anxiety in his mind than that his -county should win cricket matches. At the private hotel where Mrs. -Hillier welcomed me, Edward talked gravely of war affairs, and recited -scraps of information he had picked up during the afternoon, gave views -about the Russian retreat, saw that the thick blinds were carefully -drawn so soon as the lights had been turned on. In this last regard, -there was nothing casual in the military control. When a match was -struck near an unprotected window, a soldier's voice from below shouted -imperiously. - -"Put that light out there!" - -And later, came the challenging that was new to me; the circumstance -of it being given with a strong London accent made me think of it, -at first, as a joke. "'Alt, who gaows there? Advaunce friend, and -give the cahntersign. Paws friend; all's well!" Master Edward gave -me a brief abstract of the rules to be observed in the case of -attack from the sea; the general impression I secured was that you -would do well to make the way inland by the main roads, and that as -these would be required for military purposes, no civilians could be -allowed to use them. That night, the Germans did make an invasion on -the Suffolk coast, and I found myself, insufficiently clad for the -journey, and with shoes that came off at every other step, carrying -Mrs. Hillier, and Miss Katherine, and Master Edward; the progress, -not unnaturally, was slow, and I felt so gratified at encountering -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright that I awoke suddenly in my room. -(Other people's dreams are rarely interesting, but I have never failed -to take great account of my own, and I sometimes wish that, during all -the long years of suspense and perturbation, I had set down details of -them for my own reading. It is not easy now to calculate the number -of times between ten o'clock p.m. and six o'clock a.m. that I led a -British regiment to victory, and made, with my own hands, a prisoner -of the Emperor William.) In the morning I had a definite reminder -of the war in being called upon to fill in a Registration Form for -New Residents and Visitors, with present address in the area, date -of arrival in the area. A refined lady boarder complained that the -Government seemed to be treating us all as though we were kitchen maids. - -It was strange to be in a house where the early hours brought no -domestic tasks for me, and to find myself able to dress leisurely, and -completely for the early meal. Master Edward ejaculated "My Aunt!" as -I entered the coffee room, and Miss Katherine--observing that other -residents nodded privately to each other as though the remark confirmed -their estimate of relationship--at once adopted the idea. - -"We shall be proud, madam," she declared, across the table, "to include -such a considerable swell as yourself amongst the family. You will -do us credit. Your presence raises us in the general estimation. You -are, dear Aunt Weston, as my poor brother here endeavoured to convey, -nothing more nor less than a fashion plate. You are the last word from -Hanover Square. I am not using the language of exaggeration, but merely -the speech of candid compliment, when I describe you as absolutely It." - -"You are learning how to dress yourself," said Mrs. Hillier. - -"Miss Katherine gave me the first lessons." - -"Aunts," said the girl, decisively, "do not, in the best society, call -their nieces by the title of Miss. Aunt Weston, I'll trouble you to -hike over the toast." - -It took me some time to become used to the new regulation, but the -young people insisted it was to be observed. The proprietress spoke to -me in the hall, and, in regretting the brevity of my visit, suggested -that the holiday had already done my sister and her children a vast -amount of good; the remark showed how quickly inaccurate news is -able to circulate. The proprietress wanted information in regard to -my niece's marriage prospects, but on this point I could give no -particulars, and she said it was only fair to tell me that a young -lieutenant named Langford had been offering attentions to Miss Hillier, -that she and several other ladies at the hotel feared Miss Hillier's -mother knew nothing about it; a sense of duty, together with a feeling -of responsibility made it difficult for them to keep silent. There -were, in the general opinion of the hotel, too many hasty marriages -nowadays, and attractive girls, from some idea of patriotism, or a -notion of acute sentiment-- - -"It certainly isn't love," declared the proprietress, earnestly. "At -any rate, not love as I've always been brought up to understand it." - -The girls, she declared, found themselves whirled off to the altar, or -dashing away to a registrar's office, before they had taken time to -give the subject due, solemn and appropriate consideration. I assured -the lady that, in calling my notice to the incident, she had done -everything that could be expected from any right-minded woman. She -seemed greatly comforted, and went off, I am sure, to report to the -authorities. - -Lieutenant Langford was so tremendously and perhaps extravagantly -astonished at meeting us near the Moat House, which Katherine had urged -me to inspect, that he was at the start almost deprived of speech. The -other strange detail was that he happened to have leave for the day, -that he had invited a group of friends to join him in a yachting trip -up the river, and every one of them had sent an excuse. Young Langford -begged us to realise the situation in which he was placed, and to -suggest a way out. The yacht was waiting with an efficient sailorman -in charge; baskets of provisions aboard, and just enough wind for a -pleasant trip. - -"Deuced awkward, you must admit," he argued. - -"Why not take these two young people?" I asked. Langford struck himself -on the chest for not having thought of this. "I'll stay here with their -mother, and you bring them back in time for tea." - -"It's a brain wave," declared Katherine. "Aunt Weston, how bright you -are! I'll run back to the hotel, and change my hat for a veil." - -I had persuaded Mrs. Hillier the trip was a safe one to be undertaken, -and we were waiting for Katherine's return, when Colonel Edgington came -along. One could tell from the glint in his eyes that he was about to -exercise authority. - -"Well-known poet man," he announced, speaking the manner of drum taps. -"Lived not many miles from here. We'll make up a party." Langford -was presented; the Colonel eyed him sternly, until the young fellow -blushed. "Ever heard of Mark Higham?" - -Langford seemed puzzled. - -"A Persian writer," I said, interposing. And gave the correct -pronunciation of the name. "Fitzgerald translated his verses." - -"Any good?" demanded the Colonel. - -"Generally considered to be readable." - -"Very well then. We'll go and see his grave. Appropriate occupation -for a Sunday. Nothing sacrilegious about it." He turned sharply to -Langford. "You'll come with us." - -"Delighted, sir," said the young officer, endeavouring to appear -gratified. - -"And you, Weston." - -"I am going on the river," I answered, "with Miss Katherine, and Master -Edward. We particularly want Lieutenant Langford to look after the -yacht." - -"Mrs. Hillier," he said, frowning, "I ask you to give me your support. -Nothing annoys me more than to see plans upset." - -"The original plans were ours," I said, "and it is you who are trying -to upset them." - -He tried the effect of a glare upon me. The others stood around, -watching anxiously. - -"I've often crossed swords with you, Weston," he said, relaxing, -"and I can't remember a single occasion when I came off anything but -second best. Have your own way. Consider me at your disposal." He -took Langford aside, and mentioned confidentially to him and to Miss -Katherine, who had now come up, that in dealing with an exceptional -woman, it was necessary to act in an exceptional manner. The young -people, agreeing cordially, ventured to hint that he had shown tact and -diplomacy of a high order. - -Mrs. Hillier and the Colonel went off in an open carriage, and we -walked along the sea front to something like a quay, where we descended -wooden steps, receiving assistance from a sailor who was waiting with -a dinghy. "You're a tidyish bit late," he grumbled. I record this -speech because they were the only articulate words we heard from him -in the course of the trip. On the yacht that was lying out, he made -vocal sounds in lifting the anchor, but these, I fancy, were intended -to represent melody; when Langford or Edward made an attempt later to -help with the ropes, he grunted ejaculations, and the tone in which -these were uttered gave the impression that they conveyed blame rather -than praise. For the rest, a capable man, gifted in the management of -sails, and acquainted with all the tricks of the wind; as a consequence -we out-distanced other craft going in the same direction, and arrived -at a village before the hour for lunch. By nods of the head, he ordered -us to get into the dinghy that had followed the yacht with an air of -being dragged against its will, and to pull to the shore; a fore-finger -uplifted indicated that we were to return at one o'clock. - -Miss Katherine and her sweetheart had been slightly awed by his -presence, and with myself and Edward seated opposite, they engaged on -no more reckless adventure than the exchange of affectionate glances. -Once on land, they gave to folk coming out of church the sight of a -young officer of His Majesty's Army running hand in hand with a girl, -equally fleet in movement; the two raced towards the old Castle, and -went up the slope with as much ease as though the ground were flat. -Edward showed a discretion beyond his years by remaining at my side, -and adopting the gait of maturity. Looking at the couple as they -waved to us from afar I could not help thinking that youth was the -only time for love, and that when it came at middle age, whether with -Quartermaster-Sergeants, or railway men, or public speakers, it brought -an element of sobriety that constituted a drawback. Another point of -view was given by my companion. - -"They make themselves rather ridiculous," complained Edward. "I've no -objection to high spirits but the line ought to be drawn. People are -watching them, you know, and making comments." - -"And the beauty of it all is, they don't care in the least." - -"Girls are so foolish," declared the wise lad. "There seems to be no -limit to their idiocy. Why in the world a sensible fellow like Langford -should permit himself to take a share in such absurdities, I can't -imagine." - -A motor car stood in the roadway, occupied by two extremely tall ladies -who had apparently decided to allow the rest of their party to make -the ascent to the Castle. One said, before we were out of hearing, -"Bright, smart-looking lad!" and Edward held his head erect, and said -no more on the subject of the eccentricities of folk who are in love. -He was impressed, too, by finding just inside the door of the ruins, a -portly gentleman who said, "Ah, my boy, enjoying your holidays? That's -right, that's right, that's right!" Edward whispered to me that this -was a very high official in railway life; so exalted, indeed, that -to be spoken to by him in this familiar way might be reckoned as a -special compliment, and one that would not easily go from the memory. -We went up narrow stone staircases of the Castle to upper floors, and -discovered Langford and Katherine with their heads close together; -Edward's excitement over the recent encounter prevented him from -offering criticism. From an opening in the walls he begged us to share -the joy of watching the important man, seated on the grass below-- - -"You'd never guess he was anyone particular, would you?" - -Filling a pipe and seemingly in no hurry to rejoin the very tall ladies -who were beckoning to him from the car, Langford said casually, "Oh, -I know him!" and turned again to Katherine. Compared with her, even a -great personage seemed of no account. The pipe was not finished when we -descended and came out again into the open; Edward gave an ejaculation -of warning as Langford strolled across to the smoker. - -"Hullo, uncle," he said. "What on earth are you doing in this -neighbourhood?" - -The other raised himself with Langford's assistance, and shook hands. -Langford made the introductions. Sir Charles Barrett. - -"This youngster I know," said Sir Charles, breezily. "We meet, don't -we, my boy, in different surroundings." Edward was so much affected by -the generosity of the remark that he could not answer. "Your aunt"--to -Langford--"is along there with her sister in the car. Go and keep them -good tempered until I have emptied my pipe. One can't enjoy tobacco -when one's driving." - -"Care to have food with us out on the river?" - -"Settle it with your aunt, my lad. Let her arrange. Leave the decision -to her. As a matter of fact, we were on our way to discover you." - -There seemed at first a possibility that the new additions to the -group would mar enjoyment of the day. Lunch on the yacht was to be a -crowded business, and ladies of uncertain temper are rarely at their -best in these surroundings. But Lady Barrett was delighted to see her -nephew, and beamed graciously upon Miss Katherine and upon me: her -sister repeated the comment on Edward's appearance, and chatted to him, -inviting his views in regard to cricket in the past, and in the future. -The capable sailorman had everything prepared on board, and Langford -and Katherine went into the cabin to serve the meal; the rest of us sat -outside with Sir Charles and Edward on the cabin roof, all ready to -catch food as it was thrown, and to pull corks, mix salads, cut bread, -pass the salt. - -It was some time ere the lad managed to get over his astonishment at -seeing a respected and distinguished colleague behaving as an ordinary -person: I think Edward would not have succeeded in emerging from -silence during the lunch but for the occasional words of encouragement -sent up from Lady Barrett's sister. The sailor took his own well-filled -plate and retired to the cubby-hole; the yacht was well away from -both shores, and there was nothing to prevent us from taking up the -attitude of comfort. The meal over, and plates washed in the river, -and tidiness restored, Sir Charles, with no sort of warning, stood up -and in a baritone voice slightly out of practice, aided by a memory -that could not be described as perfect, gave a song appropriate to the -times, about "A soldier who never knows fear, But battles for those -he holds dear, And fa la la lah, and fa la la lah, Oh, as he goes -by, how we cheer." Young Langford and Katherine sang a duet from one -of the musical comedies with words which hinted at a light-hearted, -almost derisive view regarding the element of constancy in love, and -on this Lady Barrett's sister shook her head, and gave signs of tears, -and Lady Barrett patted her hand sympathetically, saying, "I know who -you are thinking of, dearest, but believe me he is not worthy of it!" -and the sister, recovering, smiled bravely, thus providing Edward -with an excuse for giving up a scowling determination to murder some -person of the male sex, name unknown. Lady Barrett's sister, after -much persuasion, agreed to recite. She mentioned, however, that it -was necessary for an exhibition of her art that she should face her -audience, and we had to gather together and sit closely, whilst she -took up a position at the cabin door and gave a long scene in dramatic -form, to which we were compelled to give earnest attention for a space -of eighteen minutes by the wrist watch; all the gentlemen in the -tragedy spoke huskily as though suffering from colds or drink, and all -the ladies possessed gentle, almost childish voices; it might have -filled the half hour but that the sailorman appeared and jerked a -thumb in the direction of home. The visitors prepared to leave. - -"Perfectly beautiful," declared Edward, rapturously. "Never heard -anything like it. Superb! May I ask the name of the author?" Lady -Barrett's sister pointed in a modest, and also an exhausted, way at -herself, and the lad gazed dreamily as one recognising that powers of -compliment were, in the circumstances, of no avail. Lady Barrett's -sister remarked to me that elocutionary efforts constituted an enormous -strain upon the mind and the body; in her own case it often meant -compulsory rest in a darkened room for the whole of the following day. -Lady Barrett, when her six-foot relative had, with the assistance -of the whole strength of the company, stepped from the yacht to the -dinghy, told us, in confidence, that London managers had often and -often gone on their knees to the lady, begging and imploring her to -play in Macbeth, but terms had never been arranged, because one of the -parties insisted that it was impossible for her to perform Scene One, -Act Five, on account of the language set down, and the managers--slaves -to convention--were unable to meet her views by deleting the sanguinary -incident. Langford took his people off to find their car in the garage, -and we exchanged signals of farewell when they reached the small quay. -I imagine the four of us left on the yacht were perfectly content. The -sailor had the prospect of returning home, and later, of an hour or -two at the Turk's Head; Katherine, meeting her sweetheart's relatives, -had been favourably received by them; Edward had fallen in love with -someone about three times his own age; I had been treated with no sign -of patronage. - -It was indeed the sort of day which, coming in those strenuous and -exacting times, helped one to cheer up, and to live on, and to preserve -hope. Without being in any way indifferent to the war, folk discovered -it useful now and again to become detached from it, and to escape -grim fears, and needless multiplication. (So far as multiplication was -concerned, dwellers in town were the great sufferers. Occasionally when -I had to run up to London from Greenwich, and the news of some disaster -at sea happened to be announced on the countless placards, then, in -finishing the journey, the vague notion in my mind was not that we had -lost one cruiser, but that the entire British navy had gone down.) -On the voyage back, Katherine and her young Lieutenant held hands, -and forgot, for a space, the troubles of our banking system, and the -complications of military strategy. The climax to a happy period came -when Mrs. Hillier met us on the sea front near to the lifeboat shed. - -"Aunt Weston must be told something at once," she declared, when the -young people began to give an account of their experiences. "Something -Colonel Edgington ascertained this afternoon. Her nephew has obtained a -commission in a regiment stationed not far from here. He is coming home -to do work at musketry practice." - -"Ladies and gentlemen," said Katherine, "I ask you to give three cheers -for Lieutenant Millwood." - -It is possible the Aldeburgh people thought we were slightly off our -heads. If so, the Aldeburgh people were correct. - - * * * * * - -I travelled to town that evening in a crowded compartment of the class -named on my ticket, and whilst my fellow passengers slept, I kept awake -and enjoyed my dreams. Young Langford, in seeing me off at the station, -had explained to me that although his aunt and her husband had regarded -himself and Katherine with approval, he felt by no means certain that -this view would be shared by his father; to avoid a row and to escape -anything like a dispute with a parent whom he had always obeyed, he -proposed, in the case of being ordered out, to come up to London and -take Katherine to a registrar's office. Langford hoped he might count -upon me, both for help and for discretion. - -"You know she is only a clerk in a bank?" I suggested. "Not sure -whether you have been told. We don't want misunderstandings." - -"The dear girl has told me everything," he declared, earnestly. "And -it will be a most tremendous comfort to me when I'm out there, to know -that her days are occupied, and that she has a rare, good friend in -you!" - -My open-eyed dreams regarded my nephew Herbert. The war had, so far as -he was concerned, shuffled the cards afresh, and by the hour the train -reached Liverpool Street, I had settled comfortably in my mind how the -new hand was to be played. - -"Miss Muriel shan't have him!" I promised myself. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - -I assured Katherine, more than once, that whatever the need for secrecy -so far as Lieutenant Langford was concerned, no necessity of the kind -existed in her case. She pleaded to be allowed to have her own way, -reminded me that Harry particularly desired that the fewest folk -possible should know, and eventually settled the question by informing -me, on the best authority, that her bank did not favour the assistance -of married girls. - -"I make no promise," I said, "but I shall do what I think best." - -"That will be quite good enough, aunt dear," she agreed. "And may -Providence reward you suitably by giving you a husband of your own." - -"One might look upon that more as a punishment." - -"Foolish scoffer!" she remarked. - -Colonel Edgington came to Gloucester Place, and Mr. Hillier was glad to -see him, but the evening could not be reckoned a success, because the -caller harped upon an idea of obtaining for Mr. Hillier a soft job of -some kind in Whitehall, and Mr. Hillier declared himself well contented -with his present occupation. He gave details of this with great relish -to the visitor, and Colonel Edgington commented with disparaging -comments, such as, - -"Bah!" - -"Pooh!" - -"Gah!" - -"Brrrh!" - -It seemed likely that friendship would diminish if meetings were to be -conducted on these lines, and in seeing the Colonel out, at the end, I -urged him not to call again for a week. Within that period I found a -three-quarter size billiard table in good condition, late the property -of a local club now, owing to the absence of youthful members, in need -of money. Katherine and I cleared out the half room, half conservatory -at the back of the rooms occupied by the Wintertons, and used by the -old couple as a lumber room for odd articles accumulated during a -lifetime, and of no use, as we managed to persuade them, of no use to -anybody. Apart, the Captain assured me he had been for years anxious -to destroy the rubbish, but feared this might pain his wife, and she -declared to me in private that her impression had always been that he -valued the collection dearly. We set up thick curtains over the glass, -arranged for the electric light to be fixed over the table, placed a -high long seat against the wall for the use of spectators, and when -Colonel Edgington paid his next visit, he and Mr. Hillier were taken -down to the newly furnished room, and the old sea captain, with great -importance, took up the position of marker. The game not only checked -conversation on a debatable subject, but brought the two chums into -something like their former terms of intimacy; each discovered an -excuse for the other when any failure occurred, and said, - -"If you had been playing on a full-size table, that stroke of yours -would have come off!" - -Captain Winterton was well intentioned at the scoring board, but -seldom remembered who was spot and who was plain, and his wife, with -many apologies for intruding upon the company of gentlemen, entered to -assist him in the perplexing task, with the result that one of the two -opponents, at the close of the game, was able to declare, upstairs, -that he would not have been the first to reach the two hundred if -the score had been correctly kept. The time came when Edward offered -to give lessons to the old captain, and this was self-denying on the -part of the lad, for no plan, however ingeniously devised--giving -eighty-five in a hundred, or three strokes to one--ever assisted -Captain Winterton to get near to a close finish. We encouraged him with -judicious flattery, and although he usually took about two minutes -to decide how to play a ball, he invariably declared that his one -fault was recklessness; this defect amended, he felt sure he would be -numbered amongst the experts. Meanwhile, he quickly adopted one method -of the billiard room by giving copious and truculent advice to Edward, -using for this a booming fog-horn voice, altogether different from his -normal tones. - -"Play it off the cushion, my lad!" And "For Heaven's sake, don't pot -the red; the white's in baulk!" And "Chalk your cue, sir; damme, chalk -your cue!" The game over, and the result announced, he went back to the -usual manner of courtesy. One advantage gained from the presence of the -old gentleman was that as he still declined to argue about the war, or -to recognise that it existed, all of us, including Colonel Edgington, -decided to imitate this peculiarity. - -Which did not mean that our minds were permitted, for long, to escape -the subject. From a customer, I heard that some exchanged men had -arrived at the Third London General Hospital at Wandsworth, and I went -over there on a Wednesday afternoon that Millwood was able to give to -the shop, to ascertain whether any of them had been in the camp from -which Master John's letters and post cards, with now and again an -alteration in number, or company, or barracks, were now dated. There -was some trouble at the gates because I had no permit, but I mentioned -I had come from Greenwich, and the sentry, remarking with pride that -his birthplace was Maze Hill, found a solution of the difficulty. "I'll -turn my back," he said, "and pretend to have a sudden fit of a cough: -you take advantage of my infirmity, and slip through." - -Maimed soldiers in blue uniforms were about on the sloping lawn that -went to the railway; some had groups of friends around them, and a few -were alone. I went past the main building, and entered a corridor that -took me past a number of wards, well ventilated, cheerful and with the -faint scent of anæsthetics, and to nurses I put an inquiry; for the -most part they could give no information, but one or two suggested C5. -Outside C5 I found two men who had no visitors, and they replied to my -question alertly and re-assuringly. They had said good-bye to Corporal -Hillier but five days previously. He had gone up for examination with -the others selected, but was sent back. They felt certain he would come -along in the next group. They said Corporal Hillier was bright and -well; his knowledge of French and German proved helpful. Being amongst -the wounded, he was not called upon to perform arduous tasks. Both said -the treatment was as good as one could hope for, excepting in regard -to food. "The food, miss, is absolutely--well, there's no word for it! -At any rate, not one that could be repeated to you." They agreed that -no British prisoner could keep alive unless he received parcels from -home, and assured me Corporal Hillier was more fortunate than many in -this respect. "He gets two a week, he does, regular, besides them from -his own family. Two a week, sent by a particular donah of his called -Weston. We've noticed her name on the labels." I was about to make -further inquiries, but a child's voice at the doorway of C5 called -"Daddie--Daddie. Don't you know me?" and one hobbled off to greet the -little girl; the other man was summoned by a Yorkshireman who, engaged -in writing a letter, needed some counsel in regard to spelling. On -my return I noticed in the wards of the corridor, one or two men in -their beds who looked dejected and tired of everything; a Sister was -explaining to some callers that these suffered from gas poison. For -the rest, they were so cheery, and good-spirited that you might have -thought--to look at their features, and to disregard their injured -bodies--that they had been taking a share in nothing more serious than -a rather exhilarating football match. - -The times were all the more interesting because the age of miracles -re-appeared. In a local hospital which I visited, with Katherine, on -Sunday afternoons, there was a young soldier afflicted with loss of -speech, following upon shell-shock. He proved a ready student, and we -were gratified by the way in which, under our tuition, he picked up the -deaf and dumb alphabet. We might have saved ourselves the trouble. One -afternoon we called, and went directly to his corner, prepared to give -advanced lessons. - -"Begun to think," he remarked, in a natural voice, "that you two were -going to give me the slip. What's delayed you?" - -It appeared that on the Saturday, a group of amateurs had come to give -a harlequinade entertainment. One dressed as a clown, in going through -the ward, advanced playfully towards our soldier, holding out the red -painted poker that was to take a share in the acting. The youth started -back affrighted, and speaking for the first time for months, told the -clown to be careful, adding that he had no desire to find himself -burnt. From that moment, onwards, he made up by vivacious conversation -for the period of enforced silence. - -Hospitals could scarcely be evaded by anybody, and you never knew -whom you might meet there. For instance, a customer of mine, after -declaring that she would add nothing to her collection of old -furniture on the grounds that money should be saved and lent to the -Government, discovered in a friend's house a Queen Anne tallboy chest, -and a craving for possession took hold of her. The friend resolutely -declined to sell; my customer came to me with an urgent appeal. I saw -an advertisement of one from a London square, and although I begrudged -the trouble of the journey, and the giving up of time, I went to town; -spent a brisk three-quarters of an hour in haggling with a gentleman -who knew more of the subject than I had ever attempted to learn; made -a feint of coming away and was re-called by him, to listen to a frank -statement of eagerness to sell. On this, I fixed upon an Adam elbow -chair, affecting to have lost all interest in the tallboy chest. I -eventually obtained the chest at less than the figure I had first -offered. On the best of terms now, he made me promise that before -returning to Greenwich I would inspect the glass windows, not far off, -which had been broken in an air raid of a few nights before. - -On the way I noticed that a hospital where wounded soldiers were -sunning themselves outside, announced a Pound Day and a grand -entertainment for the current date. Remembering the profit I was to -make out of the chest bargain, I went up the steps, put my sovereign on -the matron's table. I think it was the rare sight of gold that caused -the official lady to exhibit particular gratitude--there were several -notes there signed by Mr. Bradbury--and anyway I found myself taken by -her to the out-patient's department where a show was being given by a -first class set of good-natured theatrical folk. (There seemed to be no -limits to the kindness of their profession). - -The matron caught sight of me as I was leaving, and dropped everything -in order to intercept. I had not signed her Visitor's Book. I must -undoubtedly sign her Visitor's Book. Her Visitor's Book would be -valueless without my signature. On the same page, and but a couple of -entries above, appeared the name of Herbert Millwood. It seemed my -nephew was upstairs visiting one of the men, and feeling myself well -repaid now for a burst of generosity, I waited outside for him. - -"No, aunt," he said, when I made a suggestion concerning the raid as -we walked in the crowded main road. "Smashed glass belonging to other -people makes no call to me. Broken hopes belonging to myself are much -more important." - -It appeared he was going back to duty that night, and had to catch a -train from Liverpool Street; I soon discovered that he had spent the -day in making one more effort to discover Muriel Hillier. - -"I've no patience with her," I declared. "There can't be a good reason -for keeping her relatives in suspense. If I came across her now, I -should have a word or two to say to her." - -"And I too," remarked Herbert. "Likely enough, though our words would -not be identical." - -We turned into Red Lion Square to escape the crush. - -"I know how difficult it is to give advice, my boy," I said, "in -matters of the kind, and I'm aware that it's next door to impossible to -get it accepted. But I wish you'd recognise that the situation has very -much changed since the time when you fell in love with her. You're a -lieutenant now. You're an officer in His Majesty's army. You've made a -good record. Whilst she--" - -"I don't want to hear anything for her, aunt, or against her. I only -want to hear something of her." - -"She may have found somebody--" - -"'May,'" he echoed, impatiently, "'May' conveys nothing to me. The -truth is what I'm going to find out." - -"How?" - -"By all the means in my power. By all the means in other folk's power -that I can command with influence or money." He turned appealingly to -me. "You are clever at most things, aunt." - -"If I lose a needle, my boy, I don't go searching for it in a bundle -of hay. I get a new one. And listen to me. You know how much I care -for you." For answer, he pressed my arm affectionately. "If I've been -able to do something for you since your dear mother went, why it has -been done, not only because it was my duty, but because I reckoned it a -pleasure. And to be quite plain and candid, I've no desire to see you, -when the war is over, going back to your ordinary career, hampered, -and crippled, and bothered by a selfish wife who, all the years I've -known her--" - -"This," he interrupted, "is an admission that you haven't put your head -into the work. Be a good soul now, aunt, and do me a great favour. I -promise I'll never ask for another, so long as I live." - -"That's a promise I hope you'll break." - -"Find her!" he persisted. "Let me know she's safe and well, and you'll -place me so much in your debt that, whatever I do, I shall never be -able to repay you. Give me a kiss to seal the bargain." - -There was no refusing when he put the case in this way. I guaranteed -that I would increase my efforts, assured him I would strain every -nerve to find her. We walked through the narrow passage to Red Lion -Street, and in Holborn, before taking a motor omnibus, he declared, -cheerfully, that he knew I would be sending him news ere the month was -out. - -Young Langford received a hint that his regiment was to be ordered -abroad at an early date, and news of the engagement had to be announced -at Gloucester Place; this done, I took Katherine off to the registrar's -office, and made the necessary inquiries. It appeared that the official -there was used at the time to hastened ceremonies; he seemed to expect -that I, too, had an intention of getting married without delay. We -decided it was to be done by licence, and Katherine was able to state -that she had lived in the district for fifteen days; she felt justified -in declaring that there existed no legal impediment. It was fortunate -that we acted promptly. At home we discovered a telegram of reckless -extent from young Langford announcing that he was coming to town on the -morrow, and leaving England on the day which followed. - -"I had intended," said Mrs. Hillier, smiling, "to read my little girl a -lecture, but there's no time for that now." - -"It will be all hurry-scurry," I mentioned. - -Hurry-scurry it was, but Mrs. Hillier and I agreed that the day was -not to be exempt of formality, and we all resolved that the dear girl -should not go without wedding presents. So there was shopping to be -done, food to be ordered, and Captain Winterton was directed to be -ready to stand by in case Mr. Hillier proved unable to obtain leave -from his work at the Arsenal. I had given assistance to a next door -neighbour of mine in London Street at a period when he was experiencing -domestic anxiety, and, after the baby came, and all was well at home, -he mentioned to me that if I wanted anyone, at any time, to look -after my shop for a few hours, he would be offended unless the choice -fell upon him. Katherine wrote to the bank to say a slight attack -of neuralgia made it advisable that she should remain indoors for -twenty-four hours; she added a dutiful apology. Edward declared that -the question of his leave of absence was an easy matter: if necessary, -he proposed to seek audience of Sir Charles Barrett himself and explain -the reason. He found the idea received with screams of protest. - -"Thoughtless infant!" cried Katherine. - -"Foolish lad," I ejaculated. - -Edward, reminded of the demands of secrecy, admitted he had come near -to putting his foot deep into disaster, and took some credit for having -enabled us to give a warning. - -It is certain that no one took such a keen relish of anticipation in -the ceremony as Captain Winterton. His habit was to walk the pavement -of Gloucester Place on fine mornings as though he were pacing a deck; -the residents knew that when he crossed and made the tour of The -Circus, exercise was nearing its finish. Generally for this promenade -he was apparelled in a blue serge reefer suit and a peaked cap: on the -great day, the old sea captain wore a silk hat with a crescent-shaped -brim that, despite good condition, marked its age; he had lavender -trousers, yellow waistcoat, a frock coat of the style of the eighties, -a malacca cane. Always courteous in acknowledging salutations, he now -stopped to chat with tradesmen and neighbours, feeling perhaps that -an explanation of his splendour was due to them. We had to thank the -Captain for the fact that a small crowd of ladies began to assemble -near the house, very hardly tried in the endeavour to pretend that each -was there by accident; from the balcony I could hear those who had come -in pairs bewailing the circumstance that the wedding was not to take -place at a church. - -"Seems such a skimpy way of getting married," they declared. - -Young Langford arrived in good time, and shewed exuberant spirits when -he found that the arrangements were complete and satisfactory. "Ought -to have known I could rely upon you, Miss Weston. And I've been in -a most frightful agony of mind in the train; you've no idea. Eleven -o'clock? Right-o. This is absolutely topping!" Mr. Hillier did not -return from the Arsenal, and he had told us to avoid waiting for him. -The four of us went down the stairs, found Captain Winterton in the -hall. - -"I know, my love," said his wife to Katherine, coming out of her room, -"that it doesn't go with your costume, but, just to please me, wear -this piece of lace. It brought me happiness, and I've got the notion -into my foolish old head that it may bring good luck to you. It's -valuable," she added, nodding her head, "in more senses than one." - -"I'll take every care of it," promised Katherine, "and you shall have -it back in less than an hour." - -"You're to keep it all your life, dearie. And I've some other bits for -you, later on, to go with it." - -It was but a short walk from Gloucester Place to Trafalgar Road, but -we gained enough attention to satisfy any craving in that respect. The -sight of old Captain Winterton, arm-in-arm with Miss Katherine in -itself attracted notice; I wanted the party to stroll along informally, -but he begged me to allow him to superintend this detail, and his joy -in thus leading the procession was something it would have been a pity -to hurt. Arrived, he marshalled us two deep, and went into the office -to make inquiries. Returning, he appeared to have bethought himself -of the fact that this was to be a quiet wedding, for he beckoned in -a mysterious way, spoke in a whisper assuring us all was in order. -Within, his deportment was that of a devout person in church; the -discreet manner in which he gave half-sovereigns to everyone about -the place willing to accept tips, suggested an anxiety to make the -ceremony as legal and binding as possible. The two young people made -a good-looking couple as they stood at the table, and they were -extraordinarily composed; for myself, I can restrain tears, with no -difficulty, at a funeral, but at a wedding--well, the one incident -comes, as it were, at the end of the story, and there is nothing -more to be found out concerning it: in the second, you cannot help -speculating, and wondering, and sometimes fearing in regard to the -coming chapters. - -The registrar--I knew him by sight as well as anything, and had always -guessed, incorrectly, he had to do with a picture palace--the registrar -shook hands, gave over the certificate, and told the bridegroom (first -inquiring anxiously whether he had seen this week's _Punch_) an -anecdote concerning a drill-sergeant. I think old Captain Winterton -was rather pained at this secular demeanour, for he escorted us out, -sorted us into couples, and gave orders. "The wife," he whispered to -me, "will be desirous of knowing that everything has gone off well." In -Gloucester Place, some of our neighbours did an act that I shall always -remember to their credit; from the balconies they threw down flowers as -the young soldier and his bride came near. I recollect that Katherine -picked all of them up, and smiled at the givers, and blew a kiss to an -infant, who, held by his nurse, was clapping his chubby hands. - -The meal was, for Edward's sake, taken early; the lad seemed concerned -at the possibility of disastrous happenings at the head offices during -his absence, and assured his new brother-in-law that railway life -exacted, in these days, and under Government control, a strain that -military men with their comparatively simple duties could scarcely -estimate. Langford appeared to be in no humour to dispute or argue with -anybody. - -"People say I look worried," remarked Edward. "What do you think?" - -Langford had not observed this, but if it existed, felt sure there was -every reason. - -"You wouldn't imagine I was not much more than fifteen, would you?" - -Langford had, it appeared, estimated the other's age as higher than -this; Edward showed gratification. - -"By-the-bye, there was something I meant to ask when I saw you--I have -such a lot to think about that--I know what it was. Your unmarried aunt -whom we met at Aldeburgh. Keeping well, I hope?" - -Langford was able to give re-assuring information. - -Mrs. Winterton came up to the meal, bringing her present of more lace, -and the rest of us exhibited our purchases. The gifts were all of a -simple nature, but the young couple showed rapture over each article; -Katherine reproached me with forgetting that the baby grand in the -corner had always been looked upon as a wedding gift, in advance. -Everything would have proceeded smoothly but that Edward, coming out of -a fit of abstraction remarked suddenly: - -"Wish Muriel had been here!" - -Captain Winterton broke the silence which followed, by adjusting the -plates and glasses before him, pulling at collar, clearing voice, -running fingers through his white head of hair. Standing up, he bowed -to Mrs. Hillier. He rose, he said, on this happy occasion--this -festive, domestic and matrimonial occasion, he might say--to propose -a toast, one which, he felt sure, we should all join heart and hand -in drinking. It was a happy toast, and this was a happy occasion. He -loved a wedding, and during his somewhat lengthened progress through -life--and he had had his fair share of bunions: yes, we might laugh, -but he was speaking the truth--as he said, he loved a wedding; he had -been to many, and hoped to go to many more. Captain Winterton spoke for -five minutes, and closed with these lines, - - "_The toast, the toast, the toast's the thing - To make hands tingle, and glasses ring_." - -The old chap seemed greatly relieved to get the speech over: it -occurred to me the style of it was somewhat away from his usual manner. -Lieutenant Langford said, "Thanks, ever so much!" and we were chatting -freely when the bell rang at the front door. I ran down. Colonel -Edgington. He had brought a square parcel for Katherine, and was about -to leave it, with his compliments, when I told him the wedding had -just taken place. He bustled up the stairs, upbraided Mrs. Hillier -for not informing him of the date, kissed the bride, took a chair, -and declining other food, ate an orange with considerable fierceness. -Katherine filled his glass, and he stood up, and frowned at us. - -"I rise," he said, in a loud, determined voice, "on this happy, and I -might say, festive, domestic and matrimonial occasion, to propose a -toast which, I feel sure, you will all join heart and hand in drinking. -It is a happy toast, and this is a happy occasion. I love a wedding, -and during my somewhat lengthened progress through life, and I have had -my fair share of bunions--oh yes, you may laugh, but I am speaking the -truth--" The Colonel finished with, - - "_The toast, the toast, the toast's the thing - To make hands tingle, and glasses ring_." - -The solution of the duplicated address came, days later, when we had -discussed fully the question of coincidences. A middle-aged clerk in -Edward's office, invited to a wedding breakfast, had been cautioned -that he would be expected to propose the health of the bride and -bridegroom. Edward was called upon to listen to his colleague's recital -of the same piece of eloquence from a shilling book called, "Speeches -for Every Occasion." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - -Lieutenant and Mrs. Langford went off to town, and by nine o'clock -the following morning Katherine was at the bank, her wedding ring in -hiding and attached to a thin gold chain that hung around her neck; -I am sure she found a keener delight in the secrecy than she would -have discovered in the most elaborate publicity. Young Langford's -battalion left Southampton with three rumoured destinations--France, -The Dardanelles, Mesopotamia--and all we could say of these was that at -least two were surely inaccurate; the dear girl came to London Street -that evening and in the back room, and on my shoulder had a long cry, -and, this over, gave no signs of depression or tears. We had good news -one Sunday night of an advance by British troops south of La Bassée, -and a victory by the French in the Champagne district; to hear folk -talking of this near the railway station you would have guessed that -the war was almost at an end. A few days later the casualty lists of -our officers came in, and we knew then some of the expense of the -small victory, and could guess at the total. The newspapers were in -disagreement concerning the proposed landing of troops at Salonica. -A quotation from a Paris journal was headed, "Help Mother First." My -customers, at times, brought me their definite and resolute views on -the conduct of the war, and seemed disappointed that I was prepared to -go no further than admit relief in the thought that I had not to take a -share in the direction. - -"Women," they argued, "couldn't make a bigger muddle of it than men are -doing." - -"Nothing ever happened yet," I said, "that might not possibly have -been worse. Let's keep cheerful. Peace will come along some day." - -"And then," grumbled a woman from Plumstead, "there won't be near so -much money to be earnt as what there is now." - -Certainly there was no lack of critics at that period. A blind man -who sold matches and boot-laces said to me one evening that he would -very much like to occupy Kitchener's position for twenty-four hours. -Four-and-twenty hours; no more, no less. He refused to disclose his -scheme to me in full, but hinted that it included the dropping of a -bomb full tilt on the helmet of the German Emperor. "The Government -hasn't got gumption," he complained. "What it wants is the help of us -business men. We'd soon stop these Zepps!" - -There came another and a serious air-raid, and hearing a certain town -spoken of in this connection, I hurried there to ascertain whether some -small houses belonging to me had been damaged. There was a considerable -amount of destruction there, but my little property was safe, and -I managed to get away from the excited tenants, and escape some of -the vivid details of the attack. Intending to alight at New Cross -station on the Brighton line, I, absorbed in the evening newspaper, -found myself carried on towards London Bridge. I wanted to reach home -swiftly, because the private inquiry folk, whose services I had engaged -immediately after my officer nephew's urgent appeal, had hinted that -they expected to be able to send me a communication by an early post. -There seemed few grounds for hoping that this would be satisfactory, -and bewailing my stupidity in missing New Cross, and regretting the -delay, I changed thoughts from self-reproach by composing a letter -which would convey my regrets at the failure of the inquiry, sarcasm at -the want of intelligence exhibited. To be candid, it was only for the -sake of Herbert that I wanted to gain news of Muriel Hillier. We were a -comfortable group now at Gloucester Place, and the return there of an -authoritative and selfish-minded girl was not an alluring prospect. - -"How much is the excess fare?" I asked, at the barrier. - -"One moment, madam. Stand aside, please, and let the other passengers -go through." - -For some reason, I had not before encountered girl ticket collectors, -and the politeness of manner surprised me. Obeying the instructions, -I waited in the shadow; the peak-capped young woman collected -tickets, disregarded a florid gentleman's offer of a rose, gave brisk -information concerning return trains. Then she turned to me, and the -light of the lamp shewed her features. - -"Miss Muriel!" I exclaimed. - -"Excess from New Cross," she said, filling in a slip from a book. -"Threepence." Taking the coin and the ticket from me, and handing -over the change. "Ninepence, thank you." I went through the barrier, -expecting her to follow, but she closed it and remained on the platform. - -The inspector said he would certainly give me all the assistance in -his power, so soon as he was free from the task of despatching a main -line train. Ten minutes later, he and I searched the ticket collectors' -office. Two of the uniformed girls were emptying tickets from pouches, -and sorting them. - -"That is the young lady I wish to speak to," I said, pointing. - -She turned and faced me. - -"You've made a bloomer," remarked the inspector, frankly. "You want a -party with the cognomen so to speak of Hillier, I understand. This one -is Miss Dumbrill." - -"That is my name," she said, composedly. - -"I don't care what she calls herself," I declared. "I know very well -who she is." I appealed to her. "You recognise me, don't you, dear?" - -"Oh, yes," she said. - -"There!" to the inspector. "What did I tell you?" - -"Remember you quite well," she went on, eyeing me steadily. "You had a -ticket as far as New Cross, and I excessed it. You gave me a shilling, -and I handed you the right change. What is your grievance?" - -The other girl stood by, watching interestedly. - -"I am Weston," I said. "Mary Weston." - -"If that is the only complaint you have to make," she said, "it is not -very serious." - -"I was housekeeper for many years at your people's place at -Chislehurst. I moved with them to Greenwich. Your brother John -enlisted, with my nephew Herbert Millwood. Herbert is more anxious than -anyone else to have news of you. He has a commission now." - -"And the Victoria Cross?" - -"No." - -"Strange," she mentioned. "In romantic stories of this kind, they -invariably gain the Victoria Cross." She spoke to the inspector. "Find -out where this lady wishes to go, and put her on her way, will you? If -she hasn't any money, I'll provide all that's needed." - -"Miss Muriel, Miss Muriel!" I cried. "For Heaven's sake, don't go on -playing this silly game. If you want to keep your independence, you can -do it, without all this. You don't know how much worry your folk have -gone through on your account!" - -The inspector was called away by a porter. I left the collectors' room, -and stood at the doorway, endeavouring to think of some plan. - -"Shut the door, please," she said, attending once again to her work of -sorting. She found that the order was not obeyed, and came forward. - -"Miss Muriel," I whispered, urgently. "Your mother. She is seriously -ill. Not expected to live. And wants to see you." - -Her features became pale. With a nervous movement she tipped back her -peaked cap, and she hesitated. - -"Wait for me," she said in a low voice, "near the bookstall at the -other station." - -I did not mind any delay, and objected the less because I found at the -stall my young friend Peter serving newspapers and magazines alertly; -ready to chat with me, in the intervals, on what he called, with an -air of enormous age, the good old times at Greenwich. He endeavoured, -I am sure, to keep the suggestion of patronage out of his inquiries, -but it seemed impossible for him to disguise the fear that Greenwich, -since his departure, had been on the down grade, and that nothing could -be done for it unless Providence thought fit to return him to the -neighbourhood. Peter was still engaged with the Scouts: he had attained -a notable position of authority, and was persuading all his younger -colleagues to join. Peter said his firm had sent thousands of men to -the war; if it lasted long enough he himself hoped to have a chance of -taking a part in it. "I'd like to account for a few odd Germans," he -said. "By-the-bye, how's that poor nephew of yours getting on? And his -poor old father. And poor old Mr. Hillier? And poor old Mrs. Hillier?" -In assuring Peter these were well, I recollected that trouble would be -encountered later when an explanation had to be given of the statement -used to persuade Muriel to accompany me. Always a difficult young lady, -it was not easy to guess how much reason had been brought into her -disposition by the change of surroundings and the new manner of life. -She came up when I was considering the best moment for an admission. - -"Is my mother really very ill, Weston?" she demanded. - -"It's doubtful," I answered promptly, "whether she will ever be able to -leave the house again." - -We went up the slope to the platform; it happened that a train arrived -immediately. The carriages were crowded, and as we both had to stand -up, conversation--fortunately for me--was impossible. The great point -was to get her to Gloucester Place, and meet her folk; I felt ready -to take any amount of blame and criticism so long as this result was -effected. As intervening passengers swayed to and fro, I observed, -now and again, the alteration in her appearance. Muriel had lost the -petulant, fractious air; in its place was a manner of determination, -and self-reliance. A middle-aged man, after thinking the subject -over so far as Deptford, rose and asked her to take his place; she -answered that he was not to incommode himself. At Greenwich, and on the -platform, she took my arm. - -"Don't let us talk," she begged. "I want to get there as quickly as -possible. She may be asking for me." - -A small car was standing outside the door, and, recognising it, I -thought perhaps the doctor had called to see the old couple on the -ground floor. In the hall stood Captain Winterton and his wife: they -were holding hands, and their features shewed acute anxiety. The house -was very silent. - -"At last," he whispered, relievedly. "She wants you, Miss Weston." - -"Who?" - -"That," said Muriel, "is surely an unnecessary question." She led the -way briskly upstairs. - -"We heard a bumping sound overhead," explained Mrs. Winterton to me. -"We ran up at once, and found Mrs. Hillier in a faint on the floor. The -Captain rushed at once for a medical man." - -The doctor was on the landing as I ascended the staircase. He looked -grave, but on that I put no great account: it is one of the tricks of -some members of the profession to hint at acute difficulties and thus -emphasise the credit for overcoming them. He said Mrs. Hillier had -probably been attacked by sudden giddiness, and that the fall had -stunned her; he was perturbed by the fact that she had not yet regained -consciousness. - -"She has had worries, doctor." - -"Of course, of course," he said, impatiently. "Everyone has them in -these days." - -"Her's have been rather extra special. But the presence of her elder -daughter will have a wonderful effect when she comes to." - -"If she comes to," he corrected. - -Katherine was home from the bank, but Mr. Hillier and Edward had not -arrived. The doctor and the Wintertons had carried my mistress into -the bedroom, and there I found the two girls watching their mother -intently and apprehensively. I loosened a part of Mrs. Hillier's dress -and took her hand; there came a slight twitch of the face, nothing -more. The doctor was called from below. Returning, he said that he -had been summoned to a case of a young wife in Croom's Hill; it was -imperative he should attend, for no nurse was in attendance. He gave me -instructions, promised to come back. I could not help agreeing that his -services were more valuable in a case where an addition was being made -to the world than in one, at the other end of life, where he could do -little. - -"By-the-bye," he said, at the front door, whilst his man was -re-starting the car, "I know all about you, Miss Weston. A friend -of mine, once a doctor of the neighbourhood, has a house, so well -furnished that his wife is envied by the wives of all other medical -men. He confided to me that the credit was really due to you. Now, I -wonder whether you would mind, some day, looking in at my place, and -just giving a word of advice--" - -"My dear sir," I declared, "this is no time to be talking shop. At any -rate, not my shop. All I can think of now is whether the dear soul -upstairs is going to recover." - -Edward came home full of a compliment that had been paid to his -railway by a notable statesman; he hushed down at once, and begged I -would give him tasks to perform. I could think of nothing else but the -job of meeting his father at the station, and giving a hint of the news -that waited in Gloucester Place. To the lad's satisfaction, this proved -worth doing, for Mr. Hillier had intended to give up an evening to one -more search in town for his elder daughter. Edward was able, from the -platform, to beckon to him. - -We all stood about in the rooms, talking quietly. No commotion was made -over the return of Muriel, and few explanations were asked, but Edward -declared himself puzzled and slightly aggrieved on hearing that his -sister, for nearly all the time that we were looking for her, had been -so close to the offices in which he himself was engaged. - -"She's altered," he remarked. "Less disposed to make every one wait -upon her, hand and foot." - -I hurried from him to the side of the bed. - -"Muriel," Mrs. Hillier was saying. "My Muriel!" - -The girl, at a signal from me, came across, and kneeling down, took her -mother's hand, placing it against her own cheek. The hand moved slowly -upwards and smoothed the hair. - -"Ah!" ejaculated the dear woman, contentedly. And her head drooped on -the pillow. I adjusted the clothes and bent down to listen. - -"Wonder how long the doctor will be," whispered Mr. Hillier anxiously, -"before he comes back." - -"There is nothing for him to do now, sir," I replied. - -I sat up all that night--I could not tell you why--and the others -rested. The two girls went off tearfully to Katherine's room; and I -could hear them whispering confidences to each other until the early -hours of the morning. Breakfast was ready when they all came into the -sitting room; I might have spared myself the trouble of preparing -anything but the coffee. The blinds remained down; the cheerful sounds -of a waking day in the gardens had a jarring note. - -"The funeral on Sunday," I suggested to Mr. Hillier. "Will that be -convenient?" I tried to speak in business-like tones. - -"Please take charge of it, Weston," he begged. "I feel rather--rather -knocked over." - -"You ought to stay away from the Arsenal for a week, sir." - -"No, no! Work is the best thing for all of us. Especially just now." -He went around the table and kissed the three, and hesitated after -embracing Muriel. "My big girl," he said, nervously, "is not going to -leave us again?" - -"I meant to, father," she replied, quietly, "but this makes a -difference. This brings us together." - -"Wish John were at home," he said. - -"We've been saying that," I remarked, in a brisk way, "ever since he -was taken at La Bassée. We shall have to be patient until the war is -over. No use expecting wonders to happen, just to oblige us." - -I wrote that morning to my nephew Herbert. - - * * * * * - -Herbert's father was entitled, by his alertness, to put in a claim -for a smart piece of work. He happened to be at a military hospital, -Westminster way; an entertainment was being given to some of the -wounded, and he had been asked to give one of his rousing, patriotic -speeches. The commandant, in shewing him around, mentioned that some -exchanged men had arrived that day. - -Millwood said, "I want some fresh stuff to talk about. Let's have a -glance at 'em, and a bit of a chat with 'em." The first one he spoke to -was introduced as Corporal Hillier. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - -John was allowed by the hospital authorities to come to Greenwich for -the ceremony, and his return to Gloucester Place--which we had often -decided, in conversation, was to be a great incident, with flags out -at the balcony, and, indoors, food and much rejoicing--found itself -tempered by the circumstances. We reckoned to find him changed; it -never occurred to us that his wounds and his hard experiences would -have aged and altered him so much. But for his voice--and that, -too, was not quite the same that one remembered--it might have been -difficult for those who knew him but casually to identify him. We -came back from the cemetery at Lewisham, leaving there the two simple -wreaths (one from her Ever loving Husband and Children, and the -other from Mary Weston, with Respectful Sympathy) to find Colonel -Edgington waiting outside the house in Gloucester Place, and swelling -with annoyance because he had been unable to obtain an answer to his -summons with the knocker, or his appeal with the bell. The Wintertons, -desirous of not intruding upon us, were out for the day, and their maid -had gone to see the boys performing their exercises on the corvette -that rests on a calm sea of asphalt near the Royal Hospital School; -she was doubtless giving a special interest to a scholar in Boreman's -Foundation, who chanced to be her brother. Although the blinds were -down, and we, with the exception of John Hillier, wore black, the -Colonel did not make a guess at the loss which had taken place; he -explained that he had written out a telegram to Mr. Hillier on the -previous evening announcing that he intended to call and provide an -afternoon's enjoyment but, by oversight, had given no orders for this -to be taken to the Post Office. He seemed to reckon this a trifling -omission on his part, and was sketching out the programme when I took -him aside. - -"Bless my soul!" he ejaculated. "Good gracious me! Heart failure, you -say, Weston? I never heard the poor lady suffered in that way. Why -wasn't I told? People," he fumed, "seem to take a positive delight in -keeping me ignorant." - -"Perhaps because it's so difficult to make you understand." - -"Not at all," he declared, heatedly. "Always most willing to listen. -Exceedingly eager to gain information! I ought not to be treated in -this fashion. Dam shame, Weston, dam shame. And I can't help thinking -that you are responsible." - -"We'll say that it's my fault, sir." - -"No, no," he protested. "Not so much your fault as your misfortune. You -ought to get married." He pulled at his uniform and, having delivered -the reprimand, went across to Mr. Hillier. "My dear old friend," he -said, with genuine sympathy. "What can I say to you excepting that I'm -awfully sorry. Command me, please, if you want help. I'm not much use -in that way, but all that I can do--" To my surprise, he broke down. At -the grave-side Muriel had been the only one to give way. - -Colonel Edgington, always at his best in the presence of disaster, -recovered, and followed us upstairs, sat with us at the meal, and -contrived to induce John to talk of his experiences. A war map had been -pinned on the wall, as in most households, and John, once started, -gave an animated description of the fighting at La Bassée, described -the journey, taken whilst he was in a seriously wounded condition, -to Lille, furnished an account of his various transfers from lager -to lager, the treatment he received, the folk he encountered. We -listened attentively, rather glad to have our thoughts switched away -from immediate trouble, and John sent off all of his detached manner, -becoming really eloquent towards the end. At the finish his young -brother started the applause, and the rest of us joined in. - -"But I say," cried Edward enthusiastically, "all that, you know, is -absolutely ripping." - -"You'll write some articles in one of the magazines, John," suggested -his father. - -"Any of the daily papers," remarked Katherine, "would be jolly glad to -have the stuff." - -"Much more dignified," said Colonel Edgington, "to put it in a book. A -big book. A large book. A well-bound book." - -"What about a lecturing tour?" I asked. - -It appeared that none of them had acquaintance with this procedure, and -all I knew had been gained from my brother-in-law, Millwood. I told -them of his successes, and the fees he occasionally made; John admitted -that, so soon as he found himself discharged from the hospital, nothing -would suit him better than to travel about the country, and speak to -audiences; he said it was likely to distract his mind, and prevent it -from brooding over the misfortunes that had happened to him; by talking -of them, he reckoned it possible that he might consider them less -acutely. I promised to make inquiries regarding the agency of which -Millwood had spoken: mentioned that, according to him, the business -arrangements were taken over, and all the lecturer had to do was to -make a note of the places and the dates. Ten per cent. deducted for -commission. - -"Occurs to me," interposed Colonel Edgington, "that there'll be a large -number of returned men willing to take on a job of this nature." - -"Willing, perhaps," I said, "but not qualified. Master John," I -declared, "will get ten or twelve guineas for each lecture." - -"I have said my say," remarked the Colonel brusquely. - -"If Aunt Weston is determined John is to go on a tour," mentioned -Katherine, "nothing that any of us argues, Colonel Edgington, will have -the slightest value." - -"Obstinacy in a woman," he announced, "is a quality that--that--" - -"A quality," she said, "that in men is called firm resolution. John, -you ought to have some pictures." - -Here Muriel proved helpful. She remembered that her friend, once of -Chislehurst, now in one of His Majesty's prisons, had given her a set -of photographs that illustrated towns in Germany, and some concerned -the places where John had been detained; she had also in her trunk, -which was now on the way from Camberwell, German illustrated magazines -which would furnish, by their war pictures, useful material. We sat -around the table, discussing the matter eagerly, and presently Colonel -Edgington took part in the debate, and made a very good recommendation -to the effect that the agency should be persuaded to take a hall in -the West End for John's first appearance; the Colonel promised to -secure for chairman some one high up, either in the military or the -political world. "Great thing is," he barked, "no delay. Let us be the -first in the field. Every moment is of value. Prompt action absolutely -necessary." I pointed out that the hospital authorities would most -likely insist upon supervising John's health for two or three weeks. -"During which period," ordered the Colonel, "he can prepare the -lecture, and you, Weston, can complete the arrangements." - -I offered to run around to London Street, and obtain from Millwood a -letter of introduction to the agent. Colonel Edgington approved of -this, followed me to the landing. - -"This is a great idea," he declared, rubbing his hands. "Gives the chap -something to do." - -"Quite a brain wave, sir, on your part." - -"That is so!" he admitted. - -On my return with the note, I found that Mr. Hillier was walking -inside the railings, hands behind back, head bent; my memory flew to -the time when I saw him, in a like attitude on the occasion of his -financial reverse. I entered the gate, and asked whether he required -his hat. He said I was not to give myself so much trouble, but begged -for my company, and in going up and down the gravelled path, confessed -he had escaped from the others because their absorption in the new -plan had slightly hurt him. "We have but just placed the dear woman in -her grave," he contended, "and we ought to let no one else occupy our -minds." I argued that there was something to be said for our methods. -No advantage ever came from grieving and sorrowing over those who had -gone. The world did not stop, because one person, however beloved, -went away. The wise deportment in the circumstances was to select the -happiest memories and preserve them. "I am doing that," he said. "There -is an interval at Chislehurst, and just after Chislehurst which is -already a blank. Earlier than that, and later, I have no recollections -of her that are not good and sweet." We took another turn the length of -the square. - -"She had a great affection for you, Weston," he remarked. - -"Mrs. Hillier showed it, now and then. Neither of us was the kind that -liked to gush." - -"I want you to have something of her's, as a memento of all the years -you were together. And that reminds me. She made her will years ago. We -might try to find it." - -The document was in Mrs. Hillier's writing desk, together with letters -from the children, written when they were at boarding school (they -were all chattering now in the next room, Colonel Edgington's voice -intervening, and it seemed queer to connect them with the round -text hand notes that had been kept so affectionately). There was a -well-bound diary, too, that started, as diaries will, in a profuse -literary style, as though for publication, and dwindled to short -notes, and brief figures, reviving when Muriel disappeared and the news -came of John's disaster. One line caught my eye as I turned the leaves. -"I have never thanked M.W. sufficiently, and I never shall be able to -do so." - -The will itself had been drawn up in the days of prosperity, and there -were legacies that could not now be paid to one or two charitable -affairs, bequests to servants who had long since gone their different -ways. No mention of my name; the document had probably been filled -in at a time when, for some reason or other, I happened to be out of -favour; the remark in the diary fully compensated for the omission. - -"You might have a piece of her jewellery," said Mr. Hillier. - -"It all had to go, with the exception of her wedding ring." - -"Wasn't aware of that." - -"I told her you wouldn't notice, and she wanted to get rid of it, when -money was short." - -"Can you suggest anything?" - -"Yes," I answered. "Let me stay on upstairs on my floor, and manage -the family just as I've always done. I couldn't help overhearing you -telling the young ladies that there was now no excuse for taking -advantage of my services. As a matter of fact, you will all need me -more than ever. It's true I shan't be wanted as a companion to her, but -the rest have got to be looked after. And," with a burst of frankness, -"I don't particularly wish to see anyone else doing it." - -"You'll work yourself to death, Weston, if you are not careful." - -"There are many less interesting ways of reaching there," I said. "You -know that as well as I do." - -"I shall be glad," he admitted, "to find myself back in the Arsenal -again. Taking a day off makes me feel that I'm neglecting my share in -the war." He returned the papers to the desk, and locked it. "The -scoundrels," he exclaimed, with sudden anger, "killed her. They killed -her, just as they have killed other innocent people." He raised his -arms. "May God never forgive them!" he cried. - -John Hillier's first delivery of his lecture was a great evening for -us. I think it can be said, although I took some part in the arranging, -that it was well managed. On my suggestion, the profits were set aside -for the Red Cross Society, and any entertainment, at the period, which -had an air of benevolence was supported by generous folk; John's name -was known only in connection with his songs, but the newspapers were -kind in giving preliminary paragraphs; Colonel Edgington secured, as -chairman, one of the members of the Government whose popularity had not -been chipped and damaged by the conduct of the war. When, on placards -outside the hall at the upper end of Regent Street, the notice was -fixed "All Tickets Sold," then the demand at the box office became -urgent and appealing. Folk who had relatives detained in Germany urged -that their special interests justified presence at the lecture; they -were referred to coming dates and to places near London where Mr. John -Hillier could shortly be heard. John had been given his discharge from -the army. He worked hard at the preparation of the lecture whilst he -was in the hospital, forwarding to me the sheets, a dozen at a time, -and I had these type-written at an office in Greenwich Road. Edward -and I went through them carefully of an evening, and found, to our -satisfaction, that John had contrived to treat the subject, not too -seriously, not too aggrievedly. When the last instalment came, Edward, -at a raised table, delivered the lecture, in platform style to all -of us, and timing by the watch I discovered it lasted for near upon -two hours. From Millwood came the valuable hint that this was far too -long. An hour and ten minutes, said Millwood, yes; an hour and twenty -minutes, perhaps, but two hours, no. Most decidedly, no. "What you -want to do," argued my brother-in-law, "is to go off, and leave the -audience wishing to goodness you'd gone on cackling for another quarter -of a hower. That's the 'ole secret of it." So John's task, once free of -the hospital, was to cut down the lecture, and although we bewailed the -loss of precious words, it was obvious the address became improved by -the operation. - -"Do you feel nervous?" I asked. - -"I think the rest cure at Darmstadt got rid of my nerves," he said. -"But there's no use in disguising the fact, Aunt Weston, that I am -anxious." - -"We shall all be there." - -"My own people are the critics I fear." - -We arrived at the hall in good time, and our party was amongst -the earliest to go in. I do not know how the others felt, but the -place--with folk whispering to each other, and stewards on tip-toe -escorting new comers to seats--the place struck me as having a singular -resemblance to a place of worship; the coughing that went from stalls -to balcony, and balcony to gallery increased the impression of -solemnity. Moreover, the hall was slow in filling up; there were huge -gaps on the ground floor; a woman behind us was complaining to her -husband of his mad carelessness in purchasing tickets when the money -could have been better laid out on a musical comedy at the Lyric. -It came to ten minutes to the hour, and some one near said, in an -undertone, that society people often bought tickets for entertainments -connected with a charity, and destroyed them. The stewards made a group -near the doors, chatting to each other. I thought of John's dismay when -he came on the platform, and saw the vacant rows of seats. - -"Why on earth don't the people come in?" cried Muriel, agitatedly. - -As though reminded of duties by this question, they arrived in crowds -at every doorway, brandishing tickets, and insisting upon being shewn -at once to their places: the stewards performed their duties at a -rush: the empty places filled; the noise of spring seats being pulled -down went like pistol shots; animation began to shew itself, everyone -talked in natural tones. The chairs on the platform at either side -of the white screen no longer had the aspect of desolation. Captain -Winterton and his wife went along a gangway, arm in arm; their -old-fashioned appearance caused a titter, and we forgave this in -consideration of the circumstances. Colonel Edgington bustled on to the -platform, and examined the height of the reading desk, slightly altered -the position of the high-backed chair. - -"I expect," said young Edward, across to me, "he's jolly glad you -aren't down there to interfere." - -The Cabinet Minister came, accompanied by John, who was able to walk -now, for short distances, with the aid of a stout stick; the audience -stood up and applauded, and Colonel Edgington bowed profoundly. I -think he would have remained on the platform, but the chairman, with a -jerk of the head, intimated that his presence was no longer necessary, -and the Colonel withdrew reluctantly to engage at the side upon a -brief altercation with a strong-minded lady who declined to comply -with his order to remove her hat, on the grounds that she was not, as -it happened, wearing one. People called out "Order, order!" and the -Colonel disappeared. - -The chairman introduced John in a dozen words, thereby confuting the -apprehensions we had expressed in the train, coming up; we had felt -bound to agree with Mr. Hillier's suggestion that political folk when -they faced an audience, rarely knew where to stop. The chairman said he -proposed to keep any remarks he had to offer until the end. - -The hall was defensive in its attitude at the start, and John had a -little trouble in getting his voice to the right pitch. He remedied -this, and there was no more coughing, no signs of inattention. He -gave accounts of small incidents connected with the engagement, -with imitations of some of his comrades and their wonderful light -heartedness; he told one or two anecdotes that went well, and suddenly, -ere people had finished their laugh, switched off to a dramatic and -exciting description of the struggle. Master John had got them well -in hand by this time. When the lights were lowered, and it was seen -that his pictures were not of the type called 'moving,' there came a -slight ejaculation of surprise; a moment's thought and folk seemed to -realise that British prisoners of war were not, perhaps, furnished with -a cinematograph machine. John was particularly fair to the enemy. He -had a good word for the German doctors, a severe one for a commandant -who had not apparently set out to achieve popularity. He re-constituted -the lager, and took us through a day there; it was not prejudice on my -side in favour of a young man whom I had known and liked for years that -made me feel that this was more vivid and more illustrative than the -printed word. John finished with a couple of sentences full of hope and -enthusiasm, and declaring that all who had suffered for their country -enjoyed a pride they were not disposed to change or to forget. - -Our party, flushed and warm with content, had the idea that the -afternoon might well end here: the rest of the audience evidently -wanted a speech from the chairman. A speech he gave, and it was -interesting for us to compare the two styles; John's endeavour to use -only the indispensable words, and the Cabinet Minister's large and -luxurious manner of the practised orator. The hall, I admit, liked the -great man's method. The hall indicated its approval of the chairman's -compliments to the lecturer: it became uproarious with excitement when -he quoted the Crispian speech from _Henry the Fifth_. Edward assured me -the quotation was not really correct (and proved later, by production -of his Shakespeare, that his criticism was right), but the people, I -think, liked the recital all the better for the touch of undesigned -originality, and when he closed by asking us to sing "God save the -King" and we all stood up, and sang our best, and ladies in the front -rows of the stalls took the bunches of flowers they wore and flung -them on the platform, and Colonel Edgington--the fusser!--came on to -guide the chairman, and our John, to the exit, as though the perfectly -obvious way had to be made through a scarcely penetrable forest--why -then we knew, and everyone knew, that Mr. John Hillier had received -what is called a good send-off. - -"Who," asked Katherine as we reached the vestibule, "who, pray, is -the eccentric but seemingly perfectly happy gentleman dancing all by -himself in a corner over there?" - -"He," I was able to answer, "is the lecture agent!" - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - -One ought to have been made apprehensive and cautious by the fact that -everything seemed to be going so well. In congratulating myself on the -smoothness with which the machinery was running, I should have adopted -one of the precautionary measures of a superstitious nature, handed -down to me and impressed on me by my mother. But it was satisfactory to -observe the chastened deportment and comfortable peace in the Hillier -household--the loss endured seemed to have brought all the members -closer in affection--it was cheering to find that John's tour could be -reckoned a success; it was so pleasant to discover in the notes from -Herbert Millwood a new tone of cheeriness, that there seemed no grounds -for anticipating disaster. Herbert was unable for the present to obtain -leave; he wrote that he intended to come up to town and see Muriel at -the earliest possible moment; I gave her the message in a way that -deprived it of any special meaning, and she said, casually, - -"It will be interesting to see your nephew again." - -The war had passed the first anniversary of its birthday and still went -on, and the news that arrived was occasionally of a cheerful nature; no -justification, however, occurred for putting out the Union Jack I was -keeping in reserve. We had a flag day of another kind in Greenwich, and -I provided tea in the shop for some of the white-gowned young ladies -who sold the decorations; as they left a middle-aged man came to the -doorway and thanked me in an elaborate way for the hospitality shown; I -took it that he had something to do with the organisation, and answered -civilly, nothing more. He made a sympathetic allusion to poor little -Serbia, mentioned the attacks that were being made on Lord Kitchener -and said he did not approve of them. He thought the single young men -ought to join, before the married men were called up. He did not feel -inclined to trust Winston Churchill. He offered to bet sixpence that -Greece meant mischief. He doubted whether the Government was acting -wisely in announcing a further restriction of licensing hours, and -argued that the people ought to be consulted in these matters. His -conversation seemed to me to be lacking in originality, and I was -getting tired of it when a police-sergeant came along, known to me -by an occasional exchange of nods, and a friendly remark concerning -changes in the weather. Looking around, I discovered that my talkative -visitor had vanished hurriedly. - -"How's business, ma'am?" inquired the sergeant. - -"Mustn't complain," I answered. "Thanks to Woolwich, I'm able to muddle -along. How do you find matters?" - -"Slack," he said, regretfully. "Nothing doing at all. 'Pears to me, -crime is becoming a lost art. I shall soon be like Othello." - -"Not jealous of your wife, are you?" - -"I mean my occupation will be gone. I'm suffering from monotony; that's -what's the matter with me. Fortunately for you, you're not troubled -with it. And I'm told you're uncommon keen on a bargain." - -"My work is to buy cheap, and sell dear." - -"It's a job," remarked the sergeant, "where you have to keep your wits -about you. By-the-bye, I heard something in your favour the other day, -but," he tapped at his forehead, "it's gone. I shall think of it when -I'm trying to remember something else." - -The middle-aged man called again the next afternoon, but I was busy -with a customer who had bought a pianoforte and was explaining to me -that her neighbours, hitherto friendly, were declaring that the music -produced from the instrument by her two little girls was in no way -pleasing to the ear. She happened to be one of the newly affluent, and -my suggestion that a pianola arrangement should be fixed, received her -consideration. The other caller, seeing that I was not prepared to -break off the discussion in order to attend to him, placed a card on -a dresser, and said he would pay a visit at a more convenient moment. -The card bore the name of Professor Basil Chailey; in the corner, the -title of a West End club. I noticed that on the back was pencilled what -seemed to be a day's expenses. Newspaper, lunch (ninepence for lunch), -tea, railway ticket, pair of boot-laces. Evidently the professor was -obeying the suggestions regarding war-time economies. - -He came in that evening, as I was about to put up the shutters, and go -to Gloucester Place. The shop closed early at that time, because with -the regulations concerning the lighting of windows, it was impossible -to shew off my goods, after dusk, to any advantage; besides which, -folk were not going out at night as they had done, and the anxiety -concerning air-raids still existed. My visitor carried a small box from -which one or two wires had escaped; he wore, on this occasion, a tweed -cap. - -"I am in rather a hurry," he announced, speaking carefully, "and I -shall not detain you long. I happen to be one of the many suffering -from a diminished income on account of the war. There is no need to -disguise the fact that the sudden loss of a berth of about six hundred -a year is no joke." - -"It certainly wouldn't make me laugh." - -"All of my students," he went on, "have joined the Army. My classes -have been shut down, and I find myself, to use a vulgarism, stranded. -On the rocks. In other words, suffering from an acute financial -embarrassment." - -"I never lend." - -"There," he said, approvingly, "I think you are wise. My own resolve -is not to get into the hands of those who are willing to make monetary -advances at an exorbitant rate of interest. My knowledge of the world -is not great, because all my life I have been devoted to science, but I -do know that once a man is involved in the coils of these people--" - -"Hurry on with what you have to tell me." - -"Finding myself in this awkward position," he said, "I look around -with a view of ascertaining how I can dispose of some of my property. -I have for years made a hobby of collecting silver. That silver I wish -to dispose of, quietly, and at a fair price. I don't expect to get the -money I paid for it, but I have no desire to be swindled." - -"Give me your address, and I'll call and look at the articles." - -"Pardon me," he said. "My two sisters with whom I reside; they must -know nothing of the transaction. It would be the death of them." - -"But they will notice that the silver has gone." - -"I have a device," he remarked, holding up a fore-finger, in a shrewd -way, "for accounting for that. A midnight burglary. A window left open. -Do you follow me?" - -"Go back now," I suggested, "and bring the goods along as quickly as -you can, and I'll stay here, and wait for you." - -He seemed doubtful concerning this plan, and I spoke rather -abruptly; on this, he agreed that there was much to be said for my -recommendation. I inquired where he lived, and he answered promptly, -"St. John's Park, Blackheath." I mentioned that this was some distance -away, and he could scarcely return within less than an hour. He assured -me that he would use celerity, and, with great politeness, declared his -regret at causing inconvenience. - -I went over to Gloucester Place after closing, took supper with the -Hilliers, mentioned to them that I had some dealings with a strange -customer, and hoped to make a profit out of the transaction that would -compensate me for the trouble I was incurring. At the shop, there were -no signs of the professor, and as I sat there in the dim light on a -saddle-bagged chair, and time went on, I determined he should suffer -for the delay. My hours were too valuable to be wasted. An appointment -was an appointment, and should be kept even by middle-aged gentlemen -connected with scientific occupations. A policeman went by trying -doors, and when mine opened, he glanced in and apologised. - -"Working overtime, eh, ma'am?" he remarked. - -"Expecting a caller," I said. - -"Not afraid of being alone?" - -"Prefer it, sometimes. Good-night, constable." - -"I can take a hint," he said, glumly. - -My new customer arrived in a taxi-cab as I was on the point of making -up my mind to go; he dragged across the pavement a large bag of green -baize. - -"Sorry I'm behindhand," he remarked, exhaustedly. - -"I, too, am inclined to regret it." - -"Had to wait," he explained, "until my sisters went upstairs. We -needn't lose any time now. I will pay the driver whilst you look over -the articles." - -Everything seemed in good condition, and it was clear that the silver -had been treasured and polished carefully. I set each piece on a -sideboard and estimated the value roughly, adding up the amounts in my -head. The professor had returned, and he stood watching me with some -impatience, as my lips moved in the effort of reckoning. - -"How much?" he asked. - -"I shall have to weigh--" - -"No, no," he interrupted urgently. "Give me a fair sum, and let me have -the money now. I'm not used to adventures of this nature, and I want to -get the matter over." - -"You will take a cheque?" - -"I would rather have had cash," he said, "but, in these days, that -is too much to expect. Make it payable to bearer, and not crossed." I -mentioned that I had about thirty pounds, as it happened, in Treasury -notes, and part payment could be made with these; he shook his head -and said that, on consideration, he preferred to take the cheque. I -suggested an amount: he agreed to it so swiftly that I blamed myself -for not quoting a lesser sum. He gazed over my shoulder as I filled in -the slip. Snatching at it, he, without another word, hurried from the -shop. - -I was placing the smaller articles in the safe, and congratulating -myself on an easy bargain, when the door opened. Turning, I saw two -quietly dressed men, of severe countenance. One advanced, pulling -hard at a note-book that fitted too exactly the inside pocket of his -overcoat. - -"Got my pencil, sergeant?" he asked of his companion. - -"You had it last, inspector," replied the other. - -"I distinctly remember lending it you," said the first with warmth, -"as we were coming out of the Police station. You said you wanted to -make a note of something concerning the robbery, and I handed you my -pencil case, and you never gave it back. 'Tisn't the first time that -has happened. If it occurs again I shall report the matter to the -superintendent." I asked what they wanted with me. "Your name is Miss -Weston," he said. - -"That's right." - -"We are two plain clothes detectives," he went on, "and we have a -rather painful duty to perform." - -"I suppose your tasks are never very pleasant." - -"True for you, ma'am. Sergeant, close the door, and tell our men -outside to be prepared in case any attempt is made to escape. Now -then!" Addressing himself to me. "You have just purchased a quantity of -silver. Tell me what you gave for it." - -I mentioned the sum. - -"Not much more than the full value," he suggested, ironically. - -"People in my line of business rarely pay more than they are obliged to -do." - -"Generally a good deal less. And that is where they sometimes find -themselves in trouble. Now, I don't wish to frighten you, ma'am, or -make a scene of any description, but that silver represents stolen -property, and we shall have to take charge of it, and you'll have to -stand in the dock, and answer--" - -I screamed. - -"Keep calm, keep calm!" he directed. "As a matter of fact, we are not -going to take you away now, providing you give us your word of honour -to attend at the Police Court to-morrow morning. I'll tell you what'll -happen. You'll be there, with your accomplice, facing the magistrate. -If you're wise, you'll get a solicitor to take charge of your case. Not -sure whether you've had much experience--" - -"I was never," I wailed, distressedly, "mixed up with anything of the -kind before. Please give me all the advice you can." - -"And he'll probably reserve your defence. He may, as you have hitherto -been a respectable shopkeeper, manage to have you let out on bail. -Anyway, you'll be committed for trial, and when you appear at the Old -Bailey with a jury on the right hand side of you, and the Recorder just -opposite to you, and a couple of warders, one on either side of the -dock--" - -I put the impetuous question that is likely enough offered in most -cases. He scowled, and I feared the inquiry had annoyed him. He -beckoned to his companion. - -"Sergeant," he said, "you're a man of discretion and tact, and although -I am your superior officer, I should like to have your advice. This -good lady wishes to know whether there is any means of squaring the -case, so far as she is concerned." - -"I'm opposed to it, sir. Much too risky." - -"But if it could be managed, I should be inclined to consider the -project. She has undoubtedly been taken in by a plausible scoundrel." - -"People who are foolish enough to do that," declared the other, -stolidly, "must submit to the consequences." - -"I grant you that, as a general proposition. I'm with you there, heart -and soul. I can't, for a single moment, argue that you're wrong. But -supposing--I only say supposing, mark you!--supposing this poor woman -had a certain sum, either in cash or notes, ready at hand--" - -"I've got nearly thirty pounds," I announced. - -They conferred apart, and I, gripping my hands, waited anxiously for -the decision. The two talked in bass undertones, with one for, one -against. "There can be no hard and fast rule in these affairs; each -case has to be decided on its own merits." And the answer was, "I've -no wish to appear obstinate, but if it ever came out, you know as well -as I do, that we should be ruined." Gradually the opposition seemed to -weaken. - -"Ma'am," announced the visitor who was on the side of clemency, "we -have decided to accept your offer." - -"Thank God!" I exclaimed. - -"Your gratitude should be expressed to us. Fortunately for you, you -are dealing with two of perhaps the most kind-hearted men in the whole -force. Sergeant, pack up all this silver ready to take away, whilst I -count the notes. And tell the chaps outside that they needn't wait." - -It was indeed a relief to me to see the two prepare to go. They found -the green baize bag heavy, and I suggested they should allow me to -fetch a cab; they declined, and before going, gave me a lecture on -the necessity, in dealing with strangers, of exercising care and even -suspicion. I remarked that I could give the bank a warning not to pay -the cheque when tendered, and they hinted, in duet, that I might -consider myself a favourite of fortune. - -It has often been said that women suffer from their defect of -garrulity; something happened which proved that, in the other sex, -consequences ensue. For, as they were impressing upon me the great good -luck which had come my way, there came a sharp knock at the door. They -tried to stop me, but I had opened it before either could get at my -wrist. My friend the sergeant stood there. - -"Seeing a light," he remarked cheerfully, "I thought I'd call to tell -you that the something I heard about you wasn't really about you -at all, but about a party with a different name altogether. Hullo, -Albert!" he said to one of the men. - -"Evening, sergeant." Respectfully. "Coldish for the time of the year." - -"You know these two gentlemen, I expect," I remarked. - -"Ought to," answered the sergeant. "What's in your bag, Albert? -Anything special?" - -"It isn't our bag, sergeant. It belongs to this lady here. It's her -property." - -The other man, apparently, dissented from this procedure, for taking -the bag in both hands, he swirled it around, just missing me, and -hitting the sergeant. The two rushed out. I snatched a police whistle -from a hook, and blew it. The sergeant, recovering in a few moments -from the blow that had dazed him, hurried through the doorway, and with -a speed amazing in a man of his proportions, ran after a tram-car that -was turning opposite the Church; the green bag, hauled up the stairs, -was on the point of disappearing from sight. - - * * * * * - -There is no use in pretending that I came out well from the incident, -or that my respect for my own business-like capacity did not suffer. -The professor had to give evidence, and his two sisters remarked -audibly, at the Police Court hearing, "We can never trust Basil again." -In the corridor I found him endeavouring to persuade them that a -crime had undoubtedly been committed, and whether it took place at -St. John's Park or at London Street was a point of small moment. The -Treasury notes found on the prisoners were, after the sentence at the -Old Bailey, returned to me. One of the men, not represented by counsel, -cross-examined me in a cheeky way, and a newspaper headed the account -of this with the title "Dignity and Impudence." The Judge made some -remarks intended to be humorous, and dutifully smiled at by the jury, -in which he recommended Miss Weston to obtain the aid of a husband who -would help her in looking after the establishment. - -There was reason to feel indebted to my friends in the trying period of -waiting for the case to come on. William Richards took a day's holiday, -and, looking quite smart in his new railway uniform, became my faithful -attendant; Millwood paced up and down the large hall with us; Edward -hastened to the court in his dinner hour and took me out and gave -me a meal. Glancing back, it seems ridiculous that a self-possessed -woman like myself, with no excuse for nervousness on the grounds of -youth, should have felt so much terrified at being called upon to act -a small part in a court of law; I suppose the experience is always -trying to folk who lead quiet lives, and suddenly find themselves in -the limelight. At any rate, I am speaking the truth when I say that I -had no desire to go through a similar ordeal again, and I determined to -use every care in avoiding another collision with the law. And this, -perhaps, was the result the law, by use of pomp and elaboration, and of -imposing and terrifying methods, intended to effect. - -At Greenwich, the Judge's facetious suggestion was taken up by -young Edward, and commented upon by him with considerable relish. -Mr. Hillier, and the two girls, observing that I was not amused, -gave him a private warning to make no further allusions to the -Quartermaster-Sergeant. - - * * * * * - -I was careful to send out no newspapers to France that gave a report -of the case, but Cartwright, in one of his pencilled letters mentioned -that he had heard of it. "If ever you are in any legal trouble, go -to my brother at the enclosed address." It was the first time he had -spoken of this relative. The old people at Lewisham had not referred -to this son; conversation when I called there was restricted to the -soldier. Particulars of greater importance in the letter had a place -on the last sheet. "I have been feeling out of sorts, and they tell -me I need a change and a rest. But I do not want to come home until -the job is ended. Fritz has got to be downed." Whilst I was receiving -correspondence and sending it with scarcely a single mishap, my dear -Katherine found that her communications and parcels to Mesopotamia were -subjected to erratic treatment; now and again a steamer taking the -mails was torpedoed in the Mediterranean, and this accounted for some -of them, but not for all. Lieutenant Langford, on one occasion, cabled -to her: "Are you writing?" and it cost about two pounds to reply, -stating that she had been sending to him each week since he left. -To me, in a moment of confidence induced by her anxiety, Katherine -communicated a secret. - -"And aren't you as pleased, my love, as ever you can be?" - -"In a way, yes," she answered perplexedly. "But it means I shall have -to leave the bank." - -"Only for a time." - -"They'll say I ought to have been straightforward with them. They'll be -annoyed. They can be very stern when they like." - -"Important folk, no doubt," I remarked, "but it isn't for them to give -permission for dear, beautiful babies to come into the world. And don't -forget when the time comes, that although your poor mother is gone, I -shall be here." - -"Shouldn't like to be facing it, Aunt Weston, without you." - -My Quartermaster-Sergeant walked into the shop at London Street one -wet day when Greenwich was looking something short of its brightest, -and neighbouring tradesmen had called to give me their private and -business anxieties. He said, "Hullo, Mary, my girl!" and kissed me, -and, at once, other people's troubles vanished from my thoughts and -for all I knew sunshine might have taken the place of rain. He was -slightly thinner, and he had one or two lines on his forehead that I -had not before noticed; it struck me there was a touch of grey about -his moustache. Also his manner seemed quieter. - -"No," he said, when I had sketched out plans for the evening. "Rather -not, if it's all the same to you, go to a theatre, and, unless you're -keen on it, we won't go up to town and have dinner. I'd prefer to just -sit here on this sofa, and gaze at Miss Weston." - -"That won't be very amusing for you." - -"Seem to have got out of the habit of laughing. Takes a bit of an -effort, in these days, for me to smile. But I don't want anything -better than to hear you talk, and chat to you, and find you -contradicting me. And," as I placed a cushion under his head, "how's -the nephew, and how are the people in Gloucester Place, and how's -everybody?" - -He admitted, later, that he paid but a small compliment to me by -falling asleep as I was chatting to him. "Where's my manners?" he asked -self-reproachfully. Before this, I had put a screen near the sofa, -and if anyone came in the shop, warned them to speak quietly. I set -the kettle on the fire in the back room, induced a passing lad to buy -for me a two-ounce packet of the Quartermaster-Sergeant's favourite -tobacco. His pipe rolled out of his pocket as he turned in his sleep, -and I filled it, placed it ready for him, with matches at hand. - -I proposed to tell him of my fears regarding Muriel Hillier and -my nephew, and to mention that Herbert was shortly coming up -on the retarded leave. I thought of explaining that Muriel had -changed but that it was not clear the change was permanent. My -Quartermaster-Sergeant had just awoke, and was once more blaming -himself for inattention to the rules of etiquette, when William -Richards appeared at the doorway. - -"Bit of a railway accident, Mary Weston," he announced, shortly. "Your -nephew, the officer chap, is I am sorry to say in it!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - -It was the way of things in the long months of the war that in addition -to news from abroad, one was called upon to receive information -concerning events at home, and when it happened that both were of a -serious and alarming nature, one was almost knocked down by the double -blow. One generally managed to get up again before ten was counted, but -for the moment, the effect was staggering. I could have wished for no -better companions than Cartwright and William Richards, and they proved -the more useful when my brother-in-law Millwood arrived, a broken -and a tearful man, unable to offer any suggestion or to join in the -conference which, once I had recovered, took place; he went into the -back room, and gripping the top of his head with both hands moaned and -wailed. All the cheeriness which he was able, at public meetings, to -communicate to his audience, had gone. I opened the door with the idea -of giving a word of sympathy. - -"Go away, Mary," he said. "Please go away. I want to be alone." - -The accident, it seemed, had occurred near to London, and injured -passengers were brought on to the terminus and conveyed to hospitals; -William Richards was able to give me the name of the institution to -which Herbert had been taken and the title of the ward. "I asked the -question you are now putting to me," said William, in his stolid way, -"and the answer was 'Both mental and physical.'" Richards had to leave -in order to resume his duties, but he urged me to count upon him for -any assistance required, and advised the Quartermaster-Sergeant to go -back to France at the earliest possible moment. "No offence meant," he -added, at the doorway, "but I've knowed her," with a jerk of the head -in my direction, "a sight longer than what you have. And if I could -only get appointed to a nice station down in the country--". He decided -not to complete the sentence, or to describe, in full, his plans. - -Cartwright, aroused from contemplation of his own state of health -by some one else's disaster, offered to carry out any orders I had -to give. I felt unable, at the moment, to go to town and endure the -risks of ascertaining worse news, and did not care to leave Millwood; -Cartwright put on his thick overcoat, and set out with no delay. In -the back room, I found my brother-in-law searching the contents of the -bookshelf. - -"Want a prayer book," he said, in a muffled voice, "or a bible. Or a -'ymn book. Anything of the sort'd do." - -I ran in next door, where the proprietor was a chapel man; his wife -would not permit me to take a copy of ordinary size, but forced upon -me a family bible, under the impression, I fancy, that size and weight -would increase helpfulness. The considerable volume I took to Millwood; -he asked me to guide him to comforting passages, and this, after -some effort of memory, I was able to do. Called back to the shop, I -could hear--as a visitor begged me, on the grounds that she was dead -nuts on crime, to give a full and particular account of the silver -incident--could hear him reciting verses aloud in tones that became -strong and determined. - -"Funny thing," he remarked, later. "Such a lot of us don't give a -thought to religion unless something 'appens that we've got no control -over. Then we begin to take notice of a 'igher power. You remember the -story of the sailor in the Liverpool docks?" The fact that Millwood was -telling an anecdote proved that he was regaining composure. "Chap falls -from top of mast, and cries out, 'Oh, Lord, pray 'elp me!' 'Alf way -down he catches 'old of a rope, and swings into safety. 'Don't trouble, -Lord,' he says, 'I've done it meself!'" - -We talked quietly after this of Herbert's accident, and of the steps -to be taken. I suggested that the lad, so soon as he was free of the -hospital, should be brought to my rooms at Gloucester Place; replying -to Millwood I had to admit that, with the calls of the business on my -time, it would not be possible for me to nurse him, but I felt sure the -services of a capable woman could be obtained. To make certain of this, -I went along to the Post Office and rang up the doctor who had become -a recent customer, and had proved friendly and helpful. His answer -was definite. "No chance of securing a nurse for a long job. Everyone -busy, and overworked. The patient had better remain in the hospital. -Extremely sorry unable to assist. Brighter luck next time. Good-bye!" - -At Gloucester Place that evening, the news was received with concern. -Mr. Hillier said that no one would hear of the accident with more -regret than John. John had been looking forward to a meeting with -Herbert so soon as the tour was over; he had some idea of taking -Herbert away to Cornwall, where the pair could enjoy a holiday -together. Muriel came in as the others were guessing at the extent -and nature of the injuries; Edward spoke of concussion of the brain, -and, as an authority on railway procedure, suggested that if any -immediate compensation were offered, it should not be accepted, but -the matter instead placed in the hands of a solicitor. Legal folk, he -said, managed to get more out of a company than an ordinary individual -obtained. - -"Has something happened?" asked Muriel. I explained. "If you want any -one to look after him," she said quickly, "when he comes here, let me -do it." - -"But, my dear," I protested. "Means such a sacrifice for you to make." - -"It is time," she said, "that I did a little in that way. I shouldn't -be so good as a qualified nurse, but I'd do everything I was told to -do. We'll consider it settled. Unless," she added, "unless he objects." - -"You are the one person in the world that he would like to have for -company." She contracted her forehead slightly, and I could see that -my impetuous remark had not included the quality of tactfulness. "I -should have said you are one of the few persons." Muriel accepted the -correction with a nod. - -The particulars brought by Cartwright suggested that the hospital would -be ready to give Herbert permission to leave so soon as he could be -removed with safety, and I heard from Miss Katherine that her sister -had given notice to headquarters of an intention to resign. Katherine -thought it a risky procedure, but admitted that the demand for women's -work existed and was likely to continue; the talk of compulsory service -by men seemed likely to result in definite action. Katherine, in -speaking of the war and the call for more recruits, mentioned that she -could not decide whether she wished her little one to be a boy, or a -girl, and I pointed out to her that, in these matters, wishing was of -small avail. - -Cartwright gave up his hours to attendance at the hospital; he had -always, he said, felt a partiality for the lad, since Birdcage Walk -days, and although at times Herbert could not speak to him, the -Quartermaster-Sergeant sat by his bed and waited to see whether -conversation, in small doses, was required. It was Cartwright who, -when the day for transfer came, took charge of all the arrangements; -for once in my life I was willing to abstain from exercising control. -When the ambulance drew up in Gloucester Place, and the invalid chair -was brought out with my dear nephew upon it, he glanced wearily at -me, without sign of recognition, and I knew his convalescence was -going to be no short job. Captain Winterton and his wife looked on -sympathetically; the old lady whispered to her husband and, coming -forward, he begged, in his courteous way, that I would consider the -ground floor at my disposal. Cartwright and the driver of the ambulance -said the stairs were not difficult and could be managed. I thanked -the Wintertons and assured them the top floor had been chosen by the -doctor; no other invention would have arrested their hospitality. -At the last landing stood Muriel in a neat print costume and blue -over-all; her features had become tanned by out-door work and I felt -that Herbert might well be excused for failing to identify her. He -opened his eyes as the chair stopped. - -"Yes," he said, gratefully trying to put out his hand to her. "You! -You!" - -I have never been able to make up my mind whether, if Herbert had -arrived safely and without the intervention of the railway accident, -Muriel would have shewn any extraordinary regard for him; there -is, at the back of my mind, an impression that with her thoughts -concentrated on work, and with the memory of disastrous experiences -in earlier days, she had decided to contemplate the other sex with -aloofness. (Afterwards she told us one or two incidents connected with -impressionable season-ticket holders that seemed to confirm this view.) -The clear and certain thing was that she entered upon her new duties -with a serenity that would have been impossible for her in Chislehurst -times, that she shewed also a touch of authority, accepting suggestions -from nobody but the doctor, and allowing none of us to enter the room -and chat with Herbert unless we first obtained permission from her. -Cartwright was inclined to rebel. Cartwright said he had met nurses out -in France who, at the start, had to be argued with firmly, and this -over, proved sweet enough and reasonable; I warned him that a procedure -effective with some might fail where Muriel was concerned, and advised -that he should imitate my example, and abstain from interference. - -"That isn't usual with me," he declared, "and I'll swear it's a bit -exceptional with you. I often find myself wondering what sort of -discussions and arguments and family words you and me will have when -we're married." - -"Don't you bother your head about that," I counselled. "It takes two to -make a wedding, and I haven't by any means come to a decision yet." - -"But why then do you let me kiss you?" - -"Because I like it," I said. "Take a book, and go out and sit down in -the Park, and get yourself fit and well as soon as ever you can. We -shan't have this war finished if many of you hang around here at home. -Besides, the neighbours in London Street are beginning to talk." - -"I don't suppose they ever belonged to the deafs and dumbs, and -I'll guarantee there's few people in Greenwich who care less what's -chattered about them than you do. As a matter of fact, I'm going to run -up to town to see my brother. I want to get him to draw up a will for -me." - -"You ought to have done that long ago." - -"Possibly," he said. "But long ago I hadn't anything to leave, and long -ago I didn't know anyone special I wanted to leave it to. I'll trouble -you, Mary Weston, for a fond embrace." - -The Quartermaster-Sergeant, soon after this, was detailed for duty -at Seaford, where he had to look after the convalescent men who were -preparing to return to the front. I did not tell him, and did not -inform anybody, how greatly I missed him. - -Herbert's progress was slow, but there came a time when he was able, -with Muriel's assistance, to walk about the gardens of Gloucester -Place, and I noticed that their conversation was often animated, that -they called each other by Christian names. Then there came news of -cruel treatment of (amongst others) a chum of Herbert's, now in a -German lager not so well managed as the one in which John had been -detained, and Herbert worked himself up to a state of excitement over -the methods that had been practised, and his own inability to help in -taking revenge. The doctor summoned a specialist from Wimpole Street, -and Muriel told me privately of her fears that she might find herself -replaced by someone owning greater qualifications. The specialist gave -orders regarding treatment, asked no questions concerning Muriel, -approved her careful manner of taking notes. Herbert was not to be left -alone at night, and I offered my services. - -"Are you his sister?" inquired the man from Wimpole Street. I explained -the relationship. "Heavens!" he cried. "Incredible! Bless my soul! How -difficult it is, in these days, to guess a woman's age." - -"Thanks for the compliment, sir." - -"It isn't a compliment," he retorted. "I'm hinting at the facts. If -anybody asked me, I should say you were in love." - -"Nobody is likely to ask you," I remarked, "and you needn't pledge your -word to a statement of that kind." - -Millwood came back from some platform engagements, and Muriel described -to me the scene of his meeting with Herbert; she mentioned that she -would have felt more touched by it, but for the common and ordinary -accent used by Herbert's father. It occurred to me there was still a -trace of haughtiness to be found in the girl, and that this needed -to be erased before she could be reckoned good enough for my nephew. -Millwood bought and presented to her, as acknowledgment of her -attention, a brooch the like of which I had never seen before, and, -with luck, will not see again; she was on the point of declining it, -but a glance from me induced her to change the intention. - -"You can either wear it," said Millwood, impressively, "on 'igh days, -and Bank 'olidays, or you can put it by, and keep it in stock, so to -speak, as family heirloom, to be 'anded down to your children, and -their children's children after them." Muriel said she would take the -second alternative, and that she was ever so much obliged. "Tell you -what I did," he went on, emphasising the importance of the occasion, -"I didn't consult me own taste; I tried to imagine what your selection -would be, and d'rectly moment I set eyes on this, I knew I wasn't going -far wrong!" - -It was, I suppose, the sleeping upright in a chair at night that made -my dreams more than ever twisted and perturbed; it may have been -Cartwright's talk about his will that accounted for his presence in -these imaginings. The number of times the Quartermaster-Sergeant was -blown up by mines, or sniped by the enemy was past counting; it often -proved an intense relief when Herbert awoke, and his call aroused me. -Occasionally, when sleep was tardy in coming to him, Herbert spoke of -his mother and his own early days, and the money I had spent on his -education, and a dozen other subjects; he rarely alluded to Muriel, and -when he did so, only in an incidental way. From which, I assumed that -they had made terms with each other, and that peace was near. It seemed -to me now that this was perhaps the best thing that could happen. - -I should have done well to keep in mind the nursing instinct. In my -own case, with the maids at Chislehurst, it had often happened that a -particularly tiresome girl fell ill, and, at once, all my annoyance -with her ceased, and I tended her as though she were my dearest friend. -I have known mistresses who got rid of servants because they were so -healthy as to prove wholly uninteresting. It is a virtue or a defect -with women. And certainly it proved, in case of Muriel, that so soon -as my nephew gave signs of recovery--I was glad for his sake, and not -regretful for my own, for the want of proper rest was beginning to -tell upon me, and I had no desire to escape the kind of flattery that -the Wimpole Street gentleman had offered--so soon as this occurred, -Muriel went up to the City, obtained employment in a forwarding office -in Gracechurch Street at twenty-five shillings a week (the head -clerk had been a season-ticket holder who shewed deference in her -ticket-collector days), came back and reported the circumstance. This -readiness for work in war time was no help to sentimental match-makers -like myself. I took Herbert to task. - -"I'm sorry, aunt," he said. - -"You have oceans of pluck in other ways." - -"Possibly, possibly. But it requires a special sort of courage to speak -in that way to any one who is so far above--" He made an upward gesture -with his hand. - -"On any well regulated set of scales," I declared, warmly, "your -qualities would considerably outbalance hers. As a fact, she is even -now not nearly good enough for you." - -"You expect life to resemble a _Family Herald_ story," he said, smiling. - -"Life might often do worse." - -"With every male patient marrying every nurse, and living happily -ever afterwards. There wouldn't be enough nurses, my dear aunt, to go -around. And because Muriel has been so good as to attend to me during -my illness is a reason why my admiration should increase, but it gives -no excuse for assuming that she is bound to become my wife." - -"Then, I suppose, we must hunt about for someone else likely to suit -your lordship." - -"A waste of time," he assured me. "I shall never think of caring for -anyone else. And to have been in her company all these weeks is a -privilege I did not deserve, and shall never forget." - -"Boy," I cried, "you're talking like a blessed Crusader." - -An army medical officer came to see him one day, and announced that -Herbert was not yet fit to return to duty. Herbert took him down to the -riverside, by the Naval College, and argued with him for an hour by -the clock, and they came back to Gloucester Place, where the medical -officer said that Lieutenant Millwood's health had so much improved -that he would rejoin his company the following morning. I knew quite -well that Herbert would have been less eager to go away from Greenwich -if his lady had not now been catching the eight-twenty train every -morning to Cannon Street. It had always interested me to watch folk who -are in love, and this, perhaps, was due to the circumstance that until -the Quartermaster-Sergeant came on the scene, I had few experiences of -my own to engage attention. And being accustomed to pull wires and see -the figures obey, I was a trifle moody in bidding the lad farewell. - -"No more railway accidents, please," I directed. "I did think this one -might have been of some use, but I was mistaken. And I'm disappointed." - -"Had a letter from the railway company this morning," he said. "They -seem to make a very fair offer." - -"Give it to me. You mustn't accept the proposal until I have considered -it." - -"If you were in command of the British army, aunt--" - -"I like everything to be done right." - -At the earliest opportunity, when Millwood was able to look after -the shop for a couple of hours--he had a bible of his own now, and -read it with all the interest of one to whom its contents were new, -declaiming passages aloud and committing them to memory--I ran up to -town and saw Cartwright's brother. He was an abridged edition of the -Quartermaster-Sergeant, only about five feet five high, and small -featured; in the way of short men he took an assertive manner, and -there was scarcely any opinion I offered during the early part of the -interview that did not receive immediate contradiction. Perhaps he -accentuated this attitude because, at the start, he said, "Oh yes, Miss -Weston. The lady to whom my soldier brother wants to leave his money!" -It was a time, you will remember, when we all bragged of relatives in -the army; the little solicitor was not exempt, and one could see that -he blamed himself for disclosing information concerning the will. I -said promptly that I had no need of the Quartermaster-Sergeant's money, -that I had enough of my own, that he would have done better to look -after his parents. "They," remarked Cartwright's brother, "are under my -charge." We came to the subject of the railway company's offer. - -"Oh, no," he said, promptly, "your nephew is not going to agree to -that. These folk never expect their first offer to be taken. This -is a matter which will require correspondence and discussion, and -consultations, and so forth, and so on." - -"We don't want to run into too much expense for your so forth and so -on." - -"You will be troubled with no bill of costs in this matter," he said. -"Any friend of my brother's has a special claim upon me." - -I apologised, and we became more friendly. He told me his parents had -made great sacrifices in regard to his preparation for the law, and -that George had willingly agreed to this. He admitted there had been -a period when one did not take much trouble to speak of a brother who -had enlisted in the army; he remembered arguing the matter with George -very seriously, and for some years they were not on speaking or writing -terms; the war had promptly brought them together. I spoke of other -conjuring tricks performed by the same medium. Of my nephew Herbert, -stopped in his educational career. Of the Hilliers, and in particular -of Muriel. - -"But that ought not to be a difficult task," said the little man, -across the table. "To bring those two together, I mean." - -"It ought not to be difficult," I agreed, "but I can give you my word -that it is." - -"He is very much in love with her?" - -"That's right." - -"And she cares for no one else?" - -"So far as I know." - -"Have you," he asked, "considered the usefulness of exciting jealousy?" - -It is fair to say that he did, in the result, persuade the railway -people to increase the compensation by about fifty per cent., -that he declined to take a penny for his work, and that his -suggestion concerning Muriel appeared, when I had given full time to -consideration, one which deserved a fair trial. The chance came when -a stout widow of Maze Hill, a lady customer who collected articles -of brass, spoke to me of her intense sympathy for lonely men in -the army; she had four on her list with whom she was in frequent -postal communication, and wanted more. "My heart goes out to them," -she declared, emotionally. She was grateful for the full address -of Lieutenant Millwood, of whom I spoke as from hearsay, and she -subsequently shewed me a brief but very courteous note received from -that young officer. "They're always shy at first," remarked the Maze -Hill widow, acutely. "But I know just how to write to them. The great -thing is to cheer them up, make them realise that someone cares for -them, and send them plenty of cigarettes." In one of his notes to -me, Herbert alluded to the kindness he was receiving from a Mrs. -Kenningham. I spoke of this incident at Gloucester Place, and Muriel -said she considered that some women with nothing else to do were making -themselves foolish and intolerably fussy in pressing their attentions -upon army men. - - * * * * * - -Katherine left the bank, and stayed at home for a few weeks. The post -from Mesopotamia was still imperfect, and it was all I could do to keep -her hopeful and happy. Her baby came one morning at twenty-five past -six, and I sent a cable to Lieutenant Langford that seemed to puzzle -the attendant in the Post Office. It said, - - "Beautiful boy!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - -The arrival of the baby boy at Gloucester Place made an extraordinary -difference in many ways. Katherine might well have protested -against being deprived of some of her rights; instead she looked on -good-temperedly and with an obvious pride in the interest created by -her son; her own talk was mainly of the bank, and the possibility -that the authorities might allow her to return so soon as she was -sufficiently restored to health. It depended, she told me, on the -quality of girls newly engaged there since her departure; a highly -placed official named Cummings would have a voice in the matter. - -"Cummings is a bachelor," she went on, "and he won't be very amiably -disposed in my case. When a bachelor reaches the age of fifty he is -inclined to take what he calls the common sense view. And common sense -will be all against me." - -"What is his first name?" I asked casually. - -"Timothy," she replied, "but the scandalous circumstance is not -generally known. He hopes that people assume it is Thomas." - -Mr. Hillier, advanced in position at Woolwich, and able, at times, to -return home at an early hour, came now at a trot from the station, -and his first inquiry as he ascended the staircase always concerned -the infant; Edward gave up his occasional evenings at the theatre to -return home, chat to Katherine, and, by permission of nurse, find -himself allowed to hold the baby for a few minutes; old Mrs. Winterton -discovered amongst her treasures, mid Victorian toys such as ivory -rings, china dolls with black painted hair, and a wooden horse of -barrel shape with circular stripes, The greatest change to be noticed -was in Muriel. Muriel, in the presence of Master Langford, threw off -all the masks that she wore at various times--aloofness, indifference, -studied composure, sedateness--and, as Edward said, gave herself -away completely when the baby was in sight. She talked to him in the -mysterious language that the very young are supposed to understand, she -was deferential towards nurse in order that she might be allowed to -share nurse's duties; to be permitted to glance at him, the last thing, -as he slept, was counted by her a remarkable privilege. Muriel assured -me that the slightest whimper from his cot during the night, aroused -her instantly. - -"At office," she mentioned, with good humour, "I seem to have been -making him the one topic of my conversation. At any rate, a round robin -was presented to me to-day signed by all the girls in my room, and -pointing out that I am not the only aunt in the world. I suppose it -is true, but I wrote in reply that few aunts had such a brilliant and -exceptional nephew." - -"I felt just the same," I commented, "when Herbert arrived. For a time -people used to say that it cost half a crown to speak to me." - -Muriel was silent for a few moments. "I must write to Herbert," she -said. - -When nurse left, we formed a syndicate, and my earliest grievance -against the shop was caused by the discovery that some one would have -to be engaged to look after the baby; I was free only in the early -hours and the late hours, and those were periods when the other members -happened to be ready to give their services. Katherine herself could -have remained at home, and she had a desire to do so, but she admitted -to me that loneliness meant grim imaginings of disaster near the -Persian Gulf, and I recognised that work, and nothing else but work, -was necessary to her. So I had to look around for some responsible -woman--not a slip of a girl, and not so advanced in age as Mrs. -Winterton, who had offered to help--and the task of finding one proved -difficult; there were occupations so well paid at the time that few -wanted to engage in domestic tasks. (I declined Mrs. Winterton's -suggestion with a gentleness not, I fear, usual to me; I had an idea -that the old Captain was beginning to shew signs of breaking up, and if -this happened, I knew her hands would be full.) I did, at last, find -a nurse who produced a guardedly-worded testimonial from her latest -employer. - -"I'm all right," she said, candidly, "so long as no one gets in my way. -Once that happens, I fly straight off into a rare old fit of temper." - -The engagement was made subject to the decision of the bank people. -Katherine wrote, and the reply directed her to call the following -Monday morning; she rehearsed the interview more than once, and -declared her belief that Cummings would prove the one barrier. On the -Sunday, I took the trouble to write to Mr. Cummings a letter, beginning -My dearest Tim, and expressing the fear that he no longer remembered -me, but saying that the note was intended to assure him that, in spite -of the long lapse of time, he was never absent from my thoughts, and -that I remained, now and always, his ever affectionate Daisy. It is not -clear whether my action could be defended on moral grounds, but I did -ascertain from Katherine that she found the recipient of the letter in -a dreamy, slightly absent-minded and quite reasonable state, and that -he handsomely granted her appeal. - -"But," he said, gazing hard at the inkstand, "any repetition of the -error will, of course--er--Good morning!" - - * * * * * - -It was enough to make a woman feel important to note how swiftly -members of her sex filled the vacancies caused by the departure of men. -Mr. Hillier spoke of munition factories at Erith and other places, -where thousands of girls were employed. At Woolwich, the canteens were -run by women. It had long since given no astonishment to see a lady -driving a motor-car; they seemed to do it more easily, less fussily -than did their predecessors. I heard of waitresses in West End clubs, -and of girl letter-sorters in the district Post Offices; I saw, when -business took me to London, high booted, short skirted alert young -women taking 'bus fares; from the kerbs came soprano voices calling -the evening newspapers; lifts in the big shops were managed by smartly -uniformed girls, and one observed them doing outside establishments the -work hitherto performed by commissionaires. Some of my lady customers -were deeply perturbed and shocked. - -"It don't do to think what poor old Queen Victoria would have said," -declared one, mournfully. "Thank Heaven, she wasn't spared to see this -day. If she had been, it would have been the death of her. She'd never -have survived it, dear soul. It's a mercy she was taken off when she -was. Providence knows best." - -The great argument with these good folk was that the occupations were -unwomanly; they did not trouble to consider who else there was to do -the work, and I always discovered they were the first to complain -of any slight inconvenience to them created by the war, and full of -indignation against some individuals whom they called the authorities. -The authorities ought to have done this, the authorities should have -done that; it was especially charged against the authorities that they -were lacking in fore-sight, and deficient in the valuable quality of -common sense. The most strenuous critics happened, by a coincidence, to -be those who never contrived to remember whether my early closing day -was Wednesday or Thursday. - -I allowed conversation to go on in the shop, partly because one had -all the natural curiosity to pick up any bits of news that were flying -about, mainly because it was worth while that the place should offer -an appearance of traffic. I have often seen people stop, attracted -by the window, crease their features over some of the contents with -a look of perplexity, and then, if the shop were empty, decide upon -postponement and move away; if customers were inside, and there -seemed a likelihood of an article of furniture being on the point of -changing hands, then the shop was entered without delay. I hit upon -the notion--it is improbable that I was the first to think of it--of -placing some desirable arm-chair or attractive cabinet well in the -foreground, and on it a ticket with the word "SOLD." The dodge rarely -failed. Grapes that are out of reach invariably look the sweetest. - -"Now could you manage, Miss Weston," it would be said, coaxingly, -"to just write a nice little note to your customer, and say you're -extremely sorry to find a mistake has been made? And send this round to -my house on a hand-cart at once, and it will be there in time to be a -surprise for my husband when he comes home!" - -These were, of course, the exceptions. Plenty of my ladies were shrewd -women doing good work with the various societies and associations that -had been started in the borough, and I was rarely tired of hearing -about their experiences, and always ready, I hope, to put my name -down on their subscription lists. London grows kinder year by year, -but there never was a period when amiability was so generally shown; -perhaps there had never been a time when it was so much required. The -need did not consist in money, but in friendliness. There were some who -stood in urgent want of this. - -A woman with her two children waited near to my door one day, gazing at -the tram-cars in a bewildered manner. I went out, and asked if I could -be of any assistance. - -"I do feel such a looney," she admitted, cheerfully. "To tell you the -truth, ma'am, I've never been out of Greenwich before, and now I've -got to find my way to a railway station up in London. My man's coming -home on leave, and he expects me and the kids to meet him. And we want -to meet him, because if we don't he may come across other friends, -and--Well, you know what soldier chaps are, don't you?" - -I read the pencilled note she held in her hand. Millwood was upstairs, -resting his voice. I put on my hat and coat in the back room, and -called out a direction to him. - -"I'll pilot you up there," I said, "and look after you until your -husband arrives!" - -The children were excited on the journey, wondering what Dad would look -like, and what Dad would bring for them, and how long Dad would be able -to remain at home, and how many Germans Dad had accounted for, and -whether--the great question--whether he would take them to a picture -palace. The woman herself was almost off her head with delight at the -prospect of seeing her husband again. I remember she carried a small -hand-bag with an unreliable catch; it contained all his letters and -post cards, and I should think I rescued it from the floor twenty times. - -"Without your help, ma'am," she declared gratefully at the London -station, "I sh'd no more had been able to get here than nothing at all." - -The boat train was due in ten minutes; we waited in the crowd near -the barrier, the youngsters dancing about expectantly, and too much -engaged to test the automatic machines. The tallest of us in the crowd -presently saw the engine approaching, and we made the announcement; the -crowd surged to and fro, chuckling and delighted. - -"I shall scarcely know him, I expect," said my agitated companion, -"after all these months." - -Mud-covered soldiers began to alight from the train ere it stopped; -cries of identification went up from people near to us. - -"That's my Jim," she exclaimed. And, contradicting herself, "No, it -ain't. Same height though. This must be him, coming along now. No," -disappointedly. "That ain't him, neither!" - -The men and their friends went off, chattering; the crowd diminished -and the features of those who remained shewed anxiety. - -"Anyone here called Mrs. Barford?" inquired a deep voice. - -"That's me," whispered my companion. "You go and see what he wants, -miss. I'm too nervous. I'm all of a tremble." I went forward. - -"If you are Mrs. Barford," said the Corporal, speaking to me formally -and deliberately, "I regret to have to inform you that your husband -fell down, and died he did, just as we was about to get in the train at -Bailleul. Heart attack probably. I need not say how sorry I am to be -the bearer of bad news." He went off with his wife and son. - -I had to take the sad group home to Greenwich, and to give all the -comfort and sympathy I could provide. And wished, with all my heart and -soul, that I had been better fitted for the task. - - * * * * * - -It was not long ere the new nurse and myself stepped inside the ring. -If she had been an angel from Heaven (which she was not) I should -probably have found some excuse for challenging her; she admitted, -when it was all over, that she found Gloucester Place too quiet for a -person of her disposition, and that she was, when the first discussion -occurred, spoiling for a fight. I had received a visit from William -Richards that afternoon, and a letter from my nephew contained an -enclosure, to which I had been looking forward, from Mrs. Kenningham. -William called to tell me he was married-- - -"And this I very well know, Mary Weston, means a rumpus so far as me -and you are concerned!" - ---Married to a lady hitherto engaged at a railway refreshment counter, -and, as I remarked when he shewed me her photograph on the back of a -postcard, looking it to the life. I assured him there was no objection -so far as I knew, and that I trusted he would be happy; William could -not get rid of the idea that an apology and a full explanation were due -to me, and with some notion of tempering the blow, made an offer for a -bookcase that stood in the shop. Guessing at the motive, I gave many -reasons for declining this. The bookcase was not for sale. I myself -had taken a fancy to it. Two or three customers were making a bid. The -owner had gone abroad, and might return any day. Eventually, William -became so piteous that I insisted on making him a gift of the article. - -"Wish you hadn't taken it to heart like this, Mary," he mentioned in -going. "But I suppose gels are more sensitive than what we men are. -They brood over affairs of the kind, and make a grievance of 'em. -Only, don't forget this. You had your chance, and it's no one's fault -but your own that you didn't take advantage of it. I'll send for the -bookcase in a day or two, and thank you kindly." - -There was really nothing in this to worry about, but as I went, -after closing the shop, I did feel William might have made a better -selection, and I argued that the chances of his happiness were not -great. At the exit from Gloucester Place to Crooms' Hill I caught -sight of baby's nurse talking to the milkman. I waited until he began -to pull at one of her white cuffs, and then, wondering how grown-up -people could be so stupid, hurried on to the house. Baby was alone, -and crying; he stopped on seeing me and was as right as ninepence in -less than a minute. My lady arrived, and demanded to be told what I was -doing with her child. I gave an answer pretty quickly. One word led to -another, and when Muriel arrived the two of us were having a rare brisk -discussion, hammer and tongs, give and take, such as I had not had a -share in for some time past. Muriel stayed the argument, begged me to -go to my rooms, and settled down for her usual talk with the baby. When -she came up later, I was feeling penitent. - -"You are working too hard," she said, firmly, "and unless you go slowly -you'll be ill, Aunt Weston. It's beginning to get on your nerves. We -must see what can be done." - -"You don't imagine, my dear, that I'm the kind of woman who will put up -with any interference from other people?" - -"Sure it wouldn't be an easy task," she agreed, smiling. "What happened -to-day to put you out?" - -She listened to the William Richards incident without great concern. -But when I shewed her the letter that Mrs. Kenningham had written -to Herbert, and the note from him which requested me to call on the -lady, and tell her frankly that he was in no need of affectionate -communications, then Muriel exhibited an energy and a vehemence of -which I had not reckoned her capable. She was willing to accompany me -to Maze Hill, and to go without delay. This style of woman, she said, -forcibly, had to understand once for all that kindness must stop short -of ridiculous infatuation. - -We found in the drawing-room of Mrs. Kenningham's house a cabinet -photograph of my nephew; it was set in an expensive silver frame, and -I wondered how many applications the lady had made before obtaining -it. It was gratifying to me, as a wire puller, to notice that Muriel -had not yet managed to suppress her annoyance; she went across to -the pianoforte and, despite my warnings, extracted the photograph. -Underneath were two portraits of other soldiers whose loneliness had -apparently, at an earlier stage, obtained the lady's attention. - -"How do you do," said Mrs. Kenningham, entering breathlessly, "and I -hope you are not going to detain me, because one has so much to see to, -and such a quantity of letters to write, for at a period like this it -is everyone's duty--" - -"My name is Hillier," said Muriel, calmly. "I am engaged to Lieutenant -Millwood. He has received this preposterous communication from you." - -"Oh dear, oh dear," cried the lady, alarmedly, "I am so sorry. I've put -my foot in it this time, and that's a fact. Do hope you'll believe that -my intentions were good." - -"Possibly. But your procedure was intensely foolish. Don't let it -happen again." - -When we were out of the house--our departure watched by the penitent -Mrs. Kenningham--I asked the girl whether she had spoken the exact and -precise truth. - -"Aunt Weston," she answered, "I may have anticipated events slightly; -whatever crime there is in that can be charged against me. But I'm not -going to stand by and see any other woman snatch at him. Let me reply -to his letter." - -"Your news, my dear, will make him very happy." - -"Been trying all my life to find happiness for myself," she said, "and -I haven't succeeded. Maybe I shall be more fortunate in endeavouring to -give it to somebody else." - - * * * * * - -We had a great meeting of friends, shortly after this, at Gloucester -Place; so extensive that Mr. Hillier spoke of the drawbacks attendant -on living in a flat, and compared the advantages of a house away from -London. Singing was, by consent, barred. A gentleman belonging to -the music-hall profession had come to live next door, and his habit -of giving a birthday party every Sunday night was not without its -inconveniences; it is only fair to say that when I called on him at the -request of old Mrs. Winterton, he proved as amiable as anyone could be. - -"Had no idea," he declared, self reproachfully, "there was anything -like illness about, or else it wouldn't have happened. Say so, won't -you, ma'am, with my compliments. Assure them that, until they give the -word, hospitality is off. The old Captain's honestly ill, is he? Well, -I'm sorry, and I can't say more. I expect the war has been too much for -him. It affects a lot of people who try not to shew it. Here!" He took -me aside. "Between ourselves, I'd give anything for that suit he wears, -if ever he wants to get rid of it. I can assure you it would get me a -roar the very moment I went on." - -So that at our gathering we had no music, but there was plenty to talk -about, and my nephew Herbert and Muriel were, to my great delight, -on excellent terms--they had agreed, she told me, to wait until the -war was over--and John was home from his tour, giving imitations -of chairmen he had encountered, and obtaining the aid of Edward in -reckoning the profits; the total when announced by the lad was received -with applause. John's leg still gave trouble: he spoke of the old and -less exacting task of writing songs. Colonel Edgington was there to -play billiards with Mr. Hillier; I took coffee down to the room and -found the two disputing in a manner that reminded me of Chislehurst -days. The Colonel, I gathered, was arguing not for the first time -that he either possessed influence or knew someone who owned it, and -he desired it should be used on behalf of Mr. Hillier; the contention -of Mr. Hillier was that he had every reason to be thankful for the -position he now occupied. - -And there was Katherine and her jolly baby. I wish I could describe to -you how fond we all were of the little chap; how relieved I was to find -that his nurse had asked for the day off; what a joy it was to me to -watch him and to help his young mother in looking after him. Katherine -and nurse appeared to get along well enough with each other, but my -antagonism to the girl had in no sense diminished, and as I sat near -the window, looking across the gardens at The Circus, I tried to fix -the details of a plan for getting rid of her, and securing for myself a -greater control over the dear mite. (You will perhaps think that I was -always scheming to get my own way, and you are probably not far wrong.) - -"The work at the shop in London Street," I overheard Katherine say to -John, "is telling on her. Do wish she'd give it up." - -"Something must be done," said her brother. - -"Millwood ought to be able to help," she remarked. "He seems to be a -man of intelligence." - - * * * * * - -The great wonder to me was that my brother-in-law remained modest, -continued to take the same size in hats. Before the war, he had been -nothing more, so far as the public was concerned, than a minor local -politician, reckoning himself lucky if the _Mercury_ gave his name -amongst a number of others; occasionally it appeared on small bills -that were posted furtively, by enthusiasts in the cause, who knew how -to run a meeting on economical lines. Now and again, when the borough -elections came on, he was in the sunlight for a space, and anyone who -wanted to deal at that time in second-hand furniture, had no chance of -doing business. At a parliamentary election, he was what is called an -organiser. - -Now, it appeared that he was necessary to the success of recruiting -meetings, indispensable at all sorts of public occurrences that had -connection with the war. I found a card for a drawing-room reception to -meet Her Royal Highness the Princess Somebody of Something at a house -near Pall Mall; the card announced three speakers, and one of these -was H. Millwood, Esq. The date of the affair happened to be an early -closing afternoon, and I made up my mind to go to town and ascertain -how my brother-in-law comported himself in the presence of the higher -aristocracy. I had seen him amongst the Greenwich people, had heard of -his success with larger audiences elsewhere, but it appeared tolerably -certain that Millwood would make grievous blunders in Carlton House -Terrace. - -There was time to spare when I stepped out of the tram-car on the far -side of Westminster Bridge, and in St James's Park I found the lake -still empty; on Horse Guards Parade a band was playing, and recruiting -sergeants conducted sets of newly enlisted to the railway station; near -The Mall and just inside the railings, a row of buildings had been set -up for Admiralty work, and cars with staff officers, and navy men, -hurried to and fro. There was no forgetting here that a war was going -on. At the house mentioned on the invitation card, I hesitated. The -ladies going in appeared distinguished (I recognised some from their -portraits in the illustrated dailies), they were handsomely dressed, -and I feared I might be stopped in the hall and called upon to answer -searching questions. A dowdily-garbed woman came in at the carriage -way, and I followed her. The footman inside the doorway bowed as he -took her card. - -"Has the meeting started yet?" - -"Not yet, Your Grace," answered the footman. - -I was sufficiently flustered to put, in a parrot-like way, the same -question, and the man was well trained enough to give me the same kind -of answer. At the foot of the broad staircase, another polite attendant -asked us to ascend, and on the landing everyone was being announced to -and received by the lady of the house. - -"Miss Weston!" called the man. The lady of the house shook hands, -pleasantly, said it was exceedingly good of me to find time to come, -urged me to take a seat without delay. - -"There will be a crowd," she remarked, contentedly. In a side room, I -could see Millwood in his blue reefer suit chatting with a young woman -who seemed about twice his height. - -The ball room was, on one side, of irregular shape, and I managed to -discover a corner, where, from a gilded chair I could watch without -being seen. A small raised platform had been fixed; the windows looked -out on the Park and Government offices. About me, as the room filled -and the rows of chairs became occupied, the talk was of the war and its -progress, or the need for its progress. One could not help observing, -once more, that the appetite for rumours, fresh and seasonable and -tasty, was as keen in the west as in the south-east of London. - -The Chairman entered escorting H.R.H. (she was the tall young woman -with whom I had seen Millwood chatting). We stood up. H.R.H. placed -her bouquet of flowers on the table where there stood a silver tray, -and a glass jug (that I should have liked to buy) and tumblers. A -well-known actor-manager, a notable Judge, and Millwood followed. The -audience sat down, made itself comfortable, and assumed the look of -calm resignation that is appropriate when a flood of talk has to be -expected. The Chairman opened with compliments to H.R.H. and, declaring -that the speakers of the afternoon would save him the trouble of -explaining the proposals of the new Association, went on to describe -these in full detail. At the end of twenty minutes, he called upon -the Judge. The Judge said the Chairman had given all the information -that was necessary, and his own talk would therefore be simple and -brief; he took twenty-five minutes to repeat, in slightly varied -words, the speech of the Chairman. When the actor-manager advanced -to the edge of the small platform, we all bent forward eagerly and -hopefully; it seemed likely that here would be something to break -the steady and persistent dulness. The actor-manager, with fine -declamation and admirable gesture, started with an epigram that missed -fire; my own view was that, by an oversight, he offered it upside -down, and thus robbed it of pungency. Discouraged by this (and by the -circumstance that he could not make out his notes excepting by the -aid of spectacles, which he had decided not to wear) the actor-manager -contented himself by echoing the statements and arguments already made. - -"As you, my lord, have so truly remarked, and as my learned friend, if -I may so call him, has so admirably suggested--" - -I glanced about to discover a chance of getting away; an elderly lady -of great proportions in the next chair, was now well asleep, and to -arouse her would have produced a commotion. - -"Your Royal Highness," announced the Chairman. "I call upon Mr. -Millwood." - -My brother-in-law came forward, one hand in the pocket of his jacket. -He gave a rather awkward bow to H.R.H., nodded to the Chairman. - -"This is a deuce and all of a rummy affair!" he said. The sentence -seemed to box the ears of the jaded audience; everybody became alert; -the stout old lady next to me woke up. "When you come to think it over, -I mean. Before August, nineteen fourteen, you ladies and gentlemen -knew nothing about me and cared less, and what I thought of you isn't -worth mentioning. And here we are to-day, all friends. All chums. All -brothers and sisters. All regarding one another with a real and vurry -sincere affection. And why is it? Why, because we've been attacked, -without any warning, by a bully that wants to murder our men, women and -children, and whose aim it is to wipe us off the face of the earth." -Millwood jerked around suddenly, and spoke with deliberation. "He ain't -a-going to be allowed to do it!" The cheering came for the first time; -loud cheering, and long. "Out there, just now, on the 'Orse Guards -Parade, I spoke to a young chap who was going forward to the tent where -they're jotting down the names of recruits. He appeared not much more -than a boy, and I took the liberty of speaking to him. I says, 'My lad, -what induces you to leave your good mother, and go and join the army?' -And he says, 'It's just because I've got a good mother, that I'm going -to fight on her behalf,' he says." - -It is impossible for me to describe the way in which Millwood gripped -and held those people. Set down in writing, there would appear to be -little in his homely anecdotes, his ordinary illustrations, his touches -of domestic pathos. What I do assure you is that at one moment the folk -were laughing, and at the next they were in tears; the great virtue -of the speech seemed to me that it finished within ten minutes, and -I joined with the rest in making the ineffectual appeal of "Go on!" -Once or twice he had made adventures into the alliterative manner, and -these were his only errors. In the room downstairs where the visitors -took tea and coffee, and I had the opportunity of inspecting furniture, -everyone was asking for Mr. Millwood. The lady of the house regretted -he had somehow taken his departure, unobserved by her. - -That evening, when Millwood returned to London Street, I asked how he -had got on at the afternoon meeting. - -"Moderately fairly well," he replied. "Can't say more than that!" - - * * * * * - -Millwood and I came into collision, and each showed an irritability -over the incident not usual with either of us. My own idea is that my -brother-in-law's manner was responsible. He bounced into the shop one -morning when the rain was pelting down, and spattering up from the -pavement; he was in the habit of taking great credit to himself for -never carrying an umbrella, and on this occasion he was without an -overcoat. His first act, the swinging to and fro of his wet bowler hat, -caused me to speak sharply. - -"You needn't worry," he said. "I'm coming back here. I'm going to -take charge again. They tell me I've nearly wore out my welcome, so -far as the public is concerned--getting too refined in my manner, or -something--and my name will once more appear above the shop windows." - -"Have you been breaking the pledge?" I asked. - -"Unfortunately, no," he replied. "Otherwise I sh'd be in a better -temper than what I find myself. I've come 'ere, to have a straight talk -with you, I have, Mary Weston." - -"You'll probably get a straight talk in return. What do you mean by -this nonsense about coming back?" - -"When you took the shop over," he said, deliberately, "it was -understood I was free to return and take possession whenever I felt -disposed so to do." - -"Have you any proof of that?" - -"Got it in my inside pocket now. A letter, or note, or communication -in your own handwriting. Contents of the place to be valued by some -independent authority unless the figure could be agreed on between us." - -"I'd forgotten about that," I admitted. "But, in any case, it isn't -worth the paper it's written on." - -"How do you make that out?" - -"Go and consult a solicitor," I retorted, bluffing. "He'll tell you, in -half a jiffy, that you've no legal claim. Now be off, and don't bother -me with your nonsense any longer." - -"If there's going to be any consulting of solicitors," he declared, -"it's you that had best do it." - -When one is dealing with an obstinate, pig-headed man, serious argument -is of no use. I tried a more appealing way, but Millwood shook his -head, and said I was wasting my breath. I remarked that I knew a well -qualified and highly reasonable legal gentleman up in London who could -give wise advice on the subject, and Millwood, after some discussion, -went so far as to agree that he would accept Mr. Cartwright's decision. -Millwood wrote out a copy of the letter I had been foolish enough to -give to him some eighteen months or more earlier. - -"Be a sport," he warned me. "Shew him this, and tell him everything in -a truthful manner, and come back here, and tell me what he says. I'll -look after the shop until you return." - -My Quartermaster-Sergeant's brother was busy, and, in his office could -give me no more than five minutes: he placed a watch on the table to -make sure that this period was not exceeded. Before I had time to state -the case fully or to produce the copy of the note, he stopped me. - -"You must give up possession," he said, definitely, "at the end of the -current week. Good-bye! Thorough April weather, isn't it?" - -I could not help suspecting that my friends--little Mr. Cartwright -included--were just now associated in a design to control and guide my -career. - - * * * * * - -Something that looked like an opportunity for dealing with the -conspiracy against me came when young Pinnock, of a shop over the -way in London Street, went before the Tribunal. There were always -establishments to let in the thoroughfare, but I had fixed an eye on -Pinnock's because of its special build and expansive windows; I could -see there a business under my control that would be in opposition to -Millwood, in more senses than one. (I fancy there was some idea, at the -back of my head, that I was a piece of machinery which could not risk -the danger of stopping lest it should be reckoned of no use, and find -itself thrown upon the scrap heap.) - -Young Pinnock was of the very few who declared openly a resolve to -take no part in the war; he had a thousand and more arguments, and -the important one, which he repeated at his doorway, and occasionally -shouted across the street, was that the trouble on the continent of -Europe was not of his making. This we had guessed, but it did not -prevent us from saying that young Pinnock ought to take his share as -the rest were doing; that he constituted an undesirable example to -youths who were growing up, that the drill would make a man of him, -and perhaps induce some girl to offer her admiration. Pinnock found a -new contention, each day, to support his attitude, and when he caught -sight of my brother-in-law, rushed out to present it; Millwood was -always able to knock the suggestion over with no trouble, and the -youth returned to his shop to ponder, and to build up a fresh one. -He exhibited an air of great confidence one evening on producing the -statement that his mother had begged and prayed of him not to enlist, -declaring that his departure was likely to be followed immediately by -retirement to a bed which she would never leave. - -"Give me her address," said Millwood, curtly, "and I'll give the old -gel a look in." - -"I don't profess that I'm giving you her exact and actual words, Mr. -Millwood." - -"My lad," remarked my brother-in-law, "what reelly keeps you back is -not your mother, or any other relative. It's yourself. When the war is -over, you ought to have the Humane Society Medal." - -"What for, Mr. Millwood?" - -"For saving your own life. And don't worry me with the subject again. -If there had been many like you, we should have had the Germans here by -now. I've got no patience with your sort." - -"Wish somebody had," complained young Pinnock. "My difficulty is to get -people to listen to common sense." - -It proved that his mother was, in fact, anxious that he should go; it -happened that she was the only parent in her road at Charlton who had -not made some contribution to the services, and she declared that her -position was not to be envied. Pinnock tried, later, the plea that if -he joined up, the shop would close (Millwood said the world was not -likely to come to an end on account of this), that there were texts -in the Bible supporting his attitude (Millwood, as a new and careful -reader, was able to produce some war-like quotations from the Old -Testament), also that his principles would not allow him to take life, -(Millwood remarked that the possession of a rifle, and the sight of a -Prussian aiming a bomb, would modify these views.) Finally, and before -appearing at the Tribunal, young Pinnock announced his intention of -arguing that he had no right to set his own existence in danger. That, -he said, was the point. Life was entrusted to us as a high and sacred -charge, and any man who, wilfully and with his eyes open, exposed it to -peril was to all intents and purposes committing suicide and deserving -of the blame the law could give. Nothing but an unsound mind, argued -young Pinnock, and this he in no way claimed, excused the act. Indeed, -he described himself as a thinker; one who refrained from borrowing -views from other people, preferring to make his own. - -"And I'd like you to come along, Mr. Millwood, and hear me argue the -question in front of these gentlemen, because I've got the notion that -I shall be more successful with them than what I've been with you." - -"No special treat to me," said Millwood, "to see a chap make a fool of -hisself." - -"But I owe you something," urged the young man, "for inducing me to -give up arguments that wouldn't hold water. Thanks to you, I've got one -now that's absolutely without a flaw. Shouldn't wonder if my case gets -reported in the evening papers. I feel absolutely confident it'll make -a sensation." - -Millwood and I were not on too friendly terms at the moment, but he -told me, on his return from the court, all that had happened, and told -it in the dramatic way that a man of his type can adopt in describing -an incident which has affected the imagination deeply. Of young Pinnock -entering the room with a determined air--"He would have stuck his -chin out," said Millwood, "only that he hadn't got one!"--of being -directed to take a seat, and finding himself disconcerted by this; the -rehearsals apparently had always been taken in an upright position. -Of Pinnock recovering gradually powers of speech and gesture, and -proceeding to declaim his views on the sanctity of human life, and more -especially the duty of every man to preserve his own life, in a way -that made the members of the court--exhausted as they were by attending -to appeals on a variety of grounds, and sometimes on no grounds at -all--listen with care. Of the Chairman presently stopping the applicant -with the remark that the case had been put forward with conspicuous -ability; the Court would give its decision later in the day, and -announce then whether any exemption could be granted. - -Of young Pinnock leaving the room, and going out of the building in a -great state of exaltation, talking to folk he met, and--on the edge of -the pavement, still propounding his views--being run into by a small -boy on a scooter. Of poor Pinnock staggering under the unexpected -collision, and trying to recover himself, and not succeeding, and -falling into the roadway as a motor-car dashed along. - -The shop was closed on the day of the inquest, and remained closed, -but some feeling of superstition prevented me from making any effort -to secure it. The incident, small in comparison with the large events -which were happening, touched me. And I could understand and sympathise -with the remark that the mother made. - -"I should have felt a lot happier," she said, wistfully, "if my boy had -been killed on the field of battle!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - -I assumed at the moment that it was annoyance with the contrariness -of events which made me feel out of sorts. It happened that no one -at Gloucester Place advised me to see a doctor, and if this counsel -had been given I should have rejected it at once; on my own account I -discovered my earliest customer, who occupied the first half-hour by -shewing me the contents of the house added since his original purchase -through me. This over, he gave attention to my case. - -"You have come nearly to the end of your resources," he said. - -"Nonsense!" I ejaculated. - -"Another month or two of the work you have been engaged upon, and you -would have proved outside and beyond any treatment from me." - -"Ridiculous!" - -"Your mind, for a considerable period, has had nothing resembling a -holiday or rest. You have gone from one task to another, without an -interval. You are not sleeping well, are you?" - -"I can do with less than most people." - -"In future, you will have to take more sleep than most people get. I -don't want to give you anything to make you sleep, but--" - -"Shouldn't take it, if you did!" - -"I understand you to say that you are now clear of the shop in London -Street." - -"By pure dodgery and sharp practise, I've been turned out of it. It's a -scandal that the law--" - -"Now, now!" he interrupted. "Don't let us become excited unless there -is good need for it. Has your brother-in-law paid you a fair sum?" - -"I'm not grumbling about that. As a matter of fact, he gave me what I -asked, without any haggling." - -He nodded approvingly. "If it had all been arranged by wise friends," -he said, "it could scarcely have happened better." - -"And do you too think, sir, that my people have been scheming and -planning--" - -"You mustn't get so flushed and emotional, Miss Weston," he ordered. "I -know nothing whatever about your people, or what they are doing. Just -you take matters quietly, and be thankful you can afford to do so. I'll -send some medicine along this evening. Call again, if you find you are -no better." - -I challenged Millwood later with being one of the members of a -conspiracy, and he smiled and said nothing. The suspicion would not -have galled me so much, I suppose, but for the circumstance that I -had always reckoned myself a stage manager directing other people, -and the positions were now reversed. I decided to say nothing of it -at Gloucester Place, where it seemed likely the chief movers in the -plot might be found, and this was the easier because Katherine's baby -occupied my attention; we went into the park together, and rested near -the trees, and I picked flowers that delighted the small person and -were treasured to be presented later to mamma. Also, at home, old Mrs. -Winterton was glad of my help and my advice. - -"The Captain talks of nothing now but the war, my dear," she explained, -"and I can't help wishing he had done so earlier, like most folk, -instead of bottling it up. But I am hoping we shall get peace almost -directly, and then he'll be comforted, and he will begin to mend, you -see." - -"Do you really imagine the war is nearly at an end?" - -"It can't last for ever," she argued. - -"But I see no signs of a finish. The Germans occupied Easter bank -holiday in trying to bombard Lowestoft; the Turks are holding us -out where Lieutenant Langford is; there's trouble in Dublin, and the -Zeppelins seem to come over when they like." - -"Yes, yes," said the old lady, "I know, I know. But I've always been -able to get anything I earnestly prayed for." - -"Perhaps you haven't made such a large request before." - -The Captain had aged greatly during the last month; without the help -of his elaborate collar and tie, and his frogged overcoat, he appeared -to have become limp, and if a cushion in his easy chair moved, he -slipped with it. His courteous manner towards his wife in no way -changed; he was grateful for any aid I could give, but it was clear -that he favoured her company, her assistance. The content they found in -each other's society made me think of my Quartermaster-Sergeant, and -I began to write often to Seaford, on the excuse that I now had time -to spare. Cartwright replied with a new spirit, declaring my letters -were as welcome as flowers in May, and admitting that some chaps were -more greatly favoured in the way of correspondence than himself; he -always looked out for the _Punch_ I sent weekly, but preferred the -briefest note to the most amusing journal. For myself, I can confess -that, at this time--when I had to be careful of my health, and to watch -my temper, and to keep cool, and not allow small incidents to disturb -me--I had reason to be grateful for his notes. If one arrived by the -first post, there was competition between Muriel, Katherine, and Edward -for the privilege of bringing it to me. Sometimes, Mr. Hillier was the -messenger. - -"Better than all the doctor's bottles, Aunt Weston," he said. - -Mr. Hillier was in exceptionally good spirits. It seemed there was a -prospect that he might be leaving the Arsenal, where the work, I am -sure, had become monotonous; the rest of us had often expressed the -hope that he would, some day, be induced to give it up. But this was -not resignation, but a chance of transfer, and I could not help a -slight feeling of jealousy on discovering that the credit was due to -Colonel Edgington, once a fidget of the highest standard, but now, by -reason of circumstances, a person of some authority and influence. The -appointment had to do with a munition factory to be opened shortly; a -well qualified person was required at the head. I confessed I itched -to be taking part in the affair: it appeared to me that the plan could -scarcely reach success without my help. This view was hinted to the -Colonel. - -"Don't you dare!" he cried, threateningly. "Let me catch you -interfering in any way whatsoever, and upon my soul, woman, I'll have -you shot. Or put away in an asylum. Or gagged. This is my fishing, and -I won't allow you, Weston, or any one else to poach. Understand that!" - -I happened to find some recompense in a kind of flying interview with -an auctioneer from Chislehurst. Him I encountered near to the park -gates that lead to Blackheath; he was entering and in jerking to me -a scrap of news concerning The Croft, he sprinted along the avenue -towards the river. I turned the perambulator, and to the astonishment -of Katherine's baby and of nurses, raced along after the hurried -auctioneer, putting eager questions, and obtaining fragmentary replies -thrown over the shoulder. At the Observatory I was forced to give up -the chase. When the baby had been induced to start on his morning's -sleep, I sat down and enjoyed a dream that, like most dreams, seemed -too good to come true. Finding a pencil and a sheet of note-paper, I -made some calculations. My friend, the police-sergeant, went by, in -ordinary clothes, and accompanied by his little girl. - -"Give him my love as well," he shouted, chaffingly. - -My existence, since I had been turned out of the shop, seemed to be -wanting in ingenious plans. The one now before me was so magnificent -that my pencil shook as it wrote the figures. - -At Gloucester Place, of an evening, we all pretended an indifference to -the prospects of Colonel Edgington's idea; sometimes we went so far as -to deride it, and I, in particular, referred to incidents of the past -which he had handled clumsily, pointed out that as a man grew old, so -confidence in himself increased, and his mental abilities diminished. I -think I suggested that the war would have been successfully terminated, -long ere now, if Headquarters had been served by younger and more -intelligent people. Secretly, we were hopeful that Mr. Hillier would -obtain the berth. I found his silk hats, that had long been enjoying a -rest cure, and polished them with a handkerchief. - - * * * * * - -Because I had given a small donation to the fund--it was difficult in -those days for even a thrifty woman to say "No" to the applications -that came--a ticket reached me inviting my presence to the dedication, -by a Lord Bishop, of war ambulances, one to be given to the British -Red Cross Society, one to the French Red Cross. The circumstance -that a speech of thanks was to be made by Colonel Edgington would -have discouraged me, but the affair was to take place on a Saturday -afternoon, a period when Katherine, home from the bank, expected to be -allowed to take exclusive charge of her son; I had to stand back and -to look forward to resuming control of the little person on the Monday -morning. Muriel advised me to go, and to bring back an account of the -proceedings: she declared that my imitation of Colonel Edgington was -always amongst my triumphs. - -Some one directed me wrongly, and I happened to be late in arriving -at the school playground where the ceremony was to take place, but -my old lad Peter, there in a position of authority with Boy Scouts, -caught sight of me and, leaving everything, conducted me to the raised -platform as the Russian National Anthem was being sung by the children. -Folk, noting the deferential manner adopted by Peter, assumed I was a -guest of importance; a steward discovered a vacant chair in the second -row and would take no notice of my signals indicating a preference for -a more retired place. I found myself immediately behind the Mayor who, -anxious I suppose, to shew that he identified everyone in his borough, -turned and shook hands warmly, introduced me by an unintelligible name -to the Bishop, who declared he had often heard of me, and was charmed -now to make my acquaintance. I listened to the youngsters giving the -last verse. - - "_God the all-wise! By the fire of their chastening, - Earth shall to freedom and truth be restored. - Through the thick darkness Thy kingdom is hastening, - Thou wilt give peace in Thy time, O Lord!_" - -As somebody offered a prayer, I thought of these words, looked back in -my mind, and realised--almost for the first time--how gentle the war -had been to me, in comparison with the treatment it had served out to -other people. - -The Mayor followed with a statement, and the Bishop rose. Colonel -Edgington, seated near, turned, and in turning glanced at me; the old -chap was too much absorbed in the importance of the affair and his own -share to recognise me, and from this moment, throughout the dedication -and the address, he occupied himself with his notes. I admit I was -touched by the fervour and patriotism of the Bishop's words. Maybe I -had not been fortunate in some of the clergymen encountered during my -life: here was one out of the ordinary. I joined in "Oh God our help in -ages past," feeling more earnest and impressed than I had ever done in -church. - -"You're not going," protested the Mayor. - -"I have an engagement," I answered readily. It struck me as I spoke -that it did not take one long to escape from religious influence, and -to slip back to ordinary habits. - -"But there's tea to come," he argued. "And I'm just going to call on -the next speaker." - -It was impossible to move ere Colonel Edgington rose, and I resigned -myself to the ordeal of hearing the voice of my opponent. The Mayor -whispered around that the speech was to last but five minutes, and this -was accepted as an encouraging piece of news. - -"--Pleasure and honour to accept," said the Colonel, with more than -his usual pomposity of manner, and barking the words so that some -were extraordinarily audible, and others indistinct. "Doing fine and -glorious humanitarian work--succour the wounded--taken a great part -myself in this work--industry not restricted to this--may mention -that near neighbour of yours, and dear friend of mine, name Hillier, -been this day appointed to---- working for the last year and more, -whole heartedly--now gained his reward--happiness shortly in informing -him----" - -Colonel Edgington read with care from his notes a quotation, and the -Mayor said in an undertone, "Time, Colonel, time!" Everybody stood up, -and I surprised and pained some of the guests by moving to the back of -the stand as they sang, - - "--_And ever give us cause, - To say with heart and voice, - God save the King!_" - -I arrived at Gloucester Place, breathless and panting; my hat at not -quite the correct angle, and my features crowded with excitement. The -girls came out to the landing and received me apprehensively. - -"You're bringing bad news, Aunt Weston." - -"I'm bringing," I declared, "the best news you could possibly imagine!" - -The baby was instructed in the art of clapping hands, and Edward, on -arriving, threw off his air of maturity until he was reminded that -old Captain Winterton, below, might be disturbed. We went to the -balcony, and watched for Mr. Hillier. He generally came by the Royal -Hill entrance, but now and again he walked through the Park and across -Croom's Hill. - -"We'll draw lots," I suggested, "and see who is to be the one to tell -him." - -"But," said Muriel, "didn't you say that Colonel Edgington was coming -on to do that?" - -"He ought to have the privilege," agreed her sister and brother. - -"Have your own way," I said, reluctantly. "It isn't my custom to allow -myself to be hampered by tact, but perhaps you're right." - -So when Mr. Hillier came, we had to suppress our enthusiasm, and I -think we were all a trifle hysterical, excepting the baby. For once in -my life, I answered Colonel Edgington's knock with genuine satisfaction. - -"Weston," he announced, "I am the bearer of important tidings." - -"Concerning me?" - -"Concerning your master, foolish woman." I gave an ejaculation of -surprise. "Ah!" he said acutely, "I thought the day would come when I -should be able to startle you!" - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - -It seemed to me that I should have to go to work cautiously in -regard to the new scheme in my mind concerning The Croft. A policy -of carefulness had grown up at Gloucester Place; for some time past -accounts had been kept, accounts that had to balance or the expert -young folk applied themselves to the figures, and ascertained the -reason why. Mr. Hillier, as I knew, had been saving money since the -loss of his wife (she, dear soul, never was able to acquire the useful -trick) and once a man begins to hoard it is difficult to induce him -to embark upon anything like adventure or risk. Also, I could not be -sure to what extent their affection for the rooms in Gloucester Place -might weigh; it was certain that the struggles and triumphs associated -in their minds with Greenwich would count whenever a suggestion was -offered of removal. Once, a casual reference had been made to the -house in Tressillian Road, Brockley, where we had lived before going -to Chislehurst; this idea appeared to be lacking in boldness. There -was Katherine's little chap to be considered. We had the Park at hand, -but I was fearful that as he grew up he might be playing with other -children and--Well, I suppose, we people who have once lived in large -houses remain snobs to the rest of our days. - -I managed to find the auctioneer at his office in a comparatively -leisurely mood, but he was a hustling sort of man, constantly looking -at his watch and with the affectation of being over-crowded with -engagements that deceives only the partially demented. He broke off -more than once during our interview to ring people up on the telephone, -and to impress me with the vastness of his business, and the importance -of his dealings. The Croft, he admitted, was still unlet, but how long -it would remain in this state of emptiness, he could not attempt to -guarantee. Several folk were endeavouring to obtain it, and the matter -was one of rent, and of rent only. - -"You're wrong," he declared, when I mentioned that large houses were -not now in great demand. "Absolutely off the main line. Never made -a bigger mistake in the whole course of your existence. Try to put -that idea out of your head, my dear madam, as soon as ever you can. -By-the-bye, I like to know who I am dealing with. Give me your name, -and your full address." - -I furnished him with the London Street address. It was no part of my -scheme to give him the chance of calling at Gloucester Place, and -blurting out information there. - -"Good!" he said briskly. "I take it you are a lady of some property." - -"You are safe in assuming that." - -"My method," he went on, "is to be perfectly frank and straightforward. -What I mean is, as frank and straightforward as business will permit. -Now I don't mind telling you that I have two strong offers for the -house, and at any moment one of these may decide to clinch the bargain." - -"Your several, then, comes down to a couple." - -"I'm telling you now," declared the auctioneer, solemnly, "the gospel -truth. I can't disclose names, but if you are inclined to doubt my -word, I can show you a part of communications I have received from -these two parties." - -I was willing to believe his statement on this point. - -"Very well, then! You will understand, Miss Weston, that there is a -reserve rental set, and my duty is--we can't afford to be sentimental, -you know, in our profession--my duty is to get as near to that as I -possibly can. Now, on this slip of paper I am writing the figures of -the highest bid that has been made up to the present." He threw the -note across the table. I crossed out the sum, and wrote an increased -amount. "Right you are!" he said. "Come back here the day after -to-morrow, and I may have something further to tell you." - -Looking back, I really cannot be sure how far I intended to go in the -transaction. It was, I knew, impossible for me to realise some of my -investments and put the money down even for one year's rent; certainly -I could not make myself responsible for taking up a lease; I fancy the -idea was to carry on the preliminaries to a certain stage, and then -go to Mr. Hillier and urge him to take the matter over. Meanwhile, -in order to save myself from the risk of being caught in a net, I -told Millwood to say, supposing anyone called at the shop, that I had -gone. Nothing more; just that. Perhaps one had better not discuss the -fairness of the proceedings. I wanted to see my people back at their -old home, and I did not intend to be too particular about the means. - -The haggling went on. I had to go to the auctioneer's office more than -half a dozen times. I climbed the hill from Chislehurst station and -went under the water tower so often that I became tired of seeing the -Bickley arms engraven there. Then old Captain Winterton took a turn for -the worse, and his wife began to fail; I gave all spare time to the -ground floor. To my question, Mrs. Winterton answered that they had no -relatives. At times, both rallied slightly, and I was able to assure -them they would not finish their innings until they scored a hundred. - -"I would like to live on for a few years," confessed the old lady. "I -want to see that dear baby boy grow up." - - * * * * * - -Few incidents occurred in the neighbourhood that were not in some way -or other communicated to me; for some reason, the striking case of -Corporal Bateman of Royal Hill remained, declining to be evicted from -my thoughts. Bateman represented to me, for a period, a type of the -British soldier, and behaviour of the British soldier where matters -of the heart were concerned. My Quartermaster-Sergeant had not, in -all probability, encountered or heard of Bateman, and he little knew -how much his home prospects were affected by the deportment of the -Corporal. (Now, it seems to me that no excuse can be found for the way -in which I allowed it to influence me; at the time, no excuse appeared -necessary.) - -Corporal Bateman had been what Greenwich called half engaged to his -cousin; the two quarrelled over his enlistment (the cousin thought he -should have first mentioned it to her) and when he left for France -his mother only saw him off. Mrs. Bateman was one of the few elderly -people unable to read or write; the joke in Royal Hill was that, to -conceal this defect, she pointedly and markedly bought each evening a -newspaper, and seated on a wooden chair at her doorway, affected to -peruse it carefully, with ejaculations such as, - -"Gracious me, what a war this is to be sure!" - -And, - -"You'd never think they'd have the face to do such things!" - -And, - -"Lay my boy is in the thick of it, although I don't see his name -nowheres." By oversight, she sometimes gave these remarks to the -advertisement page. - -Corporal Bateman, after months in France, came home on leave, anxious -to see again his old mother of whom he was genuinely fond, and all the -more desirous because he had received no word from her. At the door, he -loosened his equipment, and knocked. The cousin, appearing, straightway -threw herself with some impetuosity into his arms. - -"Oh Daniel," she cried, emotionally. "Home at last. Thank Heaven for -this happy moment!" - -Corporal Bateman disengaged himself, and looked around in a dazed -manner. Glanced at the brass figures on the door. - -"The number's all right," he said, perplexedly, "and the 'ouse looks -correct, but I don't know you. Who are you, and what are you doing -'ere?" - -"I'm your cousin," she replied. "Your cousin Phoebe, that you used to -be so fond of." - -"Haven't quite got rid of the effects of the gassing," he said, tipping -back his cap, and rubbing at the top of his head. "I'd better have a -stroll in the Park." - -"You'll do nothing of the kind," declared the young woman. "Come inside -at once, and wait till your mother comes home from the market." - -"Have I got a mother?" asked Corporal Bateman, simply. "What's she -like? Where's father?" - -"I can't answer that last question, Daniel dear, because he drew his -final breath years ago. Don't you remember the new suit you had for the -funeral?" - -"I don't remember nothing," he said, hopelessly. "Me mind's a blank." - -He was anxious to stay outside the house until someone else arrived, -but the cousin, an authoritative person, conducted him through the -passage. On observing that he did not know where to find the row of -hat pegs, she burst into tears; he regarded her with an increased -aloofness, and asked the way to the best room. There she announced a -desire to sit near to him, and to hold his hand, and to talk about -old times; he remarked, in a confused mumbling way, that he made it a -principle never to carry on with female strangers. - -"Have you had your tea?" she inquired. - -"I don't know," replied Corporal Bateman, absently. "If I have, I've -forgot all about it. I forget about everything. Don't bother me, else I -shall get worse." - -She was in the kitchen preparing the meal, when Mrs. Bateman let -herself in at the front door with a latch-key. The girl listened. "Good -afternoon, ma'am," said the returned soldier. "Have you called to see -mother? Because, if so, she's out!" - -The two women consulted agitatedly later, endeavouring to find a plan -for arousing the dormant intellect of the visitor. They counted it a -hopeful sign that he remembered the name of the nearest public-house; -Mrs. Bateman expressed the hope that a good supper would brighten him. -As a result of their deliberations, the girl went softly into the -room, where Corporal Bateman was now dozing, and gave him a modest and -cousinly kiss; he awoke at once, and declared he would provide her with -a coloured eye if she dared to do this again. - -"A liberty," he said, aggrievedly. "That's what I call it. If it -happens again, I go straight out of the house. You understand!" - -Mrs. Bateman said she had read of such cases in the newspapers, and -believed that at times a sudden shock had a remedial effect. The girl -remarked that she knew what was in her aunt's mind, but hesitated to -take the desperate step of making the announcement in question: she -feared the stunning blow might send poor Daniel completely off his -head, and then the blame would be hers, and the remorse hers, until the -very end of life. - -"He'll have to know one day," urged Mrs. Bateman. The girl shuddered. - -"Let's put it off as long as we can," she begged. "Him coming home like -this seems already like a judgment on me." - -They found him looking through the family album in a casual, -uninterested way; a year ago portrait of himself and his cousin, taken -together, caused him to put the question, "Who are these two supposed -to be?" He gave permission to his mother to take the nearest chair; the -cousin, he said, was to sit at the opposite end of the room. As the -pages were turned, Mrs. Bateman offered comments and explanations; he -shook his head to intimate that he could neither confirm or deny the -particulars. - -"That's your uncle, my boy. The father of Phoebe, over there. He's -took in his merchant service uniform. Quite a seafaring family, the -whole lot of 'em. Excepting, of course, Phoebe, and she's made up for -it by--" The girl at the other end of the room coughed; Mrs. Bateman -accepted the warning. Corporal Bateman turned another page. - -"Who's this good-looking sailor chap?" he inquired. "That," said Mrs. -Bateman promptly, "is Phoebe's husband." The cough came too late this -time. "Oh, my boy," she cried, self-reproachfully, "I 'ave been and -told you something, and no mistake. The truth is, his ship was in dock -for repairs, three weeks ago, and he came 'ome here, he did, and he -married Phoebe, and you mustn't take on about it, my son, because what -is to be will be, and everything's ordered for the best, and--Oh, don't -do anything cruel to her!" - -Corporal Bateman had risen and crossed the room. He took his cousin by -the elbows, and gave her a sounding kiss. - -"Hearty congrats, Phoebe, old girl," he said, in his normal manner. -"It's a load off my mind. What I was afraid of was that you'd be -wanting to make it all up with me again. How about us three trotting -along to the first 'ouse at the Empire, up near the Broadway?" - - * * * * * - -The ingenuity shewn by Corporal Bateman caused me to gain the -impression that the British Army, excellent in most ways, could in -matters of sentiment, not be trusted implicitly. The moment was -unfortunately chosen for my Quartermaster-Sergeant's blunder. - - * * * * * - -A square envelope came from Cartwright, and opening it, I found it -addressed to "My dear Lily." Of course I ought not to have read on, -but there are situations where etiquette cannot be strictly observed. -It was an affectionate but not an extravagant note; the memory came to -me of the statement of an officer, made early in the war, who censoring -letters out at the front, discovered six from one youth, all in -identical and loving terms, but with the Christian names of the girls -different in each case. I could picture my dear Lily without trouble. A -young girl, good looking, and probably occupied in some business that -left her with more time than I had to exchange communications with -a soldier friend at Seaford. I boiled with annoyance to think there -was someone to whom George Cartwright was writing in these terms; I -scorched with irritation to recognise that she was reading the letter -intended for me. Towards the end there was reference to a wedding. - -"It's the first time I trusted a man," I cried to baby, "and, my word, -it shall be the last." The baby seemed under the impression that I was -endeavouring to be humorous. "If he'd been kept out in France, he'd -have been safe enough." - -It has probably been written about already, and in any case I am not -going to write about it here; I mean the trial a woman of my age -endures when she discovers that her romance has gone. For a while, I -lost interest in the matter of the Chislehurst house. - -I had to run, with all my might, one afternoon to the doctor's house to -beg him to come and see the old people on the ground floor; Katherine's -little baby had been given to the care of a motherly servant next door. -The doctor was on the point of leaving the house with his wife in his -small two-seated car, and I threw the Gloucester Place key to him, -gave directions, and started to walk back at a good pace. I noticed -that, just inside the Park railings, a long soldier was lying prone on -the grass. I took the view--it was just after half-past two--that he -had been rather too busily engaged during the brief time of opening -permitted to licensed premises. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught -sight of the stripes on his arm. I found the nearest gate, and raced -back. - -"Cartwright," I cried, forgetting my grievance against him. "What's -wrong, dear man? Pull yourself together. It's Mary Weston who's talking -to you." - -"Goo' Lord," exclaimed the Quartermaster-Sergeant, amazedly. "And here -I've been mourning for you because I thought you'd gone to Heaven." - -"It's not so bad as all that," I said. He jumped up, caught me in his -arms, and kissed me until four children stopped to look on. - -"Nearly all the worries in this life," he declared, "are about matters -that don't exist. And I'm not a chap, in a general way, to go hunting -around for trouble, but the information that reached me didn't somehow -appear to give me much of a loop-hole." - -"You army men get nervy." - -"It wasn't that," he contradicted. "I got a relative of mine to call at -London Street to inquire about you. There the answer was that you had -gone, and my relation assumed it meant you had kicked the bucket." - -I remembered then about the letter. "The news must have come as a -relief to you," I said, coldly. - -"Mary Weston, explain yourself." - -"It isn't me that needs any explaining. It's somebody else, who'll find -a bit of a difficulty in that respect. No doubt a soldier imagines it -a great lark to carry on with three or four girls, and correspond with -them; it's only when he gets a bit careless over envelopes--" - -The Quartermaster-Sergeant looked serious. "Pride of Greenwich," he -said, appealingly, "and Queen of Kent, I ask you, as a personal favour -not to talk about that bloomer to anyone else but me. If it once -reached Seaford, there's active minds there that would give it a touch -of exaggeration, and the story would last for three years, or the -duration of the war. Be a chum, and keep it to yourself." He held my -arm; I shook him away. - -"Out of mere curiosity," I said, "and for no other reason, I'd rather -like to know what view your friend Lily took of the situation." - -"Got frightfully excited about it." - -"Don't blame her." - -"Took a journey across country, at once, with the idea of finding you, -and bringing you your letter." - -"If I'd known where she lived, I'd have discovered her," I assured him. -"And the conversation that would have taken place might have made your -ear tingle." - -"She's a sensible girl," went on the Quartermaster-Sergeant, "although -she is my cousin, and, in spite of the fact that she's up to her eyes -in needlework, and getting ready to marry my solicitor brother, she -gave up the best part of a day in the attempt to make an exchange with -you. What I blame her for is getting a wrong impression from your -brother-in-law at London Street, and upsetting me to an extent that I -leave you to imagine. It'll make a difference to the present I give -her." - -"Cartwright," I said, "ever since the affair happened, I foresaw as -clearly as anything that you'd provide some emergency exit that you -could slip through. I don't mind admitting your story does credit to -your invention. It's a deal cleverer than I expected it to be. I regard -it as a good piece of work, nicely put together, very well dove-tailed. -Only drawback is that I don't believe it." - -"You can look me in the eyes, and say that?" he demanded. - -"I'll say it all over again if you like." - -"Once is ample," declared the Quartermaster-Sergeant, resolutely. "I'll -leave you now. And understand this, Mary Weston. I'm going out of your -life, and so help my goodness"--he raised one hand impressively--"I -don't come back to it unless you go on your knees, on your bended -knees, to me." He strode away down the hill, taking no notice of the -retort I made. It was intended to be effective, and later, I thought of -several others that were even more stinging and determined. But it is -of no use aiming words when a target does not exist. - -To my relief, the doctor's car was outside the house in Gloucester -Place, with the doctor's wife glancing at her watch, and clicking her -tongue to indicate impatience. "Do hurry him up," she begged. "He takes -such a frightful amount of time over his patients, unless they are on -the panel." - -I first called next door where Katherine's son was becoming slightly -bored with the extravagant attentions paid to him. At our house, the -doctor came out of the Wintertons' rooms as I turned the duplicate key. - -"What has delayed you?" he demanded, curtly. "Sweethearting, I suppose." - -"Quite the opposite." - -"These old people are too ill to be left alone. If you can't see to -them, we must find a nurse." - -"I'm free now," I said. - - * * * * * - -It was a good deal like having three babies to look after instead of -one, and, at any rate the occupation saved me from brooding over the -finish of my engagement with Cartwright. I half hoped a letter would -come from Seaford apologising for swift words and impetuous action, -and I went so far as to draft an amiable reply, but the necessity for -sending this did not arise. On the first Sunday I could manage to leave -Gloucester Place, I hurried to Chislehurst, and ascertained the private -address of the auctioneer. He answered the ring, and protested in a -voluble way against interference with his one day of rest. His nose -to the grindstone throughout the week, he declared, and here he was -disturbed for the third time on the afternoon that he felt entitled -to claim as exempt from the worries of business. I made as though to -leave, but this procedure also failed to meet with his favour. - -"Come in," he ordered, recklessly. "I'm a born slave, I suppose, -and folk have got the idea that they're all entitled to act as my -overseers." He flung open the door of the front room. "Uncle Tom's -Cabin," he declared, "is nothing to it." - -I glanced around. One of the chairs had a ticket, "Lot 240," still -attached. - -"I never saw Uncle Tom's Cabin," I remarked, "but if it was anything -like this, the people had grounds for complaining." - -"Most of the articles of furniture were bargains." - -"No," I said. "Never were bargains, never will be bargains. It's all a -muddle. Wonder to me is that you can live with it. I should go crazy if -I were put amongst shoddy stuff of this kind." - -"Tell me," he begged, "what you consider is wrong with the room." - -There was little left when I had complied with his request, and he -became increasingly submissive as I went on with the task. In going -through the crowded mantelpiece I came across two cards that were -seemingly intended to be placed out of sight. A kindly action is -supposed to be its own reward, but here was something in the nature of -a definite prize. - -"My wife separated from me," he remarked, dolefully, "because she said -I was not gifted with taste, and I argued that I was. Perhaps she was -right. It's very good of you to take so much trouble." - -"Don't mention it. I called about that house and property--" - -"Afraid you're too late," said the auctioneer, resuming his quick -business-like air. "The matter is not absolutely settled, but it is on -the point of being settled. Two people, besides yourself, are making -offers--perhaps I told you--and as I've seen nothing of you for some -time, I assumed you had given up any desire to compete." - -"I have!" - -"Good gracious!" he cried. "But why?" - -"Because Mr. Hillier, who has been calling on you, is an acquaintance -of mine." - -"Come, come!" he urged. "Friendship is all very well, but it needn't be -carried to extreme lengths. Besides, he is only one." - -"And your other caller, Colonel Edgington, I have known for many a -year." - -"That puts the lid on it," he cried, lapsing into slang. "This has -absolutely torn it. I can only hope the two gentlemen are strangers to -each other." - -"Life-long friends." - -"But," he pleaded, "you're not going to disclose the fact to them that -each has been--" - -"A woman," I said, rising to go, "can't possibly keep a secret." - -I waited on Colonel Edgington, and took him back to Greenwich. From the -time the bells rang for evening service, until the hour when people -came back from church, he and Mr. Hillier and I threshed the matter -out; the Colonel was indignant at the thought that anyone but himself -should have hit on the notion of securing The Croft for the Hilliers, -and particularly vehement concerning what he called my unwarrantable -interference. At this Mr. Hillier took my side, and defended me, and -when, to pacify the other, I pointed out that Colonel Edgington was -the best friend the family ever had, Mr. Hillier suddenly burst into a -roar that lasted minutes. It was the first time I had heard him do this -since the war started. - -"But for Aunt Weston," he said, wiping his eyes, "but for her, we two, -Edgington, might have gone on bidding against each other for all time. -I had determined, you see, to go back to The Croft." - -"For my part, Hillier," said the Colonel resolutely, "I never let go of -an idea, once I get well hold of it." - -"Each of you will write now," I directed, "with-drawing your offer. No -one but ourselves, apparently, wants the house, and in a week or two, -Katherine--Mrs. Langford--will take it at a reasonable figure." - -Colonel Edgington went across to the fire-place, adjusted his belt, -glared at me, and turned to Mr. Hillier. - -"Old friend," he said, "if there is anything in the flat in the nature -of a beverage, I should like to give myself the pleasure of drinking -this extraordinary woman's health!" - - * * * * * - -It was August again, and the Bank Holiday, a circumstance that jogged -the memory, forcing one to think of the opening of the war two years -before. (The banks were not closed, and few people took holiday, -because we were still in the thick of the fighting, with good news from -the British Headquarters, an excellent report from the Suez Canal, a -splendid telegram from Petrograd.) The Croft looked just as it did -then, and the countryside, which I once pictured as being over-run by -the enemy, was peaceful, but for intermittent booming of guns that -were being tested at Woolwich. The stationmaster told me cheap tickets -had not yet been re-introduced, and I snatched at the excuse for not -going down to Seaford, and there finding my Quartermaster-Sergeant, -and, somehow or other, offering an apology to him; a card had reached -me in July announcing the wedding of Walter Cartwright of Lincoln's -Inn Fields to Lily Cartwright of Haywards Heath, and the last traces -of suspicion had been forced to vanish. I might have written a long -and explanatory letter, and I did try to do so, but the essays made -appeared either too cringing or too haughty, and I persuaded myself -that the first step ought to come from him. - -Muriel had a week of leave from Gracechurch Street, and my nephew -Herbert was staying at the cottage I had taken in Lower Camden, not -ten minutes from The Croft; they were out together for the afternoon, -with a tea basket for chaperone. Katherine no longer went to the City. -She gave up the work reluctantly, but when the money came to her from -the dear old Wintertons of Gloucester Place, I persuaded her, and Mr. -Hillier assured her, there was no longer any excuse for attendance -at the bank; I pointed out that she ought to make way there for some -girl who was in need of the salary. So Katherine became the tenant in -name, and in fact, of The Croft, and I went in and out of the house, -and gave her a word of advice when there happened to be any difficulty -with maids. "Why on earth," I overheard one of the servants say, -"doesn't Mattie look about, and find a chap, and have the banns put up? -She isn't too old, and there's plenty of tradesmen around here ready -to wink at her, if she didn't give 'em the frozen face." When one is -alluded to as Mattie, the adjective of Meddlesome is understood. - -Katherine, and the baby, and I on the first Monday in August had tea on -the lawn, and I carried the little fellow about, and picked daisies, -and made them into a chain. A note had come from Katherine's husband; -she read parts of it aloud to me, and I assured her it could not be -long ere he came back, and she counted up once more the number of -months he had been away. It occurred to me, in thinking of the space -occupied by the war, that the one occasion I had felt annoyed with poor -Lord Kitchener was when, quite at the beginning, he prophesied the war -would last three years. - -"I suppose, Aunt Weston," she said, "you are like Muriel. You intend to -do nothing until peace comes. I mean in regard to getting married. Your -Quartermaster-Sergeant. The one in the Guards. The tall, broad--" - -"Oh," I remarked, indifferently, "that's all off. Didn't I mention it -before? Yes, we found that we couldn't agree, and we decided it was of -no use going on." - -"But this is such a pity," she cried, anxiously. "Can't something be -done? Surely, if there's been a misunderstanding it ought not to be a -difficult matter to put it right." - -"We're both of us obstinate, my dear, and I suppose we'd got too much -accustomed to having our own way to be willing to give in to each -other. He was in the habit of ordering people about, and I'd got hold -of the trick of expecting everyone to obey me, and--and--" - -Here, at a moment when I was talking cheerfully and light-heartedly, -what must I do but break down. The maid, coming out to take away the -tea-things, looked at me sympathetically, and, at my request, ran back -to the house to find a handkerchief; Katherine patted my hand, and -directed the boy to upbraid me, mainly by gesture, calling attention to -an incident of the day before when he had been hurt by a naughty safety -pin, and refrained from tears. He was told to urge me to be a soldier, -and laugh it off. Mr. Hillier called from the workshop, asking me -whether I had seen anything of a small screw-driver; the handkerchief -came in time to enable me to offer, in replying, a composed and -ordinary appearance. Edward and John arrived from some practice with -convalescent soldiers near the West Kent Cricket Club ground, where the -first had been playing, and the second--never more any games of the -kind for him!--looked on. I slipped away to the tradesmen's gate, to -avoid meeting them. - -I had locked the front door of my small house in Lower Camden because, -as it was a sort of a holiday, strangers might be about. The back -looked up at the railway, and I always found it interesting to watch -troop trains racing along the down lines with bunches of cheery faces -at every window; it was less exhilarating to see the Red Cross trains -going to London. There had come a long spell of hot weather, and in -opening my gate I noticed that signs of melted tar had been brought -from the roadway to the sill. With an exclamation of annoyance at the -carelessness of folk, I opened the door, found a damp cloth, and -returning, knelt on the mat to repair the damage. Absorbed in the task, -I did not glance up when footsteps came. - -"Fair maiden," said a deep voice. "Pray rise, and accept the pardon -that is willingly granted." - -"Cartwright!" - -"Your own soldier laddie," he remarked, genially, "and none other. -Called on the old people at Lewisham, and came on here, and been -bombarding the door, I have, like a reg'lar Jack Johnson, and -absolutely determined not to go back without seeing you. And now, Mary -Weston, that you've apologised on your knees in the manner I some time -since suggested, what about me coming in and having a glance round this -nobby little domicile that you're getting ready against the time we -finish off the war, and I retire from the British army?" - -"Give those clumsy boots of yours a good scrape first!" I directed. - - -_Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London and Reading._ - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMAZING YEARS*** - - -******* This file should be named 62418-8.txt or 62418-8.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/2/4/1/62418 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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Pett (William Pett) -Ridge</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: The Amazing Years</p> -<p>Author: W. Pett (William Pett) Ridge</p> -<p>Release Date: June 18, 2020 [eBook #62418]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMAZING YEARS***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4 class="pgx" title="">E-text prepared by MFR, Graeme Mackreth,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/amazingyears00ridgiala"> - https://archive.org/details/amazingyears00ridgiala</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="pgx" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<p class="ph2">THE AMAZING YEARS</p> - -<div class="hidehand" style="margin-top: 5em;"> -<p class="center"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /> -</p></div> - - - -<p class="ph3" style="margin-top: 5em;">THE</p> -<p class="ph1">AMAZING YEARS</p> - -<p class="ph5" style="margin-top: 10em;">BY</p> -<p class="ph3">W. PETT RIDGE</p> - -<p class="ph4">AUTHOR OF</p> -<p class="ph4">"MORD EM'LY"<br /> -"69 BIRNAM ROAD" ETC.</p> - - -<p class="ph4" style="margin-top: 15em;">HODDER AND STOUGHTON</p> -<p class="ph5">LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO</p> - -<p class="ph6">MCMXVII.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2>THE AMAZING YEARS</h2> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER I</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Mrs. Hillier</span> said something just before lunch that touched me more than -she could have guessed. The family was to leave on the Saturday, and -the elder of the two young ladies—Miss Muriel—had grumbled throughout -the week because of the delay insisted upon by the master. The -departure had originally been fixed for the twenty-fifth; Mr. Hillier, -who seldom spoke at home, but when he did talk expected to be obeyed, -announced that the party would not cross the Channel until the first. -That would be two days before the Bank Holiday, and Miss Muriel foresaw -discomforts arising from over-crowded compartments, carriages reserved -for the incredible Polytechnic folk and the impossible Lunn trippers. -Mrs. Hillier, as I managed with some difficulty to turn the key of a -trunk, put her hand on my shoulder.</p> - -<p>"Weston," she remarked, impulsively, "I wish you were coming with us."</p> - -<p>"Ma'am," I said, "I don't like the sea, and I can't endure foreigners. -Furthermore, a woman like myself, knowing only the English language, -would be simply a hindrance."</p> - -<p>"Wherever you found yourself," she declared, "you'd contrive to make -yourself understood. Who is coming here to stay with you whilst we are -away?"</p> - -<p>"Thought, ma'am, of asking my young nephew. He's just got a -scholarship, and the month's rest will do him good."</p> - -<p>One of the maids knocked and came in to ask me<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> whether she should -sound the gong. Mrs. Hillier's manner altered at once. She gave -definite instructions regarding the tying on of the blue labels that -had been specially printed by a firm at Sidcup Hill, commented sharply -on the condition of Master Edward's laundry, and mentioned that the -working classes were becoming intolerably careless. When the maid had -gone, she turned to me again.</p> - -<p>"Weston," she said. "I'm worried about this trip. Before, I've felt -confidence in your master to see us through any difficulty. He's been -a sort of a dependable courier, and though he can't have relished the -holiday, it's been at any rate a change for him. But lately—Oh I don't -know," she broke off. "Perhaps I'm wrong."</p> - -<p>Talk at lunch, I noticed, was devoted to the coming journey. The -conversation could not be described as good tempered: it needed the -presence of Master John to ensure anything like cheerfulness, and you -might have assumed that the three, instead of going for a holiday, were -about to engage upon one of the most trying and distasteful tasks of a -lifetime. I had come into the family when it lived in Tressillian Road, -Brockley, and Miss Muriel was twelve—that was ten years before—and -Miss Katherine eight. A dear little soul Miss Katherine was too at that -time, with her doll's perambulator, and her hoop, and a nursery not -over furnished. There came Mr. Hillier's good luck in the City with the -agency in Basinghall Street, and we moved to The Croft, where I was -told to make no reference to Brockley, and to disclose to the maids -of the house, or to the servants at any other house, no particulars -of early days that had been imparted to me in confidence or gained by -observation. It was little Miss Katherine's fault that I did not go -from the family when Mr. Hillier went up in the world. It means a lot -for a woman to be near a child—near any child—who can put its arms -around her neck, and hug her.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Dover and Calais," Miss Muriel was saying, as I directed the parlour -maid to bring in the sweets.</p> - -<p>"Folkestone and Boulogne," announced Mrs. Hillier.</p> - -<p>"Dover and Calais is the shorter route, mother, dear."</p> - -<p>"There's very little difference, darling, and one saves on the land -journey."</p> - -<p>"I shall tell father," declared Miss Muriel, "that unless we travel by -way of Dover and Calais, I prefer not to go at all. Kitty, you agree -with me, I'm sure."</p> - -<p>"Your sister," said Mrs. Hillier, "has the good sense to take my view."</p> - -<p>"I vote," remarked Miss Katherine, "for Newhaven and Dieppe, and I bet -a large red apple that's the way we take." She hummed something about -Yo ho, yo ho, a sailor's bride I'd be, and live for ever gaily on -the bounding sea. Her mother requested her not to sing at table, and -pointed out that the wives of seamen invariably lived on shore.</p> - -<p>"Let Weston decide," suggested Miss Muriel. "Come along, Weston. This -is where you come in, in the usual way, as peacemaker."</p> - -<p>"'To foil their plans,'" said Miss Katherine, quoting from last year's -pantomime, "'we now bring upon the scene, The villain's foe, our friend -the Fairy Queen.'"</p> - -<p>"If it was my case," I said, "I should wait until there was a Channel -tunnel." It proved to be not the first time that I had managed, by -disagreeing with all three, to check an argument.</p> - -<p>Master Edward came home from Blackheath soon after six, and brought a -new subject for consideration. He had enjoyed a good day in watching -Kent play, and Kent had done well; in my room he rattled off the -figures exultantly. Humphreys 45, Hardinge 86, Seymour 66, A.P. Day -55 and so on; three hundred and forty-nine in all. "Let's see Surrey -beat that!" he remarked, defiantly. The boy took the brass<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> shovel -from the empty fire-place, and described some of the most important -hits of the game. I reminded him of his own score of twenty-five, not -out, performed on the ground of his boarding school at Westgate, and -we had a serious talk concerning the wise life to lead: Master Edward -thought mere education was very much over-rated, and declared he would -rather be Mr. Troughton, captain of Kent, than a science master at a -college. I was unable to go all the way with him, and suggested, as a -compromise, that games should be cultivated in moderation.</p> - -<p>"But you see, my tall old bird," he said, persuasively, "you're only a -woman. I don't say you can't throw a ball in straight, because, as it -happens, it's one of the things you can just manage to do; but apart -from that—Realise what I mean, don't you?"</p> - -<p>Contention about the route came up again at dinner, when Mr. Hillier -took the foot of the table, crumbling his bread in the absent-minded -manner he had recently adopted. Sometimes the evening meal went -through, I noticed, without a syllable from him, and when the savoury -came he would give a nod of apology to his wife, and go off to his -workshop at the back of the house. On this particular Thursday night -he was cross-examined by Miss Muriel with severity concerning the -question of tickets, and he admitted he had not yet secured them. -Miss Muriel gave a picture of the rush, and tumult, and hurry-scurry -at the station; the most cheerful detail seemed to be that father -would undoubtedly be left behind. I was absent from the dining room in -order to see that his two pipes were filled, that, in the study, the -cigars set out in case any one should call; the liqueur stand had to -be replenished, and I suppose ten minutes had gone when I returned. -I found everyone talking—excepting, of course, the master—everyone -shouting at the top of the voice, everyone begging the others to be -silent.</p> - -<p>"Weston," said Mrs. Hillier. ("Keep quiet, all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> of you. Impossible to -hear oneself speak with all this din going on. Edward, I forbid you -to say another word. Muriel, I'm surprised at you.) Weston, I want to -ask you something." She rapped her forehead with her knuckles. "So -much chatter that it's no wonder thoughts go out of my head." The rest -declined to give the cue. "Oh, I remember. Have you heard any rumours -about trouble on the Continent?"</p> - -<p>"Only what I've read in the papers, ma'am."</p> - -<p>"There!" she said, triumphantly to her husband. "Now perhaps you'll -leave off throwing out these foolish suggestions that you have somehow -got into your head. You speak before you think, James. I've warned you -about it previously. You men in the City meet at lunch time, and over -your chop, and your bottle of wine——"</p> - -<p>"I always have a cup of coffee, and a piece of shortbread."</p> - -<p>"And on that," she remarked, changing the subject, "you expect to keep -well. Why don't you have a sensible meal at mid-day, the same as I do? -It's very difficult," she said to the girls, "very difficult indeed to -knock any sense into men."</p> - -<p>Mr. Hillier rose, I opened the door. Miss Katherine followed him to -whisper something consoling.</p> - -<p>"Don't dare forget to see about the tickets to-morrow, father," -directed Miss Muriel.</p> - -<p>"I'll make inquiries," he said.</p> - -<p>Colonel Edgington called later and I switched on the lights in the -billiard room, took off the cloth, chalked two cues, and summoned the -master from the workshop. I asked Mr. Hillier whether I should remain -in the billiard room and look after the scoring board; he said, "Thank -you, Weston, no. We shan't want to bother you this evening." As I was -going, he called me. "Afraid," he went on, apologetically, "that we -trouble you too much in this establishment. We get into the habit of -depending upon you, Weston." I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> said, "Not at all, sir!" and left. At -eleven, when Colonel Edgington had gone, I found that spot white had -made four, and plain white had scored nothing. It looked as though the -game had been interfered with by discussion. Home Rule probably. The -Colonel came from the north of Ireland, and he held strong views on -the subject; I knew from the papers that a four days' conference at -Buckingham Palace had failed to settle the question. Apart from the -condition of the scoring board, it was strange that the Colonel had not -touched his tumbler of whiskey. I went over the house to see to the -locking up, and encountered on one of the landings, the master: he was -gazing out at the fine summer night and I expected he would make some -casual remarks concerning the stars.</p> - -<p>"Seven," he remarked, in a dreamy way. "Seven, Watson, seven."</p> - -<p>"More than that, sir, surely."</p> - -<p>"More later on," he agreed. "But seven is the number of Stock Exchange -firms that failed yesterday."</p> - -<p>The next day was cheerful, only in regard to the weather. Master Edward -came home from the cricket ground to announce in a dismal manner that -Hayward and Hobbs were doing astonishingly well for Surrey; I had to -remind him that a match was not finished until the stumps were drawn on -the last day. Several ladies had called during the afternoon, and they -brought all sorts of wild rumours with them that Mrs. Hillier found -extremely upsetting. One said she had heard from a bookstall boy at the -station that the Bank of England was going to close its doors. Another -had been told by her gardener that the Germans would probably land at -Dover, after they had dealt with France, and march up through Kent, -taking Chislehurst on the way, and this she regretted the more because -her gladioli were very fine and likely, but for interference, to do -well at the flower show. A third was able to give, as a more reliable -piece of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> information, the announcement that her German governess, who -had been with the family for years, and knew how to manage difficult -children, had disappeared; it was found she had taken the train for -Dover.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hillier was bombarded with questions on these and other subjects so -soon as he arrived. Generally he travelled from Cannon Street by the -four forty-eight, which did the journey in half an hour, and his time -for reaching the house was five thirty. He reached home on this Friday -by a quarter past four.</p> - -<p>"I don't know anything," he said. "I can't tell you any more than the -man in the moon."</p> - -<p>"Apparently you are able to tell less," remarked his wife.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps," said Miss Muriel, "you can at least contrive to say, father, -at what time we start to-morrow morning."</p> - -<p>"Oh, that!" he remarked, calling the subject back to his memory. "Oh, -we don't go to-morrow. I thought it was understood."</p> - -<p>Miss Katherine stood by him, but the others raised their voices in -indignant protests. Mrs. Hillier begged that he would, for once, listen -calmly, and endeavour to understand that when trunks were packed, and -preparations made, it was simply nonsense to say that the holiday -was not to be taken; she implored him also to consider the talk that -would go on in Chislehurst. Miss Muriel said that so far as she was -concerned, she intended to go alone, and the others could follow when -and as they pleased. Master Edward suggested it was rotten bad luck to -be disappointed; he could not imagine the sort of tale he would have to -make up on returning to Westgate after a blank and empty holiday.</p> - -<p>"Besides," urged Mrs. Hillier, triumphantly, "there's John!"</p> - -<p>"John I saw this afternoon," said Mr. Hillier. (You must understand -that they all talked freely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> whilst I was about; if one of the maids -put in an appearance, then, of course, they used more care). "John -and I had a long talk. He expected to have a couple of songs out -next month, and he's afraid all this trouble may delay them. Anyway, -he wants to stay on, and see what happens. He's coming here this -afternoon."</p> - -<p>The elder son of the family had recently taken rooms in town; we all -knew the songs he had composed, from myself down to the scullery-maid, -and everyone in the house was looking forward to his next. I remember -I felt more concerned at hearing the deliberate announcement of Master -John's intentions than at anything else which was happening, and the -others, too, seemed impressed by it. They left Mr. Hillier alone. -The evening was very quiet, the grand pianoforte did not find itself -opened. On the Saturday morning the master went up to Cannon Street, -and came back before noon. He told me he heard the Stock Exchange had -been closed an hour after it opened, and in regard to his own business -in Basinghall Street, where he represented an important Austrian firm, -nothing was being done.</p> - -<p>"By the bye, Weston," he said, "there used to be something in the -house that I don't seem able to find. You would know where it is if -anybody does." I waited for him to explain. "I mean," he said, rather -confusedly, "a revolver."</p> - -<p>"Whenever Master Edward is home for his holidays, sir, I always take -the liberty of putting that where no one but myself can find it."</p> - -<p>"Very wise," he agreed. "But where is it exactly? You see," -persuasively, "if we're going to be attacked, why we must be prepared -to sell our lives dearly, eh?"</p> - -<p>"We're not going to sell our lives, sir, and we're not going to give -them away either. We must keep calm, and not do anything foolish, or -even think of doing anything foolish, on the spur of the moment. If -trouble's coming, we've got to face it."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Quite so, quite so, quite so!" He looked at me for a while, and I -looked at him. "Quite so!" he remarked once more. And began to hum. He -had no ear for music, and the playing and singing of the young ladies -were always endured by him with a pained air, but I never heard him or -any other man hum a tune more incorrectly than he did on that occasion. -It was a relief when Master John walked up the drive, and took his -father at once for a run in the car. What Mr. Hillier required was -fresh air, and sensible, male companionship.</p> - -<p>We were more animated that evening. I had Master John's room all in -order, and I told him I hoped he was going to stay for the week-end; he -said he had not thought of doing so, but when I hinted that it would -be a sensible thing to do, he nodded, and said, pleasantly, "Right you -are, Weston. You always have your own way, somehow!" Even Mr. Hillier -brightened in the presence of his elder son, and Master John was able -to check his mother and Miss Muriel when they showed a tendency to -go back to the grievance of the cancelled trip. Master John had been -going about in some of the hard-up quarters of London, and recounted -his experiences, described the folk he had met, the places he had -seen. There was nothing very fresh to me in all this, but he made it -attractive, and I had to speak rather sharply to one of the maids for -laughing at a joke he told. The most difficult thing in drilling young -girls is to convince them that they must keep a straight face when -waiting at table.</p> - -<p>"All the same," remarked Miss Katherine, "it must be a dud life for -them. I mean to have two one double four Hell for a telephone number."</p> - -<p>"They've been used to nothing different," argued her mother.</p> - -<p>"I feel rather sorry," said Master John, "for the folk who come down to -it from the heights."</p> - -<p>"Even in those cases," said his mother, "they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> have only themselves to -blame. Generally, it's drink."</p> - -<p>"Sometimes sheer misfortune," he remarked.</p> - -<p>"Rather than lead that sort of existence," said Miss Muriel, -dramatically, "I would take a revolver and shoot myself." I frowned at -her, and she said, "Don't make faces, Weston. It doesn't improve your -appearance in the least." Her father glanced at me.</p> - -<p>Master John had a theory, and proceeded to give it across the table. -Many of the districts he had been referring to were, he pointed out, -near the river. You would assume that nothing was easier for these -people, when goaded by worry, and depressed by anxiety, than to stroll -down to the edge of the water, and put an end to their existence. But, -said Master John, this was exactly the course they did not adopt. It -was not in their class you found men and women taking upon themselves a -duty that belonged to a greater power, and deciding when life was to be -terminated. These cases existed in other stages of society, where the -crumpled rose-leaf, and nothing but a crumpled rose-leaf, was sometimes -held to justify the act.</p> - -<p>"An unpleasant subject to be discussing," said Mrs. Hillier. "Let's -talk about the war for a change. What do you think Germany means to do, -John?"</p> - -<p>I have often, in recent days, wished I had written down all the views, -and all the prophecies heard from different sources at that period. -Likely enough, Chislehurst was not more fruitful in this than was -other places, but we were just far enough from town to enable folk -to go around, distributing new ideas between the arrival of editions -of the London newspapers. Master John altogether refused to make -any predictions. "Ask me again in a week's time," he said. He took -his father along to the billiard room, and there kept his opponent -concentrated on the game, and declined to talk of any other matters -than that of how to deal with the red. Mr. Hillier made a break of -twelve, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> felt tremendously pleased about it. "Really believe, do -you know, Weston," he said, cheerfully, "that if I had more practise, -I'd be able to give people quite a decent game."</p> - -<p>Master John astonished us by going to church on Sunday morning; he -announced at the mid-day meal that prayers had been offered for the -maintenance of peace. He ran up to town in the afternoon, and on his -return, described an anti-war meeting held in Trafalgar Square, and -a patriotic meeting held close by at the Admiralty Arch. An enormous -crowd, he said, marched along The Mall to the Palace where folk sang -the National Anthem, and the Marseillaise, and the King and Queen bowed -acknowledgments of the cheering.</p> - -<p>"Like looking on at history," he remarked.</p> - -<p>"A good deal of preposterous fuss," commented Miss Muriel, in her -superior way, "concerning absolutely nothing at all!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It would save some trouble if one could ask you to accept Miss Muriel -without explanation, and to judge her by the acts recorded of her, -but this is perhaps making too great a strain upon credulity. At an -entertainment given in aid of some Church funds at St. Mary's Hall I -once saw a performance in which six characters took part: a highwayman, -the landlady of a tavern, a Bow Street runner, a village maiden, an -old Duke, and his elderly daughter; I observed that they came on -separately, and so soon as one went off another entered, and I thought -nothing special of it until I ascertained later, from the programme, -that all the characters were performed by one gentleman. Miss Muriel -had something of this ability. She was everything by turns, and nothing -strong. At one time she determined to go down to posterity as a great -musician, and during this period, she scoffed at her brother's efforts, -and composed elaborate melodies that, without exception, sounded to -me very like<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> something I had heard before; the mantelpiece in her -room was given up to small busts of Wagner and Liszt, and Beethoven -and Mozart. There followed a rather serious attack of literature. Miss -Muriel took literature very badly, and whilst it was on her, the house -had to be kept perfectly quiet; any discordant sound, she declared, -upset her writing for the day. She appealed to eminent novelists for -their autographs (which they supplied with alacrity) and endeavoured to -keep up the correspondence by asking their advice in regard to plots, -to methods, and to publishers; the answers diminished in number, and -Miss Muriel talked darkly of ring-bound fences, of the trials of new -beginners.</p> - -<p>"For two hatpins," she declared, "I would take up some other hobby!"</p> - -<p>She did this, without the bribe suggested. At the time of which I -speak, Miss Muriel was preparing herself for a brilliant career on the -stage.</p> - -<p>It was an epidemic that went around at intervals, started occasionally -by an amateur performance, and the compliments given in the -<i>Chislehurst and District Times</i>; in Muriel's case, it was due to -the presence of a well-known actor who had returned from an American -tour with plenty of money, and, taking a house near the Common, -announced his intention of enjoying peace with dignity. Him, Miss -Muriel encountered during the interval that followed convalescence from -literature. It occurred to her that the stone cross which bore the -inscription on one side—"Napoleon, Eugène Louis Jean Joseph, Prince -Imperial. Killed in Zulu-land, 1st June, 1879," and on the other, "This -Cross erected by the Dwellers at Chislehurst"—it occurred to her, I -say, that this memorial was not receiving the attention it deserved. In -placing her daily offering of a bunch of flowers inside the railings -(the self-imposed duty lasted for nearly a week) she one afternoon met -the great man. He was greatly touched by Miss Muriel's devotion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> - -<p>"A beautiful act," he said, tears in his eyes. "A most charming -thought. Dear young lady, allow me to offer you my sincerest -compliments."</p> - -<p>He called at The Croft later, and Mrs. Hillier was impressed by -his manner, although Master Edward described him privately, as a -white-haired fraud. Miss Muriel spoke of her wish to assist the stage -by her presence, and he received the announcement with enthusiasm, -promised to give any help that might be necessary. But he went off in -a state of crimson-faced indignation, and I found that, in my absence -from the drawing room, Mrs. Hillier had been so incautious as to offer -a casual and approving remark concerning one of the younger members of -the profession. Miss Muriel asserted that her bright anticipations had -been marred by this carelessness, and it did prove that the promised -help failed to come. A Sunday journal announced that the gentleman had -been induced, by pressure from his countless admirers, to return to -the boards, and to give a series of "those brilliant impersonations -with which his name, and his name alone, will ever be associated." -Miss Muriel's letters to him were not answered, but she told me this -circumstance would have little or no effect on her plans.</p> - -<p>"Even this absurd war business won't stop me!" she declared.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER II</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Guard Richards</span> called at The Croft on the Monday afternoon, and brought -a newspaper which he said contained little that was fresh and nothing -that could be reckoned as jolly; before entering into any conversation -with him, I took it to Master John.</p> - -<p>"The governor requires careful handling," he mentioned. "You -understand, Weston, I'm sure. He mustn't get too many whacks all at -once."</p> - -<p>"He can scarcely have anyone near him better than yourself, sir."</p> - -<p>"The others are not helping a great deal," he admitted. "I foresee -how much we are going to rely upon you, Weston." I expressed the -hope that he would stay as long as was possible, hinted that, in the -circumstances, he might perhaps feel disposed to give up his rooms -in town. "It will depend upon—" he began, and searched for a word. -"Circumstances," he added.</p> - -<p>William Richards I had known since the country days when I tried to -be a school teacher and failed in the examination, and my mother, -considerably annoyed, packed me off to service, and he, too, -disappointed his people by refusing to be educated with the view -of becoming a Wesleyan minister, and ran to London, and joined the -railway. By the time I returned to the hall, Master Edward had found -him, and Richards, with coat off in the field near the house was -sending down a swift ball at a single stump, where Master Edward in -gloves and pads endeavoured to imitate the methods of his favourite -wicket-keeper. For some reason, the spectacle annoyed me. In the case -of the boy it was easy enough to understand, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> William was forty if -a day, and at a time when everyone about the place seemed more or less -worried, it was irritating to see a big hulking chap playing at games.</p> - -<p>"But it's Bank Holiday," he argued, when I had given my opinions.</p> - -<p>"You're nothing but a kid," I declared. "In everything but years."</p> - -<p>"Neither you or me, Mary Weston, can reckon ourselves as mere chicken. -But that's no reason why we should go about with a face as long as a -fiddle."</p> - -<p>"It's a reason why we should set an example to those younger than -ourselves. Are you aware that your country is likely to find itself in -the biggest difficulty it's ever encountered?"</p> - -<p>"A lot of passengers," he remarked, "have been telling me about it, -but I never take much notice of rumours. Up at Charing Cross, one of -the inspectors said the railways was going to be taken over by the -Government; but, there again, I don't place much dependence, for the -simple reason that it comes from a man who has give me more wrong tips -in regard to 'orses than I've had from all the rest of the staff put -together. Who's this coming up the road?"</p> - -<p>A woman in my position cannot possibly think of everything, especially -at a time when there is more than usual to be thinking about, and -I had clean forgotten to write to my young nephew to tell him the -Continental trip was cancelled. Here he came, looking taller than ever, -but slightly round shouldered; his leather case in one hand, and in the -other a book that he read as he walked. Herbert Millwood was never one -to waste a single moment in his studies, and we watched him as he by -chance avoided collision with other people, and by luck escaped contact -with a lamp-post. He was going past the second gate of The Croft when -I called to him. He came out of his dreams, dropped the book. Master -Edward, impatient to resume play, ran out and picked it up whilst -Herbert<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> gave me a kiss, and offered his hand to William Richards.</p> - -<p>"Are you reading this too?" cried Master Edward. "I've just finished -it. Isn't it a ripper."</p> - -<p>"I found it," said my nephew, in his careful way of speech, "extremely -interesting. It appears to me a most accurate description of cowboy -life in Western America."</p> - -<p>I recognised one of the twopenny volumes with which the house was -always strewn during the period of Master Edward's holidays. Coming on -the top of Guard Richards's behaviour, the discovery did not lessen my -resentment.</p> - -<p>"Herbert," I said, shortly, "you can take yourself off home again. I -meant to have written to you. William Richards, perhaps you've got -sufficient intelligence to tell us when the next up train goes?"</p> - -<p>Miss Muriel came out of the house, walked down the steps, and along the -broad gravelled space. "Weston," she said, authoritatively, "arrange -something for me to do. The tennis party I ought to have gone to has -been put off. It's most annoying." She stared at Herbert.</p> - -<p>"My nephew, miss," I said, presenting him, "who was to have stayed here -if you'd all gone abroad."</p> - -<p>"Do you play?" she demanded.</p> - -<p>"Haven't a racket," he answered. "It's been sent up to Cambridge with -my luggage."</p> - -<p>"One can be found. And do you play?" (To William Richards.)</p> - -<p>"No reason why I shouldn't be learnt, Miss."</p> - -<p>They took the whole business out of my hands. Herbert and Miss Muriel -decided to be partners against William Richards and Master Edward. The -two visitors remembered, at the last moment, that their shoes might -damage the grass. "It doesn't matter in the least," said Miss Muriel, -with a touch of bitterness. "The general impression I gain is that we -shall be leaving here before the end of the week."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> - -<p>"You don't mean that!" exclaimed my nephew.</p> - -<p>"Really don't know what I mean," she retorted, irritably, "or what -anybody else means. There are so many riddles about that I have given -up all attempt to answer them. And Weston, here, whose business it is -to cheer us up, and who is paid to cheer us up, has apparently gone on -strike. Just as though," addressing Guard Richards, "just as though she -were a railway man."</p> - -<p>"Miss Hillier," said Master Edward, "having made herself pleasant -and agreeable to most of the company present, will now show us her -celebrated imitation of Mrs. Lambert-Chambers at the net."</p> - -<p>"I am not a crack player," she remarked condescendingly to my nephew, -"but I have my good days."</p> - -<p>It appeared, later, that Miss Muriel was put off her game by the -marching by of Territorials, an insect in her eye, rays of the sun, -and one or two other discouraging incidents. Nevertheless, the game -improved her temper, and she was in a gracious mood when I sent two of -the maids out with table and trays; she admitted the victory had been a -narrow one, and that Herbert was as good as Master Edward, whilst she -was but a shade better than Guard Richards. William Richards improved -his position, and caused himself to be reckoned an efficient member -of good society by juggling dexterously with four tennis balls. "If -I could do that," declared Master Edward, "I should never trouble to -do anything else. How did you get the knack of it, guard?" William -explained that on long journeys, when parcels had been sorted, and -letters arranged, an official of his rank had plenty of time for -practising the art. He tried to make a further impression by essaying -a trick he had seen at a popular entertainment; this necessitated the -providing of a leather hat case, an open umbrella, and a cigarette, -and all these articles were readily discovered and furnished. William -Richards threw the cigarette in the air, and failed to catch it with -his mouth, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> leather hat case fell upon Miss Muriel, and the open -umbrella came down upon me. William said he thought he had better catch -the next train, but Master Edward, declaring that he, too, did not -always succeed in his experiments, begged him to stay.</p> - -<p>I was afraid Mrs. Hillier, when she came out, would be annoyed at the -sight of the mixed group, but she was so eager to obtain opinions -concerning the war that she seemed ready to forgive the presence of -the two visitors, and to overlook the fact that one of them was in a -uniform. My mistress, at that period, always accepted and repeated the -views of the last person consulted, and the effect of this was that -sometimes she felt certain we were not going to be involved in the -war, sometimes that France, with one hand tied behind its back, could -beat Germany, sometimes that the Kaiser would be at Buckingham Palace -by the end of August. William Richards took care from her shoulders -by alluding to the numerous occasions, within his knowledge, when -inaccuracies had appeared in the journals of the day.</p> - -<p>"If they spelt your name wrongly in the Board of Trade inquiry you are -speaking of," she said, "why it stands to reason that the newspapers -are capable of making even greater blunders in regard to more important -subjects."</p> - -<p>"Exactly my argument, lady," he said.</p> - -<p>"I must get you to talk to my husband, guard."</p> - -<p>"If the gentleman has made up his mind, perhaps it wouldn't be much -use."</p> - -<p>"That," she said, addressing the group, "is just what I complain of -in regard to Mr. Hillier. He's obstinate. He's self-willed. He won't -listen to reason. He doesn't understand as I do that no reliance can -be placed on what one reads. I wonder whether we shall get an evening -paper?"</p> - -<p>I mentioned that Guard Richards had brought one, and went in search of -it. On the way back I glanced at the stop press column, which William -apparently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> had over-looked. It seemed a pity to spoil the comfort of -the party, and I tore the portion off, and held it in my fist.</p> - -<p>"This time next week," said Mrs. Hillier, after glancing at the head -lines, "we shall be laughing at the way people have allowed themselves -to be upset over trifles."</p> - -<p>My dodge did enable them to enjoy an hour of composure; I regretted, -in a way, that the others were not present, if only to see how well -my nephew could comport himself when he encountered his betters. -William Richards was telling the old story of the flustered young woman -passenger, who on the platform kissed the guard, and gave her husband -threepence, when Colonel Edgington came along the drive, flourishing a -newspaper.</p> - -<p>"The bounders have invaded Belgium," he shouted.</p> - -<p>"I don't believe it," declared Mrs. Hillier at once. "It's probably a -misprint."</p> - -<p>"Weston," he said, ignoring my mistress, "where is the governor?" I -hurried towards him, and explained that Mr. Hillier was out with Master -John and Miss Katherine; I hoped that if Colonel Edgington happened -to meet them he would be careful to soften down any bad news he had -to communicate. "War is a man's business," he retorted. "All that you -women have to do is to just stand outside the ropes, and look on."</p> - -<p>"I think you'll find us doing a lot more than that, sir."</p> - -<p>"Ah," he said, "you mean nursing. Well, we may allow you to take a -share in nursing, but nothing else, mind."</p> - -<p>"It probably won't rest with either you or me, sir."</p> - -<p>"It certainly won't rest with you, Weston. If I miss the governor, say -that I am going up to the War Office to-morrow morning early. I shall -most likely catch his train. But I daresay it will slip your memory. -Never met a woman yet who could be depended upon to do as she was -ordered."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Perhaps your experience of them has been limited, sir."</p> - -<p>"Weston," he said, rolling up the newspaper, and pointing it at me, -"I've often heard it said about here that you were treated as one of -the family. I've denied the statement. I've always pointed out that you -are treated as the head of the family."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was telephoning to and fro, and the local shops were kept in -attendance on the instruments, town establishments were harried and -badgered by the same means of communication. I looked through the stock -room, and at first decided that no great additions were necessary; -if the worst came to the worst, The Croft could stand a siege of -reasonable length, and the kitchen gardens would furnish supplies. But -the shop-people at Sidcup alarmed me, and another housekeeper I met -there induced me to believe I was failing to take wise precautions. -The shop folk spoke of the immense orders they were receiving from -customers who had the fear that either prices would go up with a -tremendous jump, or that articles of food might be unobtainable; my -friend assured me, with gleeful confidence, that whatever happened to -other households in the neighbourhood, her's, at any rate, was safe.</p> - -<p>"They made me pay cash for everything, Miss Weston," she went on, "but -that was only reasonable. Paper money is not of much use at times like -this. What I'm anxious about is the number of hands that will be thrown -out of work. I told my girls, only to-day, they'll all be starving -before the month is up."</p> - -<p>"That ought to have pleased them."</p> - -<p>"We've got to face the facts," she declared, earnestly. "There's not -the slightest use in burying our heads in the sand. Everyone will be -getting rid of servants, and what the poor souls are to do doesn't -bear thinking of. I suppose your people are like the rest, talking of -cutting down expenses."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Hints. Nothing more!"</p> - -<p>"Fortunately," she said, "I have been able to put by, just as you, no -doubt, have managed to do. Eh?"</p> - -<p>"I didn't say anything."</p> - -<p>"And my notion is that when it becomes too hot, I shall rush off to a -quiet place I've got my eye on in Wales where the Germans won't trouble -to come, and if they do, all my money will be safely buried in the -flower garden, and I shall pretend I'm too silly to understand anything -that's said to me."</p> - -<p>"You'll find that easy enough."</p> - -<p>"You wouldn't care, I suppose, Miss Weston—I've always had a great -respect for you—to join forces with me, so to speak, and——"</p> - -<p>"No," promptly. "Got work to do here. Folk to look after."</p> - -<p>"The time will come," she prophesied, in going, "when you'll want to -kick yourself for not having listened to friendly advice."</p> - -<p>It occurred to me that even if there existed little risk of a shortage -in supplies, the fact that so many people were making large purchases -might have serious results, and I resolved to concentrate my thoughts -on the subject of flour. Flour became an obsession with me. Flour, for -the space of at least one morning, was the one article that I desired. -I had, the previous night, dreamt of flour; sacks of it, cellar-fulls -of it, and the dream finished with the perturbing discovery that the -bags on being opened contained nothing but wooden shavings. It is -easy enough now to look back upon those very early days of the war, -and to smile at the flurried anxieties and the nervous agitation; I -can say truthfully that, being ordinarily as calm as most people, -I nevertheless caught the epidemic and came as near as I have ever -been to losing my head. My most extravagant act was to induce William -Richards, by wire, to make himself responsible for bringing, whilst -off duty on the Tuesday, two hundred-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span>weight of flour from London; he -conveyed it from the station to The Croft on a luggage trolley.</p> - -<p>"Your thanks, Mary Weston," he said, "amply repay me, they do, for all -the trouble. Came in, I did, for a fair amount of chaff on the way down -from humorous colleagues of mine, and it's been a warmish business -getting the stuff here, on a day like this, but this glass of cider, -and your kind remarks—"</p> - -<p>"When I wrote off in a hurry to you last night, I never thought you'd -be able to do it."</p> - -<p>William finished his glass, and appeared to be forming words in his -mind. Altering the intention, he hummed the first lines of "Auld Lang -Syne."</p> - -<p>"There's a good deal of extra work going on," he remarked, "with the -railways, and I can't always call my hours my own. But anything I -can do for you, Mary Weston, I'm prepared to do. If I may offer a -suggestion it is that your next orders should be such as not to make my -uniform look quite so dusty."</p> - -<p>I found a brush and dispersed the white marks. As I went up and down -the sleeve, he took my hand and kissed it, and, at once, rushed from -the kitchen, leaving the second glass that had been poured out for him. -Going down to the tradesmen's gate, I caught sight of William Richards -sprinting along the tarred road, more as one under the impression the -Germans were after him than as though he had given an impetuous sign of -affection.</p> - -<p>My housekeeper acquaintance was not the only person who held the view -that the war would throw folk out of employment. Everybody seemed to be -furnishing everybody with the same idea. The most cheerful anticipation -was that there were always the workhouses, and in any case the -Government would have to do something. The disturbing fact that, as my -acquaintance hinted, cheques were not being accepted, was, in itself, -enough to startle and to alarm. Master Edward went on his bicycle a -dozen times in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> the course of the day to pick up news at the station, -and never returned without something like an arm-full; the trouble was -to sift the correct from the undependable, and to keep one's mind clear -of inaccuracies, but appetite for particulars was so keen that nothing -was refused. Our old gardener with whom, owing to his partiality for -alcohol, I had hitherto been on remote terms, appeared flattered to -discover that I listened to his muddle-headed rumours with an attentive -ear.</p> - -<p>"They do tell me, ma'am," he said, confidentially, "that these 'ere -foreigners drink a kind of beer that don't have no effect on you, like -what our stuff does. Nice cheerful sort of prospect, ain't it, for -those on us that are what you may call settled in our 'abits? Dang my -old eyes," the gardener went on with vehemence, "if it ain't nearly -enough to induce a man to turn teetotal!"</p> - -<p>Mr. Hillier made no attempt to catch his usual train. Instead of -doing this, or cultivating his hobby in the workshop, he walked up -and down on the lawn, tweed cap at the back of head, and when I sent -Miss Katherine out to him, she returned with the announcement that he -wished to be alone; Master John was similarly repulsed. My nephew had -been asked to stay the night, and he and Master John were consulting -together with serious countenances. Two of the maids came to me with -telegrams, and asked to be permitted to leave at once. In one case a -father belonging to the Naval Reserve had been called out, and the -mother wanted her daughter's company at home; in the other, the girl -wished to say good-bye to her sweetheart, a Territorial who was leaving -with his battalion for a sea coast town. I allowed them to go, and went -to mention the circumstance to Mrs. Hillier. She never objected to any -decision of mine, but I generally kept her informed of anything that -happened.</p> - -<p>"I was just going out," she said, "to liven your master up, Weston. -If you have a few minutes to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> spare, you might come with me. I've got -rather a good idea, and you will come in handy to support it. Get the -rose basket, and my leather gloves, and the scissors."</p> - -<p>No pretence that my mistress adopted would have taken in a fly, and -when she affected to be surprised at discovering her husband on the -lawn, he glanced at her without speaking. She submitted the good idea, -without delay. Mr. Hillier was to take advantage of the brief holiday -from Basinghall Street, and start upon the task of learning to play -golf. "I'd sooner walk about on my head," he declared. She begged him -not to come to a hasty decision, and pointed out first, that no one -walked about on the head; second, that a great many folk did play golf, -and if one could judge by their conversation, found enjoyment in it.</p> - -<p>"You want something, James," she argued, "to take you out of yourself. -You're getting into a habit of brooding and that never yet did any good -to man, woman or child. Try to follow my example, and take cheerful -views. Think of the people who are worse off than yourself."</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't mind so much," he said, "if I were twenty years younger."</p> - -<p>"Now I appeal to you, Weston," she remarked, looking up at me. "Isn't -that a foolish thing to say? Why, if he were twenty years younger he -wouldn't be living in this large house, and these fine grounds, and -with plenty of servants about to do everything that's wanted." The -under-gardener came across to ask some question; I signalled to him to -stay where he was.</p> - -<p>"The large house," said Mr. Hillier, with deliberation, "and the fine -grounds, and the plenty of servants, will soon be nothing but a memory."</p> - -<p>"Wandering in his speech," she whispered to me.</p> - -<p>"It's time," he went on, speaking carefully, "that you knew the truth, -and there's no reason why Weston<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> should not hear it. If it hadn't been -for this war, I might have pulled matters round, but as it is—Well, -I'm done for!"</p> - -<p>"You've been smoking too much."</p> - -<p>"My pipe is the only real comfort I have left."</p> - -<p>"James," she cried, expostulatingly, "you forget me!"</p> - -<p>"There was a time," he said, "when you were my good companion, but that -takes me back a long, long while ago. And the children are not children -now, and altogether—I beg pardon, my dear. I ought not to be saying -anything likely to hurt."</p> - -<p>"If matters are so bad, we must try a little economy." Mrs. Hillier had -a sudden inspiration. "I've sent off a couple of the maids already."</p> - -<p>"You'll have to do more than that."</p> - -<p>"You don't mean," she cried, alarmedly, "that we shall have to do -without Weston?"</p> - -<p>He gave a half smile at me; I waited anxiously to hear what he would -say. "We shall have to do without everybody," he said. "It's like -this. I've been working all these years to make money for you and the -kiddies. I've never saved, partly because you gave no help in that -direction, partly because I wanted to look on and see everyone having a -capital time."</p> - -<p>"How selfish of you, James!" I touched her arm reprovingly.</p> - -<p>"The sooner we get away from here," he said, "the better for my good -name. I want to keep that because—because it's about all I shall have -left. The only question that's worrying me is this. What sort of a part -are you going to play?"</p> - -<p>"I shall go," she replied, with an air, "wherever destiny calls me."</p> - -<p>"Well then," rather doubtfully, "that, I suppose, is all right then. -If you set an example to the children, they'll follow on. Explain it -all to them—or perhaps Weston here will do that, as one of her last -jobs before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> leaving—and make it clear to them that I'm sorry. And she -might contrive to hint that it isn't altogether my fault."</p> - -<p>I gave the two gardeners their notice at once. The younger one, it -appeared, wanted to leave and was ready to go instantly; the other who -always made a grievance of everything, took it very ill. "Me just in -the middle of a lot of clearin' up, and now I'm called upon to go and -look for another situation! Hard lines; that's what I call it, miss." -I pointed out that he was not the only person who suffered. "I'm the -only one that interests me," he said, doggedly. "People don't seem -to remember that I'm getting on in years. Be rights, I ought to be -pensioned off, or dumped into an almshouse, or some'ing of the kind." -I reminded him that he was fortunate in having no wife or children. -"There's some advantage in being a bachelor," he agreed, "because -there's no one to nag at you when you reach home at night a bit late, -and a trifle comfortable. On the other hand, you've got no one to 'elp -earn your living for you. And that reminds me. I shall chuck work for -a hower or two, and go along, and take a glass o' beer. Just in order -to stiddy my nerves." He came back later singing, and told one of the -dogs that there were many worlds inferior to this, and that he proposed -to celebrate the occasion by arranging a good old hang-it-all bonfire. -Master John and my nephew had gone from the house (without mentioning -where they were bound for), otherwise I should have asked one of them -to order the elderly chap to go home. I might have done this myself, -but I never care to argue with men when they are in drink. It is -impossible to tell whether they are going to be extremely abusive, or -aggressively affectionate.</p> - -<p>The master seemed more like himself now that he had made a full -statement of the position. At his request, I went over the house with -the two of them, and we made something like an inventory; I estimated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> -the prices, and Mr. Hillier was quite cheered when he eventually -reckoned up.</p> - -<p>"Might have been worse," he said. "The money we've spent hasn't all -been wasted."</p> - -<p>"I've never bought any furniture," remarked Mrs. Hillier, "without -first taking Weston's advice. She's an excellent judge."</p> - -<p>"It's hard to be treating her as a criminal," he mentioned, "after all -these years."</p> - -<p>"Don't you trouble about me, sir," I said.</p> - -<p>"I foresee," he remarked genially, "that a certain official on the -railway will shortly send in an application for holiday leave, and -passes for himself and wife."</p> - -<p>"If Richards has got any such idea in his head," I declared sharply, -"he's in for a big disappointment. My intentions are entirely -different."</p> - -<p>"I must go and find a good auctioneer," he said, "And at once."</p> - -<p>In this way it happened that when the fire at The Croft broke out, -there were women folk only in the house. For over an hour there had -been a smell of burning, and when I spoke of it, one of the maids said -the old gardener had set light to rubbish, but that the flames were -now out; in the quiet summer evening air the scent remained. It was at -about eight o'clock when the alarm came that the garage was on fire. -Dinner was half over; the ladies were wondering at the delay in the -return of Master John and of Herbert, and hoped they would soon appear -with the latest news. Directly I caught sight of the blaze I recognised -that here was a serious matter, and I ran off to the telephone, and -called up the Brigade. Then I beckoned from the doorway of the dining -room to young Master Edward, told him what had happened, and begged -him to rush around and get together all the able-bodied men he could -find in the neighbourhood. Downstairs the maids were hysterical, and -one had fainted; I spoke to them with an abruptness that made them -come to their senses, and gave directions.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> I collected hats and coats -belonging to my mistress and the young ladies and, saying that there -was no danger and that the fire would soon burn itself out, told them -to go on the lawn, and to watch for the engine. Miss Muriel began to -talk excitedly and protestingly; her sister and mother interposed.</p> - -<p>"Weston knows best!" they said.</p> - -<p>Even if there had been a man about the place, I doubt whether it would -have been possible to save the car. The bemused gardener had set his -mound of rubbish near to the wooden doors, and these were the first to -catch alight. The billiard room was overhead, and when an explosion -came from the garage I knew that nobody would ever play on that table -again. There was not much wind, but all that existed was blowing in the -direction of the house. The master's workshop, where he had spent many -Saturday afternoons, was the next to go.</p> - -<p>Master Edward (enjoying it all tremendously) ran up the drive with -his party of a dozen men, Colonel Edgington amongst them and clearly -determined to take charge, and to extinguish the fire in his own -style; he gasped out orders that no one could understand, and no one -felt called upon to obey. The men rushed through the dark path at -the side of the house, where Colonel Edgington had the misfortune to -step upon a rake that instantly—as is the habit of rakes when thus -treated—instantly sprang up, and gave him a blow in the face which -put him temporarily out of action. His language included several words -quite new to me.</p> - -<p>"Pails, Weston!" shouted Master Edward.</p> - -<p>We had a number of pails but, despite the efforts of the helpers, they -were of little more use than a soda water syphon would have been. For -one thing, the fire was now so scorching that the men could not get -near; the water when thrown fell with a slight hiss and had no other -result. I called them into the house, disregarding Master Edward's -appeal, and asked them to do their best to save the furniture.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> Their -best, I am willing to admit, was very good. Colonel Edgington came up -the staircase and again endeavoured to assume command: I told him to -go down, and look after the ladies, and keep them out of the way of -the articles that were being flung from the windows. It was no time -for being civil, and it was no time either for careful and delicate -handling of furniture. A cheval glass came down on the sun dial, and -cracked in all directions. Articles in silver from dressing tables -rained upon the grass; a jewel case danced about on the gravel, -distributing its contents. I felt glad to see two constables inside the -gate, keeping back folk who wanted a good view.</p> - -<p>The house was alight when the fire engine came, and everyone was out, -and gathering up the property that had been strewn around; Mrs. -Hillier and the two young ladies worked as hard as the men, and with -the maids—the early fright over—I had no reason to discover any -fault. Master John and my nephew Herbert arrived when the hose was -playing on the flames; the supply of water, owing to the recent fine -weather, was not too good, and the pond, that might at other times have -assisted, was almost empty. The two young men accepted the condition -of affairs without a word; threw off jackets, and dashed into the task -of salvage. Despite all the efforts it was not a great amount that -could be saved: the fire chased the men from room to room. A drizzling -rain came on, and the lads found tarpaulins and canvas to serve as -protection to the rescued furniture. Colonel Edgington had vanished, -and I was congratulating myself on this, when he returned with his car.</p> - -<p>"Come along now, Mrs. Hillier," he said, authoritatively. "And the two -girls. And the small boy. And any of the servants who can find room. -I'm going to take you all over to my place, and you'll stay there as -long as you like. Weston," he said to me, "I'll come back for you."</p> - -<p>"Sorry, sir, if I was rather rude to you, just now."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Rude?" he echoed. "Bless my soul, that was nothing. I'm rather rude to -everybody. But I mean well, Weston: indeed, and I mean well!"</p> - -<p>The brigade superintendent, making his way across pools of water, at -the finish, asked me whether the house and the fittings were insured, -and I said, "Why, of course!" The men assisted in returning furniture -to the two or three rooms that had not been touched by the fire. The -beer cask in the cellar was safe, and I told them to find tumblers and -help themselves. Master John and my Herbert came up to me, so begrimed -that I kissed Master John by mistake; he declared it was a full sixteen -years since I had thought of paying him such an attention.</p> - -<p>"Wish we had been here at the start," he remarked. "We should have -been, only that there were so many others waiting to enlist."</p> - -<p>"Others?"</p> - -<p>"We've both joined," he announced. "Is that the governor out in the -road?"</p> - -<p>Mr. Hillier was gazing at the damaged house. We went across, and I put -the question to him that the superintendent had put to me. He mentioned -that he had experienced a difficulty in finding the auctioneer, and was -describing this at some length when I repeated the inquiry.</p> - -<p>"I wish you'd tell me, sir, about the insurance," I begged. "Just yes -or no."</p> - -<p>"The answer is no, Weston," he replied, in a quiet voice. "I allowed -the policy to lapse at midsummer in order to give the job to a hard-up -man who was starting as an agent. I heard last week he had disappeared."</p> - -<p>"You don't seem very much upset about the fire."</p> - -<p>"Dreamt that it happened," said Mr. Hillier, "these three nights past." -He turned to his son. "Anything fresh about the war, my lad?"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER III</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">I had</span> at times complained about the folk of the neighbourhood; some -made money rather suddenly and appeared anxious to persuade the -residents that they belonged to aristocratic families; a few took up -an attitude of reserve that could be easily mistaken for contempt. -But, in the misfortune which had overtaken my people, their behaviour -left no room for criticism. It was not only Colonel Edgington who -showed kindness. I stayed the night in Miss Katherine's room, which was -amongst the apartments that had escaped, and when I went out in the -morning and walked along to the Colonel's house I found, even at that -early hour, cars outside and messages being delivered, and all sorts of -hospitality tendered. If we had cared to accept them, we could have put -up at a dozen houses.</p> - -<p>"Thank you ever so much," said Miss Katherine, taking the duty of -answering. "It is really sporting of you, but we shall be perfectly all -right here for a few days. And then we shall have to find a new house."</p> - -<p>"At Chislehurst?"</p> - -<p>"Not at Chislehurst. I think my father intends to butt in at some other -neighbourhood."</p> - -<p>"Quite natural in the circumstances. Be sure to let us know if there is -anything we can do."</p> - -<p>Under her breath Miss Katherine said, "Oh do push off!"</p> - -<p>The old gardener, in a sobered morning mood, had given himself up at -the police station, but Mr. Hillier declined to take any proceedings. -(We heard, later, that the gardener, acutely disappointed, again tried<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> -the remedy of beer, and was eventually fined ten shillings for being -drunk and disorderly; a tame finish, so far as he was concerned, to the -whole incident.) Mr. Hillier wished to make another effort to discover -the auctioneer, but I told him there was not enough of property -remaining to justify a public sale, and that if he determined to get -rid of everything, I could arrange with my brother-in-law at Greenwich -to make a valuation, and to give a fair price.</p> - -<p>"See to it, Weston," he directed, cheerily. "I have been talking it -over with Mrs. Hillier, and we agree that we want to begin afresh. -We're going to make a new start."</p> - -<p>"Very glad, sir, that you are all taking it so well."</p> - -<p>"I've an idea that the fates have used their last cartridge. It's a -relief, Weston."</p> - -<p>"Afraid you haven't yet heard what Master John has done."</p> - -<p>"But that," he declared, "is the best news I have had for months. It's -good to think he joined up without advice or encouragement. To tell you -the truth, I was afraid that he might be afraid. And that would have -been, not so much the last straw, as a whole truss of it to carry on my -back all through the war."</p> - -<p>"Don't know what Herbert's father will say."</p> - -<p>"I can guess," said Mr. Hillier, confidently. "Everything depends now -on what our lads do for us."</p> - -<p>The two young men left directly after breakfast. They had passed the -medical examination, it seemed, at the schools near St. Martin's -Church, Trafalgar Square, and although Master John was rather short for -a guardsman, they urged their desire to be in the same regiment, and -it had been arranged they should join the Coldstreams at Wellington -Barracks. We all came out to wish them good luck, and Colonel Edgington -took off his straw hat, and, waving it, led the three cheers. I -mentioned to him that to see the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> two going away side by side—my -mistress's son and my own nephew—was one of the proofs that a war -existed. "You'll see mightier changes than that," he remarked. "People -who know nothing whatever about it are saying it'll all be over by -Christmas." I expressed the hope it would not last so long. "Indeed," -he cried, explosively, "and you're as big an idiot as the rest of them. -In this respect, I mean," he added. Later, the Colonel took me aside, -and spoke in confidence. He asked me to believe that his house was at -the disposal of the family for an indefinite period, but he knew it -would be better for the Hilliers if the move which had to be made were -effected quickly, and whilst the excitement of recent occurrences was -still about. "Do just what you think is best," he said.</p> - -<p>Herbert's father kept a second-hand furniture shop in London Street, -Greenwich, and whilst my sister was alive the business had been -prosperous; on her last day, she gave such precise instructions -concerning the boy's career that Millwood had never attempted to depart -from them. I took an afternoon train to New Cross, and the tram-car -from outside the station there, and found Millwood setting up a map -in the window of the shop and adjusting small flags upon it; a crowd -stood watching interestedly. Children, free from school (their holidays -were afterwards cut short) marched along banging toy drums, and wearing -paper hats. The newspaper placards gave the information, "Kitchener at -the War Office." Groups were talking and arguing on the pavement.</p> - -<p>"Knowed my boy'd be one of the fust to offer hisself," said Millwood. -My sister improved his manner of talking a good deal, in her lifetime, -but when she left, he dropped back into his earlier methods. "I says, -soon as ever I heard about the war being started, I says to myself, -'Mark my words. Young 'Erb'll be in this. Right in the very thick of -it.'"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Good to find you accept it like this. You being such an out and out -Radical—"</p> - -<p>"How could I accept it otherwise?" he demanded, warmly. "And can't a -Radical be as partial to his country as what the bigoted dunderheaded -Tories is? I remember hearing Bradlaugh say once—"</p> - -<p>"I haven't called to talk politics."</p> - -<p>"Because you know very well, Mary Weston, which of us comes the best -off when you and me do have an argument."</p> - -<p>"I do know. And I must say you generally accept your beating in very -good part."</p> - -<p>"I never get beaten in no discussion," he shouted, "and if I did, I -shouldn't accept it in the way you describe. Often feel uncommon glad -that I didn't pick out you instead of your poor sister. I might ha' -done, but for what I may term the intervention of Providence. You was -better educated than her, and to tell you the truth nothing but that -saved me from making the blunder of a lifetime."</p> - -<p>"I should perhaps have had a word or two to say in the matter."</p> - -<p>"Can't imagine any subject on which you wouldn't."</p> - -<p>I had to talk him round because there was a favour to be asked. He -declared, at first, that he had no wish to add to his stock or to his -responsibilities; of the second, I knew nothing, but I could see that -the contents of the shop had scarcely altered since my previous visit -on the occasion when the funeral took place. There were dilapidated -writing desks that no one seemed to require; a suite of chairs with -red plush that had nearly lost colour from exposure to the sun, a -cabinet out of the perpendicular owing to partial failure of one leg, -an easy chair with broken springs, engravings in mottled frames of -events in the life of Queen Victoria, a tipsy-looking music stand, a -bookcase that ought to have revolved but had lost the trick. It was but -necessary to hint at the misfortunes that had overtaken the Hillier -family, to secure Mill<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>wood's aid. He was ready to see the furniture, -to offer a good price for it on my behalf, to attend to the removal and -the storing. Two young women came in whilst we were arranging this, -and asked Millwood for the address of the local newspaper. He gave -the directions, and they mentioned that they wished, by means of an -advertisement, to let their furnished flat in Gloucester Place. "We are -going off nursing," they mentioned, animatedly. I came forward, and -put some questions, and within five minutes I was looking through the -rooms in their company, and inside of a quarter of an hour I had come -to an agreement with them. The rooms were old-fashioned in build, and -pleasant to look upon; Gloucester Place, with The Circus, bow shaped, -opposite had, in their day, been the society part of Greenwich; a large -railed garden was set between the two rows of houses; a broad roadway -led in from Royal Hill, and a narrower one went out to Crooms' Hill, -and to the Park. To Gloucester Place a touch of modernity had been -given by the conversion of one house into County Council offices. At -the very top of the residence I inspected were two rooms, not occupied, -and not furnished. Before I left, I saw the agent, and took these for a -quarter at a rent I could well afford. The ground floor, I ascertained, -was occupied by a quiet, elderly couple.</p> - -<p>"Depend upon me," said Millwood. "And as you're coming to live in my -neighbourhood, mind you drop in whenever you have the opportunity, -Mary Weston, or the wish to do so. I foresee that with both political -parties coming into line over this fighting business, life for a public -man like myself is going to be jest a trifle monotonous. I shall get -stale if I don't find someone to have a few friendly words with."</p> - -<p>It pleased him when I gave him an order to pick up one or two -articles of furniture I indicated from a sales room with which he was -acquainted.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p> - -<p>I went home and announced the result of my journey. I settled with cook -and the two housemaids and sent them off in a good temper. I rang up -the agent for the owner of The Croft, and advised him to give notice -to his insurance people. I took the two young ladies to the house and -found old trunks in the cellars, packed some of their clothes that the -fire had not damaged; Miss Muriel appeared inclined to be sentimental -over the task, but Miss Katherine chaffed her out of this, pointing out -that the verses composed by her sister that morning, with, for opening -lines,</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">"Home of my childhood, oh where art thou gone,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">The fire has consumed thee, thy loss I bemoan"</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>had, if looked upon as poetry, certain merits, and if considered as a -statement of facts, many inaccuracies. It was not, she declared, the -home of Miss Muriel's childhood, unless that period could be reckoned -to start at the age of seventeen. The house had not gone, and it could -not be said with truth that the fire had consumed it, for here it was, -requiring only the aid of a builder and carpenter to make it habitable -for new tenants.</p> - -<p>"And that's that!" she said, summing up briskly. "You chuck poetry, my -beloved sister. There's no money in it, and you never use it except as -a medium for grousing."</p> - -<p>"I mean to write some verses about the war," said Miss Muriel, -resolutely.</p> - -<p>"If it gets known, peace will be arranged without delay. Besides, I -thought you were going on the stage. Weston, can we give you a hand -with your packing?"</p> - -<p>"Couldn't think of asking you to do that, Miss Katherine."</p> - -<p>"Which, being interpreted," she said, "means that even you, with all -your common sense, have not yet realised all that has occurred. Tell -me: you have money put by, haven't you?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span></p> - -<p>"A trifle, Miss Katherine."</p> - -<p>"So that you are now above us. You are better off than we are. You are -a plutocrat, Weston. At any moment, some gay spark may come along on -his motor cycle, wed you for the sake of your riches, take you off in -his side car."</p> - -<p>"A pity," I said, to change the subject, "that neither of you young -ladies had contrived to get married before all this happened. It would -have simplified matters a good deal."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps," she remarked, "we have hitherto been too ambitious. In -the new circumstances, I shall be ready to listen to any honourable -proposal from a baker. No," correcting herself. "Let me not sink too -low. A confectioner. A confectioner, near a school. And over military -age."</p> - -<p>"There won't be many young men left if this fighting goes on for long."</p> - -<p>"'How happy,'" quoted Miss Katherine, "'is the blameless vestal's lot, -The world forgetting, by the world forgot.' By Pope, my dear Muriel, -Pope. A gentleman who was in the line of business you have recently -taken up."</p> - -<p>We managed to finish the task, and a greengrocer undertook to convey -the packages to Colonel Edgington's house. I was under the impression -that everything was going well and smoothly, when a telegram came -from the two young women at Greenwich. "Find course of lectures -indispensable. We remain in flat for a time."</p> - -<p>The delay which ensued became one of the most trying details of the -whole affair. If I had been able to whisk the family off as I intended -to do, if it had all been done whilst the excitement was upon us, if -we had been able to give a hurried good-bye to Chislehurst and then -disappear, why, I do believe the job would have proved easy enough. -There was the alternative of finding other rooms, but I had fixed my -mind on the arrangement at Greenwich, and when it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> suggested to me -privately by Colonel Edgington that this might be done—</p> - -<p>"Not a word to the others, mind, Weston. Don't want them to think I'm -tired of their company."</p> - -<p>Then I talked about contracts, and represented the two impetuous girls -at Gloucester Place as square-headed, obstinate women of business; I -hinted that to argue with them or plead to them was like contending -against a brick wall. So the Hilliers stayed on, and each day brought -for me some discouraging occurrence. Mr. Hillier, with nothing else -to do, went back to his habit of mooning about: the Colonel was very -good, and always endeavoured to give him his company, but the master -seemed to prefer solitude, and whenever he could manage it, contrived -to slip away for a lonely walk. Mrs. Hillier, dismissing all thoughts -of the immediate past, allowed herself to be taken up by her friends -in the neighbourhood, and readily agreed to take positions—for which -she was in no way fitted—in the charitable work that had been started -with feverish and excitable energy. The idea was, at the time, that -there would be an enormous amount of distress in London, and meetings -were held, and speeches made, and Mrs. Hillier when asked to take any -part, succeeded in making just about as big a fool of herself as it was -possible to do. I told her so. I told her so plainly, and we came very -near to parting from each other on account of this. I suppose I was -becoming irritable over the postponement of my scheme, and I certainly -did not like the notion of all of us staying on at Colonel Edgington's -for an indefinite period. One word led to another, and I happened to -use a phrase without giving due consideration to it.</p> - -<p>"Imposing on good nature?" she echoed, amazedly.</p> - -<p>"We'll call it sponging, if you like."</p> - -<p>"Weston," she said, with dignity, "you are, and you have been for some -weeks past, free to leave my service. The wages due will be paid so -soon as Mr. Hillier has had time to look about him."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> - -<p>"He's doing that now. And precious little of anything else."</p> - -<p>"It is not for you to criticise your master. That is one of my -privileges, and I think I may say that I have never failed to take -advantage of it. For the moment, my powers in this respect are directed -against yourself. You are forgetting, Weston, the position you hold, -and unless you think fit to remember it, I shall have to ask you to go."</p> - -<p>"You know as well as I do, ma'am, that I can't leave you all like this. -You'll be lost without my help, and I should have it on my conscience -for the rest of my life."</p> - -<p>Master Edward rushed in. He had been down the hill to the station, -seeing train loads of soldiers go through, and, with the assistance of -other boys, cheering them. He began to tell us of his experiences but, -recognising an unusual tension in the air, dashed off at once to find -his sister Katherine. When she came, the trouble was soon adjusted. I -apologised to Mrs. Hillier, and Mrs. Hillier apologised to me, and we -both said it was all a misunderstanding, and one that would not happen -again.</p> - -<p>But I went over, that afternoon, to Greenwich, and waited there until -the young women arrived home from their lecture at the Polytechnic. -Millwood had carried out my instructions very well; the two rooms on -the top floor needed only a few more bits of hay to make them into a -comfortable nest. The two came in, tired with study; all the animation -they had shown at our first encounter seemed to have vanished.</p> - -<p>"Of course," said the elder, desolately, "we are sorry for the -inconvenience that is being caused, but you have no idea how much there -is to be learnt before one can be reckoned a capable nurse."</p> - -<p>"Have you considered the advisability of trying anything else?"</p> - -<p>"We most particularly want to tend wounded soldiers."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> - -<p>"But," I argued, "wounded soldiers don't want to be tended by people -who can't tend."</p> - -<p>"Seems a pity."</p> - -<p>"Now, if you care to leave it to me," I said, "I'll find out whether -there's anything else you could start upon. What do you say?"</p> - -<p>"It must be something we can do at once," they urged. "We appear to be -wasting time."</p> - -<p>I hurried along to the Miller Hospital, and consulted a Sister there -whom I had known for years. She told me that hospitals in London, and -at other places, were on the defensive owing to the strong attacks -made by unqualified, but well-intentioned ladies. For example, a -society woman attended one of the classes and said, at the end, to -the lecturer, that she had gained a considerable amount of knowledge -by the afternoon, but that as she was going abroad with an ambulance -party, she thought it would be advisable perhaps to come to a second -afternoon. The lecturer retorted that she herself had been learning -the business of nursing for ten years, and still felt she had much -to learn. "Ah, yes," said the society woman, "but you see, I'm -exceptionally quick." The Sister told me other anecdotes of the period, -and then considered the problem set before her.</p> - -<p>"Let them become gardeners," she decided. "Gardeners at a convalescent -home I'm acquainted with."</p> - -<p>A reply paid telegram was sent, and, before I left the hospital, the -answer had been received. Taking it to Gloucester Place, I used the -best argumentative qualities at my disposal. Here was a noble chance -of taking—in all likelihood—the places of two men who would thus be -released for the purposes of the war. Good, healthy out-door work, -and later, when soldiers came to the home, there would be a splendid -opportunity of instructing them in arts connected with the land. "An -opening of a lifetime," I urged. They confessed they had been brought -up on a farm,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> and knew something of agricultural tasks, but it was -dear the attraction of becoming second Florence Nightingales was too -great to be relinquished hastily. I mentioned that, if they insisted on -becoming nurses they would probably find themselves at a hospital in -London; the chances of being sent abroad were small, and I furnished -details of the hard labour probationers were called on to perform.</p> - -<p>"If we did accept this offer," asked one, "do you think we should be -allowed to wear some kind of uniform?"</p> - -<p>"Sure you would," promptly. "And when the War Office takes over the -home, why, of course, you will be under Government control."</p> - -<p>This settled the matter. I found an A.B.C. and selected a train; sent -a wire announcing the time of their arrival; fetched a cab from the -station yard, helped the driver with their trunks. They shook hands -with me gratefully, and alluded to me as a treasure, and a perfect dear.</p> - -<p>That evening, my people arrived at Gloucester Place, and even Miss -Muriel could discover no fault in the new surroundings. Mr. Hillier -took Master Edward down to the riverside whilst we were arranging the -different rooms; they came back enthusiastic regarding the shipping, -the London steamboats, the College, the view from the Observatory. For -the first time since the Saturday before the Bank Holiday we made no -reference in conversation to the war, and I abstained from mentioning -that a placard of an evening journal bore the words, "France fighting -for its Life now." Nor did I repeat a scrap of talk I heard near the -station between two Deptford women. "And ain't it a shame," said one, -"to think that all this trouble has been caused by the Germin Emperor." -The other shook her head. "It ain't the Germin Emperor what's to -blame," she said, correctingly. "It's the Kayser." Boys ran around The -Circus bawling news, and we took no notice of them. Master<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> Edward came -out strongly on historical subjects, and told us of all the Royal folk -who had lived at Greenwich, from King Henry the Eighth, onward; it -seemed to make us feel that we had really gained in social position by -the removal. Mr. Hillier mentioned that history was interesting enough -to look back upon, but trying to live with; Master Edward expressed -sympathy for the boys who came after him and would have to learn all -about the present war. The master and Mrs. Hillier conferred with each -other near a window that looked across at The Circus. I heard her say, -"You must tell her, James. If I try to do so, I shall simply break -down." He beckoned to me, and we went out on the landing.</p> - -<p>"Weston," he said, clearing his voice rather nervously, "I've shut the -offices in Basinghall Street, and it wasn't pleasant to say good-bye -to men who have worked for me and with me during past years. And -now a duty has been imposed upon me that I should very much like to -escape. But someone has to do it, and I suppose—The fact is, we are -very grateful to you for all you have done for us in this trying and -exacting predicament, and we are obliged to you for piloting us safely -to this new—er—harbour." He hesitated, and went on again. "You have, -I take it, made your own plans, Weston?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>"Very well, then. It only remains to say good-bye, and to give you this -small envelope that contains the wages due. I ask you to believe that -the sum in no way represents our indebtedness—"</p> - -<p>"Look here, sir," I interrupted. "I know all about the finances of the -establishment, and if I take this money I shall be taking nearly the -last penny you have. You just let it stand over. Any time will do for -settling with me."</p> - -<p>"Good of you."</p> - -<p>"And as regards future arrangements, I'm going to live on the top -floor, and I shall be in and about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> in a friendly sort of way whenever -I'm wanted. The mistress and the young ladies have been used to plenty -of help and attention, and I don't wish all that cut off suddenly at -the main, so to speak. My wages stop from to-day, and when matters get -brighter—and that may not be long ahead—why they can start again."</p> - -<p>"Weston," he declared, "the State ought to be making you, just now, a -generous allowance. You should be put in charge of the ray of sunshine -department. You are a mascot. You're a sheet anchor. So long as you are -with us, we shall feel ourselves safe. God bless you!"</p> - -<p>In the morning, I went down early to answer the milkman's knock. -Content to gain new customers, he told me an important item of -information which had come to him direct from no less an authority than -the pier-master at the end of King William Street. Russian troops, in -enormous numbers, were on the way <i>via</i> Archangel, and would shortly -pass through England on the way to France. The pier-master's idea was -that this would settle the war in less than no time.</p> - -<p>"But don't give it away, miss," begged the milkman, urgently. "Don't -mention it to anyone, because it's a secret, and only a few of us, who -can be depended upon to keep it dark, are supposed to know anything -about it."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>We were all of us to blame, more or less, for the circulation of -rumours, but the chief responsibility in my own immediate district had -to be placed upon Arthur. Arthur was—it sounds like an extract from -a French lesson book—the brother of our greengrocer's wife; the lady -professed to be suffering from nerves in consequence of the war (she -had no relatives engaged in the struggle, and felt, I think, that it -was necessary for her to take up a distinguished attitude in order -to avoid the pain of being reckoned of no account) and Arthur had -previously been spoken of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> by her as a West End club-man, one who mixed -with the aristocrats, not so much on equal terms as on terms of high -superiority.</p> - -<p>"Great shock to him when I went and married a tradesman," she confided -to me. "I recollect so well the words he said to me at the time. -'Julia,' he said, 'promise that you'll never on any account do a hand's -stroke of work in the shop.' And," triumphantly, "I've kept my word, -even on Saturday nights." Her husband, instead of being annoyed, and -rating her for indolence, took great pride in the aloof attitude thus -taken up; he was in the habit of referring to her, in conversation, as -his little Queen of Sheba.</p> - -<p>It appeared—when a doctor had been sent for and admitted, after he -had cross-examined and investigated, that he could not give a name -to her ailment (the greengrocer's wife was enormously conceited over -this, counting it as a victory for herself), and when the oft-mentioned -brother called and asked me to keep an eye on her—that the description -of West End club-man was exact, but not complete. He was, in point of -fact, a hall porter at a club, where he described himself as second in -command, and his hours were from eight o'clock in the evening until -three in the morning or earlier if there happened to be no member -remaining in the establishment.</p> - -<p>"And you'll easily understand," he said, with an effort at modesty, -"that in my position, I get to hear about a large quantity of matters -that under the present arrangement of keeping nearly everything out -of the newspapers, won't be mentioned in print, for months to come, -perhaps not at all. So in return for the kindness you are going to show -to my sister Julia, I shall make it my business to bring down to you, -miss, any little tit-bits of information that come my way, because, -with a nephew in the army you must feel specially interested. Do you -follow what I'm driving at?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p> - -<p>I take some credit to myself for making a selection from the -particulars brought, later, by Arthur. When he prefaced an announcement -by—"Looked in at the club, I did, on me way, and the last thing in on -the tape machine was to the effect that——" then I felt justified in -assuming that the news had association with truth. But when he said, -"Overheard one of our gentlemen, I did, talking to another in the -lounge last night, after dinner, and he said, as distinctly as ever he -could speak that—" then I knew that here was something which required -a good deal of salt before it could be accepted, something it would -be wise not to pass on to other folk. Apparently there was, in the -West End, all the keen desire to be early in the field with news, that -existed in minor districts of town, with an added gift for invention. -At times Arthur brought a double load, and one was called upon to take -a share in a perfect orgie of rumours. Of notable public men (alive -to-day) who had been rushed off to the Tower, and shot, without trial -or any unnecessary fuss—</p> - -<p>"They tie him to a chair in the Range," said Arthur, exultantly, "six -Guardsmen come along from Wellington Barracks, their rifles are loaded, -the party in the chair is blindfolded, the sergeant gives the word of -command, and then—shoot, bang, fire!—and there's no more headaches -for him! Do you follow what I'm driving at?"</p> - -<p>Of members of the Government in the pay of Germany, and making money -hand over foot; Arthur said darkly that their names were known to him, -and they had best be careful. Of the utter and complete uselessness of -these Zeppelins that Germany was bragging about; Arthur explained to me -a means of bringing down an enemy air-ship, so simple that it appeared -to be within the capacity of any boy of ten. Of a remark made by the -wife of a Cabinet Minister to her lady's maid, and transferred by many -and devious routes, and losing nothing, it was certain, on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> the way. -Of optimists who knew for a matter of absolute fact that Germany's -finances would not allow her to continue the struggle for longer -than six weeks from now, and of pessimists who said (as the old lady -remarked when she heard that Spa Road Station was to be closed), "This -war is really getting beyond a joke!"</p> - -<p>Until the greengrocer's wife—finding that people were ceasing to -inquire after her health and discovering too that, on one occasion her -brother called on me without visiting her—until she announced that -by exercise of strength of will she had cured herself, where doctors -proved of no avail, we were well supplied with rumours, and could have -sold them, at a profit, at two for three half-pence. For the rest, came -throughout the day, and every day more reliable news on the posters, -and often these announcements were staggering blows that made one feel -as sick and as helpless as a defeated team in football; sometimes the -punishment was followed by a cheering and encouraging smile from the -fates, and for the moment, disasters were forgotten. Take it as well as -one might, it was a trying period and one cannot pretend any desire to -live through it again.</p> - -<p>Arthur, on his last call, said that he had found my company very -soothing, and assured me that but for the existence of a wife and six -children, living at Fulham, nothing would have prevented him from -making me a definite and honorable proposal.</p> - -<p>"Wish I'd met you earlier," said the hall porter, speaking tremulously, -"but there it is, and it's little use grumbling about what can't be -remedied. Do you follow what I'm driving at? All the same, I wish -you every prosperity, miss, and when the right man comes along—he's -a trifle late, if you don't mind me saying so, but he may have been -detained—why, I'll trust you'll recognise him, and that you'll both -live happy ever afterwards!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER IV</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was all very well to accept the compliments that Mr. Hillier had -paid me, but as a matter of fact, whether a ray of sunshine, or a -mascot, or a sheet anchor, I felt as much disturbed by all that -was going on out in Belgium and France as anybody; if I woke up at -night, I was so anxious and depressed about it that I could not get -to sleep again. Looking back, it is possible to see how greatly one -was helped by the milkman's Russians. He never wavered from his first -announcement, and I am sure that at the present time he is confident -he was right, and official statements were wrong. Indeed, one was -receptive for any encouraging news at a time when a journal, on a -beautifully bright and summer-like Sunday, gave the question on its -poster, "Can the British Army be Saved?" and the thick black line on -the daily war maps bent lower and lower in the direction of Paris. And -at the fishmonger's, plaice was a shilling a pound. I tried to bargain -with the man, and he said bitterly that I could take it or leave it, -or, if I knew how, do both. Belgians were coming over, he added, in -their thousands, bringing no money, and we should have to keep them. In -a short time, he prophesied, the French people would arrive.</p> - -<p>"We shall be eaten out of 'ouse and 'ome," said the fishmonger, -dismally, "and I 'alf wish the Germans were here now, and that it was -all over and done with!"</p> - -<p>Master John and my Herbert wrote that they had been transferred -to Caterham for drill. Their letters were common property, and if -I received one I read it aloud, and if the family had one, I was -called in to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> listen. Miss Katherine began to take lessons from me in -cooking; Miss Muriel joined a sewing society and, clumsy enough at -first, and quite incompetent when put in charge of the cutting out, -did keep on at it, and showed herself ready to learn, willing to be -reproved for blunders. Master Edward I took off to the Council school, -and that disposed of him for five and a-half hours from Mondays to -Fridays; at first, he came home extremely contemptuous of what he -called the blighters, but in a few weeks he was bragging of Wilkinson, -and Perrett, and Moore, and other great lads of the educational -establishment. It was the subject of income that worried me. Money was -going out, day by day, and a ten shilling note seemed to vanish in no -time; not a penny was coming in. So soon as the amount representing the -sum due to me was exhausted, there would be left nothing but farthings -in the pillar box on the kitchen mantelpiece. Mr. Hillier looked -through the advertisements carefully, and occasionally wrote letters; -he became a special constable partly for the sake of filling up time. -Mrs. Hillier alone declined to make any change other than those which -circumstances forced upon her; now and again I was tempted to take her -by the elbows, and give her a good shake.</p> - -<p>"I find Greenwich very soothing," she would say, complacently. "Ideal, -really!" The first cold day, and the falling of brown leaves out in the -park, made some impression on her, and she shivered slightly in making -any comments upon the fighting.</p> - -<p>Master John, home on Sunday, gave us a description of his drill at -Caterham. He had experienced a fall at the gymnasium, and made light of -it, but his mother was concerned, and offered the view that Mr. Asquith -ought to be told. Master John said that turning out time in the morning -was half-past five; on the previous day he was on duty until a quarter -to ten at night. Nearly eight thousand men down there, all Guards, -and the Senior Medical Officer examined everyone,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> although the men -had been passed in London for general army service; Master John said -that about ten per cent. were rejected, and was content to announce -that he himself had gone through safely. Food rather poor at times; -occasionally it had to be taken without the assistance of plates.</p> - -<p>"Your father must write to the papers about that," decided Mrs. -Hillier, warmly. "Gross carelessness on the part of somebody."</p> - -<p>Master John said that everyone was eager to get out to the front. Now -that the Germans had been turned back from the Marne, and were on the -run northwards, the fear at Caterham was that it might not be possible -to arrive at the fighting district in time to take a share in the lark. -Mrs. Hillier said this would be scandalous.</p> - -<p>It was soon after this that the milkman told Mrs. Hillier of the -imminent reduction in lighting; she declared that other people could, -of course, do as they pleased but she, for one, intended to take no -notice of the order. I argued with her, the young ladies argued with -her, but she was obstinate until Mr. Hillier took the matter in hand. -He gave a hint to the most serious of his colleagues who paid a call -one evening at Gloucester Place, and talked to Mrs. Hillier in a way -that she had probably never been spoken to before. After pointing out -the risks and the penalties, he remarked that neighbours would have no -alternative but to assume that she was in sympathy with the Germans. -Upon that Mrs. Hillier gave directions, and blinds were drawn, lights -carefully shaded. As I let the special constable out at the front door, -he said to me:</p> - -<p>"A difficult lady to deal with, your friend upstairs."</p> - -<p>And I had to agree with him. I sometimes wondered whether any -occurrence would effect an alteration in her.</p> - -<p>She proved to be greatly annoyed by Miss Katherine's announcement. -Miss Katherine had told me of her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> intentions, but under the bond -of secrecy, and when she disclosed the fact that she had obtained -a position as clerk in a bank, you might have thought, from Mrs. -Hillier's deportment, that a lasting and intolerable disgrace had -come upon the family. Nothing ever upset Miss Katherine, and even in -our palmy days, she had always been the one to keep a serene temper; -she listened now to her mother's severe criticism, and explained that -the matter had been kept quiet for the reason that it was possible a -failure might have occurred over the examination.</p> - -<p>"The news is bound to reach Chislehurst," bewailed Mrs. Hillier. "And -when we eventually go back there, I can't see, for the life of me, how -it is to be explained."</p> - -<p>"We must put it down, mother, to temporary insanity on my part."</p> - -<p>"That wouldn't answer," she declared seriously, "because everyone is -aware that there have been no signs of it on either your father's side -or mine."</p> - -<p>"Hadn't thought of that," admitted Miss Katherine.</p> - -<p>"Weston," said Mrs. Hillier, appealing to me, "is it, or is it not a -fact that in many cases a girl behaving in this way would, by some -parents, simply be cut off with a shilling?"</p> - -<p>"If you wanted to do so, ma'am," I said, "you'd have to borrow it."</p> - -<p>"Not very tactful of you, surely, to throw my misfortunes in my face."</p> - -<p>"Has to be done, now and again, in order that you should be reminded of -them."</p> - -<p>"Because I preserve calm," protested Mrs. Hillier, "whilst all around -me are losing their heads and behaving in a hysterical manner, it -does not mean, Weston, that I am indifferent to the events which are -happening. Katherine must write a letter to the authorities at once, -and say circumstances prevent—"</p> - -<p>"You can't do that with a bank, ma'am. A bank has powers that a lot of -other firms don't possess. People never dream of arguing with a bank."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I didn't know, Weston," she said, weakly.</p> - -<p>"High time you did," I declared.</p> - -<p>I was glad to have the prospect of some money coming in to the -household, and when Miss Katherine arrived home, after a day at office, -I took care there was a meal ready, saw that she went off each morning -in good time to catch her train to the City. I think the work must -have been trying, exacting probably for any young lady brought up, so -to speak, in cotton-wool, and I encouraged her to talk about it to me -and to her sister; Mrs. Hillier declined to listen to any reference to -the occupation. Miss Katherine, it appeared, reached the bank at ten -minutes to nine, and engaged sometimes on the work of entering up pass -books; occasionally she was given the task of writing up the waste book -where the cheques paid in, on account of other banks, and sent out, -were recorded. For the first time in her life, the girl discovered -the necessity of being exactly precise, completely correct. Mistakes -were not permitted. Miss Katherine described to me the machine called -a totalisator that reckoned any figure you gave it up to ninety-nine -thousand pounds.</p> - -<p>I began to feel anxious again in regard to Mr. Hillier. He managed to -catch a cold whilst walking on his beat during the early hours of a -night, and thought of the expenses of a doctor worried me. I nursed the -cold, and made remedies, and whilst attending upon him there occurred -the opportunity of talking over his own prospects. He said, at the -start of the conversation, that these could scarcely be discussed at -any great length for the very sound reason that they did not exist; I -assured him it was his indisposition which forced him to take this view.</p> - -<p>"But I am simply not wanted," he argued. "That's the long and short -of the matter, and when you have said that, there's nothing more to -be said." Mr. Hillier gave a movement of the shoulders that indicated -hopelessness. "The fact is, Weston, I was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> suited for one job in this -life; fairly well suited for it. If it had not been for the war, I -should have pulled round, and contrived to go on making an income. But -there seems nothing else that I am capable of doing."</p> - -<p>"Surely you could be a clerk, sir, in some office, and earn thirty -shillings or a couple of sovereigns a week. You've got to pocket your -pride, you know, at a time like this."</p> - -<p>"All the pride I have," he said, "could go into my waistcoat pocket. -The one that used to hold my watch. But it's impossible for me to go -and beg a situation from the men I used to know, and the men I don't -know just give a glance at me and shake their heads."</p> - -<p>"But look here," I argued. "You're talking as though your's was a -singular case. There must have been many others who came a cropper last -August in the same way that you did. What are they doing now? They're -not all moping about, surely, and wearing a hump on their back!"</p> - -<p>"I have met only one or two. And they pretended they hadn't a care in -the world, and I did the same."</p> - -<p>"Oh, you men!"</p> - -<p>"Face the difficulties of your position, Weston," he counselled, "and -recognise them, and don't commit the blunder of attempting to perform -impossibilities. The women of this family you may be able to manage, -and in doing that you are achieving more than I have ever been able to -do. But the men must go their own way."</p> - -<p>"Trouble about some of you is that you don't know your own way, and you -are too independent to ask. Why, bless my soul, there's work just now -for everybody. Somewhere or other there's a job waiting for you."</p> - -<p>"Wish it would give me a call," he said, earnestly.</p> - -<p>I visited Millwood's shop in London Street, to settle for the articles -of furniture he had bought for me; I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> had looked in for this purpose -two or three times before, and discovered no one but a boy who appeared -to have few other qualifications but that of impudence. On this -occasion I noticed a small bill, lolling so carelessly in the window -that it was with some pains I made out the announcement, "This Business -to be Sold. Enquire Within." London Street was a thoroughfare where, -since I had known it, there had always seemed to be establishments -closed or on the point of closing; shutters were up at places, and, at -others, announcements of selling off. The cheeky boy said the governor -was not in, and would not be at home to receive company until six -o'clock; he added that the governor was a widower and preferred to -have nothing to do with ladies. "Me," explained the lad, "I'm just the -reverse. Never 'appier than when I'm in their company. Always able to -get a smile out of 'em." I made it clear to the youngster that he was -dealing with an exception to this pleasing rule: he affected terror, -and begged me not to be cross, or to do tricks with my features. He -spoke of one or two remarkably good films at the local picture palace -where the characters exercised this art with greater success, and -illustrated his assertion by depicting for my benefit, hate, acute -anxiety, murderous intentions, foiled villainy, triumphant love. I sat -in the least dusty of the arm chairs, and my interest gained the boy's -confidences: he told me that the occupation on which he was engaged -did not satisfy his wishes, and that he had some thought of making -his way to the interior of Germany, and there playing the part of an -ingenious and successful spy, worm out all the enemy's most important -secrets, and bring them back to be laid before our War Office. "One -shake of the hand from Kitchener," he declared, with emotion, "and I -sh'd feel I'd been amply repaid for my trouble." He was describing -further magnificent projects when my brother-in-law came in. He gave a -curt nod to the boy, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> young gentleman, after smoothing his hair -with both hands in front of a cracked looking glass, put on a roller -skate, and, uttering a piercing scream that conveyed satisfaction at -the relief from business duties, vanished.</p> - -<p>"That's all right, Mary Weston," said Millwood, in taking the money. -"Glad you was satisfied with what I picked up for you. You're not a -easy one to please."</p> - -<p>"I find you looking a deal brighter than when I saw you last."</p> - -<p>"That remark, coming from the quarter it does, is scarcely intended to -be in the nature of a fulsome compliment. I know you mean it. And if -you want to know the reason, it is that I am working 'ard."</p> - -<p>"About the last thing, Millwood, I should have expected you to do."</p> - -<p>"A justifiable comment," he agreed. "I admit I was getting slack. -Loafing about in a business like this, and only moving when somebody -stopped outside to have a look at the furniture, was enough to make -anyone become blassy, as our friends across the water would put it. -I showed a card, I did—'Don't hope for the Best: come inside and -get It'—but it didn't stimulate matters. Now I'm at the Arsenal. A -mechanic at the Arsenal: that's what I am. Getting good money, and -earning it. I come back here of an evening, jolly well fagged out, and -uncommon pleased with myself. And now there's the chance of you making -one of your sarcastic snacks that you're reckoned pretty good at."</p> - -<p>"Millwood," frankly, "you have every reason to feel pleased with -yourself."</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Mary Weston. Wanted to get the idea, you see, that I was -doing something useful."</p> - -<p>"There are one or two matters I'd like to talk to you about, but, first -of all, there's this shop. It's no use to you."</p> - -<p>"It's a incubus," confessed Millwood.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p> - -<p>"You are trying to get rid of it."</p> - -<p>"Anyone can have it as a free gift, if they'll only let me go on living -over'ead."</p> - -<p>"I'll take it off your hands."</p> - -<p>Directly I had said this, and Millwood had recovered from his surprise, -he began to hedge; I expected this. He explained that the phrase -"a free gift" was used in a metaphorical sense, and that if he had -realised he was talking to a likely purchaser, he would, of course, -have selected his words more carefully. Millwood was a haggler from -long practise, and I was something of a bargainer by habit, and we -spent a very pleasant hour in coming to terms, with, on the one side, -an amount quoted at first above and beyond all expectations, and, on -the other, a sum low enough to provide a margin for increase. In the -end, we agreed, and Millwood said that, so help his goodness, I was a -hard nut to crack if ever there was one, and I said of him that he was -as artful as a waggon load of monkeys.</p> - -<p>"I'd nearly forgotten something else I wanted to speak of," I said. -"This Arsenal work. Do they want more hands there?"</p> - -<p>"They're nearly full up, but there's still a chance. If it's any -working man of your acquaintance, get him to hurry along."</p> - -<p>"And I suppose if he has some skill in engineering, it makes a bit of -difference."</p> - -<p>"Makes all the difference," said Millwood. "The difference between -being a mechanic like myself, and something a good deal better paid. I -know a fitter there who's earning close upon four quid a week. The work -is indispensable to the Government, and the Government doesn't mind -paying for it. But it's no child's play, mind you!"</p> - -<p>Millwood, in regard to the shop, suggested a letter should be written -agreeing that he could retake possession when the war was over, or -earlier.</p> - -<p>From that moment I was as fully occupied as one desired to be; perhaps -a trifle more. There came first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> the business of getting Mr. Hillier -free of his cold, and here I missed the assistance, by day, of Miss -Katherine; meanwhile I threw out hints concerning the Arsenal, and -he showed interest in the description of some of the tasks performed -there. He confessed that in leaving Chislehurst the greatest wrench -had been the loss of the workshop. "The one place," said Mr. Hillier, -"where I could forget everything else. It was drink, and golf, and -smoke to me. If Mrs. Hillier nagged, or the girls bothered, or matters -went wrong in the City, I had only to go down beyond the garage, and -put on a yellow over-all, and, for the time being, I was someone else. -Those experiences can never come again, Weston."</p> - -<p>I provided some additional information regarding the Arsenal, spoke of -the convenient train journey. You left Greenwich, and passed Maze Hill, -Westcombe Park, Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard, and there you were at the -Arsenal station. Fifteen minutes in the train.</p> - -<p>I knew Mr. Hillier well enough, and I understood his temperament -sufficiently to be aware that the idea would seem much more attractive -if he had the impression that it was his own, and that it had not been -forced upon him by anyone else. Later, he put some questions about -Trades Unions, and I promised to make inquiries.</p> - -<p>"There is no hurry," he remarked. "I asked only out of curiosity."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Master Edward arriving home from school, made an announcement that -astonished me, and furnished a new task. I ought to have remembered -that a boy leaves the County Council schools when he reaches the age -of fourteen, but I had so much to think of that the fact escaped my -notice; Mrs. Hillier, on hearing this excuse, said it seemed to her my -intelligence was decaying. Miss Muriel had been invited to pay a visit -to friends at Chislehurst, and I was relieved from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> the task of looking -after her: Mr. Hillier was making a good recovery, and I hoped my -scheme in regard to him might be successful; the shop in London Street -was in the hands of a firm of decorators who had promised to be out of -it within seven days, from the start, and had already been pottering -about there for three weeks. And here came Master Edward thrown back -from school upon my hands; it appeared to be understood at Gloucester -Place that it was for me to arrange the launching of him into business -life.</p> - -<p>"What would you like to be?" I asked, sharply.</p> - -<p>"Really don't know, Weston," he answered.</p> - -<p>"But haven't you any bent, or inclination, or——"</p> - -<p>"I fancy the pater's notion was that I should go in for the law."</p> - -<p>"You'll have to do something useful," I declared. "Something that will -bring in a few shillings a week, without delay."</p> - -<p>"Most chaps have a holiday when they leave school."</p> - -<p>"Not in these war times. Just now, the country wants everybody to work. -Don't let me hear any nonsense talk of that nature."</p> - -<p>"Wish I were old enough to do as John did, and join the army."</p> - -<p>"My dear lamb," giving up my manner of severity, "you ought to be -thankful that you're young enough to be out of all this terrible -business. Haven't you seen the poor wounded soldiers limping about in -the Park, and on Blackheath?"</p> - -<p>"They look happy," said the boy.</p> - -<p>I sent a postcard to William Richards, and he hurried down from Charing -Cross so soon as he was off duty. We met at the station, and I first -took him along to the shop, where the elderly workmen were startled by -the fact that I had brought a companion; William Richards supported my -arguments with some determined words that they seemed to understand -better than the milder language which I used. He said they were a -dashed lot of adjective mikers. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> declared his intention of calling -on their adjective governor, and dashed well taking the adjective job -away, and giving it to some other adjective firm. He assured them they -had every reason to be dashed well ashamed of themselves. William -Richards wore a bowler hat to indicate that he was free of railway -service, but underneath an overcoat was his brass buttoned uniform, and -I think the decorator's men were impressed by the sight of this. The -foreman urged they were doing all that mortals could be expected to do; -contended that a job, to be carried out well, should be carried out -with nothing like undue haste. William Richards waved these arguments -aside, and used some more of his resolute denunciations.</p> - -<p>"Look here, sir," said the old foreman. "We don't wish for no -unpleasantness. All we want is to live and let live. In regard to this -job, we'll get a move on, and I promise you we shall be clear and away -by Friday evening."</p> - -<p>"Friday noon," directed William Richards, "and not a minute later."</p> - -<p>"Friday noon it shall be," agreed the other, "and it's been a pleasure -to meet a gentleman who can express himself so clear as what you have -done. Mind that pail as you go out, and see that your lady friend don't -take off any of the wet paint on her skirts!"</p> - -<p>We walked around the old-fashioned market off Nelson Street, where the -names—Underwood, Austin, Gladwin, Goulding, and others reminded one of -country days—and considered the case of Master Edward. William said -that so many railway men had left to enlist, and so many more wished -to go, that it was an easy matter for a lad to obtain employment. All -the same, William shook his head in a doubtful way, and happening to -discover as he talked the phrase of <i>infra dig</i>, used it liberally. He -remembered the family as it existed at Chislehurst, and declared it -would be <i>infra dig</i> for any member of it,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> however youthful, to join -the railway service. He could scarcely imagine that a gentleman who had -once been a first class season ticket holder would become so <i>infra -dig</i> as to allow his son to go in for railway work. The railways were -not intended for <i>infra dig</i> people. In his opinion <i>infra digs</i> ought -to offer themselves to loftier occupations.</p> - -<p>"Go back at once to headquarters at London Bridge," I ordered. "Get -a form of application, and send it to me by this evening's post. And -thank you very much, William Richards, for being kind enough to help."</p> - -<p>"I'd do more than this for you, Mary Weston," he said. "And well you -know it."</p> - -<p>Master Edward was sensible over the business, and rather pleased to -be engaged on something like a conspiracy. We said no word about it -to any of the others, and on a day when Mr. Hillier had gone out with -the remark that he did not expect to return until late, I obtained -permission to take the boy to London on the pretence of seeing the -recruiting on Horse Guards Parade, and listening to any bands that -might be playing. The application form had been endorsed by the head -master at the schools, and by Millwood. At the head offices, Master -Edward was told that he could start work on probation the following -morning in a booking office at a suburban station: wages ten shillings -a week.</p> - -<p>"Bright looking lad, that son of yours," remarked a senior clerk, as I -was waiting.</p> - -<p>"He's not my son."</p> - -<p>"A nephew, perhaps."</p> - -<p>"Not a nephew."</p> - -<p>"I see," he remarked. "You're just a friend of the family."</p> - -<p>It occurred to me there were some grounds for hoping that this was not -altogether an inaccurate description.</p> - -<p>The announcement was made to Mrs. Hillier that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> evening and, -fortunately, Miss Katherine arrived home from the bank in good time, -and ready and willing to support the action taken. Mrs. Hillier -complained that she was being treated as though she were a mere -nonentity in the household, declared that it was high time Weston -learnt her right place, and was made to keep in it, and to refrain from -assuming responsibilities that, correctly speaking, belonged to others: -Master Edward had described his own satisfaction with the arrangement, -and Miss Katherine was inviting her mother to recognise the facts of -the case, when Mr. Hillier came up the staircase, taking two steps at a -time, and whistling as he entered the room.</p> - -<p>"I've obtained a berth at the Arsenal," he announced, cheerfully, "and -I feel as happy as a sand boy. Give me your congratulations, my dear."</p> - -<p>"No," said his wife, distantly. "No, I cannot do that. That, James, is -impossible. But I willingly extend to you my most earnest sympathy."</p> - -<p>The last post brought a letter from Chislehurst which induced her to -regard events with a slightly diminished amount of gloom. It gave the -news that Miss Muriel was engaged. "I hope the man has money," said -Mrs. Hillier. "I think we can trust Muriel for that. And, at any rate, -it saves her from the peril of going on the stage!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER V</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">I paid</span> little attention to the news from Chislehurst, although one was, -of course, interested in Miss Muriel as in the others; the opening of -the shop at London Street occupied in truth a good deal of my time -and care. Mrs. Hillier, answering my invitation to look over the -establishment, said that in view of my incurable habit of embarking -upon adventure without consulting her, it was impossible for her to -give any sort of countenance to the business, or make purchases there. -I retorted that I had no desire to ask for her patronage, and I might -have added—but did not—that in the circumstances, it was not much -she could afford to buy. But the good lady appeared to find one of her -rare joys in pretending that her money resources were as large as they -had been before the war, and it seemed a pity to be always destroying -the notion. Miss Katherine was the one who sometimes took me apart, and -said:</p> - -<p>"Weston, dear. How much do we owe you now?" It was to Miss Katherine -alone that I showed the penny memorandum book in which I entered the -accounts. The girl had given up her manner of talking slang; she said -it was not approved by the best City authorities.</p> - -<p>I gave Saturday to the new shop, and a part of Sunday (better the day, -the better the deed) and on Monday morning, was there again so soon -as I had prepared breakfast at Gloucester Place for the three working -members of the family. Mr. Hillier left the house at six o'clock, -Master Edward, being at present on middle duty, caught the train at -half-past<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> eight; Miss Katherine did not have to go until rather later.</p> - -<p>The cheeky boy, at London Street, had been paid off by Millwood, and -his mother called to beg me to take him on again. She was one of the -helpless parents that London sometimes cultivates.</p> - -<p>"I'm sure I don't know what'll become of him," she declared, rubbing -eyes with the hem of her apron, "if you refuse to take my Peter in -hand. He only wants looking after; nothing else. And hearing you talked -about, Miss, as a rare good manager, why, it struck me that I couldn't -do better than get you to look after him. You've got a chance of -doing a good action, and I'm sure you'll regret it if you don't take -advantage of the opportunity. It'll be on your conscience."</p> - -<p>"If he comes back here, he will have to work. And work hard."</p> - -<p>"Break that news to my Peter," she urged, "as plainly and as forcibly -as ever you can. Give him a good nagging. He takes no notice of -anything I say. I'd very much like," she added, tearfully, "that he -should grow up a credit to me. It's hard on mothers when their sons -turn out badly."</p> - -<p>I took Peter back, but did not deliver to him anything like an address, -or a lecture, or a heart to heart talk. Instead I provided him with -a duster, and a bottle of polish, and other articles constituting an -outfit, and gave him brief instructions. Ten minutes later, I found him -behind a leather screen, and resting on a settee; he was concentrating -his attention upon literature that dealt with the Adventures of Gideon -Smart, Detective. I placed the journal in the fire, and Peter supported -the argument of heredity by weeping; I allowed him to cry, and, when -he had finished, pointed to the tasks which awaited his consideration. -Used to the companionship of words and plenty of them, my silence -impressed him, and so soon as he had finished one job, I provided him -with another.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> Peter submitted later some brass candlesticks for my -approval, and was honoured with a guarded sentence for which he seemed -acutely grateful.</p> - -<p>"Excuse me, miss," he said, respectfully, "but you're not much of a -conversationalist, are you?"</p> - -<p>"I'm a worker."</p> - -<p>"Couldn't it be managed, do you think, to run the two, so to speak, at -one and the same time?"</p> - -<p>"Work comes first," I said. Peter gave the sigh of a man who regrets -the eccentric rules concerning business deportment.</p> - -<p>Neighbours looked in from shops hard by, and told me that their own -trades were doing badly, and would, in their opinion, do worse ere they -did better. Having said this with much cheerfulness, they endeavoured -to assume a compassionate air in giving the view that of all the trades -none could expect to fare so ill, in these exceptional times, as that -which dealt with furniture; they spoke of the condition of affairs -in Shoreditch and Bethnal Green. Their knowledge was never first -hand, but had come from a cousin of a friend who knew a person whose -brother-in-law was something of an authority on the subject. Certain -of the older ones spoke of the days that were prosperous at Greenwich, -when visitors came to the Ship and the Trafalgar, and climbed the -ascent in the Park, and strolled about the town, and bought mementoes -and souvenirs.</p> - -<p>"Fifty year ago," said a watchmaker to me, confidentially, "you might -have made a do of it. Now, it's like throwing your money down a sink. -Besides, you women-folk always get swindled right and left when you -barge in to affairs of this kind. By the bye, I've got a couple of -grandfather's clocks you might care to have a glance at when you're -passing my way. They're almost genuine!"</p> - -<p>A proportion of Millwood's stock was useful only as fire-wood, and the -covered yard at the back received these articles, making a pile to -be drawn upon during<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> the winter months. The mere eviction of these -improved the look of the shop; the greatest change was perhaps effected -by the linoleum covering of the floor which gave a fair imitation of -parquet, and received the care of Peter when there was nothing else -for the lad to do. Folk, hurrying past on their way to the station, -observed the altered appearance and stopped to give a few moments -of inspection, and I hoped some of them would come in, and at least -inquire the prices, or make an offer where the amount was exhibited. -Not until three o'clock on the second day did the first customer enter. -He was young, and I wondered why he was not in khaki. He seemed pressed -for time.</p> - -<p>"You a judge of furniture?"</p> - -<p>"I am," I said.</p> - -<p>"Able to tell whether it's good or not?"</p> - -<p>"Rather!"</p> - -<p>"Care to take on a sort of a contract?" he demanded.</p> - -<p>"If I can make anything out of it."</p> - -<p>"How long have you been engaged in this work?"</p> - -<p>"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I answered.</p> - -<p>He appeared satisfied with my replies, and, taking off his silk hat, -explained his wants. He was a doctor and had to join the R.A.M.C. the -following week. Before that date, he proposed to get married. The lady -had remarked, in agreeing to the hasty procedure, that the drawing room -and the dining room were to be set out with articles that possessed the -quality of age; she drew the line at the accession of Queen Victoria.</p> - -<p>"Now," he said, rapidly, "I've no time to go about searching here, -there and everywhere, and, apart from that, I haven't the necessary -knowledge. I may have hinted to her that I possess it, but as a matter -of fact I don't know Chippendale from Wensleydale, or whatever they -call the stuff."</p> - -<p>"What is the limit, sir?"</p> - -<p>"Two hundred and fifty," he said.</p> - -<p>"Give me some references."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Rather give you a cheque."</p> - -<p>I set ink and pen before him, and he, demanding my name, filled in the -slip.</p> - -<p>"There you are," he said, preparing to run off. "I've made it three -fifty. Now, I'm depending on you. Don't fail me, whatever you do."</p> - -<p>It occurred to my mind that although he was trusting me, there appeared -no reason why I should trust him. The cheque was drawn on a local -branch, and leaving Peter in charge, and giving him enough to do to -keep him out of mischief, I went along and saw the manager. He said the -cheque, if paid in at once, would be met, and he suggested I should -open an account of my own. I did this.</p> - -<p>The milkman—an uncertain person so far as concerned rumours of large -events—proved useful and reliable here. He knew, as not many knew, -the financial position of establishments in the neighbourhood; his -information, most likely, was gained from news collected in areas, and -corroborated by promptitude or delay in settlement of his account. -Also, he was able to tell me of houses where the furniture was old -and valuable. By a stroke of luck, it happened that the very first -door in Crooms' Hill I knocked at proved to be a place where my call -was welcomed, and indeed expected. The three ladies there, facing -serious reductions in dividends, had resolved to leave Greenwich, and -go off to a cottage owned by them and already sufficiently furnished -in Buckinghamshire. (When the transaction ended, one of them admitted -to me that fear of air-raids and nearness to the Arsenal had something -to do with the decision.) Terrified by the idea of a public sale, they -had, the night before, made an appeal on their knees that some other -means should be supplied.</p> - -<p>"Providence has sent you," said the eldest, contentedly, "and, knowing -that you have been selected to help us at this moment of trouble, we -are willing you should go over the house, choose what you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> require, and -name your own figure. Of course, it's a wrench for us to part with the -furniture, but it brings with it the consolation that we are taking -our share in the war. And it is such a relief to find that we are not -called upon to deal with some man, with a smell of tobacco about him."</p> - -<p>Their simplicity disarmed me, and their genuine piety forced me to -deal with them in a more straightforward manner than I might otherwise -have adopted. One or two of the articles were particularly good and -valuable: there was, for instance, a Chesterfield sofa that would -have fetched forty pounds in the open market, and I told them so, and -advised them to take it, with some of the rest, away to Farnham Common. -In the servants' bedroom I found three Queen Anne mirrors. I made up an -inventory that included four-posters, cupboards, dining tables, suites -of chairs, an Adam cabinet, two escritoires, some remarkably fine -glass, and a few mezzotints.</p> - -<p>On these last I was not qualified to put an exact value.</p> - -<p>"I'll give you three hundred pounds for the lot," I said, handing over -the list.</p> - -<p>"No," remarked the eldest firmly. "Dear me no!" I prepared for the -duel of bargaining. "Two hundred and fifty will be ample. We cannot -think of taking advantage of one who has come here in answer to our -prayers." The sisters nodded an emphatic endorsement, and I realised it -was useless to argue with them. They asked, as a great favour, that the -van which took the furniture away should attend at an early hour in the -morning, before Crooms Hill was awake. "We don't wish," they pleaded, -"to be the subject of gossip." They gave me a new prayer book, and I -came away with the feeling that one had peeped into a world too good -for a business person.</p> - -<p>The young doctor was well satisfied with the transaction. He told me -his fiancée said she had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> always known that his taste and selection -could be depended upon, and he thanked me warmly for my assistance. To -the milkman I presented five one pound notes signed by John Bradbury, -Secretary to the Treasury, and when he realised that the notes were -genuine and that he was not being made the target for a practical -joke, he declared I was a lady well worth knowing, assured me that -any information he possessed concerning the inside of residences at -Greenwich would always be at my disposal.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The telegram informing us that Master John and my Herbert were leaving -for the front arrived one morning when the working members of the -family in Gloucester Place had gone off to their respective duties. A -few hints had come before, but this information was definite.</p> - -<p>"We shall have to hurry, ma'am." Mrs. Hillier was taking breakfast in -bed. "There's no time to lose. Bustle about!"</p> - -<p>"You are asking me to do something, Weston, altogether foreign to my -nature."</p> - -<p>"I very often wonder, ma'am, what can happen that will rouse you up -thoroughly. There seemed a possibility that it was going to happen at -Chislehurst but it passed off."</p> - -<p>"With so much turmoil and excitement," she said, serenely, "going on -around me, I feel it my duty to give an example of—"</p> - -<p>"We must be out of this house in half an hour's time."</p> - -<p>"But why on earth—"</p> - -<p>"I'll tell you," I interrupted. "We're going to see the dear boys off -for the reason that we may never catch sight of them again!"</p> - -<p>"You always look on the dark side, Weston," she complained.</p> - -<p>In the tram-car, on the way up to Westminster Bridge, she made it -clear to other travellers that my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> position was that of a dependent, -and this would have been continued throughout the journey, only -that at New Cross Gate two jovial factory girls came in, and these, -appreciating the situation, at once began to imitate her voice and her -manner. Mrs. Hillier was silent after this, and when I explained to -the two girls the task on which we were engaged, they stopped their -raillery, and, apologising, told me that their chaps were abroad -fighting; they insisted upon showing me the latest communications which -had reached them. Our half of the car became friendly on this; other -notes and cards were produced, photographs were handed around. A woman -possessed a letter from the King's secretary, congratulating her on the -circumstance that she had a husband and four sons in the army, and this -broke down Mrs. Hillier's attitude of lofty reserve. She counselled the -owner to have the document framed, lest, by frequent passing about, -it should become creased and torn; the woman said this was a rattling -good idea, and promised to act upon it. The factory girls left at the -Elephant, and Mrs. Hillier shook hands with them; when we alighted at -the Boadicea corner the passengers gave us a message of good luck to be -tendered to the two boys.</p> - -<p>"Some of these people, Weston," she said, tolerantly, as we went in the -direction of Birdcage Walk, "are, after all, very human." I thought to -myself that the same could be said of her whenever she cared to show -herself at her best.</p> - -<p>We found an enormous crowd outside the barracks. Inside the park, -hobbled horses were at the sand place marked "This Space is for -Children only"; the lake was empty. We stood on the high walk near the -park railings, and could see the Guards drawn up on the parade ground; -it was impossible to identify Master John or Herbert.</p> - -<p>"Why didn't you think to bring the field glasses, Weston?" complained -Mrs. Hillier.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Because they were sold," I answered. "Sold with everything else -that would fetch money. And try to recollect, ma'am, that this isn't -a moment for asking silly questions; you're looking on at something -wonderful. Something that you'll want to keep in your mind's eye for -the rest of your life. Don't let me have to speak about it again."</p> - -<p>The soldiers were allowed to stand easy for five minutes: their -comrades ran forward to have a last talk. Orders were shouted. The men -marched out four abreast through the open gates. The crowd cheered, and -began to move eastwards; we followed and went at a good pace, but not -good enough to keep up with the foremost ranks. There was no music, -but the soldiers sang, and called out facetiously in unison, "Is the -canteen shut?" and gave a shouted answer of "No!" Each carried his full -equipment, and a tin of thick sandwiches. In Great George Street, when -I had begun to think we should have to give up, Mrs. Hillier caught -sight of Master John and they exchanged waves of the hand; encouraged -by this she walked faster, and we crossed the bridge at a rate I had -not experienced since competing in running games at school.</p> - -<p>"Aunt Mary!" cried a voice, as they swung around into York Road.</p> - -<p>"God bless you, Herbert, my lad," I panted. "And bring you both back -safely."</p> - -<p>"Don't forget to ask Him to do so," said my nephew. Some of his -comrades thought this was meant as a joke: I knew quite well the dear -lad was in earnest.</p> - -<p>We went home by tram-car, too full of our thoughts to exchange a word -with each other. That night, in my rooms at the top of the house, I -obeyed my boy's directions. It made me think of the three ladies of -Crooms' Hill, and I could not help wishing I had some of their placid -and simple faith.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It seemed possible the departure of the lads would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> have a lasting -effect upon Mrs. Hillier, and this, I believe, might have happened but -for the arrival of her elder daughter. The others of the family were in -good working order. Mr. Hillier returned at night, comfortably tired, -ready for the meal prepared for him, willing to talk of the incidents -of his new life, the men he encountered and the tasks he was called -on to perform; all the satisfaction he had gained from his hobby at -Chislehurst he was now securing at the Arsenal. Mr. Hillier often -pointed out to me that the fighting had sent us back to a condition of -affairs where the man of brains occupied a position inferior to that of -the man of hands.</p> - -<p>"It will take the conceit out of some people," he remarked.</p> - -<p>"It's taken a certain amount out of you, sir."</p> - -<p>"Agreed, Weston. It has improved all of us. Excepting—" He did not -finish the sentence.</p> - -<p>Miss Katherine came into the flat of an evening, justifying her -father's assertion, eager to chat vivaciously of everything that had to -do with banks, and her own progress in type-writing and shorthand. The -first of these came to her easily enough; the second presented greater -difficulties. Sometimes I read aloud a speech from the parliamentary -reports and Miss Katherine took it down, with appeals of "Please, -please, not so fast, Weston, dear," and then, apologetically, "You -always are a bit of a sprinter in conversation, you know, and I expect -it's not easy to get out of the habit." When it was finished, she took -her meal, and then transcribed the speech from her shorthand notes, and -read it aloud. Often, she had to admit that the result was incoherent, -and not to be understood: I tried to comfort her by pointing out that -the same might be said of the original, but Miss Katherine shook her -head. "I shall never be any earthly good at it, Weston," she declared, -hopelessly. It seemed that the qualification was not needed in the -department where she was at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> present engaged, but Miss Katherine had -hopes of promotion.</p> - -<p>Master Edward, too, had been changed considerably by his railway -experiences. His hours when on the early turn were from five o'clock, -and when on the late turn from one o'clock; every other Sunday he had -to give sixteen hours to duty, with three hours off for the mid-day -meal. Later, he hoped to be transferred to a London station where the -figure of wages was said to reach as much as £90 a year. The early -turn was the one that troubled him, and indeed it was not easy or -comfortable to turn out in the dark of a January morning. At times, -when I knocked at his door, he would reply in a bright active voice -as though he were fully awake, but I knew boys too well to be deluded -by that trick, and I waited and knocked again until he came to the -door and assured me that he would be ready for his cup of hot coffee -within ten minutes. One of the compensating moments of pride came when -I gave him on his birthday, a case of safety razors that I had picked -up at a sale; he accepted it gratefully as a tribute to his age, and -impending requirements. For the rest, Edward had to tell us of agitated -passengers who came with a rush demanding tickets for the station which -they wished to leave, of attempts on race days to ring the changes or -tender notes of home manufacture, of the dislocation of time tables to -permit of trains being run for Government purposes, of the cancelling -of all excursion fares and cheap tickets, of economical parents whose -long-legged children refused to admit to any age above twelve, of the -head booking clerk who always began the day in the worst possible -temper, and invariably ended it with perfect geniality. I daresay -Master Edward lost some of his refinement of manners, and I confess -I was shocked when I first heard him allude, one morning to "these -blasted shoe laces."</p> - -<p>"Oh," he said, answering my reproof, lightly, "you're old-fashioned, -Weston. You belong<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> to the antiques. By-the-bye, how is London Street -doing? And who, just now, are you doing?"</p> - -<p>I want to speak of Miss Muriel, but whilst I think of it, I must set -down some reference to the collection of glass that I came across -in a large house at Vanbrugh Park, where an old lady, the daughter -of an Archdeacon who knew something besides Church matters, had -recently died, leaving her property to a certain benevolent society, -"because," her will said, "it has never asked me for a donation." -Sales were not being well attended just then, and at each one that I -went to—sometimes nodding frequently to the auctioneer, and sometimes -keeping my head still—there were fewer of the agents, as they liked -to call themselves, to be seen. A mixed crew, these, and inclined, -at first, to resent the presence of a woman dealer; they tried, on -one occasion, to pinch my fingers by running up the price of a fine -horse-hair settee for which I had a purchaser ready, and I stopped just -in time to compel a syndicate to take it; one of the members came to me -later, and made a deferential offer that involved a loss on his side of -two pounds ten. In the matter of the glass referred to there was little -competition; a few private buyers were willing to bid for certain -articles, but the fact that it was all comprised in one lot compelled -them to refrain from making any offer. I have rarely been so pleased -in all my life as when I took back to the shop in London Street that -set of glass, cleaned it well and arranged it on dark wooden ledges. -(In the result, I disposed of every piece, but I never parted from one -without feeling regret for myself, and something like animosity towards -the buyer.)</p> - -<p>Let us come to the topic of Miss Muriel. She had been away at -Chislehurst for some time; she and her mother had corresponded -regularly and her letters, since the announcement of her engagement, -seemed less querulous. Miss Muriel wrote, in one, a description of the -gentleman's house, and this ought<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> to have prepared me for the facts; -as it happened, it was not until Miss Muriel brought him over one -Saturday afternoon to be formally presented to the family, and I heard -him below in Gloucester Place giving directions to the driver of his -car that I gained the first hint of his age. He was speaking in curt, -loud, and ejaculatory manner, and—just as well to admit it—I made up -my mind at once that I was not going to regard him favourably. And this -intention was confirmed when Miss Katherine ran up to my rooms at the -top of the house, and said through the half-opened door—</p> - -<p>"Weston! Weston! He's a bounder. A bounder from the village of Bound. -One of the worst ever. Come down, and have a peep at him!"</p> - -<p>I had to go back to the London Street shop, and ascertain whether -Millwood was able to take care of the establishment and to look after -Peter for a few hours; my brother-in-law proved quite ready to do -this, and I fancy he took some pleasure in sitting near the window, -and observing the interest shown by passers-by, listening to their -comments, and, if they entered, to say, "You must call again when Miss -Weston is here, unless you're prepared to give what's marked on the tab -that's tied to the articles. I've got no power, mark you, to accept a -farthing less!" In Gloucester Place, could be heard now the middle-aged -gentleman's voice at the balcony, explaining how the trees in the -garden ought to be cut down. Miss Muriel came out to the landing.</p> - -<p>"Ah, Weston," she said. "Haven't seen you for ages. I expect you have -missed me."</p> - -<p>"In a sense, yes."</p> - -<p>"Never a flatterer," she remarked, indulgently. "You might, at least, -though, offer your congratulations."</p> - -<p>"I've not seen the gentleman yet. But if you've quite decided, miss, to -change your name, there's nothing more to be said about it."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Your assumption is wrong. I don't propose to change my name."</p> - -<p>"The engagement is off, then."</p> - -<p>"Once more," she said, complacently, "error has crept, Weston, into -your calculations. Mr. Schloss intends to take my name. He will become -Mr. Hillier, and I shall be Mrs. Hillier. And he has an income that -will enable me to live in the comfort I was once used to."</p> - -<p>"Your handwriting, miss, is so bad that I never guessed he was a -German."</p> - -<p>Miss Muriel reprimanded me for the criticism of her pen, and for the -suggestion concerning her gentleman. Mr. Hillier came out of the room.</p> - -<p>"We don't talk to Weston in this manner," he ordered, closing the door -behind him. "Weston is one of us. We owe a great deal to her, Muriel, -in more ways than one. In fact, we are only just beginning to pay off -the indebtedness. Kindly treat her in a proper way."</p> - -<p>"She had no right," protested Miss Muriel, "to suggest that he is -anything but English."</p> - -<p>"I ascertained a while since," said her father, quietly, "that he was -naturalised, rather hurriedly, in August of last year. And he has just -admitted the circumstances to me."</p> - -<p>"Nothing," she declared, in a tragic manner—"not even the -extraordinary behaviour of my own people—shall ever part us from each -other!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER VI</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Miss Muriel</span> went back in the car to her friends at Chislehurst, with -the air of one who, for the sake of romance, was prepared to defy -the world. She had always been spoilt by her mother (it is fair to -myself to mention that the treatment was started before I entered the -family) and Mrs. Hillier now took her side against the rest of us, -declaring that a girl had to obey the instructions of her own heart, -that love was something which could not be directed by those outside -its influence, and that, moreover, it was a comfort to think there -was likely to be an establishment available which would enable one to -escape from the surroundings of Greenwich.</p> - -<p>"Apart from all that," she argued, triumphantly, "a man can't help the -country he was born in."</p> - -<p>"He ought to help it," said Master Edward. The lad was the most -strenuous of us all on the opposition side. "This chap should have gone -back directly the war started. He has no business here."</p> - -<p>"Pardon me," said his mother, "he has a business here. And a very good -one, I am happy to say."</p> - -<p>"I mean that when two countries are fighting each other——"</p> - -<p>"You don't know what you mean," she asserted. "And, besides, you are -much too young to have an opinion on a subject of this kind. If your -father, sitting over there by the window, and saying nothing, had a -proper control over his children, he wouldn't allow you to talk in this -way."</p> - -<p>"Do you want my view of the matter?" asked Mr. Hillier.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Oh, no," she answered quickly. "No. It's all settled, and there's -nothing more to be said."</p> - -<p>"My view is," he announced, "that I'd rather see her cleaning -doorsteps."</p> - -<p>"I daresay!" said Mrs. Hillier, coldly. "That is because the Arsenal -work has coarsened your outlook. Vulgarised your mental attitude. -Twisted your sense of proportion."</p> - -<p>Miss Katherine went to her father: Master Edward crossed the room to -his mother. I left them as Mr. and Mrs. Hillier were beginning to offer -apologies for hasty words. The day was Sunday, and upstairs—having -the time to spare—I wrote the drafts of two notes; one begging Miss -Muriel to come and see me and have a long talk, and the other asking -her to think of the way in which her brother John, out in France, -would receive the news of her engagement. I am supposed to be handy -with my pen, but neither of these communications satisfied me, and I -decided to take a few days to consider the matter. Instead, I wrote -a long communication to Corporal Herbert Millwood, and sent in it -an affectionate message to Master John. I tried to make the letter -cheerful. "If you come across the Kaiser on his birthday, please wish -him, for me, many unhappy returns."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>William Richards called at London Street one afternoon. Whenever he had -happened to say anything of a specially friendly nature—as he had done -on his previous visit—William always stayed away for a considerable -time, as though desirous of allowing the memory of it to fade, and -he now seemed rather nervous; to conceal this, he told me three war -anecdotes, which, so far as I could see, had no point whatever. I -mentioned this, and he admitted that a story never improved in his -hands. He gave compliments to the shop, remarked that Peter seemed a -decent sort of lad, spoke of the large amount of traffic which was -being dealt with by the Southern railways. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> had heard excellent -reports of Master Edward, and told me that the boy's appearance, -speech, and behaviour had, by good fortune, been noticed and commented -upon by the wife of the superintendent. After this interval of sanity, -William again went blundering in and amongst tales from the fighting -line.</p> - -<p>"Now that one," he remarked, rubbing the top of his head with the peak -of his uniform cap, "that one, I'll swear, appeared funny when I first -heard it. And now it sounds simply chronic." He glanced at his large -watch. "By Ginger," he exclaimed, "but time does fly when you're in -pleasant company. There was something I wanted to tell—" He gave a -fair imitation of a puzzled look. "I've got it," he said, triumphantly. -"Piece of news I heard at Charing Cross. The Major of that lot that -your nephew, and your Master John was in: he's been took prisoner. -Good-day to you, Mary!"</p> - -<p>The news was confirmed by a brief paragraph in the evening journal; I -said nothing of it at Gloucester Place because it is rarely wise to -go out of your way simply in order to shake hands with trouble. Far -better to wait where you are, and let trouble, if it cares to do so, -come to you. (Afterwards we discovered that all of us had seen the -announcement, and each determined to make no allusion.)</p> - -<p>The first information of a definite nature came in a letter from a -Quartermaster-Sergeant. Addressed to Mr. Hillier, and written in pencil -it said, "I regret to tell you that your son, Corporal Hillier, has -been missing since the twenty-fifth January. He may be a prisoner, but -we do not know for certain. He asked me, should anything happen to him, -to let you know."</p> - -<p>There followed a brief letter from my nephew, Herbert.</p> - -<p>"We were surprised in a dug out," he wrote. "We ran in single line for -cover, with machine firing coming across. John had no rifle. That was -the last we saw<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> of him. Tell his people to hope for the best. I was -one of the few who escaped, but I am in hospital. Nothing serious. Love -to my father, and to you."</p> - -<p>There came a month of suspense during which we gathered scraps of news -but nothing that re-assured us. The good Quartermaster-Sergeant, in -another letter, said there were no further particulars; they could not -say what had really happened; directly the battalion obtained definite -information he would write again.</p> - -<p>I went up to town, and called at Wellington Barracks; Mr Hillier paid a -Saturday afternoon visit to the War Office; Miss Katherine communicated -with a girl friend at Geneva, begging her to make inquiries of the Red -Cross Society. During all this time, I noticed that Mrs. Hillier, eager -as the rest of us, showed no tears, but she became more active in the -work of the small household, and took duties that had hitherto been -performed by the rest of us. She rose each morning to see her husband -leave for the Arsenal, and kissed him before he went: kissed him again -when he returned in the evening. No complaining came from her now. If -she spoke of Master John, she referred to him hopefully.</p> - -<p>An envelope arrived with the postmark of Cricklewood. We recognised the -handwriting, and waited anxiously for Mr. Hillier to come home and open -it.</p> - -<p>"I am having this letter posted," wrote the Quartermaster-Sergeant, -"by a comrade who is off to England, so as to avoid it being censored. -Well, to tell you as much as possible, sir, about your son. We were -in the forward trenches on the morning of the twenty-fifth of last -month, when the enemy made an attack. Their trenches were not a hundred -yards from our own. They had under-mined our forward trenches. They -threw up some smoke bombs as a signal, and to blind their attack. At -the same time, they exploded their mines. The result was that part -of our trenches were blown up, and before you could look sideways<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> -they were upon us in thousands. The Right Flank and the Left Flank of -our regiment stuck to their ground until overcome by sheer weight of -numbers. Then, those that possibly could, retired to a brick field -about eight hundred yards back which the remainder of the battalion -(two companies) had turned into a miniature fort. This was known as -The Keep. The Germans made violent attacks, all without any material -advantage to themselves, on this position, but were unable to take it. -And it was not lost when matters quietened down. Our trenches have now -been regained, and our boys, I am pleased to say, managed to steal some -of the German trenches.</p> - -<p>"I am very sorry to say I can give you no good news of your son. I have -made inquiries of the regiments who held the position after it had been -regained, and one of the sergeants told me they buried over two hundred -of our men. Some of them were found dead at the 'present,' ready to -fire at the enemy, so you see it is no good telling you anything that -might build up very great hopes.</p> - -<p>"The strength of the companies going into the trenches was two hundred -and seventy-six. Of these forty-six returned. Of course, we held a -position where we did not dare to lose ground, and although it was a -terrible business, it was a great victory for the English and French -troops. At any rate, the enemy did not score much on their Emperor's -birthday.</p> - -<p>"You can understand how deeply I sympathise with you as none of us -knows the minute when our own people will need the same. I have a -father and mother living at Lewisham."</p> - -<p>Mr. Hillier read this out to us, in a voice that broke now and again. -His wife took his hand when he finished, and patted it sympathetically.</p> - -<p>"I could hug the man who wrote that nice letter," I declared.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p> - -<p>Herbert sent a note later from the hospital at Boulogne (where he -found himself, after treatment at a dressing station) saying that he -was nearly well, and ready to go back to the fighting line. "Have you -any news of John?" he asked. "We were real good chums." The official -communication came to Gloucester Place from the War Office, stating -that Corporal Hillier was reported missing. His mother, showing greater -industry in domestic work every day, and relieving me of half my -duties, argued that the use of this word by the authorities proved that -they were not without hope; the rest of us abstained from contesting -this opinion. We knew that all the two hundred and thirty mentioned -in Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright's letter would be reported in -the first instance under the same heading. Mr. Hillier ventured to -allude to the question of Muriel's engagement as regarded in the new -circumstances.</p> - -<p>"I have already written to her, dear," said Mrs. Hillier. "Don't you -let that worry you. I've told her the engagement must be cancelled. -After the way his people have treated our boy—"</p> - -<p>"I was sure," he said, gratefully, "you would see the matter in that -light."</p> - -<p>"You can consider it as settled," she declared. "Weston," turning to -me, "I'm going to cook supper this evening. And you are to sit down -with us, please."</p> - -<p>I was not at all certain that I wanted to join the family party at -table, and I had my doubts concerning Mrs. Hillier's abilities to -prepare a meal. As a fact, the dish she served up was excellent, and -when we offered our congratulations she disclosed a circumstance that -had been kept from everyone but Mr. Hillier; in her early youth, it -seemed, she had been compelled to take charge of a household, and -run it with economy. "But, mother dear," protested Miss Katherine, -amazedly, "why in the world didn't you tell us this before?" Mrs. -Hillier considered for a moment before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> replying. "I can think of -no other excuse," she said, "than that of foolish pride." From that -moment, I began to feel a new regard for Mrs. Hillier. It needed some -courage to make an admission of the nature before her own children, -and in front of me. We were very cheerful that evening (partly, I -think, because we had resolved to keep each other's spirits up) and -Miss Katherine, recalling a comment of mine when the letter from France -was being read, sketched out a romantic episode in the life of the -Quartermaster-Sergeant to take place after the war, with a wedding at -St. Alphege's, and the bride offering a charming appearance in the -latest confection from Dover Street. She suggested that business could -be combined with sentiment if all the gifts were purchased at the -bride's establishment in London Street.</p> - -<p>"But I've never set eyes upon the man," I protested.</p> - -<p>"The moment he sets eyes upon you, Weston," prophesied Miss Katherine, -"his fate will be sealed."</p> - -<p>"He may be married already."</p> - -<p>"If he has, which I very much doubt, for he spoke of parents at -Lewisham, but said nothing about a wife—if he has, I say, she is -suffering from a nervous affection that will take her off in the nick -of time."</p> - -<p>"None of your widowers for me," I declared.</p> - -<p>The affair of Miss Muriel's engagement was not settled so easily as -we had hoped. She wrote expressing regret at the absence of definite -news concerning her brother; she was also sorry to find that her mother -had allowed herself to be impressed by occurrences which had no real -bearing on plans agreed upon earlier. Her marriage was to take place on -the twenty-seventh. Mr. Schloss had decided to set up a new home in the -West of England: this, owing to prejudices which were being shown by -folk of the neighbourhood who ought to know better, but were seemingly -unwilling to listen to reasonable argument. Miss Muriel enclosed some -verses of hers beginning, "True love knows no barriers."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span></p> - -<p>My brother-in-law met with a slight accident whilst on the way to his -work, and came home to London Street, depressed by the thought that -he would be prevented for some time from assisting in munition tasks, -discouraged by the knowledge that his wages would cease. I set him -right on this second question by engaging him to look after the shop -which he had once owned, and I gave Peter instructions to look after -him and to see that he did not over-exert himself. Peter had joined the -Boy Scouts, and had become such a dependable lad and so well spoken -that Millwood announced he was prepared now for miracles of all sorts. -(Peter's mother called one day at the shop and denounced me, up hill -and down dale, on the grounds that I had marred and spoilt her views -regarding the boy; she intended, it seemed, that he should follow -the example of her two other children, and qualify himself for being -sent by a magistrate to an Industrial School where the State would -have accepted the responsibility of making a man of him. "And all my -plans set aside," she lamented, "owing to your clumsy interference!") -Millwood was glad to be able to go with the aid of a couple of sticks -to his club again of an evening, although he complained that with -Radicals and Tories working in hearty agreement over philanthropic -matters, all the pepper and mustard had gone out of the institution. -Millwood had given up alcoholic beverages for the duration of the war. -"Really," he explained to me, confidentially, "I did that because I -fancied it might please young 'Erb. I'd rather like the boy not to be -ashamed of me."</p> - -<p>It was near the end of the month that I went to town to see a customer, -recommended to me by the doctor who set up the home of old furniture. -He lived in North Street, behind the Abbey, and on the way back I -looked in at Whitehall, and made inquiries. The officials there, -although badgered by anxious folk, answered me politely. No news of -Corporal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> Hillier. I returned from Charing Cross, where I happened to -see William Richards.</p> - -<p>"Hope on, hope ever!" said William, encouragingly.</p> - -<p>I told myself in the train for Greenwich that I had come to the limits -of my optimism, and that Master John was to be henceforth only a -memory. I thought of his early days when I had first come into the -Hillier establishment; thought of the pride we all took, later, over -his first song; wondered whether there was perhaps some young girl, not -known to us, who sorrowed for the loss of him. Crossing by the subway -at Greenwich station, and coming up the steps I caught sight of Master -Edward, on his way to late duty, and, to my pain and astonishment, -dancing on the platform. His train came in before I could reach him, -and give him a word of reproof.</p> - -<p>At Gloucester Place, Mrs. Hillier waved gaily from the balcony; -I assumed this was but a part of her new and improved method of -conducting life. She disappeared, and a few minutes later came -running—actually running—along to meet me.</p> - -<p>"Sorry to say, ma'am," I remarked, "that I have no good news."</p> - -<p>"But we have, Weston," she cried, exultantly. "The dear boy is safe. -The dear boy is wounded, but he's alive. Come indoors, and see the card -for yourself!"</p> - -<p>It was a beautifully clean, white card, headed on the front "Field -postkarte. Kriegsgefangenen—sendung," and endorsed "Geprüft pass -zentrale, gouvernement—Lille." On the back the words, "Envoyez -directement à la Famille." Underneath, the entries filled in with -Master John's own handwriting.</p> - -<p>"Je me trouve à.... Lille."</p> - -<p>There followed Nom et prénoms, Regiment, Compagnie, Escadron. Then this -message under the word Notices.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Painfully wounded left leg, and rather weak."</p> - -<p>I observed that, for the first time since the beginning of the war, -Master John's mother had tears in her eyes.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER VII</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">We</span> all went slightly off our heads that evening at Gloucester Place. -At first, there was a misapprehension on my side to be removed: I -had forgotten that Lille was in the hands of the Germans, although -the superscription of the card ought to have made this obvious; -explanations made it clear to me now that Master John was a wounded -prisoner, and that we should probably not see the dear lad again until -the war finished. Master Edward, when he came home, was still so -greatly excited that he omitted, for an hour, to tell us that he was -about to be transferred to the head offices at London Bridge, where -his hours would be fixed and regular, and escape effected from hot -tempered and argumentative passengers. The recommending word of the -superintendent's wife and his own engaging manner had to be thanked for -the swift promotion. We regretted the absence of Miss Muriel; if she -had been with us our party could have been reckoned complete.</p> - -<p>"Really didn't think we should hear of him again," admitted Mr. -Hillier. "With every desire to hope for the best, I had come to the -conclusion John was lost to us."</p> - -<p>"It will be something to tell the girls at the bank," mentioned Miss -Katherine. "They have been inquiring every day, and they meant it well, -I know, but it only seemed to remind me of—Anyhow," brightly, "the -suspense is over. Let us be musical. We haven't lifted up our tuneful -voices in song for a long time past."</p> - -<p>"There's no piano," I remarked.</p> - -<p>"Unaccompanied," directed Miss Katherine.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> "Edward, my laddie, if you -have gone past the stage when you didn't know whether you were going to -give out a high note or a low one, you make a start. Anything, except -Tipperary."</p> - -<p>We were joining in a chorus when a rap sounded at the door. I answered -it, and, seeing the old lady and gentleman of the ground floor, assumed -at once that they had come up to protest against the noise.</p> - -<p>"Beg your pardon," said the elderly gentleman, "but—my wife and -myself—we're rather quiet people."</p> - -<p>"The singing shall be stopped at once, sir."</p> - -<p>"By no means," he cried, urgently. "Pray do nothing of the sort. We are -here to ask you if you would kindly leave your door open. Our sense of -hearing is not so good as it was, and we want to learn the words of -some of the popular songs of the day."</p> - -<p>"Are you serious?" I asked, incredulously.</p> - -<p>"Bless my soul, no," he chuckled. "We're not serious. We enjoy life. -We're rather lonely, it's true, but apart from that you can look upon -us as the most frivolous young couple this side of the river." He -turned to his wife. "Always have been, haven't we, my sweet?"</p> - -<p>"We married for love," whispered the old lady to me, nodding her head.</p> - -<p>They had the appearance of people in fancy dress—she with ringlets -and a lace cap, and a silk dress that, as my mother used to say of a -remembered costume of the same quality, could have stood by itself, and -he with large collar, black stock, heavy watch chain and fob, velvet -jacket, shepherd's plaid trousers.</p> - -<p>"Our compliments to your young folk," he said, with a bow, "and our -apologies for interfering."</p> - -<p>"You, like ourselves," she remarked, "are fortunate in having no -relative engaged in this terrible war. Few have such cause to be -thankful. We wish you good evening."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Hillier came forward, and, breaking the rule<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> which she had laid -down regarding communication with neighbours, joined in the discussion, -gave the news concerning Master John. The old gentleman, greatly -interested, offered congratulations, and excusing himself, left his -wife to go on with the talk. She with many antiquated protests—</p> - -<p>"But I shall be discommoding you, I fear."</p> - -<p>"I hope you will not look upon it in the light of an intrusion."</p> - -<p>"Pray do not fail to tell me when to go."</p> - -<p>Accepted the invitation to enter the sitting room, and giving a -curtsey, felicitated Miss Katherine upon her singing, spoke of Madame -Jenny Lind, Mario, Grisi, Sims Reeves. We were in the sixties, and -forgetting all about the current year and its troubles, when she -stopped suddenly. A jingling sound was heard from the landing.</p> - -<p>"Do you mind," she said to me, "helping Captain Winterton? He is not -quite so active in household duties as he used to be. I myself am just -the same that I always was, but I perceive a change in him."</p> - -<p>Captain Winterton had brought up a large silver tray that I coveted the -moment I caught sight of it; the tray bore decanters of cut glass that -would have looked well on the shelves at London Street; a cigar case -had a flourished inscription announcing it was a testimonial from the -passengers of sailing vessel <i>Magnitude</i>. The old gentleman wore now an -embroidered smoking cap with a tassel.</p> - -<p>"Sir," he said, giving up the tray to me, and addressing Mr. Hillier, -"this is a great liberty, and no one knows it better than I do, but the -circumstances must be held responsible. A few beverages, selected by me -on my many travels, and I want you, sir, and the ladies, if they will -be so good, to favour me with their opinion on them."</p> - -<p>I went off to cut sandwiches. When I returned he was near the -fire-place, making a speech. Old Mrs. Winterton beckoned to me. -"Remarkably<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> gifted," she whispered. "So much experience, you see, on -board his ship. This is the only time I've heard him speak about the -war." She laid a finger on her lips to enjoin perfect silence.</p> - -<p>"—Goes off to fight for his country's welfare," Captain Winterton was -saying, in the full enjoyment of oratory, "and fights, I'll be bound to -say, like a gallant and determined Englishman. And although he appears -to be now suffering from his honorable wounds, and is detached from his -comrades, and his friends, I am sure he has the consolation of knowing -that they are all thinking of him with affection and sincere regard, -and looking forward to the joyful day when he shall again find himself -among them. I drink to the elder son of this estimable family. I wish -him a quick recovery, a safe and a glorious return."</p> - -<p>I think Captain Winterton was slightly disappointed to find that he had -succeeded in making no one cry but his wife: he assured Mrs. Hillier -that in his happiest moments and his most successful efforts on the -last day of a lengthy voyage, you might look around at the tables when -he had spoken after dinner, and fail to discover a single dry eye.</p> - -<p>"I may be out of practise," he suggested, wistfully. Mrs. Hillier -assured him that she felt more touched by his remarks than she cared -to show. He said that as time went on, one was bound to recognise -alterations and differences; as to himself, he could perceive no great -change in the last thirty years, but he feared Mrs. Winterton was -exhibiting some of the marks of age.</p> - -<p>"My sweet," to his wife, "we mustn't outstay our welcome."</p> - -<p>"My dearest," she agreed, "there is your beauty sleep to be remembered."</p> - -<p>"You are not going to hurry away like this," protested Mr. Hillier. -"Recollect that we so rarely get visitors, nowadays."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Winterton spoke of the period when she mixed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> in the best society -that the neighbourhood afforded. Greenwich, she said proudly, was -Greenwich in those times, and held up its head, bless you, and saw -the aristocrats coming down to dine at the Ship; carriages arrived -from London bringing the finest in the land, and the railway was still -something like a novelty. Master Edward had seen at the head offices -an aged picture of the earliest trains leaving London Bridge to the -music of a band; the old lady said very precisely that this she had -heard, but she had no personal knowledge of the occurrence, and Captain -Winterton rallied her good-temperedly on the question of her age. "My -sweet likes to be thought," he remarked to us, "as on the sunny side of -eighty, but I can remember that when I first met her she called herself -seventeen, and that was in the year of the great Exhibition in Hyde -Park, and I could tell you what she wore at the time. She'd got on the -prettiest little poke bonnet—you don't see anything so attractive in -these days, if this young lady here will forgive me for saying so—a -full flounced skirt and a waist so small that I could nearly go twice -around it with my arm—" Mrs. Winterton took her husband off, and -returned for the tray, and to explain that her husband's memory was -failing, especially in regard to dates.</p> - -<p>A few weeks earlier, and Mrs. Hillier would have resented the call -from the elderly pair of the ground floor; now, she made friends with -them, running down sometimes to have a chat with old Mrs. Winterton, -and delighted when the Captain made a visit, bringing daffodils, "With -respectful inquiries, ma'am, and hoping you continue to have good news -of your boy." The best service they did to my mistress was in taking -her mind from the war. It seemed that they were too advanced in years -to give their mind to events of the day, however important and enormous -these might be; they lived in the past, and to them we were all nothing -but children with memories covering a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> brief period only. To Miss -Katherine they became specially attached, although Mrs. Winterton -could not approve of the idea of a girl engaging herself in commercial -affairs; she spoke with pride of the days when no young women of good -position had any other prospect or hope but that of marriage. To me, -she confided a secret which I was not to disclose to a soul, or ask -whence the information had been obtained; it was that on the day that -the first woman was entrusted with, and exercised, the power of voting, -on that day the world would undoubtedly come to an end.</p> - -<p>"A great pity, of course," she said, nodding her ringlets and -dismissing the topic, "but it can't be helped, and there you are, and -that's all about it!"</p> - -<p>Miss Katherine followed Master Edward's success by gaining a transfer -to the correspondence office, where figures were less intrusive, and -the work more varied. The weekly income at Gloucester Place was now as -follows:</p> - -<table summary="income" width="35%"> -<tr><td>Mr. Hillier</td> <td>£1 17 6</td></tr> -<tr><td>Miss Katherine</td> <td> 1 10 0</td></tr> -<tr><td>Master Edward</td> <td> 15 0</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>We were able to settle up tradesmen's books promptly; there was some -talk of a holiday to be taken, months later on, but economy had to be -observed, and one of the improvements in Mrs. Hillier was noticeable in -the fact that she now heartily supported my efforts in this direction. -No more cards arrived from Master John. We wrote to him regularly -to the care of the Information Bureau at Berlin, taking pains to -give nothing but domestic news, and we hoped he was receiving these -communications. At the Post Office I was told it would be useless to -send parcels until he came out of the hospital; I was also assured it -was unnecessary to do so, and from other quarters we gained that the -hardships over there did not begin until the wounded men were away from -medi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>cal treatment. Herbert sent me a cheery letter saying that he -was back in the trenches, and mentioning that there was a chance that -he might get his third stripe. Answering my question, he said that he -knew Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright, and described him as a chap who -thought a good deal of himself. My own estimation of Cartwright was not -diminished by this, and I began to forward <i>Punch</i> to him each week, -and the Quartermaster-Sergeant occasionally sent me one of the printed -cards with everything crossed out excepting the line,</p> - -<p>"I am quite well."</p> - -<p>And</p> - -<p>"Letter follows at first opportunity."</p> - -<p>By asking Herbert what Cartwright was like, I meant that I wanted a -description of his appearance. In the absence of particulars, this had -to be left to the imagination. Miss Katherine pictured him as a tall -man, florid and stout, with an enormous moustache, and using language -at which she could but hint.</p> - -<p>"Dismiss this particular romance from your thoughts, dear Weston," she -counselled. "Concentrate your mind, instead, upon your railway guard."</p> - -<p>"You and your nonsense!" I exclaimed. "There's precious little chance -of me getting married to William Richards or to anyone else. My -opportunities never have been great, and now they are less than ever. -And it doesn't matter so much, for some of us, but I do feel sorry, -when I look at the casualty lists each morning, for young ladies like -yourself. Luckily, in your case, there is no one out there that you're -especially fond of."</p> - -<p>Miss Katherine said something in regard to the latest fashions. Hearts, -she mentioned, were no longer worn upon sleeves.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There were several matters, and many views, and some fears, in those -days which we kept from each other; the young people had long since -given up at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> Gloucester Place the old habit of reciting dreams at the -breakfast table. In my own case, I found that, awaking at three o'clock -in the night, it was possible to consider the most dismal and gloomy -aspect of everything. At that hour, all the good news was forgotten, -and nothing but disaster could be anticipated. By day, there was -generally some encouraging placard to be seen, and the announcement -given, though not always based on fact, was undeniably cheering. ("Only -two forts left in the Dardanelles," was one of these, I remember.) But -in the small hours, Dreadnoughts were sunk by the dozen, U boats were -doing as they pleased, German forces again came near to Paris; the -enemy's navy was steaming up the Thames, and bombarding the college at -Greenwich; my nephew Herbert had been killed by a hand grenade, and -Master John was being kicked and starved. When these pleasing incidents -ceased to dance about in my brain, there was always the business in -London Street to offer a possibility of disaster. The number of times -that, in my imagination, I saw the name of Mary Weston, spinster, -figuring amongst the names in the list of receiving orders from the -London Gazette, cannot be reckoned.</p> - -<p>Water carts came out, and the green chairs were set in Greenwich Park, -spring flowers made their bow, Gloucester Place brightened itself, -children at the L.C.C. schools behind The Circus played their games -more shrilly, and the river took on a cheerful air that had been -absent throughout the winter. My brother-in-law Millwood, at the shop, -complained that Peter's industry left him with no scope for exercise -of the mind or body, and I sent him, with his walking stick, on a -hobbling tour around the neighbourhood, and invested him with a task -which I described precisely. He was to make a list, in no case was the -sum to be higher than ten pounds, and in most instances the amount was -to be less. Then I inserted an advertisement in a Woolwich journal -that had a circulation amongst the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> Arsenal workers; a well displayed -advertisement with a note to the effect that it would not appear again. -The Chance of a Lifetime, it was headed, and it announced that Weston's -had been fortunate enough to secure some Magnificent Bargains in the -shape of Second Hand Pianofortes by Well Known Makers. Satisfaction -Guaranteed. Do not Delay. A Rare Opportunity for Lovers of Music.</p> - -<p>I have no wish to exaggerate the results of this notice, but I can -say with truth that Millwood, and young Peter, and myself, had a busy -time. There was plenty of money being earned in Woolwich, and all of -it did not go in wastefulness, as some folk suggested: there were many -families where the desire was to improve the interior of households. We -became a sort of clearing house for pianofortes, exchanging them from -establishments affected adversely by the war, and passing them on, by -pantechnicon vans, to those where incomes had been improved. I remember -an Arsenal man and his wife and young daughter called one day to make -a purchase: they examined the cases only, and made no attempt to try -the keyboard. They were puzzled which to buy of two that seemed to them -equally attractive.</p> - -<p>"Look 'ere, old gel," he said, at last to his wife. "One will look -rather lonely. We'll take both." And this they did, paying the money -down.</p> - -<p>There was one attractive baby grand that Millwood picked up at -rather above the limit fixed, and I arranged to have it delivered at -Gloucester Place. It arrived there just as daylight was going, at seven -o'clock. Miss Katherine had received but few tokens to call attention -to her birthday, and one could not help guessing that she might be -comparing it with previous anniversaries. A welcome card had come from -Master John; she declared that this, in itself, was the best present -any one could require. "Still in hospital," he wrote. "Leg progressing -slowly. Am fairly cheerful."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p> - -<p>The men with the van had done so much work on my account that they -tackled the difficulties of the job in a determined and breezy way; -they reached the landing of the first floor watched by the old Captain, -who gave advice in seafaring terms that they did not pretend to -understand. Miss Katherine came out.</p> - -<p>"Weston, my child," she exclaimed, "they will never manage to get that -beautiful instrument up to your rooms."</p> - -<p>"They'd better not try, miss. It's for you, wishing you, with all my -heart, many happy years."</p> - -<p>"But," she stammered, taken aback, "you really mustn't, you know, do -extravagant actions like this, dear soul, in war times."</p> - -<p>"There's no one, Miss Katherine, in a position to dictate to me how I -shall spend my money." She tried to conceal her emotion by making some -reference to the Quartermaster-Sergeant.</p> - -<p>There could be no doubt that the new pianoforte—new to the Hilliers, -anyway—did manage to cheer and brighten up the establishment. Now -that Miss Katherine and Master Edward were exempt from the direction -of music teachers, they practised and played of their own will instead -of being driven to the keyboard. The family began to talk of other -additions in the way of furniture, to be exhibited as a surprise and a -gratification to Master John when he returned. Mrs. Hillier admitted to -me that she was becoming as house-proud as she had been in the early -days of her married life.</p> - -<p>And into the comfortable group suddenly arrived Miss Muriel. Miss -Muriel, fresh from the large house of her friends at Chislehurst, -and losing no time in complaining of the want of room at Gloucester -Place, of Weston's position of equality at table, of her father's -appearance when he returned from the Arsenal, and indeed of everything -that lent itself to criticism. She was allowed a free tongue at first, -but when she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> returned to the grievance that concerned me, her mother -interposed. Miss Muriel followed me out of the room, and offered a kind -of defiant apology.</p> - -<p>"What's wrong, miss?" I inquired. "You were always rather difficult, -but I should have thought that this war—"</p> - -<p>"I am under no obligation to the war."</p> - -<p>"Few of us are, but we can't help being influenced by it. People who, -before it started, had good expectations, find themselves with none, -and folk who used to be on their beam ends, so to speak, are now doing -well. It's all according to whether a person is of any real use, or -not."</p> - -<p>"I can't pretend," said Miss Muriel, "to be greatly interested in the -fortune of others. To compensate for that, I am enormously interested -in my own."</p> - -<p>"We are all hoping, miss, that your engagement has been cancelled."</p> - -<p>"An amiable wish," she retorted, "that has been anticipated by events. -Mr. Schloss is interned. Interned by the astonishing authorities of -this country."</p> - -<p>"Very glad to hear it," I said, genuinely. "And now that you are -amongst us again, I trust you'll make yourself as amiable as possible, -and we, on our side, will try to recognise that it's hard on you, miss, -to have been disappointed in love."</p> - -<p>"Not disappointed in love, Weston. Disappointed in money would be a -more correct phrase."</p> - -<p>"Upon my word!" I exclaimed warmly. "I can't make it out at all. I'm -sometimes inclined to look on you as a bit of a freak."</p> - -<p>"At last," said Miss Muriel, "I have achieved a notable success. I have -contrived to make our Weston really angry. No one can say now that I -have lived in vain."</p> - -<p>The others, as has been hinted, had adopted the habit of looking after -themselves, but Miss Muriel exacted from me all the attention to which -she had a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> right in the old days. I found myself doing lady's maid -work. She did not do a hand's stroke in any of the domestic tasks. She -bewailed the circumstance that her friends at Chislehurst, answering -her appeal, wrote that they regretted it was impossible to offer a -fresh invitation; I pointed out to Miss Muriel that it was always an -error in tactics to remain at people's house for an undue length of -time. In her trunk, I found a packet, carefully sealed, and I put a -question regarding the contents; she recommended that I should mind -my own business. Later, she mentioned that the parcel held documents -which she believed were of high importance, and asked whether at London -Street there happened to be a fire-proof safe.</p> - -<p>"I can get one," I said. "Been thinking about purchasing one for some -while past. After our experience at The Croft, we can't be too careful."</p> - -<p>"Take charge of the packet now, Weston," she begged. "The -responsibility will be off my mind."</p> - -<p>"Do I understand that you don't actually know what is inside?"</p> - -<p>"I can trust you," she said, after a moment's pause. "You are queer, -but you are reliable. Mr. Schloss gave this to me just before the -police called on him. I promised to look after it until all the trouble -was over. And that cannot be long now."</p> - -<p>I bought a good second-hand safe, and Peter took a leather, and -polished up the brass handle, and the cover of the lock; set in a -corner of the shop it would give a solid, business-like look calculated -to impress people who came to inspect furniture. Whilst the lad was -engaged on the work, my attention was taken by a group from Charlton -who had called to see about a pianoforte; the woman who desired to buy -had brought with her half a dozen experts made up of female relatives -and neighbours. When they had gone, I turned and found Millwood and -Peter endeavouring to move the heavy safe to the place chosen for it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Mind that packet on the floor!" I cried.</p> - -<p>The safe, in moving, crunched over the parcel entrusted to me by Miss -Muriel, smashing the seals. I contrived to make the two understand what -I thought of such clumsy behaviour; Peter offered to obtain a stick of -wax from the shop not far off, and declared confidence in his ability -to repair the damage. Millwood said it was a good job the parcel -contained nothing of a breakable nature.</p> - -<p>It was sheer curiosity that induced me to look at the papers inside; -I found little to repay me, for the letters were all written in a -language I did not understand. Millwood was prepared to take his oath -that the language was German.</p> - -<p>"You'd best be careful, Mary Weston," he said. "You mind out what -you're a doing of. Otherwise you'll find yourself at the Tower. They -don't make no bones about shooting nobody, not nowadays, they don't!" -Millwood was giving more advice, when William Richards looked in. The -two men never liked each other; in earlier days they always wrangled on -political subjects, and now, in view of the truce agreed upon regarding -these topics, Millwood, with the comment of "Hullo! Not dead yet, -then?" went into the back room.</p> - -<p>William Richards wanted news of Herbert, and of Master John. He -hoped the Germans would deal with Master John fairly, but admitted -he could not trust them in this or in any other particular. When we -had discussed the subject, I told him about the parcel, submitted the -documents. William shook his head gravely. "If only Dickenson was -here!" he said. It appeared that Dickenson was a uniformed interpreter, -known to William, and for the number of languages with which Dickenson -was acquainted you needed the fingers of both hands, and the thumbs as -well.</p> - -<p>"Look here, Mary Weston," he said. "Hand 'em over to me. Just as they -are. You shan't be dragged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> into the affair. I shall tell Dickenson I -found the parcel on the floor of a second-class smoking. If they're -nothing more than love letters, or business communications, you shall -have 'em back!" Peter arrived with the sealing wax, but we decided that -the present condition of the parcel should remain.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Mr. Schloss was tried a few weeks later on a charge of attempting to -deal with the enemy, and he received a sentence of twelve months hard -labour. Miss Muriel, terrified and penitent, begged me to destroy the -parcel she had confided to my care, lest the contents should have any -bearing on the matter, and, in promising her that she might depend -upon me, I gave her about the straightest talking to that she had ever -received in the whole course of her existence.</p> - -<p>"It will be a lesson to me," she declared penitently.</p> - -<p>"But some of you," I remarked, "want such a lot of teaching!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Old Captain Winterton, in his determination not to discuss war news, -fell back on reminiscences, and if he sometimes told these more than -once, the Hillier family nevertheless gave him their attention; -although he talked in an elaborate manner, they made no attempt to -interrupt. I could not help comparing their Greenwich methods with -those adopted at Chislehurst. He had three anecdotes and to these his -wife listened eagerly and expectantly, sometimes whispering to me, -after the twentieth or so repetition,</p> - -<p>"You'll like this, Miss Weston."</p> - -<p>And.</p> - -<p>"This is new to you, I expect."</p> - -<p>She joined in the expressions of amusement with great heartiness. The -first story was of the lady who feared that if the storm continued she -might find herself in Heaven, and wanted to be re-assured. ("Depends -on the life you've led, madam.") The second was of the sailor who -reported that Jim Bates<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> had been blown overboard. ("And that ain't -the worst, cap'en. He's took my pail with him!") The third was so -long and so much involved, and required such an amount of preliminary -description that the old fellow never reached the point of it, and -we, at times, wondered if any point existed. I liked him best when he -described Greenwich, at Easter, in the old days at the period when -Richardson's Fair was held at the end of what is still known as Tea-pot -Row, although its proper name is King William Street, and all the tag, -rag and bob-tail came from far and near, and to carry a watch in one's -pocket was to make a present of it to somebody with light fingers, and -the taverns did a roaring trade; all this, it appeared, came to an end -in '57. Of the time when London folk drove down in hackney coaches, -and the men wore veils to their white top hats, and the ladies wore -crinolines, and they had joyous hours at the Ship or the Trafalgar, and -gave incredible tips to waiters, and started for home singing "Slap -bang, here we are again!" Of more demure parties of statesmen who came, -once a year, by steamer, from near to Westminster Bridge, and were -reported to chat over the table of other matters than Cabinet secrets, -and to consume quantities of old port, and, at any rate, returned in a -sleepy condition, ignoring the cheers raised by their local supporters, -and the groans given by their opponents. Of crime connected with the -borough—</p> - -<p>"Love," interposed Mrs. Winterton, "be careful not to shock the young -ladies!"</p> - -<p>"I will be most cautious, sweet!"</p> - -<p>And, in particular, of one Charles Peace whose real name, it seemed, -was John Warne, and who on a night in October shot three times at -Constable Robinson in an avenue leading from St. John's Park to -Blackheath; shot with a revolver that was strapped around Peace's -wrist. Captain Winterton had learnt, word for word, the statement made -by Peace when Mr. Justice Hawkins asked him whether he had anything -to say<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> why sentence should not be passed upon him, and the old chap -spared us nothing of this, from—"I have not been fairly dealt with, -and I declare before God that I never had any intention to kill the -prosecutor—" to "So, my Lord, have mercy upon me; my lord, have mercy -upon me!" Peace lived for a time at Greenwich, in a well-furnished -house where he sometimes gave musical evenings.</p> - -<p>"I always give myself the satisfaction," said Captain Winterton, with -relish, "of gazing at the dwelling whenever I happen to pass that way."</p> - -<p>If he began to tell the story of the murder of Jane Maria -Clousen—discussed and debated at Greenwich to this hour, because no -one was hanged for it—Mrs. Winterton placed hands over her ears. Miss -Clousen it seemed was, in '71, a domestic servant in the employment of -a Greenwich printer; she was found in Kidbrooke Lane, Eltham, on the -edge of death, murmuring, "Oh my poor head, oh my poor head!" and the -acquittal of a young man, charged with the crime, was followed by noisy -and disorderly gatherings outside his father's house, and proceedings -at law for libel.</p> - -<p>Captain Winterton had, too, political reminiscences of the borough, -and of the time when it was notably represented in Parliament, and we -had excerpts from Mr. Gladstone's speech on Blackheath, and from Mr. -Gladstone's farewell address at the Ship Hotel, and a description of -the wonderful moment when Mr. Gladstone said to Captain Winterton, "And -what, pray, is your view in regard to the future of our mercantile -marine?" and did not wait for an answer, but instead furnished his -own opinions on the subject. And we listened (none so eagerly or -so absorbedly as Mrs. Winterton) to the Captain's account of the -<i>Princess Alice</i> disaster of '78 at Becton Reach near Woolwich, and -in the technical details—was the <i>Bywell Castle</i> to blame, or did -the <i>Princess Alice</i> starboard her helm, when she ought to have done<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> -something else?—in all this, I found myself at first bewildered, then -semi-detached, and finally my thoughts went to London Street, and -prices of the articles of furniture stored there.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER VIII</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">I should</span>, perhaps, have given more attention to the case of Miss -Muriel, but for the demands upon my time made by the business: it -appeared that many of my Woolwich customers were well satisfied -with their dealings with me, and they handed my cards around, with -the result that the shop was rarely free of callers, and sometimes -Millwood, and Peter, and myself would be all engaged in answering -questions, quoting figures. Once the visitors had made up their minds -that they wanted a certain article—a cheval glass, a sideboard, a card -table, or anything else—there was little haggling about price: from a -well-filled purse they produced one pound notes and ten shilling notes, -and settled the account; their chief difficulty came in an urgent and -feverish desire to get the articles of furniture home with the least -possible delay. I once saw two women, customers of mine, who had bought -a music stool, and a settee, and a brass fender with fire-irons, -endeavouring to board a tram-car with the burden of these possessions. -They told the conductor, after argument, that he would undoubtedly come -to a bad end.</p> - -<p>Apart from the business, I had some anxiety caused by a letter from the -Quartermaster-Sergeant. Written, as usual, in pencil, and mentioning, -as always, that he was in the pink, it said that he hoped to be coming -home on leave soon; his first call would be given to his parents, and -he then proposed to look in at Gloucester Place and thank me for the -journals sent to him each week. I wished the man further. I felt sorry -I had ever hit upon the idea of posting the illustrated newspaper, or -of writing. I had some thought to going away to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> escape him, but one -did not know where to go. The postscript to the letter offered some -hope: it said that leave was a doubtful thing in these days, and I was -not to be disappointed if it happened that he could not get away. And I -was beginning to think I had worried myself over nothing at all, when -a telegram signed Cartwright came from Folkestone. I showed it to Miss -Katherine.</p> - -<p>"But, my dear soul," she protested, "you're trembling. In your own -words, you're all of a fluster."</p> - -<p>"The mistake I made was in not telling him my age at the outset."</p> - -<p>"That would have been an eccentric course to pursue. It is one that I, -myself, rarely adopt in these situations."</p> - -<p>"You're young, Miss Katherine, and it doesn't matter what they imagine -your age to be. I'm getting on towards the forties, and it matters a -good deal to me. I've always tried to write to this blessed man in a -cheerful style, and if he has got the idea that I'm twenty-two, and -look less, one can't blame him."</p> - -<p>"There are beauty specialists in Bond Street."</p> - -<p>"And there are foolish women who patronise them."</p> - -<p>"If he comes along," said Miss Katherine, "when I am home from the -bank, I could—pardon the conceit in the suggestion, for which I am -sure Heaven will forgive me—I could pretend to be you, Weston."</p> - -<p>"That wouldn't do at all," I declared promptly. "I want to see him. -Want to find out what he is like."</p> - -<p>"The next best idea that occurs to my inventive brain," she remarked, -"is that I should take you in hand to-morrow morning before I leave, -and by all the dodges known to my toilet table, subtract a few years -from your appearance."</p> - -<p>"No making up," I bargained.</p> - -<p>"I will do nothing," she agreed, "to bring the artificial blush to your -cheek, dear woman. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> game we are going to play is, believe me, not -rouge et noir."</p> - -<p>Compliments have sometimes been offered to me on the length and the -colour of my hair, but they mostly came from maids at Chislehurst who -wanted the afternoon off to go and meet their sweethearts; for the -rest, people troubled very little about my looks, and I suppose I had -not paid an extravagant amount of attention to them. Certainly Miss -Katherine, when she assumed management and command, did effect some -notable improvements. She persuaded me not to look in the mirror whilst -the task was in progress, and when I was allowed to take a glance, I -gasped with astonishment, beamed with satisfaction.</p> - -<p>"That's it!" cried Miss Katherine. "That's exactly the right kind of -smile we want. Ah," regretfully, "it's slipping. And now it's gone!" -She imitated the tricks of the photographer when he is taking portraits -of defensive babies; I assured her the ability to grin was not in my -line. "Practise, Weston dear," she counselled. "Remember that with hair -like yours you need never say dye."</p> - -<p>Miss Muriel offered no remark upon the alteration, but Mrs. Hillier -gave compliments, and declared she was reminded of the time when we -first met; she advised me not to mar the effect by wearing one of the -hats I usually pinned on before leaving the house. Noticing that I -wavered, she insisted on accompanying me to a milliner's establishment -near the Chatham and Dover station. When, later, I entered the shop -in London Street, Millwood came forward, without first putting on his -spectacles, and not recognising me, said:</p> - -<p>"Well, lady, and what can we do for you this morning?"</p> - -<p>Subsequently, he delivered a lecture on the impossibility of regarding -women-folk as anything like sensible beings so long as they devoted -nearly all their time, and the whole of their thoughts, to fashion. -"You don't find me spending money, and going to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> shops, and fussing -about, just in order to make myself better looking than I really am." I -answered that, more than once, I had been tempted to call his attention -to the fact.</p> - -<p>Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright dashed in soon after mid-day. He had -called, it seemed, at Gloucester Place, and had been sent on to London -Street.</p> - -<p>"A flying visit," he announced to Peter. I was in the back room, -looking once more at my reflection in the mirror. "Tell the lady to -hurry up. Only five days leave, and a thousand and one urgent matters -to see to. Mention that I'm pressed for time, will you."</p> - -<p>He was tall, broad, and middle-aged; very smartly set up, and with, -apart from his quick deportment, the air of a man accustomed to give -orders, and expecting them to be obeyed. This I gained from the first -sight of him over the curtained glass of the door.</p> - -<p>"Miss—Miss Weston, I believe," he stammered.</p> - -<p>"Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright, I think." We shook hands.</p> - -<p>"You'll excuse me," he said, confusedly. "I'm rather taken aback. I -had the notion—forgive me for saying so—that you were somewhat older -than—. What I mean to say is—"</p> - -<p>"I am old enough," I said, "not to tell you how old I am. This is my -brother-in-law, Mr. Millwood. This is my assistant, Peter. What do you -think of the shop?"</p> - -<p>"Fine," he declared, with enthusiasm. "A1. Top hole. First class. -Anyone can see, with half an eye, that you've got good taste. You know -what to select, you do."</p> - -<p>"I may point out," chuckled Millwood, "in regard to Mary Weston that -no one has yet taken the trouble to select her." He looked around for -approval of this remark. Nobody laughed.</p> - -<p>"Oversights will happen in this world," said the visitor. "We find them -even out in France."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span></p> - -<p>"In my view," contended Millwood, "this war isn't being conducted in -the manner that it ought to be carried on. Blunders have been made -which seem to me most 'ighly reprehensible. Mistakes occur which ought -to have been foreseen."</p> - -<p>"I can tell you the reason," said the Quartermaster-Sergeant. "The -reason is a very simple one. It's mainly because you are not out there. -And now," to me, briskly, "what about lunch? Can you spare half an hour -to come and have something to eat with me?"</p> - -<p>"I can spare an hour and a half," I answered, "to take you along to the -Ship, and get you to take a meal with me."</p> - -<p>"But my motive for calling on you was to repay you in some measure -for—"</p> - -<p>"You're wasting your breath," interposed Millwood. "I've knowed her -longer than what you have, and I can tell you, in strict confidence, -that when Mary Weston has made up her mind, dynamite by the ton won't -move her."</p> - -<p>We walked towards the riverside, and the Quartermaster-Sergeant -congratulated me on the fact that I was one of the few women he had -met who could keep in step with him; he called my attention in Nelson -Street to the difficulty encountered by tall soldiers who walked with -short girls, and never succeeded in coming to an agreement concerning -gait. Cartwright was a shade taller than myself, but I noticed, by the -reflection in shop windows that my new hat made us appear to be of -almost equal stature; two women, near the entrance to the market, gazed -at us and said in duet, "Them's a fine-made couple, and no mistake."</p> - -<p>It is not for me to dictate or advise other members of my sex who may -find themselves in like circumstances, but I do feel sure, in looking -back, that I did the wise thing in providing Cartwright with a good -meal, and one served up in environments calculated to impress him. He -had some doubts whether a N.C.O.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> would be allowed to enter the dining -room; I interrogated the head waiter who said, re-assuringly, that, -bless his heart, all the old nonsense had long since been dismissed; he -pointed out a couple of brothers seated at a corner table, one a Staff -Officer and the other a Private in the H.A.C. So I piloted Cartwright -to chairs near the window where we faced each other, and could gain a -view of the river with its bend towards Woolwich, and there gave orders -in a manner intended to show composure, and no doubt exaggerated into -sharp authority.</p> - -<p>"I can see with half an eye," said Cartwright, admiringly when he had -placed his cap on a hat peg, "that you're well used to this sort of -thing. I'm not. I'm new to it. And if I make any blunders, you must -just give me a quiet reminder to think of what I am doing."</p> - -<p>"Providing you don't think of what you're doing," I declared, "you -won't find the leastest trouble. For my part, I wish I knew what to -call you. I can't say 'Mister' to a soldier, and Quartermaster-Sergeant -seems such a mouthful."</p> - -<p>"What about calling me 'George?'"</p> - -<p>He discovered, half-way through the meal, that our first names were -those of the King and the Queen, and we pretended that we lived at -Buckingham Palace, and talked of giving a few days to Sandringham. The -boy waiter, attending upon us, dropped a plate to the floor on hearing -us speak of our eldest son, the Prince, and the fine work he was doing -out in France; he later induced some of his colleagues, relieved from -distant tables, to come and listen, whereupon we spoke of ordinary -matters, such as increase in the price of vegetables, and reductions in -the motor omnibus service, and an Aunt Maria at Stepney; our juvenile -waiter was told by his elders that over clever kids who tried to play -practical jokes invariably obtained, sooner or later, the reward of a -thick ear.</p> - -<p>"'Pon my word, though," declared Cartwright,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> "this is an experience -for me. First in regard—if you don't mind me saying so—to a lady's -society, and whilst I am on that topic, I may as well admit that I feel -as though I had known you all my life."</p> - -<p>"I feel that I wish I had known you all my life."</p> - -<p>"Very nicely phrased," he said, approvingly. "Second, in regard to -taking plenty of time over a meal, and having it served up politely -instead of being flung at you. People can say what they like," -contended the Quartermaster-Sergeant, earnestly, "but comfort isn't a -thing to be despised. Out there, all these months, I've dreamt over and -over again, in my waking hours, of a nice little house, Forest Hill -way, and a nice little garden with scarlet runners growing near the -nice little wooden palings, and a nice little wife—"</p> - -<p>"Your ambitions appear to be on a small scale."</p> - -<p>"Don't misunderstand me," he begged. "I don't mean she's got to be -a dwarf. My idea has always been someone about your own height." He -helped himself, with some confusion to enough mustard to serve a -regiment. "Tell me if I'm talking too much," he begged. "I get so much -into the habit of laying down the law that I'm inclined to forget -myself."</p> - -<p>"That doesn't matter," I remarked, "so long as you don't forget me." -I declare I said this only for the sake of keeping the conversation -going: he put his large hand across the table impetuously, and gripped -mine.</p> - -<p>"Don't you ever keep awake at nights," he said, "worrying about that. -I shall recollect this day that we're having together when everything -else has vanished from my memory."</p> - -<p>I think we both recognised that we were travelling faster than the -rules permit; for the remainder of the lunch we were more guarded -in speech. He talked about his father and mother, and I made some -allusions to the Hillier family. It seemed he had the notion that I was -a friend and an equal: he assured me<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> Master John had once spoken of me -in a way to support this, and one could not help feeling it was good -of the lad to convey the impression. George Cartwright had a cigar, -recommended by the head waiter as of a brand smoked by all the nobs, -and I followed the head waiter out of the room, and settled the bill. -The head waiter said, with great heartiness, "Thank you, miss; thank -you very much indeed. Wish there was more like you!"</p> - -<p>I expected—or feared—that George Cartwright would want to hurry off. -Mentioning that his latest recollection of Greenwich Park was connected -with a Sunday School treat—</p> - -<p>"Lord!" he said, setting his cap at the mirror, "but I've learnt a bit -since those days. And most of it wasn't worth the learning!"</p> - -<p>He suggested that the afternoon was fine enough to excuse a stroll up -the hill to the Observatory. We walked first along the narrow pavement -near the river, came to the old Trafalgar Hotel, now an Aged Merchant -Seamen's Institution, and Cartwright, by request, gave to the old chaps -standing outside, the latest news of the war. Then we strolled towards -the Park.</p> - -<p>I may as well admit that I had never before enjoyed a stroll so much. -It seems a foolish thing for a woman of my years to say, but for the -time the business in London Street mattered nothing, the Hilliers at -Gloucester Place mattered little. One of my customers met us near the -gates of the Park, and rushed at me with an inquiry concerning a Bible -box; I sent her off with a direction to call and see Millwood. At the -top of the hill, and near the edge where green chairs were placed, -we found the elderly couple of the ground floor in Gloucester Place; -they were seated there holding each other's hands, and gazing down -contentedly at children tumbling about on the slope.</p> - -<p>"Miss Weston," said the old gentleman, rising, and saluting with a -sweep of his curly brimmed hat, "it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> needed only your presence to make -the afternoon entirely charming. Pray do me the honour to introduce me -to your military friend."</p> - -<p>I had no reason to be ashamed of the Quartermaster-Sergeant. Some men, -in his position, and after a good lunch, might have felt inclined to -ridicule the Wintertons; they looked as though they had emerged from -past centuries or stepped from a mantelpiece, and, indeed, they ware -not exempted from comments and criticism of frivolous young people who -went by. But Cartwright listened to Captain Winterton's explanation -of the windings of the river, drawn on the gravel with the point of a -malacca cane, was deferential to the old lady when she spoke of the -highly cultivated society in which she had mixed during early years. -She was careful to make no errors in the various branches of any -genealogical tree.</p> - -<p>"The Admiral," she said, in her precise and leisured way, "perhaps -neither of you knew; he was long before your time. But his eldest -daughter whom you may have met, she, as I need scarcely say, was a most -highly accomplished young woman, playing the harp divinely, and singing -'Juanita' in a manner that caused sensitive hearers to swoon away. She -married a Mr. Todhunter, a most humorous gentleman who used to make -really wonderful puns, and afterwards took to drink. She, as you are -doubtless aware, removed to New Cross, and gave music lessons. The -second daughter, whilst less gifted in music, had a passion for making -woolwork slippers that you seldom encounter nowadays. Everyone said -that she was going to marry a bachelor clergyman of the neighbourhood, -but she ran off with her father's coachman. It chanced that I heard -some of the Admiral's remarks upon this lamentable occurrence, but -not all, because my dear mother intervened and—You didn't have the -privilege of knowing my dear mother, Miss Weston, but it will be a -delight, some fine day, to shew you her tombstone."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> - -<p>"My love," said Captain Winterton, solicitously.</p> - -<p>"My sweet."</p> - -<p>"Think of your throat," he begged.</p> - -<p>"I was about," remarked the old lady, "to turn up the collar of your -overcoat. We are not yet favoured with the balmy weather associated -with spring. The Quartermaster-Sergeant," she went on, beaming at -Cartwright, "will recall the lines of Mr. Browning that contain an -allusion to the present month."</p> - -<p>Cartwright jerked his head knowingly, and remarked that poetry was very -stimulating if you were but careful not to take too much of it at a -time.</p> - -<p>"My love!" said the Captain, with deference, "Do you think, in all the -circumstances—April afternoon, a highly intellectual audience, and -the surroundings of youth—that you could manage to recite your set of -verses?"</p> - -<p>The old lady protested modestly. She had written them, it appeared, in -the early sixties, and she argued that fashions in poetry changed as -in everything else. We insisted, and she gave, with gesture and a rapt -expression, some lines about trees and bees, and birds and words, and -flowers and bowers; her husband listened eagerly with a hand at ear, -and occasionally prompting her when memory failed. Cartwright and I -ejaculated at the end, "Beautiful, beautiful!" and Captain Winterton -said we might be interested to know that these verses were composed not -many yards away, under an elm which had, most unfortunately, been blown -down in the gale of '81. But he could shew us a still more interesting -feature of the past in the shape of the oak that witnessed his proposal -to the lady whom he now had the honour to call his wife. We had to see -this, and as we left the elderly couple, we heard him say:</p> - -<p>"My love, I never heard you give those lines with greater force and -expression."</p> - -<p>And she remarked:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p> - -<p>"My dear, I hope we didn't bore the young people."</p> - -<p>I took pains to assure the Quartermaster-Sergeant, in walking along -the avenue, that the Wintertons were genuine in their admiration for -each other, and he declared that, of this, he had no doubt. He seemed -rather quiet, and I asked him what he was thinking of; he answered that -it would be many days ere he managed to send the Wintertons out of his -mind.</p> - -<p>"What I mean to say is," he explained, "married all these long years, -and always in each other's company, and still on friendly terms! Why, -it's the greatest achievement that anyone can hope for." I remarked -that the two might be looked upon as exceptions. "Granted," he said, -taking my arm, "but why are they exceptions? There's no good reason why -they should be exceptions. If they can do it, anybody can do it, and a -happy old age ought to become the general rule."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps hasty marriages are sometimes to blame."</p> - -<p>"Ah!" releasing my arm. "Hadn't thought of that. I suppose it's pretty -safe to assume that they are usually a mistake. Glad you reminded me."</p> - -<p>I furnished other reasons, and spoke of the case of Miss Muriel, of -my anxieties concerning the girl. It appeared to me that with her -mercenary views there was, for her, but small prospect of happiness; -the Quartermaster-Sergeant agreed, but pointed out that in this world, -and especially in stirring times like the present, you could never say -for certain what was going to happen. He urged that I should not worry -myself, overmuch, concerning other people. He said that whilst it was -undoubtedly a mistake to concentrate thoughts too much on Number One, -it was certainly possible to err in the opposite direction.</p> - -<p>"Oh, but I'm a manager," I remarked. "That's my job in life."</p> - -<p>"Doesn't follow that there isn't some one who could manage you."</p> - -<p>"Explain yourself."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> - -<p>An interesting conversation might have taken place, but that a -heated lad came up at this moment, cricket bat in hand, and begging -Cartwright, as a man of years, and moreover possessing military -authority, to come across the heath, and arbitrate on a nice point that -had arisen. The Quartermaster-Sergeant complied at once. It seemed -that the youth, sneaking a run, as he described it, found himself some -yards from the stumps, and the ball coming to the gloved hands of the -wicket-keeper; he thereupon, with great presence of mind, flung his -bat, and this, it was agreed, reached the inside of the crease ere the -bails were knocked off. Cartwright's decision was that the action, -though ingenious, was not sufficient. In his view, the batsman and the -bat had to be reckoned as inseparable.</p> - -<p>"I s'pose, sir," remarked one of the players, "you couldn't stay on and -umpire, could you? It'd mean a great saving of time."</p> - -<p>"If I stay on," said the Quartermaster-Sergeant, loosening belt, and -taking off tunic, "I take a more prominent share in the game. What -about me playing for both sides?"</p> - -<p>"Good old sort!" declared the youngsters.</p> - -<p>"Mary," he begged, "fairest of thy sex, and more intelligent than most, -look after that military property I've thrown down on the grass."</p> - -<p>I should have preferred that we had gone on with our talk, but I knew -enough about men to be aware that, with many, cricket comes ahead of -everything else. Cartwright enjoyed himself. The ground was not too -good, but he bowled well, and took wickets, and made catches, and -when the lads found that he did not propose to take his turn with the -bat, their admiration for him became frank and genuine. And I felt -interested for a time to watch the boyish side of his nature, but only -for a time, and I was not sorry when one of the keepers came along, and -pointed out the date was not sufficiently advanced to make<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> the playing -of the game legal and permissible on open spaces. It looked as though -our walk and our conversation could now be resumed, but the keeper -had two sons out in Flanders and—well, people are very sarcastic at -times about the way women-folk chatter, but when you get men discussing -affairs, it is difficult to guess when they will stop, and not easy -to find a method of arresting the debate. I strolled off, found the -boys, and persuaded them to set up their wickets once more. Returning, -I pointed out to the keeper that his authority was being derided. He -hurried away.</p> - -<p>"Thought you were never going to finish your cackle," I remarked to the -Quartermaster-Sergeant. "What time do you want to be starting for home?"</p> - -<p>"Tired of my company already?"</p> - -<p>"Of course not. Only that there are your parents to be considered."</p> - -<p>"For one day at least," he announced, "I'm going to consider myself. -And you. We're going to a theatre together. A theatre up in town."</p> - -<p>He went on first to choose a play, and arrange about seats; I called -at London Street, where Millwood grumbled at my long absence, and -mentioned that he had never before seen me with such a colour. "Makes -you look like I don't know what!" he declared. "And mind you don't go -getting yourself talked about, Mary Weston. Greenwich is a rare place -for gossip."</p> - -<p>As though I cared! As though any woman would have cared, with the -prospect of going to a theatre, and sitting next to a soldier man, home -on leave, after doing fine work for his country, and soon going out to -do more!</p> - -<p>I could tell you everything about the play, and could give you all -the particulars of the dresses (I did furnish these details the next -day, first to Peter at the shop, and afterwards to Miss Katherine at -Gloucester Place). The incident worth recording here is that when my -Quartermaster-Sergeant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> Cartwright saw me off at Charing Cross station -that night by the eleven-thirty train, we shook hands through the open -window of the railway carriage, and he promised to see me again before -he went out. And, without saying "By your leave!" or "Hope you don't -object!" or any remark of the kind, he, as the train moved out, kissed -me.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER IX</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Millwood</span> felt tremendously gratified because his example in regard to -abstinence from alcohol was followed in high quarters, and he became -from that moment, not only a supporter of royalty, but a man of ideas -regarding the deportment of folk staying at home. He had a row one -evening in a South-Eastern train with a stubborn passenger who argued -that there was no sense in the order concerning the pulling down of -blinds. He ordered a strict method of economy in London Street, and -gave lectures on the subject to Peter who, endeavouring to pass them -on to his own household at Deptford, found himself slapped by a mother -who, a pronounced bungler and a most inefficient person, evidently -considered she had nothing to learn in domestic management. I had to -check Millwood when I found that to new customers he was in the habit -of saying:</p> - -<p>"Now, the question you've got to put yourself, is, not 'Can I afford to -buy this?' but 'Can I manage to do without it?'"</p> - -<p>He did work that met with greater approval from me, in addressing -out-door meetings during the special fortnight of recruiting. I -happened to hear him speak at one of them. A military gentleman of the -Colonel Edgington school stood up, and fiercely denounced the young -men present who had not enlisted; they accepted his thundering attack -with calm. A soldier who had been through Neuve Chapelle offered a -grisly, and, no doubt, exact description of the fight; the youths -shook their heads knowingly as though to indicate that they were far -too wise to run any such risks. Then my brother-in-law stepped up and -told an anecdote in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> his London accent: they began by laughing at him, -and finished by laughing with him; he kept them amused—I had never -before guessed that he had a sense of humour—for about eight minutes, -and in the last two minutes of his speech, became forcible, strenuous, -pathetic. He pointed to Greenwich Park—</p> - -<p>"Where your mothers and fathers went sweet-hearting, my lads, years -ago, and where you go sweet-hearting now, and I don't blame you!"</p> - -<p>—And said we were at war that this might remain in our possession. He -sent his arm out towards the river—</p> - -<p>"Look at British commerce going up and down there, a-carrying food that -keeps me and you from starving!"</p> - -<p>He drew their attention to a double line of children going along under -the control of an assistant mistress from one of the County Council -schools—</p> - -<p>"It's to protect dear little kiddies like them, my lads, that we ask -you to become soldiers, and prevent the Germans from arriving here!"</p> - -<p>Twenty young men walked up to the Recruiting Sergeant when Millwood -ended his address: the band played "The Red, White and Blue," grown-up -folk—and I was amongst them—gave signs of tears.</p> - -<p>News of air raids did something to back up and support the arguments -of my brother-in-law. The attacks came for the most part at night, -and generally over the East coast, but an enemy's aeroplane appeared -once, at mid-day, near Faversham in Kent. We were alarmed at Gloucester -Place, because Miss Muriel—taking every advantage of any opportunity -to get away from Greenwich, and from her people—had gone there to -visit acquaintances and (as she told me frankly) in the hope of finding -some eligible husband. A relative of the family, she added, a man who -had gained a fortune in the United States, was shortly coming home for -a holiday. Miss Muriel gave his name. I was curt with her, but when the -news came about the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> attack over Faversham, I felt sorry I had been so -outspoken. On discovering from the journals that no damage had been -done, I wished I had been more candid and abrupt with her. But I sent -her something for her birthday.</p> - -<p>The <i>Lusitania</i> was sunk by an enemy's torpedo early in May, and it -is referred to here because it had some effect upon a member of the -Hillier family. In the absence of Miss Muriel, everything was going -comfortably at Gloucester Place. It often happened that I was not -called upon there to do any sort of work in the whole course of a day. -Mrs. Hillier seemed to find a pleasure in carrying out the duties of -the household during the week; on Sundays she and her husband took -short trips together, either up the river, or out into the country, -leaving me to look after Miss Katherine and Master Edward; an easy task.</p> - -<p>Everybody can remember the afternoon that news of the sinking of the -big liner arrived, and not many people will ever forget the manner in -which the information reached them. I had been to a sale at Blackheath -where the auctioneer's announcement suggested the possibility of -finding bargains, and after giving a couple of hours to the big house, -I found there was nothing that justified a nod of the head from me; -the owner of the place had been taken in, right and left, and an agent -of my acquaintance, in referring to him, and to their earlier dealings -with each other, expressed regret that there were so few mugs of the -kind left nowadays. I walked quickly across the heath to get rid of the -annoyance created by the waste of time; the feeling had not disappeared -as I went down the slope of Lewisham Hill. Outside the news-agent's -shop at the foot was the staggering placard. Folk stood around gazing -at it. One or two said hopefully that it was nothing but a catch-penny.</p> - -<p>"Lot of use having a Press Bureau!" they remarked, with bitterness. -"These papers are all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> out on the make, and, seemingly, it's no one's -business to stop 'em."</p> - -<p>The next morning, full confirmation arrived. The ship had been -torpedoed off the western coast of Ireland. Many well known people were -aboard, and as I glanced down the passenger list, one name struck me -as being familiar, but, at the time I could not place it. Mrs. Hillier -came, in great haste, to the shop, bringing a telegram from Faversham. -"Is Muriel with you?" it said. I took charge of the task of sending -the negative reply, and assured her there was no cause for anxiety; it -probably meant some temporary confusion or misunderstanding that would -be cleared up ere the day was out. But, being by no means so confident -as my words, I rushed off directly that Mrs. Hillier had gone, taking -my chance of trains, and finding myself lucky in this respect. I was -at Faversham by two o'clock, and I caught the three-three back to -Victoria. It was an express, and in view of the information I was -taking home, I wished it had been a slow train.</p> - -<p>"She left that house this morning," I informed Mrs. Hillier. "Here is -the note she placed on the hall table. And you must try not to be upset -about it, ma'am, because nearly everything comes right if you do but -allow enough time."</p> - -<p>"Read it, Weston," she begged, piteously. "Trouble seems to be all -around us, and it has got into my bones, and into my eyes."</p> - -<p>The slip of paper in Miss Muriel's handwriting had evidently been -written in haste. It announced that she was tired of encountering -disaster, and in no mood to receive condolences. "I am doing the -vanishing trick. Explain to my people. Tell Weston not to make a fuss."</p> - -<p>All the particulars gained from the girl's friends, I supplied to -Mrs. Hillier. The nephew of the family, whose name and fortune had -been mentioned by Miss Muriel, had taken a berth on the <i>Lusitania</i> -at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> New York; he wrote beforehand to say that his aunt's allusion to -Miss Hillier's impending visit induced him to accelerate his voyage -home. American girls, he added, were too independent. Although he had -become naturalised in the United States he was sufficiently English to -recognise this. He held pleasant memories of Miss Hillier, and trusted -she had not forgotten him. The lady at Faversham—she seemed to be one -of the few remaining experts in match-making, and her disappointment -at the upset of her plans was even keener than her sorrow at the loss -of a nephew—assured me Miss Muriel had taken an enthusiastic share -in the preparations for his arrival; had composed an affectionate -and welcoming telegram to be sent by the family to Liverpool; had -assured the aunt that a good marriage was the one piece of fortune she -particularly desired. "A sweet, ingenuous, simple nature," the aunt -remarked to me, with emotion. "The very child for a romantic episode. -Really she might have stepped out of a novel." I could not help -thinking that our Miss Muriel had surely worked hard and industriously -in order to succeed in conveying this impression.</p> - -<p>"Had the dear girl any money with her?" inquired Mrs. Hillier -anxiously. "You didn't remember to find out."</p> - -<p>"I found out everything there was to be discovered, ma'am. She had a -postal order for ten shillings which her father had sent her for her -birthday."</p> - -<p>"And that was all?"</p> - -<p>"And one for two pounds that I sent her on the same occasion. She -changed them this morning at the local post office. At the station, -they could give me no particulars; she was not known by sight to any -of the officials there. The local police are going to make inquiries. -On the way from Victoria just now, I put an advertisement into the -newspaper she was most likely to see, asking her to communicate with -me."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I might have guessed," said Mrs. Hillier, gratefully, "that you would -do all that was possible. But she is a queer child, and I wish I could -tell what is likely to happen to her."</p> - -<p>It was just because Miss Muriel had always behaved differently from -anyone else that I felt anxious. All the same, I declared to Mrs. -Hillier that it was impossible to share her fears; I spoke of Miss -Muriel as a rather spoilt young lady who would very quickly resent -the discomforts she encountered, and, the two pounds ten gone, we -might expect her to ring the bell at Gloucester Place, and demand -to be fussed over, and treated as though she had acted courageously -and with shrewd common sense. There was no music from the pianoforte -that evening. I went up to my rooms, at the top of the house, as -early as convenient, leaving a thoughtful family group to discuss -the matter. To detach myself from worry, I wrote a long letter to -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright. In his last pencilled note, he had -explained that his father, taken ill on the second day of Cartwright's -leave, required his attention during the rest of the time, and he -seemed to hint that I might have some excuse for feeling annoyed at not -seeing him again. My letter was calculated to re-assure him. I asked -for the address of his people, and promised, when this came, to call -and see them. It can be added that the part of Cartwright's note which -gratified me the most came at the end where three crosses had been -drawn, small enough to be over-looked unless one was searching for them.</p> - -<p>My intention was to give my full time to the job of discovering Miss -Muriel. The advertisement appeared, and in answer to it, I received a -card from her, postmarked London, N.W., bearing nothing more than three -words—</p> - -<p>"Quite all right!"</p> - -<p>—And I should have made an effort to search the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> postal district -indicated—although, as I knew, it included Kentish Town, and -Hampstead, and Cricklewood, and all sorts of distant places—but for -the fact that I was suddenly bound, hand and foot, to London Street. -Millwood left, and in the circumstances one could not blame him for -leaving. His effective talk at recruiting meetings had been noticed -by the authorities, and he received an offer that excited him, and -gave him enormous gratification; he bustled around before leaving -for the tour in the manner of a junior clerk starting for his first -holiday. One speech, they told him, would be all that was needed, and -this speech was to be delivered in the Midlands, up in the North, -and, in fact, wherever he was instructed to go. So Millwood—when I -had chosen a new suit for him, and selected a new hat, and made him -look fairly respectable, without suggesting prosperity—Millwood went -off, and on the top of this, Peter's mother came from Deptford, and -with a preliminary announcement that she intended to behave herself in -a lady-like manner, asked what the blazes I meant by paying her boy -twelve adjective shillings a week, when, at the Arsenal, he could be -earning untold gold, and thus save his poor father from the necessity -of going out to work. She described my origin as German, and warned me -to look out for an attack on the shop; I stopped the shouted tirade -by handing to Peter the wages due, and advising him to follow his -extraordinary parent.</p> - -<p>"I don't want to go with her, miss," he pleaded. "I'm very comfortable -where I am."</p> - -<p>"That," said Peter's mother, to her reflection in a mirror, "that is -what your modern child has come to. That's one of the consequences of -them 'aving a education. That's the result of waiting on 'em, hand and -foot, and struggling for 'em, tooth and nail, and stinting yourselves -so as they should live on the fat of the land. A nicely managed world," -she added, bitterly, "that, I must say."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p> - -<p>"It's bad enough," argued Peter, "to have to go home there at nights, -and find the old man blind to the world, and called upon to make the -beds myself, because she's too lazy to attend to them."</p> - -<p>Peter's mother called Heaven as a witness on her behalf, declaring that -Heaven knew, better than neighbours or relatives, or friends, how she -had laboured morning, noon, and night, working her fingers to the bone, -and becoming a mere slave in her desire to bring up her boy as a credit -to herself, and a model for all other youngsters.</p> - -<p>"I shall run off on my own, mind you," Peter warned her, "jest as soon -as ever I can!"</p> - -<p>I dismissed the incident from my thoughts, but one remark offered by -the Deptford woman came back when mobs began to smash windows of shops -owning names which gave a foreign hint of other nationalities. They -were not too particular, and, starting with confectioners and bakers -where the origin was possibly Teutonic, they extended the sphere of -their operations. The <i>Lusitania</i> affair had saddened some people, -impressed many, and excited a few: it was the few who set out during -the day, and occasionally of an evening, to enjoy revenge, and to give -themselves the luxury of committing reckless damage. In High Street, -Deptford, there were at least a dozen shops with not a sound piece of -glass in anyone of them; from the upper floors, blinds and curtains -bulged out of empty windows, and carpenters were engaged in nailing -up a wooden protection. There followed stories of the rioters helping -themselves to any article of domestic furniture which appealed to their -fancy. There came rumours of the paying off of grievances against -shopkeepers who had incurred unpopularity by requesting the settlement -of accounts. The mob, it was stated, preferred to throw stones at -establishments where no man was in charge.</p> - -<p>"You can get on without me," I said to Mrs. Hillier. "For the time I -must look after myself.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> I don't intend to leave London Street, for a -moment, day or night."</p> - -<p>"We must find some one to stay with you, Weston, and help to protect -the shop."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Hillier is too old, and Master Edward is too young. Besides, I -know as well as you do that they are both scouring London, every spare -minute they've got, trying to find Miss Muriel. If it wasn't for this -bother I should be helping them."</p> - -<p>"Wish one knew when the dear girl was likely to come back."</p> - -<p>"She'll be running short of money pretty soon now," I mentioned, -encouragingly.</p> - -<p>"That is the time," said Mrs. Hillier, with a shiver, "I am fearing -more than any other."</p> - -<p>A cheery letter came in Master John's writing, dated from Darmstadt, -and headed with a number and a company and a baraque, with the long -German word, "Kriegsgefangenenlager," that went across the entire -breadth of the sheet of note-paper. His leg was getting better, he -wrote; he was receiving our parcels; he hoped we would write often; -the German doctors had been good to him; he sent his love to all, and -especially to Weston. "Ask Muriel to send me some books," he added, -"and to write on each that it contains nothing concerning the war. -'Dieses Buch enthält nichts über den gegent wärtigen Krieg.' Muriel -well knows the kind of volumes to select. And she might include a -German grammar, and any of my old school books in the same language. -Tell Muriel that I managed to bring her photograph through safely, -although I lost many treasures, and it is now smiling at me as I write. -I am glad to have her for company."</p> - -<p>The news made us feel slightly more tolerant concerning our enemies, -but the shadow remained at Gloucester Place. The earlier suspense -concerning Master John had been sufficiently trying, but that was -one of the events of war, and many families had been called upon to -endure a like experience;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> the tension concerning Miss Muriel seemed -an undeserved and an extravagant suffering. From Mrs. Hillier down to -Master Edward, the entire group became older, graver, more subdued. -Miss Katherine made an effort to brighten the atmosphere by giving an -imitation of senior clerks at the bank.</p> - -<p>"Regarded as an entertainment, Weston," she remarked, aside, "a -pronounced and dismal failure."</p> - -<p>"We're on the toughest job we've had, up to the present," I agreed. "A -pity we can't all get away for a holiday."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A Continental Railway Guide had not been issued since August of '14, -but a copy of this date had been brought on from Chislehurst, and I -recall that one wet evening at Gloucester Place, when a desperate -suggestion was made by Edward that we should all take the bull by -the horns, and go to the Picture Palace (this was not seconded, and -therefore fell to the ground), then Katherine recommended we might -start on the trip which had been cancelled by events. It was decided, -in order to avoid delay and trouble, to take the old services, -and—the crossing satisfactorily accomplished on a smooth Channel, -with everyone on deck, and protesting against the building of a Tunnel -as unnecessary—at Calais, Mr. Hillier's counsel was adopted, and by -the aid of the Guide we visited one or two places that had become -conspicuous. We found that, according to the book (which we trusted) -Ypres was "an interesting, clean old town," and that Zeebrugge was "a -fashionable and secluded sea-side resort; restful and quiet." The Guide -added to the list of attractions at Zeebrugge the word "shooting." -Taking up the journey on the main line, we travelled to Paris, and -stayed a night at the Continental in the rue de Rivoli, but dined out -previously at a restaurant in the Avenue de l'Opera, where the meal was -really admirable. Nothing could have been better.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> Unambitious perhaps, -but adequate. The selection of dishes was left to me, and I ordered the -following:</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Tortue Claire au Marsala.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Saumon bouilli.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Cotelletes d'Agneau.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Pointes d'Asperges.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Jambon d'York.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Caille rotie.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Bombe glacée.</i></span><br /> -</p> - -<p>The train for Pontarlier left at rather an early hour, but with -Continental travel, one has to be prepared for some inconvenience, and -we were at the P.L.M. station in good time, and Mr. Hillier (at the -hearthrug in Gloucester Place, and in charge of the Guide) had managed -to reserve a compartment, and despite the crowded state of the train, -our comfort suffered no interference. There were places of importance -to be looked out for on the way, and the Guide was disinclined to allow -us to miss any of them, but we did miss some because Mrs. Hillier (from -her arm-chair near the window) said the great thing was to arrive at -Lausanne, and get along to Territet. Territet, said Mrs. Hillier, was -a good centre for the making of excursions. It was important, declared -Mrs. Hillier, that being in Switzerland, one should see all there was -to be seen. I took charge of the meal at Territet. A light repast made -up of</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Poulet roti.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Langue de Boeuf.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Pâte de Pigeon.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Gelée a l'orange.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Anchois en croute.</i></span><br /> -</p> - -<p>The first trip was to Champéry by steamer up the lake, passing by -the Castle of Chillon, and at Bouveret, on the opposite side, we -took the train for Monthey. From Monthey by electric railway through -Trois-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span>Torrents and Val d'Illiez. We liked Champéry. We thought highly -of the rock galleries. We gave a word to the Cascade de Bonaveau. -Returning to Territet, I was called upon to order dinner; pleading that -invention demanded a rest, I advised that we should take the table -d'hôte meal.</p> - -<p>On the other days—each occupying not more than ten minutes—we went by -the funicular up to Glion, and Caux, and the Rochers de Naye; by train -to Bex and by the electric railway to Villars (4,250 feet up) and the -lunch taken at the Hotel Muveran, by special and particular arrangement -with the management, was as follows:</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Tortue verte en tasse.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Truite saumonée.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Poussin de Hambourg.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Biscuit glacé.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Canapé Favorite.</i></span><br /> -</p> - -<p>My companions regarded this as one of my lesser triumphs, and were -frank enough to say so. "You've left out the meat," complained Edward -(from the music-stool). I declined, on artistic grounds, to make any -alteration. There followed a move to Chamonix where we at first stayed, -I think, at the Hotel de Paris, but found it over-run by visitors, -and we transferred ourselves instantly—no harm in being snobs in -theory—to another establishment. And we visited the Glacier des -Bossons and showed a proper interest in the Glacier "where the remains -of Captain Arkwright were found in 1897, after being entombed in the -ice for thirty-one years," and we went up La Flégère, and to the Gorge -de la Diosaz, and to the Montanvert Hotel where the meal was too good -to be omitted here. (The considerable advantage of these travels of -the imagination was that one could always order anything, in season or -out.)</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Hors d'Oeuvres variés.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Langouste Parisienne.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Coeur de filet de boeuf.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Poulet en casserole.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Asperges vertes en branche.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Dessert.</i></span><br /> -</p> - -<p>We did Zermatt pretty thoroughly, and then Mrs. Hillier (glancing at -the clock on the mantelpiece), pointed out that time was getting on. -Edward and Katherine protested, Mr. Hillier offered no opinion, and I, -answering a direct question, declared I was in no hurry to find myself -home at Greenwich again. So we rested for a few days at Lausanne, and -lunched once at a large hotel in considerable grounds at Ouchy, where -we, most fortunately, met several English people whom we had always -wished to encounter; Mr. Rudyard Kipling (chatty and communicative), -Mr. Lloyd George (who promised to do something on Edward's behalf, -later on), the editor of a London journal (knowing John Hillier well, -and ready to give notices of his songs), Mr. J.R. Mason (who gave us -several interesting and little known facts concerning first-class -cricket). I fancy that these and others were our guests at the lunch; -expense was naturally of no object. This was the meal I ordered, -pleading now that on the return journey, one should be reckoned exempt -from the task. Edward begged that, in these circumstances the details -might be solid and satisfying, the repast one—in his phrase—that you -could get your teeth into. I give a copy of the menu card:—</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Petite Marmite.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Suprême de Sole.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Noisettes de pre-Salé.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Pommes.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Volaille en cocotte.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Salade de Saison.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Aubergines au gratin.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Pêches Melba.</i></span><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> - -<p>Mrs. Hillier was definite, after this, in ordering that the trip should -be considered at an end, that the game of imaginary travel should -finish, and I left the room to prepare the evening meal for the family. -It consisted of cold ham, cheese and lettuce.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I had put up the shutters one evening, and I was in the room at the -back of the shop, when the booming came of distant voices. I ran -upstairs and, without turning on the light, gazed out, and caught sight -of the Deptford crowd. There was a good deal of incoherent shouting, -with bass notes from the men, shrill voices of the women; one carried -a flag, and boys knocked at anything that could be reckoned as a -substitute for a drum. A ring came from downstairs; I assumed it to -be only the lad with the evening newspaper, and if it happened to -be anybody else, I was certainly not going to open the door. As the -crowd came nearer, I could see Peter's deplorable mother in the front -ranks; she was gesticulating wildly and screaming an instruction. They -made some effort to range up near to my shop. A few constables were -about and one was sent off, at full speed, to the police station. As -I watched, I saw young Peter dash up and catch hold of his mother; he -pushed her along, and once he had got her on the run, it was not long -before the two disappeared. More names were being shouted now, and some -of the excited people, to my relief, began to move; at that moment I -heard a cracking of wood downstairs, and it appeared certain to me that -my shop, with all the valuable articles I had selected so carefully, -was about to be smashed and ruined as evidence of the patriotism of the -wreckers. Footsteps came on the staircase.</p> - -<p>"Hullo," said a husky voice. "All in the dark? War time economy?"</p> - -<p>I kept very quiet.</p> - -<p>"Surely," the voice went on, "you've got a kiss for me?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p> - -<p>I struggled fiercely as arms went around me. The lights in the road -were suddenly turned on, and I found myself giving a bang, with the -flat of the hand, on the head of my own dear nephew.</p> - -<p>"A fracas in London Street," cried Herbert, amusedly, on seeing my -apologetic distress. "Well known resident in assault case. How the -warrior boy was welcomed home."</p> - -<p>"Herbert," I said, "if I had only guessed it was you—"</p> - -<p>"You ought to be out in Flanders," he declared. "Strong fighters are -just what we need. But you're trembling, aunt. What's wrong?"</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid of these rough people out in the roadway."</p> - -<p>He lighted the gas, and throwing up the window, leaned out. The crowd, -recognising a soldier, cheered, and somebody started one of the popular -airs. Three mounted policemen moved their horses sideways, and the mob -surged off.</p> - -<p>"Thought you'd got more nerve, aunt," said Herbert.</p> - -<p>"I always use to have plenty," I declared. "But, just lately, my stock -seems to shew signs of giving out."</p> - -<p>"For any special cause?"</p> - -<p>It was not necessary to load him up with troubles directly that he -arrived. To a challenge about meals, Herbert admitted that he felt -peckish. To another inquiry, made as I found the grill, and started the -fire, he explained that he had managed to enter the shop by the device -of putting one shoulder against the door, and forcing the lock to give -way.</p> - -<p>"Corporal Millwood," I remarked at the fire-place, "of the Guards is -a very different lad from Herbert Millwood who used to pore over his -lessons, and get bible-backed and gain scholarships."</p> - -<p>"Sergeant Millwood," he said, drawing himself more upright than ever. -"Sergeant Millwood, if you please."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> - -<p>I had not observed the extra stripe. "You'll be an officer soon, my -dear," I said.</p> - -<p>"There happens to be a special reason," he confessed, colouring, "why I -should like to get a commission. By-the-bye, now are all the Hilliers? -And how's the dad trundling along?"</p> - -<p>I told him of his father's new engagement. Herbert, seated at the -table, so soon as the meal was ready, could not help breaking off in -conversation to return to the subject.</p> - -<p>"Fancy the old chap holding such a good hand of trumps!"</p> - -<p>"And doing more work for his country, I'll be bound, than many a Staff -Officer."</p> - -<p>"And the last time I heard him speak in public, he was arguing that we -ought to abolish the army and reduce the navy."</p> - -<p>Presently, he asked a serious question. "How does he manage about his -aitches?"</p> - -<p>"It's my belief," I declared, "that half of his success is due to the -fact that he doesn't bother in the least concerning them."</p> - -<p>Herbert, on the way to the base, had, it appeared, met the -Quartermaster-Sergeant; he said that Cartwright spoke, with enjoyment, -of the first day of his leave, and insisted upon giving all the -details, excepting (I was relieved to find) the last incident at -Charing Cross. Herbert said that Cartwright was a good man at his -job—which I could well believe—and one of the toughest and sternest -N.C.Os. in the British army—which seemed to me incredible. Herbert -wished to spend the days of his leave at Greenwich, and I went off to -air his father's bed for him.</p> - -<p>"Whilst I think of it," he said, when I returned. He was about to put -a match to his briar pipe, but held it free of the tobacco whilst he -spoke. "Did I ask you how Miss Muriel was, or did I, perhaps, only mean -to do so?"</p> - -<p>I told him all that happened, described the anxiety<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> we were all -experiencing; the match burned down to his finger, but he did not -appear to observe the fact. I said Mr. Hillier went up to town each -evening, after his work at the Arsenal, and walked, at a swift rate, -about different quarters of London in the attempt to find his elder -daughter. That Master Edward had supplied officials on his railway -with a copy of Miss Muriel's photograph, and an urgent appeal that -they would keep a good look-out. That Miss Katherine, in all of her -spare time from the bank, made inquiries at girls' clubs, and homes, -and associations. That the one card received by me was written in a -confident manner, and that I was still hoping.</p> - -<p>"Still hoping?" he echoed, rather sharply. "No use in doing that. -Plenty of folk are still hoping in regard to the war, and doing -precious little else." He found his cap, and put it on: looked around -for his great-coat.</p> - -<p>"Where are you going, Herbert, my dear?"</p> - -<p>"Going to try to find her," he answered. "If she's lost, I don't care a -hang what becomes of me!" Within two minutes he had gone.</p> - -<p>The extraordinary thing, from my point of view, was that I, reckoning -myself a woman who took notice of everything that went on around me, -should have omitted to notice that my nephew was in love, should have -had no sort of idea that he was in love with Miss Muriel. I wished -I had taken the opportunity to tell him of the girl's defects; her -indifference to everyone but herself, her ever-changing projects, her -frank intention of marrying money, the circumstance that she alone, -out of all the members of the Hillier family, had allowed the war to -have no effect upon her. But when I considered this, it became clear -that nothing I said would have made any alteration, so far as Herbert -was concerned. If someone had called at the shop and mentioned that -Cartwright had killed three wives, and was now liable to a charge of -bigamy, it is probable I should have contented myself with the remark -that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> at any rate he was a well-spoken and a good-looking man. And -this in no way means that love is blind. On the contrary, love uses -eye-glasses which have the ability to exaggerate all the virtues of the -person looked at, and to minimise all the defects.</p> - -<p>A postcard arrived from Herbert on the last day of his leave: it was -headed Victoria Station, and it had been written with an indelible -pencil.</p> - -<p>"Have not discovered her. Good-bye. Please send me news."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I had little time to enjoy the pleasures and amenities of Greenwich, -but I saw enough of the borough to assure myself that, despite an -air of increasing age, it was not without its attractions. There was -always the riverside with the pier and arriving and departing steamers, -ships going up and down, and a walk to be taken along the narrow -railed passage from King William Street to Park Row, and, at low tide, -bare-legged youngsters playing on the beach, or larking with the high -and dry boats. There was the market, off Nelson Street, where those of -us who were economically minded made selections and effected bargains.</p> - -<p>I recall, in particular, a Sunday afternoon of May when the Park -gave me a special comfort of mind. The week had been a trying one. -The <i>Lusitania</i> shock had not passed off, a question of re-arranging -the Cabinet was in the air, and local politicians shook their heads, -and, making groups near the Baths corner of Royal Hill, discussed -the matter gravely; the London tram-strike was still on; one or two -journals were making an attack on Kitchener; up in the north there -had occurred the worst railway accident that ever happened in Great -Britain, with two hundred of the Royal Scots killed; a two days' list -of casualties from the front contained over three thousand names; -the Germans were using new methods, and we had lost some ground near -Ypres; there had been naval disasters, and a wooden tip-cat, driven by -an energetic child<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> with a stick, had caught me just under the eye. I -went out of Gloucester Place where sun-blinds had been fixed on the -balconies, and entered the Park by the Crooms' Hill gate that enabled -one to avoid the at times over-crowded lower part. The pink hawthorn -was in full blossom, yellow laburnum was at its best, chestnut trees -were candelabraed with white, and, in the enclosure at the foot of -the Observatory Hill, wild grasses stood thick and high. The inclined -roadway took me to the tea-house, where, inside the tall railings, folk -sat at tables in the shadow of trees, and watched the friendly sparrows -that hopped about on the close-shaven lawn. There, it was possible on -that Sunday afternoon to forget about the war (on week-days there came -the boom of testing of guns at Woolwich to remind, and the hurrying -to and fro of Red Cross vans, and the War Department motor lorries). -There, one could gaze north and see nothing but the calm sky; at the -end of the Avenue the Park took a sudden dip, and landscape was out -of sight. Captain and Mrs. Winterton came in at the gate as I was -at my second cup; folk commented on their odd appearance, and young -women giggled, but to me it seemed that the surroundings fitted them -appropriately.</p> - -<p>"Miss Weston," said the old gentleman, in his courteous way, "you are -enjoying solitude, and we will not permit ourselves to intrude upon -your thoughts."</p> - -<p>"I happened," I remarked, "to be thinking of nothing at all."</p> - -<p>"A fortunate state," he declared. "I discover, in my own case, that a -slight effort is needed to effect this."</p> - -<p>"The terrible war, sir—"</p> - -<p>"My love!" Turning to his wife. "Shall we tell her? I think she would -be interested to know? We can regard Miss Weston as a friend."</p> - -<p>"Do as you think best, dear," said the old lady.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> - -<p>He gave orders to the waitress, and taking me across to the railings, -pointed with his malacca cane. "Under that tree," he whispered, -confidentially, "in the month of May and in a year that was long, -long before you, dear madam, graced the world with your presence, I -proposed marriage to the lady who is now Mrs. Winterton!" He stepped -back two paces, and gazed at me; I (for the second time) gave the look -of surprise that was expected. Captain Winterton offered his arm, and -we returned to his wife. She nodded pleasantly to indicate that I might -now reckon myself amongst the privileged few, and inside the circle of -friends.</p> - -<p>In the Wilderness at the south end of the Avenue, sweet smelling -azaleas welcomed one, and the imposing rhododendrons were at the summit -of their pride; in a week or two they would lose colour, and come down -in the world, but on this afternoon they were wealthy aristocrats. -Young couples sat about, declining to disengage hands when older folk -approached, and the sight made me think that I might perhaps have -cultivated romance, and thus have rendered my life the happier. The -gates to Blackheath, and there, after the shade of the Park was a -sun-illuminated space, so extensive that, but for the distant houses -on the borders, it would have been easy to imagine oneself in the -country. The heath furnished a slight breeze that invigorated, and I -walked along Dover Road to Shooters' Hill, turned and came down into -Blackheath village, took Belmont Hill to the Obelisk, and so home by -Lewisham Road and South Street. By the time I arrived, I had forgotten -to worry about the absence of sentiment from my current life; a Sunday -evening newspaper boy racing up Royal Hill, brought my thoughts again -to the war.</p> - -<p>I think I was not alone at Greenwich, in owing a debt to the Park. -For the folk in mourning who increased in number each week, church -was perhaps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> more consoling, and it was significant that even my -brother-in-law, Millwood, no longer jibed at people who attended places -of worship.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In looking back, I find it difficult to understand how it happened that -folk managed to keep up an appearance of serenity and composure; I -think there must have been tears on pillows, but nobody showed them to -the world. For one thing, there was the example of the men out at the -front. We all knew, from the start of the war, that they would fight -well; few guessed they would fight so gaily. I used to take cigarettes -and illustrated papers along to the hospital in Greenwich Road, and my -friend, the Sister there, could always introduce some humorist who had -returned grievously wounded perhaps, but rarely so much damaged as to -be deprived of his diverting outlook; the exceptions were to be found -amongst those who suffered from the gas poison first used by the enemy, -and for these the world did seem wanting in attraction. When other -subjects failed, and when the good-tempered men had exhausted jokes -about water-filled trenches, and shells that sent earth into the soup, -and mines that blew up unexpectedly, then there remained the visitors. -These were always well meaning, but they often seemed imperfectly -furnished with openings for conversation. (In my own case, I found that -the carrying of a box of matches, and the offer of it to a patient who -was about to smoke, proved a useful method of starting talk.)</p> - -<p>"Where were you wounded?" was the usual inquiry, and the soldier -could never tell whether the questioner wanted geographical or bodily -information. "I am sure you must be dreadfully keen on getting back -to the fighting line," was a remark that did not always gain an -enthusiastic and affirmative answer. "How we envy you in being able to -take a part in the struggle!" sometimes received a non-committal jerk -of the head; the Sister and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> nurses listened later to the comments -on this aspiration. The sentence that remained long in the memory of -the ward was one made by a wealthy woman from Blackheath. She arrived, -with the obvious determination to say the correct, the tactful, the -exactly appropriate word.</p> - -<p>"And what injuries have you sustained, my man?"</p> - -<p>"Well, lady, as you see, I've lost my left arm, and I've got rather an -extensive collection of shrapnel in my right leg."</p> - -<p>"Oh," she remarked, casually, "is that all!" And passed on to the next -bed. The Sister declared that imitations of this visitor were popular -for weeks.</p> - -<p>I think women-folk showed to better advantage in the entertainments -they arranged. There were large houses in the district, possessing -extensive grounds, and parties of convalescent soldiers would be -taken by cars, and a concert provided, and plenty of food, and if the -men were not rendered shy by excessive suggestion of patronage, they -enjoyed the outing, and it counted for restoration to good health. And -some of them must have felt astonished to discover kindness where they -had never guessed that kindness existed; I know, from what certain of -them told me, that they would remember it for the rest of their lives.</p> - -<p>"You can take my word for it, ma'am," said one, impressively. "The -upper classes ain't nearly so black as what they've been painted!" He -ruminated for a while. "Human beings," he went on, "that's what they -are. Human beings, almost as good as the rest of us."</p> - -<p>I felt myself drawn towards the north country-men, who had trouble in -making themselves understood by Londoners, and who became puzzled by -the methods of London speech. Four of these came from Northumberland, -and when they were allowed to go out of an afternoon, they understood -that, if the weather chanced to be erratic, and the Park gave no -welcome, they could make their way to London Street,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> and rest in my -shop, and look at newspapers, and smoke, and have high tea; the great -attraction offered was freedom to talk amongst themselves with no -interference. As each recovered, he went home on leave, and I treasure -now, more than most things, a sheet of exercise book paper, written by -a child living at South Shields:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p> - -"Dear lady,<br /> -</p> - -<p>Thank you verry much for being kinde to my Daddy,</p> - -<p> -Your loving friend,<br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">Milly</span>."<br /> -</p></blockquote> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER X</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">A</span> letter came from my Quartermaster-Sergeant.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"We have been having a busy time lately. Nothing else but marching -and fighting, and the regiment was in the great attack described -correctly in the London papers of the 15th under the heading of -'British Check.' But I am pleased to be able to tell you that -another attack has taken place, which proved a huge success, and the -advantage is being followed up at the time of writing.</p> - -<p>"Would you like to send me two re-fills for my electric lamp; address -in the Strand enclosed. It is difficult work to find one's way about -at night on unfamiliar ground. Hope you are keeping well and fit, as -it leaves me at present."</p></blockquote> - -<p>There was the strike on with the tramway men, and I had to go by rail -to make the purchase. The train went to Cannon Street only, and in -running across there from one platform to another, I nearly came into -collision with Guard Richards who was also in a hurry.</p> - -<p>"Caught sight of your Miss Muriel t'other evening," he called out.</p> - -<p>"Where," I demanded stopping, "and how was she, and what is she doing?"</p> - -<p>William Richards had disappeared through one of the barriers, and did -not hear my question. It was something, however, to know that the -adventurous girl was still alive.</p> - -<p>At the shop in the Strand I put the usual inquiry to the -attendant—"How do you find business?"—and he said he found nothing -to complain about, and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> mentioned that I, too, had no cause to -grumble. Hedging slightly, he remarked that he felt sorry that in the -old days, before the war, he had devoted so much time and money to a -favourite hobby; his wife—"She's got a bitter way of talking when -she likes!"—aided and encouraged by her mother, never failed, it -appeared, to hold him up to ridicule of an evening when he returned -home, to take supper. I had given a few vague words of sympathy, and -the counsel to take no notice, and was leaving when he happened to say -that anybody who once began to collect old furniture was considered -by non-collectors as on the road to Colney Hatch. Within ten minutes, -I had promised to wait for him near the post office, and journey -northwards in order to look at his stock, and to see whether I felt -inclined to make an offer, and take the whole lot off his hands. There -would have been less celerity over the early part of the transaction -but that, as I explained to him, it was rarely I found myself so near -to his district, and, as he explained to me, he had, to appease his -wife and her relatives, given the assurance that he was taking active -steps to get rid of the articles which crowded the rooms. On the way, -he suddenly expressed the wish that I had been a member of his own sex. -He did not know what his wife would say when she found he had brought a -lady, unknown to her, into the house. He expressed the view that if the -Zeppelins ever dared to come over London, they would receive from her -as good as they gave.</p> - -<p>The wife quickly informed him of her attitude in regard to my visit. So -soon as he opened the front door of his house with his latch key, and -immediately that she heard my voice, she ordered the two maids to go -upstairs. Herself conducted us into the drawing-room.</p> - -<p>"I've been anticipating this," she said, tearfully, "and I fully -recognise, David, that I'm partly responsible. I've got a jealous -disposition, and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> expect it will be my curse and companion to the -very end of my life."</p> - -<p>"Miss Weston has come here—" he began.</p> - -<p>"I know!" interrupted his wife, finding her handkerchief. "I quite -understand, and the fewer words we exchange on the subject, the better. -Perhaps if there had been children, it might have been different. Very -likely if I had been more tactful in speech, this terrible business -could have been put off for a while. Think as kindly of me as you can, -David."</p> - -<p>"I always do, my dear, and—"</p> - -<p>"No," she contradicted, with a show of truculence. "I'm not going to -allow you to say that. I am ready to take my just share of the blame, -but not more. You know as well as I do that I stand very low in your -estimation, compared for instance with that Oliver Cromwell chair you -picked up somewhere in Essex three years ago. I needn't tell you that -you love that gate table in the next room with a devotion you never -gave to me, even in the early days of our acquaintance. It's been a -hideous blunder, David, this marriage of ours, and now that you have -taken a definite proceeding by bringing another woman into the house—"</p> - -<p>"What a foolish person you are!" I exclaimed.</p> - -<p>"Don't you dare speak to me," she ordered. "David I am sorry for, but -you I consider beneath my estimation. Heaven knows by what tricks and -dodges you have succeeded in weaving your mesh around him."</p> - -<p>"My dear," said her husband, "this lady and I have met this evening for -the first time."</p> - -<p>"That makes it worse, David. But I always suspected you were really -fond of tall women, and I cannot be blind to the fact that I am short -and stout. I only hope—"</p> - -<p>I managed to induce her to cease talking after a while, and, in a few -sharp words, described the reason of my visit. The strange thing was -that so soon as I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> had forced her to comprehend this, her annoyance -with her husband knew no bounds. Why had he mis-led her in this -preposterous manner? Why was he never so happy as when inducing his -poor wife to make herself a laughing stock? As to the furniture, she -felt by no means inclined to allow it to go. Any allusions she had made -in the past were given, she declared, more for the purpose of keeping -up genial conversation than anything else. Certainly, she did not -propose to have the house emptied of half its contents, bought mainly -with her cash, in order to gratify a man who rarely thought of any plan -or scheme likely to make her existence cheerful.</p> - -<p>"Nothing can be done," I remarked to the husband. "It isn't your fault. -I must see about making my way back to Greenwich."</p> - -<p>"I'd like you just to look at my collection," he said. "You're a bit -of an expert, I can tell, and it would be interesting to know what you -think of the purchases I have made during the past ten years. I may -have been taken in over some of them."</p> - -<p>"I can give you fifteen minutes."</p> - -<p>In the list of eccentric people I have met, the lady of this house well -deserves a first place. During the quarter of an hour, her mind went -to every point of the compass. When I said a word in praise of the -half-dozen Hepplewhite chairs, she announced that she would sooner die -than permit anything to be taken out of the house: when I commented -strongly on a faked Sheraton sideboard, she said disconsolately that a -van had better be sent for the rubbish on the following morning. Her -husband was described alternately, as the wisest and shrewdest darling -in the world, and, a moment later, as a drivelling idiot.</p> - -<p>"Don't you think so yourself, ma'am?" she inquired, at one moment.</p> - -<p>"Undoubtedly," I answered.</p> - -<p>It appeared I had carelessly agreed with one of her condemnatory -remarks, and, swirling around, she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> ordered me to leave the house. Who -was I, she would like to know, to venture to criticise her David? What -did I mean by coming there, a perfect stranger, simply in order to hold -her dear one up to ridicule? The dear one conducted me to the front -door, muttering apologies on the way.</p> - -<p>"Never marry anyone who's got money," he counselled.</p> - -<p>"There doesn't seem to be much of a catch in it."</p> - -<p>"Sorry you have been brought all this way for nothing. You've got a -fine night for your journey home, anyway. Fortunately, you're one of -the sensible people who take no notice of all this wild talk about -air-raids. Mind the steps," he added, counting them as I went down. -"One, two, three; that's right!"</p> - -<p>The first thunderous clamouring bang came as he had nearly closed the -door. He rushed out, caught hold of my arm, and pulled me in. Another -tremendous report sounded as we stumbled over the mat. The two maids -rushed wildly down the staircase and, throwing themselves upon me in a -hysterical manner, babbled questions, begged that I would save them, -urged that I should remain in the house for their protection.</p> - -<p>"There's no danger now," I said. "It's all over. The Zepps are a long -way off by this time. Come into this room, and let us see how your -mistress is taking it."</p> - -<p>The lady of the house had fainted with great promptitude, and the -discovery of some one more considerably affected by the incident than -themselves, restored the girls to composure. Dogs were barking out of -doors, and there was shouting by children; the explosions had awakened -birds in the trees at the back of the road. A fire engine went along, -clanging its bell.</p> - -<p>"I'm all serene," announced the astonishing lady, when she was able -to sit up. "Appear to have taken it much more calmly than the rest of -you. It's a great mistake to let the Germans imagine they can<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> frighten -us. David, give the maids something to drink, and let them go upstairs -again."</p> - -<p>She mentioned, when the others were out of the room, that her people -had always been renowned for their courage, and that it was a -considerable help, in time of need, to feel one had to keep up this -reputation. I remarked that the bombs had fallen near enough to excuse -alarm; for myself, I had no desire for a closer acquaintance.</p> - -<p>"Now that they have come once," she said, complacently, "they will come -again. I shouldn't wonder if they arrived every night, regularly."</p> - -<p>"Cheerful anticipation!"</p> - -<p>"I can always look facts in the face," she remarked. "Nothing daunts -me. I possess the heart of a lion. The word 'fear' has no existence -where I am concerned." She went to the mirror, and beamed at her -reflection. "Do you think he will mind giving up the house?"</p> - -<p>Her husband's return saved me the trouble of guessing at the meaning -of this inquiry. He was ordered to find the A.B.C. and, this done, -accepted, with bowed head, all the responsibility for the circumstance -that no train ever left Paddington for Wallingford after nine-fifty p.m.</p> - -<p>"Then I go there, David," she announced, "early to-morrow, and stay -at a farmhouse until the war is over." She asked me rather anxiously -whether I thought the enemy's airships were likely to get so far as -Berkshire, and, meeting a glance from her husband, I gave the opinion -that the county referred to, might be looked upon as safe. In all -likelihood, the Germans had never heard of it. "My view exactly," she -said. "You will get rid of the house, David, and go into your old -bachelor rooms."</p> - -<p>"But the furniture, my dear?"</p> - -<p>"He has no head for management," remarked the lady to me, -apologetically. "You and I must settle this. Name a figure for all the -old stuff, and the remainder can go to one of the auction rooms."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p> - -<p>Her husband, in seeing me once again, to the front door, mentioned, -with a chuckle, that Zeppelin raids had their drawbacks, but that they -did appear to be capable of solving a domestic problem.</p> - -<p>The circumstance that my journey had not been wasted, in a business -sense, helped me to make my way home cheerfully. There was some -excitement amongst the people travelling, a great deal of interest, and -very little of anything resembling nervousness. One or two who had been -at the moment in underground trains regretted their ill-luck in missing -the sights and the sounds, declaring that this was but a sample of the -misfortune which persistently dogged their footsteps through life, and -the others tried to console them up by prophesying hopefully that the -occurrence would undoubtedly be repeated. No one could have complained -that night of the reticence of the Londoner. Everyone talked to -everybody, and one woman with a basket of groundsel possessed special -information that made her seem richer than any of the rest of us; she -exacted a respect that had, it is certain, not hitherto been paid to -her. All the values were, for a time, disturbed. At Greenwich station -I met Mr. Hillier. He was waiting for Miss Katherine and her brother, -who had gone to a theatre, with orders that had been presented to -Master Edward; some of the invented scraps of news had come by the down -trains, and Mr. Hillier was anxious. He walked the three sides of the -courtyard outside the station, and I remembered the announcement thrown -to me by Richards.</p> - -<p>"Well now," he declared, "that is really something to be grateful for. -Muriel is alive, at any rate. But what I can't understand is, why she -is doing it? I don't see the reason. What induced her to run off?"</p> - -<p>"I think, sir, that she was fed up with everything. I imagine that she -wanted to start afresh."</p> - -<p>"But she might have taken you, Weston, or me, or one of us into her -confidence."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Miss Muriel never gave much thought or consideration to other people. -She fixed all her regard upon herself, and for that reason, I feel -pretty sure that she is not likely to come to any harm. There's plenty -of work for girls to do nowadays, and she ought to be taking her share. -But I admit I'd like to know more about what's going on."</p> - -<p>"I had great theories," he remarked, "when I first married about the -bringing up of children. Wonderful theories. Magnificent theories. -And, in the result, the children brought themselves up. With help from -you, Weston. You came along in time to save three of them; if you had -arrived earlier, you might have helped the other one. Don't assume, -because we rarely talk about it, that we forget."</p> - -<p>"Only earnt my wages, sir."</p> - -<p>"I may have taken that view at the time; I see it all more clearly now. -And if you should ever meet any of the maids of the old Chislehurst -establishment, I'd like them to know, Weston, that I appreciated the -services they gave there. I did see one of them on a platform the other -day, and I should have spoken to her, but she and her husband were -travelling first and I was going third." He drew in his breath sharply.</p> - -<p>"You've had a lot to put up with," I remarked, "and, in my opinion, you -have stood it uncommonly well."</p> - -<p>"Don't mind confessing to you, Weston, that at first it took a bit of -doing. Now that I'm in the swing of it, it doesn't require so much -effort. Look at my hands!" They gave evidence of hard work in the -Arsenal. The palms had become hardened; lines were marked darkly; -there was a cut or two, and one finger had the protection of a stall. -"Honourable scars, Weston," he said, rather exultantly. "And there are -some, too, on the mind, that no one can see. Discover from your friend -the guard, so soon as you can, where he caught sight of Muriel. Here -come the other two."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span></p> - -<p>Miss Katherine and Master Edward arrived in the high state of -excitement that youth can gain from a visit to the play; they were not -greatly interested in my news of the raid, but insisted on telling -their father and me, on the way to Gloucester Place, the plot of the -musical comedy they had seen; a task which made a demand upon their -combined efforts. We found Mrs. Hillier waiting up, with a post letter -addressed to her husband that, as she admitted, she had refrained -from opening only by an effort; I could not help recalling the times -when she would have shown no such consideration. The writing was Miss -Muriel's; we made an eager semi-circle to listen to the communication.</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry," said Mr. Hillier, brokenly, "but I—I can't read it. -Weston, you try."</p> - -<p>Miss Muriel gave no address at the head of the letter, and the wording -had something of the romantic and poetic touch that she always -favoured. Having encountered a railway friend of Weston's who mentioned -that her people were worried and perturbed about her, she was now -sending a line to assure her father that she was well, and in no need -of money. Miss Muriel announced that she had engaged upon the task -of re-forming her character, and did not intend to return home until -this process was completed. She sent love to all, "including dear -fussy Weston." The note contained nothing more, and each of us, in -turn, searched it carefully, and held it up to the light, examined the -envelope.</p> - -<p>"Not much," decided Mr. Hillier, "but better than no news."</p> - -<p>"The dear child is in good health anyway," remarked his wife.</p> - -<p>"The dear child," said Miss Katherine, "might have a little more -consideration for her relatives. If I happen to meet the dear child, -I shall talk to her in the manner that Dutch uncles are supposed to -adopt."</p> - -<p>"'Re-forming her character,'" quoted Master<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> Edward, taking the note -again. "'Re-forming,' with a hyphen. I haven't the slightest idea what -she means. A silly phrase, I call it."</p> - -<p>"She means improving it," I said, quickly. "And I like the tone of -her letter. The handwriting is firmer than it used to be. She's in no -trouble, and that's the great thing."</p> - -<p>"But," argued the lad, frowning, "how is she getting money?"</p> - -<p>"This parcel of mine," I said, changing the conversation, and producing -the articles bought in the Strand, "ought I suppose to go in a wooden -box if it is to travel safely to France."</p> - -<p>Miss Katherine, following my lead, inquired regarding the contents, -and pointed out to the others that Weston was sparing no efforts in -the endeavour to trap and secure the Quartermaster-Sergeant. Going on -with her chaff, she expressed the hope that she herself would never -have to adopt such unworthy means in order to capture the affections -of a male bird. Rather than force gifts upon a coy recipient, Miss -Katherine declared she was willing to remain a spinster with nothing in -the shape of love but a deep and unswerving affection for bank work. -Master Edward, coming in on my side, mentioned that Katherine had lent -her opera glasses that evening to an enamoured youth seated beside her -in the stalls. Miss Katherine declared that the gentleman was in no way -enamoured, that his age was well over seventy, and that she had offered -the glasses with no other motive than that of preventing her brother -from gazing through them absorbedly at a six foot lady on the stage. -The two gave us some of the tunes they had heard, acted one of the -scenes.</p> - -<p>"Bed, children," ordered their mother. "You both have to be up early in -the morning."</p> - -<p>"Shan't feel much inclined to turn out."</p> - -<p>"I'll see to that," I promised.</p> - -<p>Whereupon the young people described me as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> curse of the household, -as a woman with an insane craving for breakfast at eight, one devoid of -consideration for anybody under the rank of a Quartermaster-Sergeant. I -put an end to the discussion by taking Miss Katherine in my arms, and -carrying her upstairs as I had often done when she was a small girl; I -threatened to return and perform a like service for Master Edward.</p> - -<p>"Weston," said Miss Katherine, in her room, "joking apart, and speaking -with a full knowledge of the importance of the announcement, let me -tell you in strict confidence, that the hour is not far distant when I -shall not have to depend, for company, upon my respected brother. Of -course we can't insure against war risks, but the outlook, Weston, may -be regarded as hopeful. Decidedly hopeful."</p> - -<p>"When the time comes, miss, I can only hope you will be as happy as you -deserve to be."</p> - -<p>"I am looking forward," remarked the girl, "to being much happier than -that!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Cartwright acknowledged receipt of the package in a long letter written -with such an ineffective pencil that, at first, I did not trouble to -read it to the end; a van, at the moment, was arriving from the north -of London, and the elderly men in charge, explaining that all the -firm's young chaps had enlisted, announced there had been difficulty -enough in loading the furniture; they appeared to regard the task of -discharging it as impossible. Luckily, my brother-in-law, Millwood, -came along: he had some engagements to speak near town, and desired -to take up residence at London Street for a few days. He took off his -coat at once, put on green baize apron, set to work. Sales had been -good at the shop of late, and by a little shifting, and re-arrangement, -space was made. Millwood talked as we engaged upon the job, and I had -difficulty in understanding the trend of his remarks. After a while, -I discovered that he was cultivating<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> alliterativeness in speech, -and, being challenged, he admitted that he found the trick extremely -effective in speaking to audiences.</p> - -<p>"I enjoy myself no end," he remarked, as we carried in an escritoire. -"Generally I'm called upon at the finish, when everybody has just about -had enough of 'igh class talk, and of well-educated chaps saying the -same thing over and over again. I give it to 'em straight from the -shoulder. Definite as a door-knocker. A tornado of truth. An avalanche -of asseverations."</p> - -<p>"And don't they guy you?"</p> - -<p>"In some places, a slight tendency to do this, at the start. But I -tell 'em a pathetic story about a soldier's little daughter, and after -that I can do what I like. I make 'em cry, and I make 'em laugh. The -tribulation of tears, and the deportment of diversion. See what I mean? -And, before I sit down, I turn on the patriotic key, and they shout the -blooming roof half off. Mary Weston, you ought to see the swell ladies -come up afterwards and offer their congratulations."</p> - -<p>"No doubt, a picturesque sight."</p> - -<p>"Sometimes," my brother-in-law went on, chuckling, "sometimes they're -at the railway station to bid me good-bye. Floral tributes. Illustrated -papers. Shaking of hands, and come again soon. Three cheers for Mr. -Millwood. And the other passengers regard me with the envy of—" -he appeared, for a moment, to be floored—"the envy of enthusiasm. -By-the-bye, why didn't my 'Erb come and listen to me when he was home -on leave?"</p> - -<p>"Herbert was busy," I explained. "And he felt anxious about a certain -young woman."</p> - -<p>"A mistake his father never committed," said Millwood. "With the -exception of your poor sister, there's never been one of them able to -exercise the slightest attraction so far as I am personally concerned."</p> - -<p>"You'd better touch wood," I suggested.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> - -<p>The two elderly men were relieved to find the undertaking -satisfactorily completed, and in accepting silver, they mentioned that -if all lady customers were as business-like and as generous as I proved -to be, the drawbacks experienced in emerging from retirement and taking -up active duties would be considerably lightened. "The very female -parties," they asserted, "that were always a-badgering our young chaps -with 'Why aren't you in khaki?' are just the ones that complain now -because some of us old 'uns are a trifle careful in our movements!" -I counselled them not to place too much importance on exceptional -cases, and called their notice to the fact that women-folk were doing -remarkably good work in munition factories, and elsewhere. The aged -carmen closed the debate with the remark that it took all sorts to make -a world.</p> - -<p>"I overheard your talk," said Millwood, when we sat at a meal, in the -back room, "and it's give me an idea that I shall dove-tail into my -speech at Croydon this evening. It may be that, in the past, I've taken -somewhat 'arsh views in regard to members of your sex. Probably I have -shown a certain aloofness so far as they are concerned. A deportment of -disdain. An attitude of inattention."</p> - -<p>"I don't suppose they minded."</p> - -<p>"Not too late to make amends," he argued. "It'll come rather well from -me to pay them a sort of a veiled compliment. I shall be careful, -mind you. If they want the fulsomeness of flattery, or the slavery of -serfdom, they must go to other quarters. I made a fool of myself over a -woman once, by going out of my way to marry her, but—never again!" He -shook his head, knowingly. "Once bit, twice shy."</p> - -<p>"That describes your attitude fairly well," I said. "Shy is just what -you are. You're always awkward, but you're more clumsy than ever when -you're in the presence of women-folk."</p> - -<p>"It's a disappointed female who's making that statement," he declared, -warmly. "Oh, yes," as I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> protested, "I know very well what I'm talking -about. I've noticed a difference in you ever since that bill was passed -making it legal to marry your wife's deceased sister—" Millwood found -himself in a tangle of words, and his annoyance increased. He rose and -went across to the mantelpiece to find matches. "Who is this letter in -the green envelope from?"</p> - -<p>"The Quartermaster-Sergeant who was so kind when Master John was -missing."</p> - -<p>"Can I read it?"</p> - -<p>"If your eyesight is good enough. It only came just now, and I am not -sure that I finished it."</p> - -<p>Millwood explained that he sometimes picked up useful snips of -information from letters written near the trenches, and, putting on -his glasses, he went through the numbered pages of the communication. -Towards the end he began to frown. At the finish he threw the sheets on -the table, with a gesture of irritation.</p> - -<p>"Well," he said, curtly. "What are you going to do about it?"</p> - -<p>"I shall write to him, I suppose, when I can find time. They like to -receive correspondence out there. Makes them realise they are not -forgotten."</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes! But how are you going to answer him? What sort of a reply do -you intend to give? I'm one of the family, and I have a right to know." -To my surprise, he took hold of my arm, and shook me. "You women!" he -shouted. "Upon my word, you do know how to exasperate. It's my belief, -you find a certain delight in trying to send a man clean off his 'ead."</p> - -<p>"An easy job, enough, in some cases. Let me glance at Cartwright's -letter, and see what it is that has upset you."</p> - -<p>"Read page four," he commanded.</p> - -<p>It was impossible to avoid smiling, and this sent Millwood raging up -and down the small room. The Quartermaster-Sergeant wrote that he -wished to marry<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> me so soon as the war was over, or, if I preferred it, -at an earlier date; he begged that an answer should be despatched at -once—"that the subject can be off my mind."</p> - -<p>"Look here, Mary Weston," said Millwood, shaking a fore-finger at me, -in his platform way. "You've got a mad, wild, reckless, tempestuous -nature—"</p> - -<p>"Don't be ridiculous. I'm one of the most self-possessed—"</p> - -<p>"Where love is concerned," he insisted, "all women are alike. I know -'em well. I've studied 'em. And I ask you to put this soldier chap off. -Postpone him, so to speak. Let your decision be definitely deferred. -Treat his offer in a lady-like manner, but allow him to see that you -are in no way eager to march immediately into the madness of matrimony."</p> - -<p>"What I can't understand is why you are in such a state of alarm and -excitement. What on earth has it to do with you?"</p> - -<p>"Everything!" he declared. "My future is at stake. My happiness is in -peril. My career——" He glanced at the clock. "Hang it," he cried, "I -shall be late for my meeting if I don't fly."</p> - -<p>I brushed his hat, and gave it to him. Reminded him of his pipe. -Hurried after him with his walking stick.</p> - -<p>"Daresay I seem somewhat peculiar in my style," he remarked, more -composedly. "But the fact of it is, Mary Weston, I came home here with -the full and definite intention of proposing to you, myself!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XI</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">My</span> mother used to say that everything in this world went by threes, and -it surprised me but little to receive a prepaid telegram from William -Richards; in his anxiety to economise he succeeded in being obscure, -but I gained that he wished to marry me. (Subsequently I discovered -he had the chance of an inspectorship at a suburban station, and -entertained a fear that he might experience loneliness.) To Cartwright -I sent a friendly note asking him to renew the suggestion when we were -better acquainted with each other. At the back of my head, there was -an apprehension that the success of the business in London Street had -something to do with all this striking unanimity.</p> - -<p>"Seeing that I've waited so long," I remarked to myself, "I may as well -wait a bit longer, and make sure I'm acting wisely."</p> - -<p>I wrote to William, giving a fuller explanation than a telegram -permitted, and asked for detailed information regarding his encounter -with Miss Muriel. He may have been huffed at my reply; in any case, he -did not send the particulars.</p> - -<p>The shop just then engaged me so much that not until Miss Katherine -called my attention to the fact did I notice a change in her mother's -appearance. July happened to be a warm month; there was a Sunday -in it when the heat proved trying, and Mrs. Hillier, going out to -the Park with old Captain Winterton and his wife, returned with the -confession that she felt inclined for rest. I arranged a holiday for -her without delay. The bank was, very generously, giving Miss Katherine -a fortnight, although she had not completed a year of work, and Master -Edward found himself able to get away; able too, by virtue<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> of his -position, to obtain passes. Mr. Hillier said it would be useless for -him to make any application for leave at the Arsenal. So I packed -the three off to a town on the Suffolk coast, and it occurred to us, -as they were leaving, that nearly twelve months had elapsed since a -holiday trip was stopped; we agreed that the time—closely packed as it -had been with incident—seemed more like ten years than one.</p> - -<p>"You ought to be coming with us," they said.</p> - -<p>"Expect me at the first week end. I'm single-handed, you must remember."</p> - -<p>"One hand of yours, Weston dear," remarked Miss Katherine, "is worth -four belonging to anybody else." She took me aside. "What made you -select this particular sea coast town for us, you wonderful person?"</p> - -<p>"Seeing that letters arrive for you every other day with that post -mark——"</p> - -<p>"Weston," she said, "I do believe you are growing young. I detect a -strain of romance that you have not hitherto exhibited. It shows how -much influence is possessed by a Quartermaster-Sergeant in the Guards."</p> - -<p>I closed the shop early on the Saturday. The Wintertons promised to -look after Mr. Hillier at Gloucester Place. My train on the Great -Eastern was crowded, although excursion fares had long since been -cancelled, and a guard put me in a first-class compartment where the -passenger immediately opposite was Colonel Edgington, formerly of -Chislehurst, and for some time absent from my memory. Apparently I -too was but vaguely in his recollection, for he grasped me warmly -by the hand, assured me he was delighted to see me again, offered -congratulations on my appearance of good health. I was about to speak -of the Hilliers, when he started the topic of himself and his own work, -and the subject occupied the whole of the journey. It appeared he was -engaged at the War Office, that he had not a single moment to call his -own,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> that he was working as he had never worked before, that he was -now on the way to a point in the Eastern Counties which he could not -mention (but I guessed it by the ticket that was visible in the palm -of his glove) there to engage upon a task that he was not at liberty -to disclose (he told me all about it ere we reached Chelmsford). The -others in the compartment looked at me with respect as we chatted.</p> - -<p>"And tell me, dear lady," he said, towards the end of the journey. "I'd -like to know something about yourself. Busily engaged, I'll wager, at -this period of stress and turmoil. Eh, what! Funds, and societies, and -associations, and so forth. I've seen your name in the papers, over and -over again."</p> - -<p>"How was it spelt?"</p> - -<p>"In the way you always spell it," he answered, promptly.</p> - -<p>"But how do you spell my name?"</p> - -<p>"To tell you the truth," he confessed, "I've a most remarkable gift for -identifying faces, but I can't always find the right label. Give me a -clue, in your own case."</p> - -<p>"Chislehurst," I answered. "The Hillier family. A fire, and your -kindness when it happened."</p> - -<p>He occupied the rest of the time by blessing his soul, and reprimanding -his memory, and explaining that his thoughts were occupied with -important affairs. He was incredulous regarding my news concerning his -old friend—</p> - -<p>"Not working in the Arsenal? Good Lord! Whatever will happen next in -these times?"</p> - -<p>—He assured me that, in making a large number of new acquaintances, -he found no one so companionable as Mr. Hillier, nobody with whom he -could argue on a perfectly amicable note. Sending my mind back to the -disputes that used to take place, I could not help estimating the -degree of warmth that existed in present-day debates between Colonel -Edgington and his friends. He asked for the address of the private -hotel where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> Mrs. Hillier and the two young people were staying, and -promised to call on the Sunday.</p> - -<p>"I find life perplexing, Weston," he admitted confidentially, -before leaving at Saxmundham. "Everything seems to be undergoing an -alteration. As for instance; in talking to you I've somehow felt as -though I was conversing with one almost my own equal in intelligence." -It was a great temptation to retort that I had never shared this, in -talking to him. But there were people in the world more deserving of -being snapped at than Colonel Edgington.</p> - -<p>Aldeburgh gave reminders of the war that I had not hitherto -encountered. At Greenwich, one saw troops marching about, but there -was no suggestion that any possibility of invasion existed. Here, Miss -Katherine and Master Edward pointed out to me excitedly the barbed wire -protections on the beach, the trenches with the usual names—Paradise -Terrace, Fairy Glen, A Home from Home—mine sweepers were coming -in, and we watched the ships taking up position, and the crews -disembarking. Up and down the coast, sea traffic appeared to be going -on as usual; Master Edward gave us a lecture on the useful work done -by the British navy. In the absence of his father, the lad was taking -charge of the women-folk, planning the day for them, and surprising me -by his grown-up manner: it seemed that but a week or ten days since -he was a school-boy with no greater anxiety in his mind than that his -county should win cricket matches. At the private hotel where Mrs. -Hillier welcomed me, Edward talked gravely of war affairs, and recited -scraps of information he had picked up during the afternoon, gave views -about the Russian retreat, saw that the thick blinds were carefully -drawn so soon as the lights had been turned on. In this last regard, -there was nothing casual in the military control. When a match was -struck near an unprotected window, a soldier's voice from below shouted -imperiously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Put that light out there!"</p> - -<p>And later, came the challenging that was new to me; the circumstance -of it being given with a strong London accent made me think of it, -at first, as a joke. "'Alt, who gaows there? Advaunce friend, and -give the cahntersign. Paws friend; all's well!" Master Edward gave -me a brief abstract of the rules to be observed in the case of -attack from the sea; the general impression I secured was that you -would do well to make the way inland by the main roads, and that as -these would be required for military purposes, no civilians could be -allowed to use them. That night, the Germans did make an invasion on -the Suffolk coast, and I found myself, insufficiently clad for the -journey, and with shoes that came off at every other step, carrying -Mrs. Hillier, and Miss Katherine, and Master Edward; the progress, -not unnaturally, was slow, and I felt so gratified at encountering -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright that I awoke suddenly in my room. -(Other people's dreams are rarely interesting, but I have never failed -to take great account of my own, and I sometimes wish that, during all -the long years of suspense and perturbation, I had set down details of -them for my own reading. It is not easy now to calculate the number -of times between ten o'clock p.m. and six o'clock a.m. that I led a -British regiment to victory, and made, with my own hands, a prisoner -of the Emperor William.) In the morning I had a definite reminder -of the war in being called upon to fill in a Registration Form for -New Residents and Visitors, with present address in the area, date -of arrival in the area. A refined lady boarder complained that the -Government seemed to be treating us all as though we were kitchen maids.</p> - -<p>It was strange to be in a house where the early hours brought no -domestic tasks for me, and to find myself able to dress leisurely, and -completely for the early meal. Master Edward ejaculated "My Aunt!" as -I entered the coffee room, and Miss Katherine—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>observing that other -residents nodded privately to each other as though the remark confirmed -their estimate of relationship—at once adopted the idea.</p> - -<p>"We shall be proud, madam," she declared, across the table, "to include -such a considerable swell as yourself amongst the family. You will -do us credit. Your presence raises us in the general estimation. You -are, dear Aunt Weston, as my poor brother here endeavoured to convey, -nothing more nor less than a fashion plate. You are the last word from -Hanover Square. I am not using the language of exaggeration, but merely -the speech of candid compliment, when I describe you as absolutely It."</p> - -<p>"You are learning how to dress yourself," said Mrs. Hillier.</p> - -<p>"Miss Katherine gave me the first lessons."</p> - -<p>"Aunts," said the girl, decisively, "do not, in the best society, call -their nieces by the title of Miss. Aunt Weston, I'll trouble you to -hike over the toast."</p> - -<p>It took me some time to become used to the new regulation, but the -young people insisted it was to be observed. The proprietress spoke to -me in the hall, and, in regretting the brevity of my visit, suggested -that the holiday had already done my sister and her children a vast -amount of good; the remark showed how quickly inaccurate news is -able to circulate. The proprietress wanted information in regard to -my niece's marriage prospects, but on this point I could give no -particulars, and she said it was only fair to tell me that a young -lieutenant named Langford had been offering attentions to Miss Hillier, -that she and several other ladies at the hotel feared Miss Hillier's -mother knew nothing about it; a sense of duty, together with a feeling -of responsibility made it difficult for them to keep silent. There -were, in the general opinion of the hotel, too many hasty marriages -nowadays, and attractive girls, from some idea of patriotism, or a -notion of acute sentiment—</p> - -<p>"It certainly isn't love," declared the proprietress,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> earnestly. "At -any rate, not love as I've always been brought up to understand it."</p> - -<p>The girls, she declared, found themselves whirled off to the altar, or -dashing away to a registrar's office, before they had taken time to -give the subject due, solemn and appropriate consideration. I assured -the lady that, in calling my notice to the incident, she had done -everything that could be expected from any right-minded woman. She -seemed greatly comforted, and went off, I am sure, to report to the -authorities.</p> - -<p>Lieutenant Langford was so tremendously and perhaps extravagantly -astonished at meeting us near the Moat House, which Katherine had urged -me to inspect, that he was at the start almost deprived of speech. The -other strange detail was that he happened to have leave for the day, -that he had invited a group of friends to join him in a yachting trip -up the river, and every one of them had sent an excuse. Young Langford -begged us to realise the situation in which he was placed, and to -suggest a way out. The yacht was waiting with an efficient sailorman -in charge; baskets of provisions aboard, and just enough wind for a -pleasant trip.</p> - -<p>"Deuced awkward, you must admit," he argued.</p> - -<p>"Why not take these two young people?" I asked. Langford struck himself -on the chest for not having thought of this. "I'll stay here with their -mother, and you bring them back in time for tea."</p> - -<p>"It's a brain wave," declared Katherine. "Aunt Weston, how bright you -are! I'll run back to the hotel, and change my hat for a veil."</p> - -<p>I had persuaded Mrs. Hillier the trip was a safe one to be undertaken, -and we were waiting for Katherine's return, when Colonel Edgington came -along. One could tell from the glint in his eyes that he was about to -exercise authority.</p> - -<p>"Well-known poet man," he announced, speaking the manner of drum taps. -"Lived not many miles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> from here. We'll make up a party." Langford -was presented; the Colonel eyed him sternly, until the young fellow -blushed. "Ever heard of Mark Higham?"</p> - -<p>Langford seemed puzzled.</p> - -<p>"A Persian writer," I said, interposing. And gave the correct -pronunciation of the name. "Fitzgerald translated his verses."</p> - -<p>"Any good?" demanded the Colonel.</p> - -<p>"Generally considered to be readable."</p> - -<p>"Very well then. We'll go and see his grave. Appropriate occupation -for a Sunday. Nothing sacrilegious about it." He turned sharply to -Langford. "You'll come with us."</p> - -<p>"Delighted, sir," said the young officer, endeavouring to appear -gratified.</p> - -<p>"And you, Weston."</p> - -<p>"I am going on the river," I answered, "with Miss Katherine, and Master -Edward. We particularly want Lieutenant Langford to look after the -yacht."</p> - -<p>"Mrs. Hillier," he said, frowning, "I ask you to give me your support. -Nothing annoys me more than to see plans upset."</p> - -<p>"The original plans were ours," I said, "and it is you who are trying -to upset them."</p> - -<p>He tried the effect of a glare upon me. The others stood around, -watching anxiously.</p> - -<p>"I've often crossed swords with you, Weston," he said, relaxing, -"and I can't remember a single occasion when I came off anything but -second best. Have your own way. Consider me at your disposal." He -took Langford aside, and mentioned confidentially to him and to Miss -Katherine, who had now come up, that in dealing with an exceptional -woman, it was necessary to act in an exceptional manner. The young -people, agreeing cordially, ventured to hint that he had shown tact and -diplomacy of a high order.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Hillier and the Colonel went off in an open<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> carriage, and we -walked along the sea front to something like a quay, where we descended -wooden steps, receiving assistance from a sailor who was waiting with -a dinghy. "You're a tidyish bit late," he grumbled. I record this -speech because they were the only articulate words we heard from him -in the course of the trip. On the yacht that was lying out, he made -vocal sounds in lifting the anchor, but these, I fancy, were intended -to represent melody; when Langford or Edward made an attempt later to -help with the ropes, he grunted ejaculations, and the tone in which -these were uttered gave the impression that they conveyed blame rather -than praise. For the rest, a capable man, gifted in the management of -sails, and acquainted with all the tricks of the wind; as a consequence -we out-distanced other craft going in the same direction, and arrived -at a village before the hour for lunch. By nods of the head, he ordered -us to get into the dinghy that had followed the yacht with an air of -being dragged against its will, and to pull to the shore; a fore-finger -uplifted indicated that we were to return at one o'clock.</p> - -<p>Miss Katherine and her sweetheart had been slightly awed by his -presence, and with myself and Edward seated opposite, they engaged on -no more reckless adventure than the exchange of affectionate glances. -Once on land, they gave to folk coming out of church the sight of a -young officer of His Majesty's Army running hand in hand with a girl, -equally fleet in movement; the two raced towards the old Castle, and -went up the slope with as much ease as though the ground were flat. -Edward showed a discretion beyond his years by remaining at my side, -and adopting the gait of maturity. Looking at the couple as they -waved to us from afar I could not help thinking that youth was the -only time for love, and that when it came at middle age, whether with -Quartermaster-Sergeants, or railway men, or public speakers, it brought -an element of sobriety that constituted a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> drawback. Another point of -view was given by my companion.</p> - -<p>"They make themselves rather ridiculous," complained Edward. "I've no -objection to high spirits but the line ought to be drawn. People are -watching them, you know, and making comments."</p> - -<p>"And the beauty of it all is, they don't care in the least."</p> - -<p>"Girls are so foolish," declared the wise lad. "There seems to be no -limit to their idiocy. Why in the world a sensible fellow like Langford -should permit himself to take a share in such absurdities, I can't -imagine."</p> - -<p>A motor car stood in the roadway, occupied by two extremely tall ladies -who had apparently decided to allow the rest of their party to make -the ascent to the Castle. One said, before we were out of hearing, -"Bright, smart-looking lad!" and Edward held his head erect, and said -no more on the subject of the eccentricities of folk who are in love. -He was impressed, too, by finding just inside the door of the ruins, a -portly gentleman who said, "Ah, my boy, enjoying your holidays? That's -right, that's right, that's right!" Edward whispered to me that this -was a very high official in railway life; so exalted, indeed, that -to be spoken to by him in this familiar way might be reckoned as a -special compliment, and one that would not easily go from the memory. -We went up narrow stone staircases of the Castle to upper floors, and -discovered Langford and Katherine with their heads close together; -Edward's excitement over the recent encounter prevented him from -offering criticism. From an opening in the walls he begged us to share -the joy of watching the important man, seated on the grass below—</p> - -<p>"You'd never guess he was anyone particular, would you?"</p> - -<p>Filling a pipe and seemingly in no hurry to rejoin the very tall ladies -who were beckoning to him from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> the car, Langford said casually, "Oh, -I know him!" and turned again to Katherine. Compared with her, even a -great personage seemed of no account. The pipe was not finished when we -descended and came out again into the open; Edward gave an ejaculation -of warning as Langford strolled across to the smoker.</p> - -<p>"Hullo, uncle," he said. "What on earth are you doing in this -neighbourhood?"</p> - -<p>The other raised himself with Langford's assistance, and shook hands. -Langford made the introductions. Sir Charles Barrett.</p> - -<p>"This youngster I know," said Sir Charles, breezily. "We meet, don't -we, my boy, in different surroundings." Edward was so much affected by -the generosity of the remark that he could not answer. "Your aunt"—to -Langford—"is along there with her sister in the car. Go and keep them -good tempered until I have emptied my pipe. One can't enjoy tobacco -when one's driving."</p> - -<p>"Care to have food with us out on the river?"</p> - -<p>"Settle it with your aunt, my lad. Let her arrange. Leave the decision -to her. As a matter of fact, we were on our way to discover you."</p> - -<p>There seemed at first a possibility that the new additions to the -group would mar enjoyment of the day. Lunch on the yacht was to be a -crowded business, and ladies of uncertain temper are rarely at their -best in these surroundings. But Lady Barrett was delighted to see her -nephew, and beamed graciously upon Miss Katherine and upon me: her -sister repeated the comment on Edward's appearance, and chatted to him, -inviting his views in regard to cricket in the past, and in the future. -The capable sailorman had everything prepared on board, and Langford -and Katherine went into the cabin to serve the meal; the rest of us sat -outside with Sir Charles and Edward on the cabin roof, all ready to -catch food as it was thrown, and to pull corks, mix salads, cut bread, -pass the salt.</p> - -<p>It was some time ere the lad managed to get over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> his astonishment at -seeing a respected and distinguished colleague behaving as an ordinary -person: I think Edward would not have succeeded in emerging from -silence during the lunch but for the occasional words of encouragement -sent up from Lady Barrett's sister. The sailor took his own well-filled -plate and retired to the cubby-hole; the yacht was well away from -both shores, and there was nothing to prevent us from taking up the -attitude of comfort. The meal over, and plates washed in the river, -and tidiness restored, Sir Charles, with no sort of warning, stood up -and in a baritone voice slightly out of practice, aided by a memory -that could not be described as perfect, gave a song appropriate to the -times, about "A soldier who never knows fear, But battles for those -he holds dear, And fa la la lah, and fa la la lah, Oh, as he goes -by, how we cheer." Young Langford and Katherine sang a duet from one -of the musical comedies with words which hinted at a light-hearted, -almost derisive view regarding the element of constancy in love, and -on this Lady Barrett's sister shook her head, and gave signs of tears, -and Lady Barrett patted her hand sympathetically, saying, "I know who -you are thinking of, dearest, but believe me he is not worthy of it!" -and the sister, recovering, smiled bravely, thus providing Edward -with an excuse for giving up a scowling determination to murder some -person of the male sex, name unknown. Lady Barrett's sister, after -much persuasion, agreed to recite. She mentioned, however, that it -was necessary for an exhibition of her art that she should face her -audience, and we had to gather together and sit closely, whilst she -took up a position at the cabin door and gave a long scene in dramatic -form, to which we were compelled to give earnest attention for a space -of eighteen minutes by the wrist watch; all the gentlemen in the -tragedy spoke huskily as though suffering from colds or drink, and all -the ladies possessed gentle, almost childish voices; it might have -filled the half hour but that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> sailorman appeared and jerked a -thumb in the direction of home. The visitors prepared to leave.</p> - -<p>"Perfectly beautiful," declared Edward, rapturously. "Never heard -anything like it. Superb! May I ask the name of the author?" Lady -Barrett's sister pointed in a modest, and also an exhausted, way at -herself, and the lad gazed dreamily as one recognising that powers of -compliment were, in the circumstances, of no avail. Lady Barrett's -sister remarked to me that elocutionary efforts constituted an enormous -strain upon the mind and the body; in her own case it often meant -compulsory rest in a darkened room for the whole of the following day. -Lady Barrett, when her six-foot relative had, with the assistance -of the whole strength of the company, stepped from the yacht to the -dinghy, told us, in confidence, that London managers had often and -often gone on their knees to the lady, begging and imploring her to -play in Macbeth, but terms had never been arranged, because one of the -parties insisted that it was impossible for her to perform Scene One, -Act Five, on account of the language set down, and the managers—slaves -to convention—were unable to meet her views by deleting the sanguinary -incident. Langford took his people off to find their car in the garage, -and we exchanged signals of farewell when they reached the small quay. -I imagine the four of us left on the yacht were perfectly content. The -sailor had the prospect of returning home, and later, of an hour or -two at the Turk's Head; Katherine, meeting her sweetheart's relatives, -had been favourably received by them; Edward had fallen in love with -someone about three times his own age; I had been treated with no sign -of patronage.</p> - -<p>It was indeed the sort of day which, coming in those strenuous and -exacting times, helped one to cheer up, and to live on, and to preserve -hope. Without being in any way indifferent to the war, folk discovered -it useful now and again to become detached from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> it, and to escape -grim fears, and needless multiplication. (So far as multiplication was -concerned, dwellers in town were the great sufferers. Occasionally when -I had to run up to London from Greenwich, and the news of some disaster -at sea happened to be announced on the countless placards, then, in -finishing the journey, the vague notion in my mind was not that we had -lost one cruiser, but that the entire British navy had gone down.) -On the voyage back, Katherine and her young Lieutenant held hands, -and forgot, for a space, the troubles of our banking system, and the -complications of military strategy. The climax to a happy period came -when Mrs. Hillier met us on the sea front near to the lifeboat shed.</p> - -<p>"Aunt Weston must be told something at once," she declared, when the -young people began to give an account of their experiences. "Something -Colonel Edgington ascertained this afternoon. Her nephew has obtained a -commission in a regiment stationed not far from here. He is coming home -to do work at musketry practice."</p> - -<p>"Ladies and gentlemen," said Katherine, "I ask you to give three cheers -for Lieutenant Millwood."</p> - -<p>It is possible the Aldeburgh people thought we were slightly off our -heads. If so, the Aldeburgh people were correct.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I travelled to town that evening in a crowded compartment of the class -named on my ticket, and whilst my fellow passengers slept, I kept awake -and enjoyed my dreams. Young Langford, in seeing me off at the station, -had explained to me that although his aunt and her husband had regarded -himself and Katherine with approval, he felt by no means certain that -this view would be shared by his father; to avoid a row and to escape -anything like a dispute with a parent whom he had always obeyed, he -proposed, in the case of being ordered out, to come up to London and -take Katherine to a registrar's office. Langford<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> hoped he might count -upon me, both for help and for discretion.</p> - -<p>"You know she is only a clerk in a bank?" I suggested. "Not sure -whether you have been told. We don't want misunderstandings."</p> - -<p>"The dear girl has told me everything," he declared, earnestly. "And -it will be a most tremendous comfort to me when I'm out there, to know -that her days are occupied, and that she has a rare, good friend in -you!"</p> - -<p>My open-eyed dreams regarded my nephew Herbert. The war had, so far as -he was concerned, shuffled the cards afresh, and by the hour the train -reached Liverpool Street, I had settled comfortably in my mind how the -new hand was to be played.</p> - -<p>"Miss Muriel shan't have him!" I promised myself.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XII</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">I assured</span> Katherine, more than once, that whatever the need for secrecy -so far as Lieutenant Langford was concerned, no necessity of the kind -existed in her case. She pleaded to be allowed to have her own way, -reminded me that Harry particularly desired that the fewest folk -possible should know, and eventually settled the question by informing -me, on the best authority, that her bank did not favour the assistance -of married girls.</p> - -<p>"I make no promise," I said, "but I shall do what I think best."</p> - -<p>"That will be quite good enough, aunt dear," she agreed. "And may -Providence reward you suitably by giving you a husband of your own."</p> - -<p>"One might look upon that more as a punishment."</p> - -<p>"Foolish scoffer!" she remarked.</p> - -<p>Colonel Edgington came to Gloucester Place, and Mr. Hillier was glad to -see him, but the evening could not be reckoned a success, because the -caller harped upon an idea of obtaining for Mr. Hillier a soft job of -some kind in Whitehall, and Mr. Hillier declared himself well contented -with his present occupation. He gave details of this with great relish -to the visitor, and Colonel Edgington commented with disparaging -comments, such as,</p> - -<p>"Bah!"</p> - -<p>"Pooh!"</p> - -<p>"Gah!"</p> - -<p>"Brrrh!"</p> - -<p>It seemed likely that friendship would diminish if meetings were to be -conducted on these lines, and in seeing the Colonel out, at the end, I -urged him not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> to call again for a week. Within that period I found a -three-quarter size billiard table in good condition, late the property -of a local club now, owing to the absence of youthful members, in need -of money. Katherine and I cleared out the half room, half conservatory -at the back of the rooms occupied by the Wintertons, and used by the -old couple as a lumber room for odd articles accumulated during a -lifetime, and of no use, as we managed to persuade them, of no use to -anybody. Apart, the Captain assured me he had been for years anxious -to destroy the rubbish, but feared this might pain his wife, and she -declared to me in private that her impression had always been that he -valued the collection dearly. We set up thick curtains over the glass, -arranged for the electric light to be fixed over the table, placed a -high long seat against the wall for the use of spectators, and when -Colonel Edgington paid his next visit, he and Mr. Hillier were taken -down to the newly furnished room, and the old sea captain, with great -importance, took up the position of marker. The game not only checked -conversation on a debatable subject, but brought the two chums into -something like their former terms of intimacy; each discovered an -excuse for the other when any failure occurred, and said,</p> - -<p>"If you had been playing on a full-size table, that stroke of yours -would have come off!"</p> - -<p>Captain Winterton was well intentioned at the scoring board, but -seldom remembered who was spot and who was plain, and his wife, with -many apologies for intruding upon the company of gentlemen, entered to -assist him in the perplexing task, with the result that one of the two -opponents, at the close of the game, was able to declare, upstairs, -that he would not have been the first to reach the two hundred if -the score had been correctly kept. The time came when Edward offered -to give lessons to the old captain, and this was self-denying on the -part of the lad, for no plan, however ingeniously devised—giving -eighty-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>five in a hundred, or three strokes to one—ever assisted -Captain Winterton to get near to a close finish. We encouraged him with -judicious flattery, and although he usually took about two minutes -to decide how to play a ball, he invariably declared that his one -fault was recklessness; this defect amended, he felt sure he would be -numbered amongst the experts. Meanwhile, he quickly adopted one method -of the billiard room by giving copious and truculent advice to Edward, -using for this a booming fog-horn voice, altogether different from his -normal tones.</p> - -<p>"Play it off the cushion, my lad!" And "For Heaven's sake, don't pot -the red; the white's in baulk!" And "Chalk your cue, sir; damme, chalk -your cue!" The game over, and the result announced, he went back to the -usual manner of courtesy. One advantage gained from the presence of the -old gentleman was that as he still declined to argue about the war, or -to recognise that it existed, all of us, including Colonel Edgington, -decided to imitate this peculiarity.</p> - -<p>Which did not mean that our minds were permitted, for long, to escape -the subject. From a customer, I heard that some exchanged men had -arrived at the Third London General Hospital at Wandsworth, and I went -over there on a Wednesday afternoon that Millwood was able to give to -the shop, to ascertain whether any of them had been in the camp from -which Master John's letters and post cards, with now and again an -alteration in number, or company, or barracks, were now dated. There -was some trouble at the gates because I had no permit, but I mentioned -I had come from Greenwich, and the sentry, remarking with pride that -his birthplace was Maze Hill, found a solution of the difficulty. "I'll -turn my back," he said, "and pretend to have a sudden fit of a cough: -you take advantage of my infirmity, and slip through."</p> - -<p>Maimed soldiers in blue uniforms were about on the sloping lawn that -went to the railway; some had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> groups of friends around them, and a few -were alone. I went past the main building, and entered a corridor that -took me past a number of wards, well ventilated, cheerful and with the -faint scent of anæsthetics, and to nurses I put an inquiry; for the -most part they could give no information, but one or two suggested C5. -Outside C5 I found two men who had no visitors, and they replied to my -question alertly and re-assuringly. They had said good-bye to Corporal -Hillier but five days previously. He had gone up for examination with -the others selected, but was sent back. They felt certain he would come -along in the next group. They said Corporal Hillier was bright and -well; his knowledge of French and German proved helpful. Being amongst -the wounded, he was not called upon to perform arduous tasks. Both said -the treatment was as good as one could hope for, excepting in regard -to food. "The food, miss, is absolutely—well, there's no word for it! -At any rate, not one that could be repeated to you." They agreed that -no British prisoner could keep alive unless he received parcels from -home, and assured me Corporal Hillier was more fortunate than many in -this respect. "He gets two a week, he does, regular, besides them from -his own family. Two a week, sent by a particular donah of his called -Weston. We've noticed her name on the labels." I was about to make -further inquiries, but a child's voice at the doorway of C5 called -"Daddie—Daddie. Don't you know me?" and one hobbled off to greet the -little girl; the other man was summoned by a Yorkshireman who, engaged -in writing a letter, needed some counsel in regard to spelling. On -my return I noticed in the wards of the corridor, one or two men in -their beds who looked dejected and tired of everything; a Sister was -explaining to some callers that these suffered from gas poison. For -the rest, they were so cheery, and good-spirited that you might have -thought—to look at their features, and to disregard their injured -bodies—that they had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> taking a share in nothing more serious than -a rather exhilarating football match.</p> - -<p>The times were all the more interesting because the age of miracles -re-appeared. In a local hospital which I visited, with Katherine, on -Sunday afternoons, there was a young soldier afflicted with loss of -speech, following upon shell-shock. He proved a ready student, and we -were gratified by the way in which, under our tuition, he picked up the -deaf and dumb alphabet. We might have saved ourselves the trouble. One -afternoon we called, and went directly to his corner, prepared to give -advanced lessons.</p> - -<p>"Begun to think," he remarked, in a natural voice, "that you two were -going to give me the slip. What's delayed you?"</p> - -<p>It appeared that on the Saturday, a group of amateurs had come to give -a harlequinade entertainment. One dressed as a clown, in going through -the ward, advanced playfully towards our soldier, holding out the red -painted poker that was to take a share in the acting. The youth started -back affrighted, and speaking for the first time for months, told the -clown to be careful, adding that he had no desire to find himself -burnt. From that moment, onwards, he made up by vivacious conversation -for the period of enforced silence.</p> - -<p>Hospitals could scarcely be evaded by anybody, and you never knew -whom you might meet there. For instance, a customer of mine, after -declaring that she would add nothing to her collection of old -furniture on the grounds that money should be saved and lent to the -Government, discovered in a friend's house a Queen Anne tallboy chest, -and a craving for possession took hold of her. The friend resolutely -declined to sell; my customer came to me with an urgent appeal. I saw -an advertisement of one from a London square, and although I begrudged -the trouble of the journey, and the giving up of time, I went to town; -spent a brisk three-quarters of an hour in haggling with a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> gentleman -who knew more of the subject than I had ever attempted to learn; made -a feint of coming away and was re-called by him, to listen to a frank -statement of eagerness to sell. On this, I fixed upon an Adam elbow -chair, affecting to have lost all interest in the tallboy chest. I -eventually obtained the chest at less than the figure I had first -offered. On the best of terms now, he made me promise that before -returning to Greenwich I would inspect the glass windows, not far off, -which had been broken in an air raid of a few nights before.</p> - -<p>On the way I noticed that a hospital where wounded soldiers were -sunning themselves outside, announced a Pound Day and a grand -entertainment for the current date. Remembering the profit I was to -make out of the chest bargain, I went up the steps, put my sovereign on -the matron's table. I think it was the rare sight of gold that caused -the official lady to exhibit particular gratitude—there were several -notes there signed by Mr. Bradbury—and anyway I found myself taken by -her to the out-patient's department where a show was being given by a -first class set of good-natured theatrical folk. (There seemed to be no -limits to the kindness of their profession).</p> - -<p>The matron caught sight of me as I was leaving, and dropped everything -in order to intercept. I had not signed her Visitor's Book. I must -undoubtedly sign her Visitor's Book. Her Visitor's Book would be -valueless without my signature. On the same page, and but a couple of -entries above, appeared the name of Herbert Millwood. It seemed my -nephew was upstairs visiting one of the men, and feeling myself well -repaid now for a burst of generosity, I waited outside for him.</p> - -<p>"No, aunt," he said, when I made a suggestion concerning the raid as -we walked in the crowded main road. "Smashed glass belonging to other -people makes no call to me. Broken hopes belonging to myself are much -more important."</p> - -<p>It appeared he was going back to duty that night,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> and had to catch a -train from Liverpool Street; I soon discovered that he had spent the -day in making one more effort to discover Muriel Hillier.</p> - -<p>"I've no patience with her," I declared. "There can't be a good reason -for keeping her relatives in suspense. If I came across her now, I -should have a word or two to say to her."</p> - -<p>"And I too," remarked Herbert. "Likely enough, though our words would -not be identical."</p> - -<p>We turned into Red Lion Square to escape the crush.</p> - -<p>"I know how difficult it is to give advice, my boy," I said, "in -matters of the kind, and I'm aware that it's next door to impossible to -get it accepted. But I wish you'd recognise that the situation has very -much changed since the time when you fell in love with her. You're a -lieutenant now. You're an officer in His Majesty's army. You've made a -good record. Whilst she—"</p> - -<p>"I don't want to hear anything for her, aunt, or against her. I only -want to hear something of her."</p> - -<p>"She may have found somebody—"</p> - -<p>"'May,'" he echoed, impatiently, "'May' conveys nothing to me. The -truth is what I'm going to find out."</p> - -<p>"How?"</p> - -<p>"By all the means in my power. By all the means in other folk's power -that I can command with influence or money." He turned appealingly to -me. "You are clever at most things, aunt."</p> - -<p>"If I lose a needle, my boy, I don't go searching for it in a bundle -of hay. I get a new one. And listen to me. You know how much I care -for you." For answer, he pressed my arm affectionately. "If I've been -able to do something for you since your dear mother went, why it has -been done, not only because it was my duty, but because I reckoned it a -pleasure. And to be quite plain and candid, I've no desire to see you, -when the war is over, going back to your<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> ordinary career, hampered, -and crippled, and bothered by a selfish wife who, all the years I've -known her—"</p> - -<p>"This," he interrupted, "is an admission that you haven't put your head -into the work. Be a good soul now, aunt, and do me a great favour. I -promise I'll never ask for another, so long as I live."</p> - -<p>"That's a promise I hope you'll break."</p> - -<p>"Find her!" he persisted. "Let me know she's safe and well, and you'll -place me so much in your debt that, whatever I do, I shall never be -able to repay you. Give me a kiss to seal the bargain."</p> - -<p>There was no refusing when he put the case in this way. I guaranteed -that I would increase my efforts, assured him I would strain every -nerve to find her. We walked through the narrow passage to Red Lion -Street, and in Holborn, before taking a motor omnibus, he declared, -cheerfully, that he knew I would be sending him news ere the month was -out.</p> - -<p>Young Langford received a hint that his regiment was to be ordered -abroad at an early date, and news of the engagement had to be announced -at Gloucester Place; this done, I took Katherine off to the registrar's -office, and made the necessary inquiries. It appeared that the official -there was used at the time to hastened ceremonies; he seemed to expect -that I, too, had an intention of getting married without delay. We -decided it was to be done by licence, and Katherine was able to state -that she had lived in the district for fifteen days; she felt justified -in declaring that there existed no legal impediment. It was fortunate -that we acted promptly. At home we discovered a telegram of reckless -extent from young Langford announcing that he was coming to town on the -morrow, and leaving England on the day which followed.</p> - -<p>"I had intended," said Mrs. Hillier, smiling, "to read my little girl a -lecture, but there's no time for that now."</p> - -<p>"It will be all hurry-scurry," I mentioned.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span></p> - -<p>Hurry-scurry it was, but Mrs. Hillier and I agreed that the day was -not to be exempt of formality, and we all resolved that the dear girl -should not go without wedding presents. So there was shopping to be -done, food to be ordered, and Captain Winterton was directed to be -ready to stand by in case Mr. Hillier proved unable to obtain leave -from his work at the Arsenal. I had given assistance to a next door -neighbour of mine in London Street at a period when he was experiencing -domestic anxiety, and, after the baby came, and all was well at home, -he mentioned to me that if I wanted anyone, at any time, to look -after my shop for a few hours, he would be offended unless the choice -fell upon him. Katherine wrote to the bank to say a slight attack -of neuralgia made it advisable that she should remain indoors for -twenty-four hours; she added a dutiful apology. Edward declared that -the question of his leave of absence was an easy matter: if necessary, -he proposed to seek audience of Sir Charles Barrett himself and explain -the reason. He found the idea received with screams of protest.</p> - -<p>"Thoughtless infant!" cried Katherine.</p> - -<p>"Foolish lad," I ejaculated.</p> - -<p>Edward, reminded of the demands of secrecy, admitted he had come near -to putting his foot deep into disaster, and took some credit for having -enabled us to give a warning.</p> - -<p>It is certain that no one took such a keen relish of anticipation in -the ceremony as Captain Winterton. His habit was to walk the pavement -of Gloucester Place on fine mornings as though he were pacing a deck; -the residents knew that when he crossed and made the tour of The -Circus, exercise was nearing its finish. Generally for this promenade -he was apparelled in a blue serge reefer suit and a peaked cap: on the -great day, the old sea captain wore a silk hat with a crescent-shaped -brim that, despite good condition, marked its age; he had lavender -trousers,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> yellow waistcoat, a frock coat of the style of the eighties, -a malacca cane. Always courteous in acknowledging salutations, he now -stopped to chat with tradesmen and neighbours, feeling perhaps that -an explanation of his splendour was due to them. We had to thank the -Captain for the fact that a small crowd of ladies began to assemble -near the house, very hardly tried in the endeavour to pretend that each -was there by accident; from the balcony I could hear those who had come -in pairs bewailing the circumstance that the wedding was not to take -place at a church.</p> - -<p>"Seems such a skimpy way of getting married," they declared.</p> - -<p>Young Langford arrived in good time, and shewed exuberant spirits when -he found that the arrangements were complete and satisfactory. "Ought -to have known I could rely upon you, Miss Weston. And I've been in -a most frightful agony of mind in the train; you've no idea. Eleven -o'clock? Right-o. This is absolutely topping!" Mr. Hillier did not -return from the Arsenal, and he had told us to avoid waiting for him. -The four of us went down the stairs, found Captain Winterton in the -hall.</p> - -<p>"I know, my love," said his wife to Katherine, coming out of her room, -"that it doesn't go with your costume, but, just to please me, wear -this piece of lace. It brought me happiness, and I've got the notion -into my foolish old head that it may bring good luck to you. It's -valuable," she added, nodding her head, "in more senses than one."</p> - -<p>"I'll take every care of it," promised Katherine, "and you shall have -it back in less than an hour."</p> - -<p>"You're to keep it all your life, dearie. And I've some other bits for -you, later on, to go with it."</p> - -<p>It was but a short walk from Gloucester Place to Trafalgar Road, but -we gained enough attention to satisfy any craving in that respect. The -sight of old Captain Winterton, arm-in-arm with Miss Katherine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> in -itself attracted notice; I wanted the party to stroll along informally, -but he begged me to allow him to superintend this detail, and his joy -in thus leading the procession was something it would have been a pity -to hurt. Arrived, he marshalled us two deep, and went into the office -to make inquiries. Returning, he appeared to have bethought himself -of the fact that this was to be a quiet wedding, for he beckoned in -a mysterious way, spoke in a whisper assuring us all was in order. -Within, his deportment was that of a devout person in church; the -discreet manner in which he gave half-sovereigns to everyone about -the place willing to accept tips, suggested an anxiety to make the -ceremony as legal and binding as possible. The two young people made -a good-looking couple as they stood at the table, and they were -extraordinarily composed; for myself, I can restrain tears, with no -difficulty, at a funeral, but at a wedding—well, the one incident -comes, as it were, at the end of the story, and there is nothing -more to be found out concerning it: in the second, you cannot help -speculating, and wondering, and sometimes fearing in regard to the -coming chapters.</p> - -<p>The registrar—I knew him by sight as well as anything, and had always -guessed, incorrectly, he had to do with a picture palace—the registrar -shook hands, gave over the certificate, and told the bridegroom (first -inquiring anxiously whether he had seen this week's <i>Punch</i>) an -anecdote concerning a drill-sergeant. I think old Captain Winterton -was rather pained at this secular demeanour, for he escorted us out, -sorted us into couples, and gave orders. "The wife," he whispered to -me, "will be desirous of knowing that everything has gone off well." In -Gloucester Place, some of our neighbours did an act that I shall always -remember to their credit; from the balconies they threw down flowers as -the young soldier and his bride came near. I recollect that Katherine -picked all of them up, and smiled at the givers, and blew a kiss to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> an -infant, who, held by his nurse, was clapping his chubby hands.</p> - -<p>The meal was, for Edward's sake, taken early; the lad seemed concerned -at the possibility of disastrous happenings at the head offices during -his absence, and assured his new brother-in-law that railway life -exacted, in these days, and under Government control, a strain that -military men with their comparatively simple duties could scarcely -estimate. Langford appeared to be in no humour to dispute or argue with -anybody.</p> - -<p>"People say I look worried," remarked Edward. "What do you think?"</p> - -<p>Langford had not observed this, but if it existed, felt sure there was -every reason.</p> - -<p>"You wouldn't imagine I was not much more than fifteen, would you?"</p> - -<p>Langford had, it appeared, estimated the other's age as higher than -this; Edward showed gratification.</p> - -<p>"By-the-bye, there was something I meant to ask when I saw you—I have -such a lot to think about that—I know what it was. Your unmarried aunt -whom we met at Aldeburgh. Keeping well, I hope?"</p> - -<p>Langford was able to give re-assuring information.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Winterton came up to the meal, bringing her present of more lace, -and the rest of us exhibited our purchases. The gifts were all of a -simple nature, but the young couple showed rapture over each article; -Katherine reproached me with forgetting that the baby grand in the -corner had always been looked upon as a wedding gift, in advance. -Everything would have proceeded smoothly but that Edward, coming out of -a fit of abstraction remarked suddenly:</p> - -<p>"Wish Muriel had been here!"</p> - -<p>Captain Winterton broke the silence which followed, by adjusting the -plates and glasses before him, pulling at collar, clearing voice, -running fingers through his white head of hair. Standing up, he bowed -to Mrs. Hillier. He rose, he said, on this happy occasion—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>this -festive, domestic and matrimonial occasion, he might say—to propose -a toast, one which, he felt sure, we should all join heart and hand -in drinking. It was a happy toast, and this was a happy occasion. He -loved a wedding, and during his somewhat lengthened progress through -life—and he had had his fair share of bunions: yes, we might laugh, -but he was speaking the truth—as he said, he loved a wedding; he had -been to many, and hoped to go to many more. Captain Winterton spoke for -five minutes, and closed with these lines,</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">"<i>The toast, the toast, the toast's the thing</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>To make hands tingle, and glasses ring</i>."</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>The old chap seemed greatly relieved to get the speech over: it -occurred to me the style of it was somewhat away from his usual manner. -Lieutenant Langford said, "Thanks, ever so much!" and we were chatting -freely when the bell rang at the front door. I ran down. Colonel -Edgington. He had brought a square parcel for Katherine, and was about -to leave it, with his compliments, when I told him the wedding had -just taken place. He bustled up the stairs, upbraided Mrs. Hillier -for not informing him of the date, kissed the bride, took a chair, -and declining other food, ate an orange with considerable fierceness. -Katherine filled his glass, and he stood up, and frowned at us.</p> - -<p>"I rise," he said, in a loud, determined voice, "on this happy, and I -might say, festive, domestic and matrimonial occasion, to propose a -toast which, I feel sure, you will all join heart and hand in drinking. -It is a happy toast, and this is a happy occasion. I love a wedding, -and during my somewhat lengthened progress through life, and I have had -my fair share of bunions—oh yes, you may laugh, but I am speaking the -truth—" The Colonel finished with,</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">"<i>The toast, the toast, the toast's the thing</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>To make hands tingle, and glasses ring</i>."</span><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p> - -<p>The solution of the duplicated address came, days later, when we had -discussed fully the question of coincidences. A middle-aged clerk in -Edward's office, invited to a wedding breakfast, had been cautioned -that he would be expected to propose the health of the bride and -bridegroom. Edward was called upon to listen to his colleague's recital -of the same piece of eloquence from a shilling book called, "Speeches -for Every Occasion."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XIII</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Lieutenant</span> and Mrs. Langford went off to town, and by nine o'clock -the following morning Katherine was at the bank, her wedding ring in -hiding and attached to a thin gold chain that hung around her neck; -I am sure she found a keener delight in the secrecy than she would -have discovered in the most elaborate publicity. Young Langford's -battalion left Southampton with three rumoured destinations—France, -The Dardanelles, Mesopotamia—and all we could say of these was that at -least two were surely inaccurate; the dear girl came to London Street -that evening and in the back room, and on my shoulder had a long cry, -and, this over, gave no signs of depression or tears. We had good news -one Sunday night of an advance by British troops south of La Bassée, -and a victory by the French in the Champagne district; to hear folk -talking of this near the railway station you would have guessed that -the war was almost at an end. A few days later the casualty lists of -our officers came in, and we knew then some of the expense of the -small victory, and could guess at the total. The newspapers were in -disagreement concerning the proposed landing of troops at Salonica. -A quotation from a Paris journal was headed, "Help Mother First." My -customers, at times, brought me their definite and resolute views on -the conduct of the war, and seemed disappointed that I was prepared to -go no further than admit relief in the thought that I had not to take a -share in the direction.</p> - -<p>"Women," they argued, "couldn't make a bigger muddle of it than men are -doing."</p> - -<p>"Nothing ever happened yet," I said, "that might<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> not possibly have -been worse. Let's keep cheerful. Peace will come along some day."</p> - -<p>"And then," grumbled a woman from Plumstead, "there won't be near so -much money to be earnt as what there is now."</p> - -<p>Certainly there was no lack of critics at that period. A blind man -who sold matches and boot-laces said to me one evening that he would -very much like to occupy Kitchener's position for twenty-four hours. -Four-and-twenty hours; no more, no less. He refused to disclose his -scheme to me in full, but hinted that it included the dropping of a -bomb full tilt on the helmet of the German Emperor. "The Government -hasn't got gumption," he complained. "What it wants is the help of us -business men. We'd soon stop these Zepps!"</p> - -<p>There came another and a serious air-raid, and hearing a certain town -spoken of in this connection, I hurried there to ascertain whether some -small houses belonging to me had been damaged. There was a considerable -amount of destruction there, but my little property was safe, and -I managed to get away from the excited tenants, and escape some of -the vivid details of the attack. Intending to alight at New Cross -station on the Brighton line, I, absorbed in the evening newspaper, -found myself carried on towards London Bridge. I wanted to reach home -swiftly, because the private inquiry folk, whose services I had engaged -immediately after my officer nephew's urgent appeal, had hinted that -they expected to be able to send me a communication by an early post. -There seemed few grounds for hoping that this would be satisfactory, -and bewailing my stupidity in missing New Cross, and regretting the -delay, I changed thoughts from self-reproach by composing a letter -which would convey my regrets at the failure of the inquiry, sarcasm at -the want of intelligence exhibited. To be candid, it was only for the -sake of Herbert that I wanted to gain news of Muriel Hillier. We were a -comfortable group now at Gloucester Place, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> return there of an -authoritative and selfish-minded girl was not an alluring prospect.</p> - -<p>"How much is the excess fare?" I asked, at the barrier.</p> - -<p>"One moment, madam. Stand aside, please, and let the other passengers -go through."</p> - -<p>For some reason, I had not before encountered girl ticket collectors, -and the politeness of manner surprised me. Obeying the instructions, -I waited in the shadow; the peak-capped young woman collected -tickets, disregarded a florid gentleman's offer of a rose, gave brisk -information concerning return trains. Then she turned to me, and the -light of the lamp shewed her features.</p> - -<p>"Miss Muriel!" I exclaimed.</p> - -<p>"Excess from New Cross," she said, filling in a slip from a book. -"Threepence." Taking the coin and the ticket from me, and handing -over the change. "Ninepence, thank you." I went through the barrier, -expecting her to follow, but she closed it and remained on the platform.</p> - -<p>The inspector said he would certainly give me all the assistance in -his power, so soon as he was free from the task of despatching a main -line train. Ten minutes later, he and I searched the ticket collectors' -office. Two of the uniformed girls were emptying tickets from pouches, -and sorting them.</p> - -<p>"That is the young lady I wish to speak to," I said, pointing.</p> - -<p>She turned and faced me.</p> - -<p>"You've made a bloomer," remarked the inspector, frankly. "You want a -party with the cognomen so to speak of Hillier, I understand. This one -is Miss Dumbrill."</p> - -<p>"That is my name," she said, composedly.</p> - -<p>"I don't care what she calls herself," I declared. "I know very well -who she is." I appealed to her. "You recognise me, don't you, dear?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes," she said.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p> - -<p>"There!" to the inspector. "What did I tell you?"</p> - -<p>"Remember you quite well," she went on, eyeing me steadily. "You had a -ticket as far as New Cross, and I excessed it. You gave me a shilling, -and I handed you the right change. What is your grievance?"</p> - -<p>The other girl stood by, watching interestedly.</p> - -<p>"I am Weston," I said. "Mary Weston."</p> - -<p>"If that is the only complaint you have to make," she said, "it is not -very serious."</p> - -<p>"I was housekeeper for many years at your people's place at -Chislehurst. I moved with them to Greenwich. Your brother John -enlisted, with my nephew Herbert Millwood. Herbert is more anxious than -anyone else to have news of you. He has a commission now."</p> - -<p>"And the Victoria Cross?"</p> - -<p>"No."</p> - -<p>"Strange," she mentioned. "In romantic stories of this kind, they -invariably gain the Victoria Cross." She spoke to the inspector. "Find -out where this lady wishes to go, and put her on her way, will you? If -she hasn't any money, I'll provide all that's needed."</p> - -<p>"Miss Muriel, Miss Muriel!" I cried. "For Heaven's sake, don't go on -playing this silly game. If you want to keep your independence, you can -do it, without all this. You don't know how much worry your folk have -gone through on your account!"</p> - -<p>The inspector was called away by a porter. I left the collectors' room, -and stood at the doorway, endeavouring to think of some plan.</p> - -<p>"Shut the door, please," she said, attending once again to her work of -sorting. She found that the order was not obeyed, and came forward.</p> - -<p>"Miss Muriel," I whispered, urgently. "Your mother. She is seriously -ill. Not expected to live. And wants to see you."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span></p> - -<p>Her features became pale. With a nervous movement she tipped back her -peaked cap, and she hesitated.</p> - -<p>"Wait for me," she said in a low voice, "near the bookstall at the -other station."</p> - -<p>I did not mind any delay, and objected the less because I found at the -stall my young friend Peter serving newspapers and magazines alertly; -ready to chat with me, in the intervals, on what he called, with an -air of enormous age, the good old times at Greenwich. He endeavoured, -I am sure, to keep the suggestion of patronage out of his inquiries, -but it seemed impossible for him to disguise the fear that Greenwich, -since his departure, had been on the down grade, and that nothing could -be done for it unless Providence thought fit to return him to the -neighbourhood. Peter was still engaged with the Scouts: he had attained -a notable position of authority, and was persuading all his younger -colleagues to join. Peter said his firm had sent thousands of men to -the war; if it lasted long enough he himself hoped to have a chance of -taking a part in it. "I'd like to account for a few odd Germans," he -said. "By-the-bye, how's that poor nephew of yours getting on? And his -poor old father. And poor old Mr. Hillier? And poor old Mrs. Hillier?" -In assuring Peter these were well, I recollected that trouble would be -encountered later when an explanation had to be given of the statement -used to persuade Muriel to accompany me. Always a difficult young lady, -it was not easy to guess how much reason had been brought into her -disposition by the change of surroundings and the new manner of life. -She came up when I was considering the best moment for an admission.</p> - -<p>"Is my mother really very ill, Weston?" she demanded.</p> - -<p>"It's doubtful," I answered promptly, "whether she will ever be able to -leave the house again."</p> - -<p>We went up the slope to the platform; it happened<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> that a train arrived -immediately. The carriages were crowded, and as we both had to stand -up, conversation—fortunately for me—was impossible. The great point -was to get her to Gloucester Place, and meet her folk; I felt ready -to take any amount of blame and criticism so long as this result was -effected. As intervening passengers swayed to and fro, I observed, -now and again, the alteration in her appearance. Muriel had lost the -petulant, fractious air; in its place was a manner of determination, -and self-reliance. A middle-aged man, after thinking the subject -over so far as Deptford, rose and asked her to take his place; she -answered that he was not to incommode himself. At Greenwich, and on the -platform, she took my arm.</p> - -<p>"Don't let us talk," she begged. "I want to get there as quickly as -possible. She may be asking for me."</p> - -<p>A small car was standing outside the door, and, recognising it, I -thought perhaps the doctor had called to see the old couple on the -ground floor. In the hall stood Captain Winterton and his wife: they -were holding hands, and their features shewed acute anxiety. The house -was very silent.</p> - -<p>"At last," he whispered, relievedly. "She wants you, Miss Weston."</p> - -<p>"Who?"</p> - -<p>"That," said Muriel, "is surely an unnecessary question." She led the -way briskly upstairs.</p> - -<p>"We heard a bumping sound overhead," explained Mrs. Winterton to me. -"We ran up at once, and found Mrs. Hillier in a faint on the floor. The -Captain rushed at once for a medical man."</p> - -<p>The doctor was on the landing as I ascended the staircase. He looked -grave, but on that I put no great account: it is one of the tricks of -some members of the profession to hint at acute difficulties and thus -emphasise the credit for overcoming them. He said Mrs. Hillier had -probably been attacked by sudden<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> giddiness, and that the fall had -stunned her; he was perturbed by the fact that she had not yet regained -consciousness.</p> - -<p>"She has had worries, doctor."</p> - -<p>"Of course, of course," he said, impatiently. "Everyone has them in -these days."</p> - -<p>"Her's have been rather extra special. But the presence of her elder -daughter will have a wonderful effect when she comes to."</p> - -<p>"If she comes to," he corrected.</p> - -<p>Katherine was home from the bank, but Mr. Hillier and Edward had not -arrived. The doctor and the Wintertons had carried my mistress into -the bedroom, and there I found the two girls watching their mother -intently and apprehensively. I loosened a part of Mrs. Hillier's dress -and took her hand; there came a slight twitch of the face, nothing -more. The doctor was called from below. Returning, he said that he -had been summoned to a case of a young wife in Croom's Hill; it was -imperative he should attend, for no nurse was in attendance. He gave me -instructions, promised to come back. I could not help agreeing that his -services were more valuable in a case where an addition was being made -to the world than in one, at the other end of life, where he could do -little.</p> - -<p>"By-the-bye," he said, at the front door, whilst his man was -re-starting the car, "I know all about you, Miss Weston. A friend -of mine, once a doctor of the neighbourhood, has a house, so well -furnished that his wife is envied by the wives of all other medical -men. He confided to me that the credit was really due to you. Now, I -wonder whether you would mind, some day, looking in at my place, and -just giving a word of advice—"</p> - -<p>"My dear sir," I declared, "this is no time to be talking shop. At any -rate, not my shop. All I can think of now is whether the dear soul -upstairs is going to recover."</p> - -<p>Edward came home full of a compliment that had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> been paid to his -railway by a notable statesman; he hushed down at once, and begged I -would give him tasks to perform. I could think of nothing else but the -job of meeting his father at the station, and giving a hint of the news -that waited in Gloucester Place. To the lad's satisfaction, this proved -worth doing, for Mr. Hillier had intended to give up an evening to one -more search in town for his elder daughter. Edward was able, from the -platform, to beckon to him.</p> - -<p>We all stood about in the rooms, talking quietly. No commotion was made -over the return of Muriel, and few explanations were asked, but Edward -declared himself puzzled and slightly aggrieved on hearing that his -sister, for nearly all the time that we were looking for her, had been -so close to the offices in which he himself was engaged.</p> - -<p>"She's altered," he remarked. "Less disposed to make every one wait -upon her, hand and foot."</p> - -<p>I hurried from him to the side of the bed.</p> - -<p>"Muriel," Mrs. Hillier was saying. "My Muriel!"</p> - -<p>The girl, at a signal from me, came across, and kneeling down, took her -mother's hand, placing it against her own cheek. The hand moved slowly -upwards and smoothed the hair.</p> - -<p>"Ah!" ejaculated the dear woman, contentedly. And her head drooped on -the pillow. I adjusted the clothes and bent down to listen.</p> - -<p>"Wonder how long the doctor will be," whispered Mr. Hillier anxiously, -"before he comes back."</p> - -<p>"There is nothing for him to do now, sir," I replied.</p> - -<p>I sat up all that night—I could not tell you why—and the others -rested. The two girls went off tearfully to Katherine's room; and I -could hear them whispering confidences to each other until the early -hours of the morning. Breakfast was ready when they all came into the -sitting room; I might have spared myself the trouble of preparing -anything but the coffee. The blinds remained down; the cheerful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> sounds -of a waking day in the gardens had a jarring note.</p> - -<p>"The funeral on Sunday," I suggested to Mr. Hillier. "Will that be -convenient?" I tried to speak in business-like tones.</p> - -<p>"Please take charge of it, Weston," he begged. "I feel rather—rather -knocked over."</p> - -<p>"You ought to stay away from the Arsenal for a week, sir."</p> - -<p>"No, no! Work is the best thing for all of us. Especially just now." -He went around the table and kissed the three, and hesitated after -embracing Muriel. "My big girl," he said, nervously, "is not going to -leave us again?"</p> - -<p>"I meant to, father," she replied, quietly, "but this makes a -difference. This brings us together."</p> - -<p>"Wish John were at home," he said.</p> - -<p>"We've been saying that," I remarked, in a brisk way, "ever since he -was taken at La Bassée. We shall have to be patient until the war is -over. No use expecting wonders to happen, just to oblige us."</p> - -<p>I wrote that morning to my nephew Herbert.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Herbert's father was entitled, by his alertness, to put in a claim -for a smart piece of work. He happened to be at a military hospital, -Westminster way; an entertainment was being given to some of the -wounded, and he had been asked to give one of his rousing, patriotic -speeches. The commandant, in shewing him around, mentioned that some -exchanged men had arrived that day.</p> - -<p>Millwood said, "I want some fresh stuff to talk about. Let's have a -glance at 'em, and a bit of a chat with 'em." The first one he spoke to -was introduced as Corporal Hillier.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XIV</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">John</span> was allowed by the hospital authorities to come to Greenwich for -the ceremony, and his return to Gloucester Place—which we had often -decided, in conversation, was to be a great incident, with flags out -at the balcony, and, indoors, food and much rejoicing—found itself -tempered by the circumstances. We reckoned to find him changed; it -never occurred to us that his wounds and his hard experiences would -have aged and altered him so much. But for his voice—and that, -too, was not quite the same that one remembered—it might have been -difficult for those who knew him but casually to identify him. We -came back from the cemetery at Lewisham, leaving there the two simple -wreaths (one from her Ever loving Husband and Children, and the -other from Mary Weston, with Respectful Sympathy) to find Colonel -Edgington waiting outside the house in Gloucester Place, and swelling -with annoyance because he had been unable to obtain an answer to his -summons with the knocker, or his appeal with the bell. The Wintertons, -desirous of not intruding upon us, were out for the day, and their maid -had gone to see the boys performing their exercises on the corvette -that rests on a calm sea of asphalt near the Royal Hospital School; -she was doubtless giving a special interest to a scholar in Boreman's -Foundation, who chanced to be her brother. Although the blinds were -down, and we, with the exception of John Hillier, wore black, the -Colonel did not make a guess at the loss which had taken place; he -explained that he had written out a telegram to Mr. Hillier on the -previous evening announcing that he intended to call and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> provide an -afternoon's enjoyment but, by oversight, had given no orders for this -to be taken to the Post Office. He seemed to reckon this a trifling -omission on his part, and was sketching out the programme when I took -him aside.</p> - -<p>"Bless my soul!" he ejaculated. "Good gracious me! Heart failure, you -say, Weston? I never heard the poor lady suffered in that way. Why -wasn't I told? People," he fumed, "seem to take a positive delight in -keeping me ignorant."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps because it's so difficult to make you understand."</p> - -<p>"Not at all," he declared, heatedly. "Always most willing to listen. -Exceedingly eager to gain information! I ought not to be treated in -this fashion. Dam shame, Weston, dam shame. And I can't help thinking -that you are responsible."</p> - -<p>"We'll say that it's my fault, sir."</p> - -<p>"No, no," he protested. "Not so much your fault as your misfortune. You -ought to get married." He pulled at his uniform and, having delivered -the reprimand, went across to Mr. Hillier. "My dear old friend," he -said, with genuine sympathy. "What can I say to you excepting that I'm -awfully sorry. Command me, please, if you want help. I'm not much use -in that way, but all that I can do—" To my surprise, he broke down. At -the grave-side Muriel had been the only one to give way.</p> - -<p>Colonel Edgington, always at his best in the presence of disaster, -recovered, and followed us upstairs, sat with us at the meal, and -contrived to induce John to talk of his experiences. A war map had been -pinned on the wall, as in most households, and John, once started, -gave an animated description of the fighting at La Bassée, described -the journey, taken whilst he was in a seriously wounded condition, -to Lille, furnished an account of his various transfers from lager -to lager, the treatment he received, the folk he encountered. We -listened attentively, rather glad to have our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> thoughts switched away -from immediate trouble, and John sent off all of his detached manner, -becoming really eloquent towards the end. At the finish his young -brother started the applause, and the rest of us joined in.</p> - -<p>"But I say," cried Edward enthusiastically, "all that, you know, is -absolutely ripping."</p> - -<p>"You'll write some articles in one of the magazines, John," suggested -his father.</p> - -<p>"Any of the daily papers," remarked Katherine, "would be jolly glad to -have the stuff."</p> - -<p>"Much more dignified," said Colonel Edgington, "to put it in a book. A -big book. A large book. A well-bound book."</p> - -<p>"What about a lecturing tour?" I asked.</p> - -<p>It appeared that none of them had acquaintance with this procedure, and -all I knew had been gained from my brother-in-law, Millwood. I told -them of his successes, and the fees he occasionally made; John admitted -that, so soon as he found himself discharged from the hospital, nothing -would suit him better than to travel about the country, and speak to -audiences; he said it was likely to distract his mind, and prevent it -from brooding over the misfortunes that had happened to him; by talking -of them, he reckoned it possible that he might consider them less -acutely. I promised to make inquiries regarding the agency of which -Millwood had spoken: mentioned that, according to him, the business -arrangements were taken over, and all the lecturer had to do was to -make a note of the places and the dates. Ten per cent. deducted for -commission.</p> - -<p>"Occurs to me," interposed Colonel Edgington, "that there'll be a large -number of returned men willing to take on a job of this nature."</p> - -<p>"Willing, perhaps," I said, "but not qualified. Master John," I -declared, "will get ten or twelve guineas for each lecture."</p> - -<p>"I have said my say," remarked the Colonel brusquely.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p> - -<p>"If Aunt Weston is determined John is to go on a tour," mentioned -Katherine, "nothing that any of us argues, Colonel Edgington, will have -the slightest value."</p> - -<p>"Obstinacy in a woman," he announced, "is a quality that—that—"</p> - -<p>"A quality," she said, "that in men is called firm resolution. John, -you ought to have some pictures."</p> - -<p>Here Muriel proved helpful. She remembered that her friend, once of -Chislehurst, now in one of His Majesty's prisons, had given her a set -of photographs that illustrated towns in Germany, and some concerned -the places where John had been detained; she had also in her trunk, -which was now on the way from Camberwell, German illustrated magazines -which would furnish, by their war pictures, useful material. We sat -around the table, discussing the matter eagerly, and presently Colonel -Edgington took part in the debate, and made a very good recommendation -to the effect that the agency should be persuaded to take a hall in -the West End for John's first appearance; the Colonel promised to -secure for chairman some one high up, either in the military or the -political world. "Great thing is," he barked, "no delay. Let us be the -first in the field. Every moment is of value. Prompt action absolutely -necessary." I pointed out that the hospital authorities would most -likely insist upon supervising John's health for two or three weeks. -"During which period," ordered the Colonel, "he can prepare the -lecture, and you, Weston, can complete the arrangements."</p> - -<p>I offered to run around to London Street, and obtain from Millwood a -letter of introduction to the agent. Colonel Edgington approved of -this, followed me to the landing.</p> - -<p>"This is a great idea," he declared, rubbing his hands. "Gives the chap -something to do."</p> - -<p>"Quite a brain wave, sir, on your part."</p> - -<p>"That is so!" he admitted.</p> - -<p>On my return with the note, I found that Mr. Hillier<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> was walking -inside the railings, hands behind back, head bent; my memory flew to -the time when I saw him, in a like attitude on the occasion of his -financial reverse. I entered the gate, and asked whether he required -his hat. He said I was not to give myself so much trouble, but begged -for my company, and in going up and down the gravelled path, confessed -he had escaped from the others because their absorption in the new -plan had slightly hurt him. "We have but just placed the dear woman in -her grave," he contended, "and we ought to let no one else occupy our -minds." I argued that there was something to be said for our methods. -No advantage ever came from grieving and sorrowing over those who had -gone. The world did not stop, because one person, however beloved, -went away. The wise deportment in the circumstances was to select the -happiest memories and preserve them. "I am doing that," he said. "There -is an interval at Chislehurst, and just after Chislehurst which is -already a blank. Earlier than that, and later, I have no recollections -of her that are not good and sweet." We took another turn the length of -the square.</p> - -<p>"She had a great affection for you, Weston," he remarked.</p> - -<p>"Mrs. Hillier showed it, now and then. Neither of us was the kind that -liked to gush."</p> - -<p>"I want you to have something of her's, as a memento of all the years -you were together. And that reminds me. She made her will years ago. We -might try to find it."</p> - -<p>The document was in Mrs. Hillier's writing desk, together with letters -from the children, written when they were at boarding school (they -were all chattering now in the next room, Colonel Edgington's voice -intervening, and it seemed queer to connect them with the round -text hand notes that had been kept so affectionately). There was a -well-bound diary, too, that started, as diaries will, in a profuse -literary style,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> as though for publication, and dwindled to short -notes, and brief figures, reviving when Muriel disappeared and the news -came of John's disaster. One line caught my eye as I turned the leaves. -"I have never thanked M.W. sufficiently, and I never shall be able to -do so."</p> - -<p>The will itself had been drawn up in the days of prosperity, and there -were legacies that could not now be paid to one or two charitable -affairs, bequests to servants who had long since gone their different -ways. No mention of my name; the document had probably been filled -in at a time when, for some reason or other, I happened to be out of -favour; the remark in the diary fully compensated for the omission.</p> - -<p>"You might have a piece of her jewellery," said Mr. Hillier.</p> - -<p>"It all had to go, with the exception of her wedding ring."</p> - -<p>"Wasn't aware of that."</p> - -<p>"I told her you wouldn't notice, and she wanted to get rid of it, when -money was short."</p> - -<p>"Can you suggest anything?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," I answered. "Let me stay on upstairs on my floor, and manage -the family just as I've always done. I couldn't help overhearing you -telling the young ladies that there was now no excuse for taking -advantage of my services. As a matter of fact, you will all need me -more than ever. It's true I shan't be wanted as a companion to her, but -the rest have got to be looked after. And," with a burst of frankness, -"I don't particularly wish to see anyone else doing it."</p> - -<p>"You'll work yourself to death, Weston, if you are not careful."</p> - -<p>"There are many less interesting ways of reaching there," I said. "You -know that as well as I do."</p> - -<p>"I shall be glad," he admitted, "to find myself back in the Arsenal -again. Taking a day off makes me feel that I'm neglecting my share in -the war." He returned the papers to the desk, and locked it. "The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> -scoundrels," he exclaimed, with sudden anger, "killed her. They killed -her, just as they have killed other innocent people." He raised his -arms. "May God never forgive them!" he cried.</p> - -<p>John Hillier's first delivery of his lecture was a great evening for -us. I think it can be said, although I took some part in the arranging, -that it was well managed. On my suggestion, the profits were set aside -for the Red Cross Society, and any entertainment, at the period, which -had an air of benevolence was supported by generous folk; John's name -was known only in connection with his songs, but the newspapers were -kind in giving preliminary paragraphs; Colonel Edgington secured, as -chairman, one of the members of the Government whose popularity had not -been chipped and damaged by the conduct of the war. When, on placards -outside the hall at the upper end of Regent Street, the notice was -fixed "All Tickets Sold," then the demand at the box office became -urgent and appealing. Folk who had relatives detained in Germany urged -that their special interests justified presence at the lecture; they -were referred to coming dates and to places near London where Mr. John -Hillier could shortly be heard. John had been given his discharge from -the army. He worked hard at the preparation of the lecture whilst he -was in the hospital, forwarding to me the sheets, a dozen at a time, -and I had these type-written at an office in Greenwich Road. Edward -and I went through them carefully of an evening, and found, to our -satisfaction, that John had contrived to treat the subject, not too -seriously, not too aggrievedly. When the last instalment came, Edward, -at a raised table, delivered the lecture, in platform style to all -of us, and timing by the watch I discovered it lasted for near upon -two hours. From Millwood came the valuable hint that this was far too -long. An hour and ten minutes, said Millwood, yes; an hour and twenty -minutes, perhaps, but two hours, no. Most decidedly, no. "What<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> you -want to do," argued my brother-in-law, "is to go off, and leave the -audience wishing to goodness you'd gone on cackling for another quarter -of a hower. That's the 'ole secret of it." So John's task, once free of -the hospital, was to cut down the lecture, and although we bewailed the -loss of precious words, it was obvious the address became improved by -the operation.</p> - -<p>"Do you feel nervous?" I asked.</p> - -<p>"I think the rest cure at Darmstadt got rid of my nerves," he said. -"But there's no use in disguising the fact, Aunt Weston, that I am -anxious."</p> - -<p>"We shall all be there."</p> - -<p>"My own people are the critics I fear."</p> - -<p>We arrived at the hall in good time, and our party was amongst -the earliest to go in. I do not know how the others felt, but the -place—with folk whispering to each other, and stewards on tip-toe -escorting new comers to seats—the place struck me as having a singular -resemblance to a place of worship; the coughing that went from stalls -to balcony, and balcony to gallery increased the impression of -solemnity. Moreover, the hall was slow in filling up; there were huge -gaps on the ground floor; a woman behind us was complaining to her -husband of his mad carelessness in purchasing tickets when the money -could have been better laid out on a musical comedy at the Lyric. -It came to ten minutes to the hour, and some one near said, in an -undertone, that society people often bought tickets for entertainments -connected with a charity, and destroyed them. The stewards made a group -near the doors, chatting to each other. I thought of John's dismay when -he came on the platform, and saw the vacant rows of seats.</p> - -<p>"Why on earth don't the people come in?" cried Muriel, agitatedly.</p> - -<p>As though reminded of duties by this question, they arrived in crowds -at every doorway, brandishing tickets, and insisting upon being shewn -at once to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> their places: the stewards performed their duties at a -rush: the empty places filled; the noise of spring seats being pulled -down went like pistol shots; animation began to shew itself, everyone -talked in natural tones. The chairs on the platform at either side -of the white screen no longer had the aspect of desolation. Captain -Winterton and his wife went along a gangway, arm in arm; their -old-fashioned appearance caused a titter, and we forgave this in -consideration of the circumstances. Colonel Edgington bustled on to the -platform, and examined the height of the reading desk, slightly altered -the position of the high-backed chair.</p> - -<p>"I expect," said young Edward, across to me, "he's jolly glad you -aren't down there to interfere."</p> - -<p>The Cabinet Minister came, accompanied by John, who was able to walk -now, for short distances, with the aid of a stout stick; the audience -stood up and applauded, and Colonel Edgington bowed profoundly. I -think he would have remained on the platform, but the chairman, with a -jerk of the head, intimated that his presence was no longer necessary, -and the Colonel withdrew reluctantly to engage at the side upon a -brief altercation with a strong-minded lady who declined to comply -with his order to remove her hat, on the grounds that she was not, as -it happened, wearing one. People called out "Order, order!" and the -Colonel disappeared.</p> - -<p>The chairman introduced John in a dozen words, thereby confuting the -apprehensions we had expressed in the train, coming up; we had felt -bound to agree with Mr. Hillier's suggestion that political folk when -they faced an audience, rarely knew where to stop. The chairman said he -proposed to keep any remarks he had to offer until the end.</p> - -<p>The hall was defensive in its attitude at the start, and John had a -little trouble in getting his voice to the right pitch. He remedied -this, and there was no more coughing, no signs of inattention. He -gave<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> accounts of small incidents connected with the engagement, -with imitations of some of his comrades and their wonderful light -heartedness; he told one or two anecdotes that went well, and suddenly, -ere people had finished their laugh, switched off to a dramatic and -exciting description of the struggle. Master John had got them well -in hand by this time. When the lights were lowered, and it was seen -that his pictures were not of the type called 'moving,' there came a -slight ejaculation of surprise; a moment's thought and folk seemed to -realise that British prisoners of war were not, perhaps, furnished with -a cinematograph machine. John was particularly fair to the enemy. He -had a good word for the German doctors, a severe one for a commandant -who had not apparently set out to achieve popularity. He re-constituted -the lager, and took us through a day there; it was not prejudice on my -side in favour of a young man whom I had known and liked for years that -made me feel that this was more vivid and more illustrative than the -printed word. John finished with a couple of sentences full of hope and -enthusiasm, and declaring that all who had suffered for their country -enjoyed a pride they were not disposed to change or to forget.</p> - -<p>Our party, flushed and warm with content, had the idea that the -afternoon might well end here: the rest of the audience evidently -wanted a speech from the chairman. A speech he gave, and it was -interesting for us to compare the two styles; John's endeavour to use -only the indispensable words, and the Cabinet Minister's large and -luxurious manner of the practised orator. The hall, I admit, liked the -great man's method. The hall indicated its approval of the chairman's -compliments to the lecturer: it became uproarious with excitement when -he quoted the Crispian speech from <i>Henry the Fifth</i>. Edward assured me -the quotation was not really correct (and proved later, by production -of his Shakespeare, that his criticism was right), but the people, I -think, liked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> the recital all the better for the touch of undesigned -originality, and when he closed by asking us to sing "God save the -King" and we all stood up, and sang our best, and ladies in the front -rows of the stalls took the bunches of flowers they wore and flung -them on the platform, and Colonel Edgington—the fusser!—came on to -guide the chairman, and our John, to the exit, as though the perfectly -obvious way had to be made through a scarcely penetrable forest—why -then we knew, and everyone knew, that Mr. John Hillier had received -what is called a good send-off.</p> - -<p>"Who," asked Katherine as we reached the vestibule, "who, pray, is -the eccentric but seemingly perfectly happy gentleman dancing all by -himself in a corner over there?"</p> - -<p>"He," I was able to answer, "is the lecture agent!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XV</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">One</span> ought to have been made apprehensive and cautious by the fact that -everything seemed to be going so well. In congratulating myself on the -smoothness with which the machinery was running, I should have adopted -one of the precautionary measures of a superstitious nature, handed -down to me and impressed on me by my mother. But it was satisfactory to -observe the chastened deportment and comfortable peace in the Hillier -household—the loss endured seemed to have brought all the members -closer in affection—it was cheering to find that John's tour could be -reckoned a success; it was so pleasant to discover in the notes from -Herbert Millwood a new tone of cheeriness, that there seemed no grounds -for anticipating disaster. Herbert was unable for the present to obtain -leave; he wrote that he intended to come up to town and see Muriel at -the earliest possible moment; I gave her the message in a way that -deprived it of any special meaning, and she said, casually,</p> - -<p>"It will be interesting to see your nephew again."</p> - -<p>The war had passed the first anniversary of its birthday and still went -on, and the news that arrived was occasionally of a cheerful nature; no -justification, however, occurred for putting out the Union Jack I was -keeping in reserve. We had a flag day of another kind in Greenwich, and -I provided tea in the shop for some of the white-gowned young ladies -who sold the decorations; as they left a middle-aged man came to the -doorway and thanked me in an elaborate way for the hospitality shown; I -took it that he had something to do with the organisation, and answered -civilly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> nothing more. He made a sympathetic allusion to poor little -Serbia, mentioned the attacks that were being made on Lord Kitchener -and said he did not approve of them. He thought the single young men -ought to join, before the married men were called up. He did not feel -inclined to trust Winston Churchill. He offered to bet sixpence that -Greece meant mischief. He doubted whether the Government was acting -wisely in announcing a further restriction of licensing hours, and -argued that the people ought to be consulted in these matters. His -conversation seemed to me to be lacking in originality, and I was -getting tired of it when a police-sergeant came along, known to me -by an occasional exchange of nods, and a friendly remark concerning -changes in the weather. Looking around, I discovered that my talkative -visitor had vanished hurriedly.</p> - -<p>"How's business, ma'am?" inquired the sergeant.</p> - -<p>"Mustn't complain," I answered. "Thanks to Woolwich, I'm able to muddle -along. How do you find matters?"</p> - -<p>"Slack," he said, regretfully. "Nothing doing at all. 'Pears to me, -crime is becoming a lost art. I shall soon be like Othello."</p> - -<p>"Not jealous of your wife, are you?"</p> - -<p>"I mean my occupation will be gone. I'm suffering from monotony; that's -what's the matter with me. Fortunately for you, you're not troubled -with it. And I'm told you're uncommon keen on a bargain."</p> - -<p>"My work is to buy cheap, and sell dear."</p> - -<p>"It's a job," remarked the sergeant, "where you have to keep your wits -about you. By-the-bye, I heard something in your favour the other day, -but," he tapped at his forehead, "it's gone. I shall think of it when -I'm trying to remember something else."</p> - -<p>The middle-aged man called again the next afternoon, but I was busy -with a customer who had bought a pianoforte and was explaining to me -that her neighbours, hitherto friendly, were declaring that the music<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> -produced from the instrument by her two little girls was in no way -pleasing to the ear. She happened to be one of the newly affluent, and -my suggestion that a pianola arrangement should be fixed, received her -consideration. The other caller, seeing that I was not prepared to -break off the discussion in order to attend to him, placed a card on -a dresser, and said he would pay a visit at a more convenient moment. -The card bore the name of Professor Basil Chailey; in the corner, the -title of a West End club. I noticed that on the back was pencilled what -seemed to be a day's expenses. Newspaper, lunch (ninepence for lunch), -tea, railway ticket, pair of boot-laces. Evidently the professor was -obeying the suggestions regarding war-time economies.</p> - -<p>He came in that evening, as I was about to put up the shutters, and go -to Gloucester Place. The shop closed early at that time, because with -the regulations concerning the lighting of windows, it was impossible -to shew off my goods, after dusk, to any advantage; besides which, -folk were not going out at night as they had done, and the anxiety -concerning air-raids still existed. My visitor carried a small box from -which one or two wires had escaped; he wore, on this occasion, a tweed -cap.</p> - -<p>"I am in rather a hurry," he announced, speaking carefully, "and I -shall not detain you long. I happen to be one of the many suffering -from a diminished income on account of the war. There is no need to -disguise the fact that the sudden loss of a berth of about six hundred -a year is no joke."</p> - -<p>"It certainly wouldn't make me laugh."</p> - -<p>"All of my students," he went on, "have joined the Army. My classes -have been shut down, and I find myself, to use a vulgarism, stranded. -On the rocks. In other words, suffering from an acute financial -embarrassment."</p> - -<p>"I never lend."</p> - -<p>"There," he said, approvingly, "I think you are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> wise. My own resolve -is not to get into the hands of those who are willing to make monetary -advances at an exorbitant rate of interest. My knowledge of the world -is not great, because all my life I have been devoted to science, but I -do know that once a man is involved in the coils of these people—"</p> - -<p>"Hurry on with what you have to tell me."</p> - -<p>"Finding myself in this awkward position," he said, "I look around -with a view of ascertaining how I can dispose of some of my property. -I have for years made a hobby of collecting silver. That silver I wish -to dispose of, quietly, and at a fair price. I don't expect to get the -money I paid for it, but I have no desire to be swindled."</p> - -<p>"Give me your address, and I'll call and look at the articles."</p> - -<p>"Pardon me," he said. "My two sisters with whom I reside; they must -know nothing of the transaction. It would be the death of them."</p> - -<p>"But they will notice that the silver has gone."</p> - -<p>"I have a device," he remarked, holding up a fore-finger, in a shrewd -way, "for accounting for that. A midnight burglary. A window left open. -Do you follow me?"</p> - -<p>"Go back now," I suggested, "and bring the goods along as quickly as -you can, and I'll stay here, and wait for you."</p> - -<p>He seemed doubtful concerning this plan, and I spoke rather -abruptly; on this, he agreed that there was much to be said for my -recommendation. I inquired where he lived, and he answered promptly, -"St. John's Park, Blackheath." I mentioned that this was some distance -away, and he could scarcely return within less than an hour. He assured -me that he would use celerity, and, with great politeness, declared his -regret at causing inconvenience.</p> - -<p>I went over to Gloucester Place after closing, took supper with the -Hilliers, mentioned to them that I had some dealings with a strange -customer, and hoped<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> to make a profit out of the transaction that would -compensate me for the trouble I was incurring. At the shop, there were -no signs of the professor, and as I sat there in the dim light on a -saddle-bagged chair, and time went on, I determined he should suffer -for the delay. My hours were too valuable to be wasted. An appointment -was an appointment, and should be kept even by middle-aged gentlemen -connected with scientific occupations. A policeman went by trying -doors, and when mine opened, he glanced in and apologised.</p> - -<p>"Working overtime, eh, ma'am?" he remarked.</p> - -<p>"Expecting a caller," I said.</p> - -<p>"Not afraid of being alone?"</p> - -<p>"Prefer it, sometimes. Good-night, constable."</p> - -<p>"I can take a hint," he said, glumly.</p> - -<p>My new customer arrived in a taxi-cab as I was on the point of making -up my mind to go; he dragged across the pavement a large bag of green -baize.</p> - -<p>"Sorry I'm behindhand," he remarked, exhaustedly.</p> - -<p>"I, too, am inclined to regret it."</p> - -<p>"Had to wait," he explained, "until my sisters went upstairs. We -needn't lose any time now. I will pay the driver whilst you look over -the articles."</p> - -<p>Everything seemed in good condition, and it was clear that the silver -had been treasured and polished carefully. I set each piece on a -sideboard and estimated the value roughly, adding up the amounts in my -head. The professor had returned, and he stood watching me with some -impatience, as my lips moved in the effort of reckoning.</p> - -<p>"How much?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"I shall have to weigh—"</p> - -<p>"No, no," he interrupted urgently. "Give me a fair sum, and let me have -the money now. I'm not used to adventures of this nature, and I want to -get the matter over."</p> - -<p>"You will take a cheque?"</p> - -<p>"I would rather have had cash," he said, "but, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> these days, that -is too much to expect. Make it payable to bearer, and not crossed." I -mentioned that I had about thirty pounds, as it happened, in Treasury -notes, and part payment could be made with these; he shook his head -and said that, on consideration, he preferred to take the cheque. I -suggested an amount: he agreed to it so swiftly that I blamed myself -for not quoting a lesser sum. He gazed over my shoulder as I filled in -the slip. Snatching at it, he, without another word, hurried from the -shop.</p> - -<p>I was placing the smaller articles in the safe, and congratulating -myself on an easy bargain, when the door opened. Turning, I saw two -quietly dressed men, of severe countenance. One advanced, pulling -hard at a note-book that fitted too exactly the inside pocket of his -overcoat.</p> - -<p>"Got my pencil, sergeant?" he asked of his companion.</p> - -<p>"You had it last, inspector," replied the other.</p> - -<p>"I distinctly remember lending it you," said the first with warmth, -"as we were coming out of the Police station. You said you wanted to -make a note of something concerning the robbery, and I handed you my -pencil case, and you never gave it back. 'Tisn't the first time that -has happened. If it occurs again I shall report the matter to the -superintendent." I asked what they wanted with me. "Your name is Miss -Weston," he said.</p> - -<p>"That's right."</p> - -<p>"We are two plain clothes detectives," he went on, "and we have a -rather painful duty to perform."</p> - -<p>"I suppose your tasks are never very pleasant."</p> - -<p>"True for you, ma'am. Sergeant, close the door, and tell our men -outside to be prepared in case any attempt is made to escape. Now -then!" Addressing himself to me. "You have just purchased a quantity of -silver. Tell me what you gave for it."</p> - -<p>I mentioned the sum.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Not much more than the full value," he suggested, ironically.</p> - -<p>"People in my line of business rarely pay more than they are obliged to -do."</p> - -<p>"Generally a good deal less. And that is where they sometimes find -themselves in trouble. Now, I don't wish to frighten you, ma'am, or -make a scene of any description, but that silver represents stolen -property, and we shall have to take charge of it, and you'll have to -stand in the dock, and answer—"</p> - -<p>I screamed.</p> - -<p>"Keep calm, keep calm!" he directed. "As a matter of fact, we are not -going to take you away now, providing you give us your word of honour -to attend at the Police Court to-morrow morning. I'll tell you what'll -happen. You'll be there, with your accomplice, facing the magistrate. -If you're wise, you'll get a solicitor to take charge of your case. Not -sure whether you've had much experience—"</p> - -<p>"I was never," I wailed, distressedly, "mixed up with anything of the -kind before. Please give me all the advice you can."</p> - -<p>"And he'll probably reserve your defence. He may, as you have hitherto -been a respectable shopkeeper, manage to have you let out on bail. -Anyway, you'll be committed for trial, and when you appear at the Old -Bailey with a jury on the right hand side of you, and the Recorder just -opposite to you, and a couple of warders, one on either side of the -dock—"</p> - -<p>I put the impetuous question that is likely enough offered in most -cases. He scowled, and I feared the inquiry had annoyed him. He -beckoned to his companion.</p> - -<p>"Sergeant," he said, "you're a man of discretion and tact, and although -I am your superior officer, I should like to have your advice. This -good lady wishes to know whether there is any means of squaring the -case, so far as she is concerned."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I'm opposed to it, sir. Much too risky."</p> - -<p>"But if it could be managed, I should be inclined to consider the -project. She has undoubtedly been taken in by a plausible scoundrel."</p> - -<p>"People who are foolish enough to do that," declared the other, -stolidly, "must submit to the consequences."</p> - -<p>"I grant you that, as a general proposition. I'm with you there, heart -and soul. I can't, for a single moment, argue that you're wrong. But -supposing—I only say supposing, mark you!—supposing this poor woman -had a certain sum, either in cash or notes, ready at hand—"</p> - -<p>"I've got nearly thirty pounds," I announced.</p> - -<p>They conferred apart, and I, gripping my hands, waited anxiously for -the decision. The two talked in bass undertones, with one for, one -against. "There can be no hard and fast rule in these affairs; each -case has to be decided on its own merits." And the answer was, "I've -no wish to appear obstinate, but if it ever came out, you know as well -as I do, that we should be ruined." Gradually the opposition seemed to -weaken.</p> - -<p>"Ma'am," announced the visitor who was on the side of clemency, "we -have decided to accept your offer."</p> - -<p>"Thank God!" I exclaimed.</p> - -<p>"Your gratitude should be expressed to us. Fortunately for you, you -are dealing with two of perhaps the most kind-hearted men in the whole -force. Sergeant, pack up all this silver ready to take away, whilst I -count the notes. And tell the chaps outside that they needn't wait."</p> - -<p>It was indeed a relief to me to see the two prepare to go. They found -the green baize bag heavy, and I suggested they should allow me to -fetch a cab; they declined, and before going, gave me a lecture on -the necessity, in dealing with strangers, of exercising care and even -suspicion. I remarked that I could give the bank a warning not to pay -the cheque when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> tendered, and they hinted, in duet, that I might -consider myself a favourite of fortune.</p> - -<p>It has often been said that women suffer from their defect of -garrulity; something happened which proved that, in the other sex, -consequences ensue. For, as they were impressing upon me the great good -luck which had come my way, there came a sharp knock at the door. They -tried to stop me, but I had opened it before either could get at my -wrist. My friend the sergeant stood there.</p> - -<p>"Seeing a light," he remarked cheerfully, "I thought I'd call to tell -you that the something I heard about you wasn't really about you -at all, but about a party with a different name altogether. Hullo, -Albert!" he said to one of the men.</p> - -<p>"Evening, sergeant." Respectfully. "Coldish for the time of the year."</p> - -<p>"You know these two gentlemen, I expect," I remarked.</p> - -<p>"Ought to," answered the sergeant. "What's in your bag, Albert? -Anything special?"</p> - -<p>"It isn't our bag, sergeant. It belongs to this lady here. It's her -property."</p> - -<p>The other man, apparently, dissented from this procedure, for taking -the bag in both hands, he swirled it around, just missing me, and -hitting the sergeant. The two rushed out. I snatched a police whistle -from a hook, and blew it. The sergeant, recovering in a few moments -from the blow that had dazed him, hurried through the doorway, and with -a speed amazing in a man of his proportions, ran after a tram-car that -was turning opposite the Church; the green bag, hauled up the stairs, -was on the point of disappearing from sight.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There is no use in pretending that I came out well from the incident, -or that my respect for my own business-like capacity did not suffer. -The professor had to give evidence, and his two sisters remarked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> -audibly, at the Police Court hearing, "We can never trust Basil again." -In the corridor I found him endeavouring to persuade them that a -crime had undoubtedly been committed, and whether it took place at -St. John's Park or at London Street was a point of small moment. The -Treasury notes found on the prisoners were, after the sentence at the -Old Bailey, returned to me. One of the men, not represented by counsel, -cross-examined me in a cheeky way, and a newspaper headed the account -of this with the title "Dignity and Impudence." The Judge made some -remarks intended to be humorous, and dutifully smiled at by the jury, -in which he recommended Miss Weston to obtain the aid of a husband who -would help her in looking after the establishment.</p> - -<p>There was reason to feel indebted to my friends in the trying period of -waiting for the case to come on. William Richards took a day's holiday, -and, looking quite smart in his new railway uniform, became my faithful -attendant; Millwood paced up and down the large hall with us; Edward -hastened to the court in his dinner hour and took me out and gave -me a meal. Glancing back, it seems ridiculous that a self-possessed -woman like myself, with no excuse for nervousness on the grounds of -youth, should have felt so much terrified at being called upon to act -a small part in a court of law; I suppose the experience is always -trying to folk who lead quiet lives, and suddenly find themselves in -the limelight. At any rate, I am speaking the truth when I say that I -had no desire to go through a similar ordeal again, and I determined to -use every care in avoiding another collision with the law. And this, -perhaps, was the result the law, by use of pomp and elaboration, and of -imposing and terrifying methods, intended to effect.</p> - -<p>At Greenwich, the Judge's facetious suggestion was taken up by -young Edward, and commented upon by him with considerable relish. -Mr. Hillier, and the two girls, observing that I was not amused, -gave him a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> private warning to make no further allusions to the -Quartermaster-Sergeant.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I was careful to send out no newspapers to France that gave a report -of the case, but Cartwright, in one of his pencilled letters mentioned -that he had heard of it. "If ever you are in any legal trouble, go -to my brother at the enclosed address." It was the first time he had -spoken of this relative. The old people at Lewisham had not referred -to this son; conversation when I called there was restricted to the -soldier. Particulars of greater importance in the letter had a place -on the last sheet. "I have been feeling out of sorts, and they tell -me I need a change and a rest. But I do not want to come home until -the job is ended. Fritz has got to be downed." Whilst I was receiving -correspondence and sending it with scarcely a single mishap, my dear -Katherine found that her communications and parcels to Mesopotamia were -subjected to erratic treatment; now and again a steamer taking the -mails was torpedoed in the Mediterranean, and this accounted for some -of them, but not for all. Lieutenant Langford, on one occasion, cabled -to her: "Are you writing?" and it cost about two pounds to reply, -stating that she had been sending to him each week since he left. -To me, in a moment of confidence induced by her anxiety, Katherine -communicated a secret.</p> - -<p>"And aren't you as pleased, my love, as ever you can be?"</p> - -<p>"In a way, yes," she answered perplexedly. "But it means I shall have -to leave the bank."</p> - -<p>"Only for a time."</p> - -<p>"They'll say I ought to have been straightforward with them. They'll be -annoyed. They can be very stern when they like."</p> - -<p>"Important folk, no doubt," I remarked, "but it isn't for them to give -permission for dear, beautiful babies to come into the world. And don't -forget<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> when the time comes, that although your poor mother is gone, I -shall be here."</p> - -<p>"Shouldn't like to be facing it, Aunt Weston, without you."</p> - -<p>My Quartermaster-Sergeant walked into the shop at London Street one -wet day when Greenwich was looking something short of its brightest, -and neighbouring tradesmen had called to give me their private and -business anxieties. He said, "Hullo, Mary, my girl!" and kissed me, -and, at once, other people's troubles vanished from my thoughts and -for all I knew sunshine might have taken the place of rain. He was -slightly thinner, and he had one or two lines on his forehead that I -had not before noticed; it struck me there was a touch of grey about -his moustache. Also his manner seemed quieter.</p> - -<p>"No," he said, when I had sketched out plans for the evening. "Rather -not, if it's all the same to you, go to a theatre, and, unless you're -keen on it, we won't go up to town and have dinner. I'd prefer to just -sit here on this sofa, and gaze at Miss Weston."</p> - -<p>"That won't be very amusing for you."</p> - -<p>"Seem to have got out of the habit of laughing. Takes a bit of an -effort, in these days, for me to smile. But I don't want anything -better than to hear you talk, and chat to you, and find you -contradicting me. And," as I placed a cushion under his head, "how's -the nephew, and how are the people in Gloucester Place, and how's -everybody?"</p> - -<p>He admitted, later, that he paid but a small compliment to me by -falling asleep as I was chatting to him. "Where's my manners?" he asked -self-reproachfully. Before this, I had put a screen near the sofa, -and if anyone came in the shop, warned them to speak quietly. I set -the kettle on the fire in the back room, induced a passing lad to buy -for me a two-ounce packet of the Quartermaster-Sergeant's favourite -tobacco. His pipe rolled out of his pocket as he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> turned in his sleep, -and I filled it, placed it ready for him, with matches at hand.</p> - -<p>I proposed to tell him of my fears regarding Muriel Hillier and -my nephew, and to mention that Herbert was shortly coming up -on the retarded leave. I thought of explaining that Muriel had -changed but that it was not clear the change was permanent. My -Quartermaster-Sergeant had just awoke, and was once more blaming -himself for inattention to the rules of etiquette, when William -Richards appeared at the doorway.</p> - -<p>"Bit of a railway accident, Mary Weston," he announced, shortly. "Your -nephew, the officer chap, is I am sorry to say in it!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XVI</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was the way of things in the long months of the war that in addition -to news from abroad, one was called upon to receive information -concerning events at home, and when it happened that both were of a -serious and alarming nature, one was almost knocked down by the double -blow. One generally managed to get up again before ten was counted, but -for the moment, the effect was staggering. I could have wished for no -better companions than Cartwright and William Richards, and they proved -the more useful when my brother-in-law Millwood arrived, a broken -and a tearful man, unable to offer any suggestion or to join in the -conference which, once I had recovered, took place; he went into the -back room, and gripping the top of his head with both hands moaned and -wailed. All the cheeriness which he was able, at public meetings, to -communicate to his audience, had gone. I opened the door with the idea -of giving a word of sympathy.</p> - -<p>"Go away, Mary," he said. "Please go away. I want to be alone."</p> - -<p>The accident, it seemed, had occurred near to London, and injured -passengers were brought on to the terminus and conveyed to hospitals; -William Richards was able to give me the name of the institution to -which Herbert had been taken and the title of the ward. "I asked the -question you are now putting to me," said William, in his stolid way, -"and the answer was 'Both mental and physical.'" Richards had to leave -in order to resume his duties, but he urged me to count upon him for -any assistance required, and advised the Quartermaster-Sergeant to go -back to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> France at the earliest possible moment. "No offence meant," he -added, at the doorway, "but I've knowed her," with a jerk of the head -in my direction, "a sight longer than what you have. And if I could -only get appointed to a nice station down in the country—". He decided -not to complete the sentence, or to describe, in full, his plans.</p> - -<p>Cartwright, aroused from contemplation of his own state of health -by some one else's disaster, offered to carry out any orders I had -to give. I felt unable, at the moment, to go to town and endure the -risks of ascertaining worse news, and did not care to leave Millwood; -Cartwright put on his thick overcoat, and set out with no delay. In -the back room, I found my brother-in-law searching the contents of the -bookshelf.</p> - -<p>"Want a prayer book," he said, in a muffled voice, "or a bible. Or a -'ymn book. Anything of the sort'd do."</p> - -<p>I ran in next door, where the proprietor was a chapel man; his wife -would not permit me to take a copy of ordinary size, but forced upon -me a family bible, under the impression, I fancy, that size and weight -would increase helpfulness. The considerable volume I took to Millwood; -he asked me to guide him to comforting passages, and this, after -some effort of memory, I was able to do. Called back to the shop, I -could hear—as a visitor begged me, on the grounds that she was dead -nuts on crime, to give a full and particular account of the silver -incident—could hear him reciting verses aloud in tones that became -strong and determined.</p> - -<p>"Funny thing," he remarked, later. "Such a lot of us don't give a -thought to religion unless something 'appens that we've got no control -over. Then we begin to take notice of a 'igher power. You remember the -story of the sailor in the Liverpool docks?" The fact that Millwood was -telling an anecdote proved that he was regaining composure. "Chap falls -from top of mast, and cries out, 'Oh, Lord, pray 'elp me!'<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> 'Alf way -down he catches 'old of a rope, and swings into safety. 'Don't trouble, -Lord,' he says, 'I've done it meself!'"</p> - -<p>We talked quietly after this of Herbert's accident, and of the steps -to be taken. I suggested that the lad, so soon as he was free of the -hospital, should be brought to my rooms at Gloucester Place; replying -to Millwood I had to admit that, with the calls of the business on my -time, it would not be possible for me to nurse him, but I felt sure the -services of a capable woman could be obtained. To make certain of this, -I went along to the Post Office and rang up the doctor who had become -a recent customer, and had proved friendly and helpful. His answer -was definite. "No chance of securing a nurse for a long job. Everyone -busy, and overworked. The patient had better remain in the hospital. -Extremely sorry unable to assist. Brighter luck next time. Good-bye!"</p> - -<p>At Gloucester Place that evening, the news was received with concern. -Mr. Hillier said that no one would hear of the accident with more -regret than John. John had been looking forward to a meeting with -Herbert so soon as the tour was over; he had some idea of taking -Herbert away to Cornwall, where the pair could enjoy a holiday -together. Muriel came in as the others were guessing at the extent -and nature of the injuries; Edward spoke of concussion of the brain, -and, as an authority on railway procedure, suggested that if any -immediate compensation were offered, it should not be accepted, but -the matter instead placed in the hands of a solicitor. Legal folk, he -said, managed to get more out of a company than an ordinary individual -obtained.</p> - -<p>"Has something happened?" asked Muriel. I explained. "If you want any -one to look after him," she said quickly, "when he comes here, let me -do it."</p> - -<p>"But, my dear," I protested. "Means such a sacrifice for you to make."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p> - -<p>"It is time," she said, "that I did a little in that way. I shouldn't -be so good as a qualified nurse, but I'd do everything I was told to -do. We'll consider it settled. Unless," she added, "unless he objects."</p> - -<p>"You are the one person in the world that he would like to have for -company." She contracted her forehead slightly, and I could see that -my impetuous remark had not included the quality of tactfulness. "I -should have said you are one of the few persons." Muriel accepted the -correction with a nod.</p> - -<p>The particulars brought by Cartwright suggested that the hospital would -be ready to give Herbert permission to leave so soon as he could be -removed with safety, and I heard from Miss Katherine that her sister -had given notice to headquarters of an intention to resign. Katherine -thought it a risky procedure, but admitted that the demand for women's -work existed and was likely to continue; the talk of compulsory service -by men seemed likely to result in definite action. Katherine, in -speaking of the war and the call for more recruits, mentioned that she -could not decide whether she wished her little one to be a boy, or a -girl, and I pointed out to her that, in these matters, wishing was of -small avail.</p> - -<p>Cartwright gave up his hours to attendance at the hospital; he had -always, he said, felt a partiality for the lad, since Birdcage Walk -days, and although at times Herbert could not speak to him, the -Quartermaster-Sergeant sat by his bed and waited to see whether -conversation, in small doses, was required. It was Cartwright who, -when the day for transfer came, took charge of all the arrangements; -for once in my life I was willing to abstain from exercising control. -When the ambulance drew up in Gloucester Place, and the invalid chair -was brought out with my dear nephew upon it, he glanced wearily at -me, without sign of recognition, and I knew his convalescence was -going to be no short job. Captain Winterton and his wife looked on -sympathetically; the old lady whispered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> to her husband and, coming -forward, he begged, in his courteous way, that I would consider the -ground floor at my disposal. Cartwright and the driver of the ambulance -said the stairs were not difficult and could be managed. I thanked -the Wintertons and assured them the top floor had been chosen by the -doctor; no other invention would have arrested their hospitality. -At the last landing stood Muriel in a neat print costume and blue -over-all; her features had become tanned by out-door work and I felt -that Herbert might well be excused for failing to identify her. He -opened his eyes as the chair stopped.</p> - -<p>"Yes," he said, gratefully trying to put out his hand to her. "You! -You!"</p> - -<p>I have never been able to make up my mind whether, if Herbert had -arrived safely and without the intervention of the railway accident, -Muriel would have shewn any extraordinary regard for him; there -is, at the back of my mind, an impression that with her thoughts -concentrated on work, and with the memory of disastrous experiences -in earlier days, she had decided to contemplate the other sex with -aloofness. (Afterwards she told us one or two incidents connected with -impressionable season-ticket holders that seemed to confirm this view.) -The clear and certain thing was that she entered upon her new duties -with a serenity that would have been impossible for her in Chislehurst -times, that she shewed also a touch of authority, accepting suggestions -from nobody but the doctor, and allowing none of us to enter the room -and chat with Herbert unless we first obtained permission from her. -Cartwright was inclined to rebel. Cartwright said he had met nurses out -in France who, at the start, had to be argued with firmly, and this -over, proved sweet enough and reasonable; I warned him that a procedure -effective with some might fail where Muriel was concerned, and advised -that he should imitate my example, and abstain from interference.</p> - -<p>"That isn't usual with me," he declared, "and I'll<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> swear it's a bit -exceptional with you. I often find myself wondering what sort of -discussions and arguments and family words you and me will have when -we're married."</p> - -<p>"Don't you bother your head about that," I counselled. "It takes two to -make a wedding, and I haven't by any means come to a decision yet."</p> - -<p>"But why then do you let me kiss you?"</p> - -<p>"Because I like it," I said. "Take a book, and go out and sit down in -the Park, and get yourself fit and well as soon as ever you can. We -shan't have this war finished if many of you hang around here at home. -Besides, the neighbours in London Street are beginning to talk."</p> - -<p>"I don't suppose they ever belonged to the deafs and dumbs, and -I'll guarantee there's few people in Greenwich who care less what's -chattered about them than you do. As a matter of fact, I'm going to run -up to town to see my brother. I want to get him to draw up a will for -me."</p> - -<p>"You ought to have done that long ago."</p> - -<p>"Possibly," he said. "But long ago I hadn't anything to leave, and long -ago I didn't know anyone special I wanted to leave it to. I'll trouble -you, Mary Weston, for a fond embrace."</p> - -<p>The Quartermaster-Sergeant, soon after this, was detailed for duty -at Seaford, where he had to look after the convalescent men who were -preparing to return to the front. I did not tell him, and did not -inform anybody, how greatly I missed him.</p> - -<p>Herbert's progress was slow, but there came a time when he was able, -with Muriel's assistance, to walk about the gardens of Gloucester -Place, and I noticed that their conversation was often animated, that -they called each other by Christian names. Then there came news of -cruel treatment of (amongst others) a chum of Herbert's, now in a -German lager not so well managed as the one in which John had been -detained, and Herbert worked himself up to a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> state of excitement over -the methods that had been practised, and his own inability to help in -taking revenge. The doctor summoned a specialist from Wimpole Street, -and Muriel told me privately of her fears that she might find herself -replaced by someone owning greater qualifications. The specialist gave -orders regarding treatment, asked no questions concerning Muriel, -approved her careful manner of taking notes. Herbert was not to be left -alone at night, and I offered my services.</p> - -<p>"Are you his sister?" inquired the man from Wimpole Street. I explained -the relationship. "Heavens!" he cried. "Incredible! Bless my soul! How -difficult it is, in these days, to guess a woman's age."</p> - -<p>"Thanks for the compliment, sir."</p> - -<p>"It isn't a compliment," he retorted. "I'm hinting at the facts. If -anybody asked me, I should say you were in love."</p> - -<p>"Nobody is likely to ask you," I remarked, "and you needn't pledge your -word to a statement of that kind."</p> - -<p>Millwood came back from some platform engagements, and Muriel described -to me the scene of his meeting with Herbert; she mentioned that she -would have felt more touched by it, but for the common and ordinary -accent used by Herbert's father. It occurred to me there was still a -trace of haughtiness to be found in the girl, and that this needed -to be erased before she could be reckoned good enough for my nephew. -Millwood bought and presented to her, as acknowledgment of her -attention, a brooch the like of which I had never seen before, and, -with luck, will not see again; she was on the point of declining it, -but a glance from me induced her to change the intention.</p> - -<p>"You can either wear it," said Millwood, impressively, "on 'igh days, -and Bank 'olidays, or you can put it by, and keep it in stock, so to -speak, as family heir<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span>loom, to be 'anded down to your children, and -their children's children after them." Muriel said she would take the -second alternative, and that she was ever so much obliged. "Tell you -what I did," he went on, emphasising the importance of the occasion, -"I didn't consult me own taste; I tried to imagine what your selection -would be, and d'rectly moment I set eyes on this, I knew I wasn't going -far wrong!"</p> - -<p>It was, I suppose, the sleeping upright in a chair at night that made -my dreams more than ever twisted and perturbed; it may have been -Cartwright's talk about his will that accounted for his presence in -these imaginings. The number of times the Quartermaster-Sergeant was -blown up by mines, or sniped by the enemy was past counting; it often -proved an intense relief when Herbert awoke, and his call aroused me. -Occasionally, when sleep was tardy in coming to him, Herbert spoke of -his mother and his own early days, and the money I had spent on his -education, and a dozen other subjects; he rarely alluded to Muriel, and -when he did so, only in an incidental way. From which, I assumed that -they had made terms with each other, and that peace was near. It seemed -to me now that this was perhaps the best thing that could happen.</p> - -<p>I should have done well to keep in mind the nursing instinct. In my -own case, with the maids at Chislehurst, it had often happened that a -particularly tiresome girl fell ill, and, at once, all my annoyance -with her ceased, and I tended her as though she were my dearest friend. -I have known mistresses who got rid of servants because they were so -healthy as to prove wholly uninteresting. It is a virtue or a defect -with women. And certainly it proved, in case of Muriel, that so soon -as my nephew gave signs of recovery—I was glad for his sake, and not -regretful for my own, for the want of proper rest was beginning to -tell upon me, and I had no desire to escape the kind of flattery that -the Wimpole Street gentleman had offered—so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> soon as this occurred, -Muriel went up to the City, obtained employment in a forwarding office -in Gracechurch Street at twenty-five shillings a week (the head -clerk had been a season-ticket holder who shewed deference in her -ticket-collector days), came back and reported the circumstance. This -readiness for work in war time was no help to sentimental match-makers -like myself. I took Herbert to task.</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry, aunt," he said.</p> - -<p>"You have oceans of pluck in other ways."</p> - -<p>"Possibly, possibly. But it requires a special sort of courage to speak -in that way to any one who is so far above—" He made an upward gesture -with his hand.</p> - -<p>"On any well regulated set of scales," I declared, warmly, "your -qualities would considerably outbalance hers. As a fact, she is even -now not nearly good enough for you."</p> - -<p>"You expect life to resemble a <i>Family Herald</i> story," he said, smiling.</p> - -<p>"Life might often do worse."</p> - -<p>"With every male patient marrying every nurse, and living happily -ever afterwards. There wouldn't be enough nurses, my dear aunt, to go -around. And because Muriel has been so good as to attend to me during -my illness is a reason why my admiration should increase, but it gives -no excuse for assuming that she is bound to become my wife."</p> - -<p>"Then, I suppose, we must hunt about for someone else likely to suit -your lordship."</p> - -<p>"A waste of time," he assured me. "I shall never think of caring for -anyone else. And to have been in her company all these weeks is a -privilege I did not deserve, and shall never forget."</p> - -<p>"Boy," I cried, "you're talking like a blessed Crusader."</p> - -<p>An army medical officer came to see him one day, and announced that -Herbert was not yet fit to return to duty. Herbert took him down to the -riverside, by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> the Naval College, and argued with him for an hour by -the clock, and they came back to Gloucester Place, where the medical -officer said that Lieutenant Millwood's health had so much improved -that he would rejoin his company the following morning. I knew quite -well that Herbert would have been less eager to go away from Greenwich -if his lady had not now been catching the eight-twenty train every -morning to Cannon Street. It had always interested me to watch folk who -are in love, and this, perhaps, was due to the circumstance that until -the Quartermaster-Sergeant came on the scene, I had few experiences of -my own to engage attention. And being accustomed to pull wires and see -the figures obey, I was a trifle moody in bidding the lad farewell.</p> - -<p>"No more railway accidents, please," I directed. "I did think this one -might have been of some use, but I was mistaken. And I'm disappointed."</p> - -<p>"Had a letter from the railway company this morning," he said. "They -seem to make a very fair offer."</p> - -<p>"Give it to me. You mustn't accept the proposal until I have considered -it."</p> - -<p>"If you were in command of the British army, aunt—"</p> - -<p>"I like everything to be done right."</p> - -<p>At the earliest opportunity, when Millwood was able to look after -the shop for a couple of hours—he had a bible of his own now, and -read it with all the interest of one to whom its contents were new, -declaiming passages aloud and committing them to memory—I ran up to -town and saw Cartwright's brother. He was an abridged edition of the -Quartermaster-Sergeant, only about five feet five high, and small -featured; in the way of short men he took an assertive manner, and -there was scarcely any opinion I offered during the early part of the -interview that did not receive immediate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> contradiction. Perhaps he -accentuated this attitude because, at the start, he said, "Oh yes, Miss -Weston. The lady to whom my soldier brother wants to leave his money!" -It was a time, you will remember, when we all bragged of relatives in -the army; the little solicitor was not exempt, and one could see that -he blamed himself for disclosing information concerning the will. I -said promptly that I had no need of the Quartermaster-Sergeant's money, -that I had enough of my own, that he would have done better to look -after his parents. "They," remarked Cartwright's brother, "are under my -charge." We came to the subject of the railway company's offer.</p> - -<p>"Oh, no," he said, promptly, "your nephew is not going to agree to -that. These folk never expect their first offer to be taken. This -is a matter which will require correspondence and discussion, and -consultations, and so forth, and so on."</p> - -<p>"We don't want to run into too much expense for your so forth and so -on."</p> - -<p>"You will be troubled with no bill of costs in this matter," he said. -"Any friend of my brother's has a special claim upon me."</p> - -<p>I apologised, and we became more friendly. He told me his parents had -made great sacrifices in regard to his preparation for the law, and -that George had willingly agreed to this. He admitted there had been -a period when one did not take much trouble to speak of a brother who -had enlisted in the army; he remembered arguing the matter with George -very seriously, and for some years they were not on speaking or writing -terms; the war had promptly brought them together. I spoke of other -conjuring tricks performed by the same medium. Of my nephew Herbert, -stopped in his educational career. Of the Hilliers, and in particular -of Muriel.</p> - -<p>"But that ought not to be a difficult task," said the little man, -across the table. "To bring those two together, I mean."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p> - -<p>"It ought not to be difficult," I agreed, "but I can give you my word -that it is."</p> - -<p>"He is very much in love with her?"</p> - -<p>"That's right."</p> - -<p>"And she cares for no one else?"</p> - -<p>"So far as I know."</p> - -<p>"Have you," he asked, "considered the usefulness of exciting jealousy?"</p> - -<p>It is fair to say that he did, in the result, persuade the railway -people to increase the compensation by about fifty per cent., -that he declined to take a penny for his work, and that his -suggestion concerning Muriel appeared, when I had given full time to -consideration, one which deserved a fair trial. The chance came when -a stout widow of Maze Hill, a lady customer who collected articles -of brass, spoke to me of her intense sympathy for lonely men in -the army; she had four on her list with whom she was in frequent -postal communication, and wanted more. "My heart goes out to them," -she declared, emotionally. She was grateful for the full address -of Lieutenant Millwood, of whom I spoke as from hearsay, and she -subsequently shewed me a brief but very courteous note received from -that young officer. "They're always shy at first," remarked the Maze -Hill widow, acutely. "But I know just how to write to them. The great -thing is to cheer them up, make them realise that someone cares for -them, and send them plenty of cigarettes." In one of his notes to -me, Herbert alluded to the kindness he was receiving from a Mrs. -Kenningham. I spoke of this incident at Gloucester Place, and Muriel -said she considered that some women with nothing else to do were making -themselves foolish and intolerably fussy in pressing their attentions -upon army men.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Katherine left the bank, and stayed at home for a few weeks. The post -from Mesopotamia was still imperfect, and it was all I could do to keep -her hopeful and happy. Her baby came one morning at twenty-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span>five past -six, and I sent a cable to Lieutenant Langford that seemed to puzzle -the attendant in the Post Office. It said,</p> - -<p> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">"Beautiful boy!"</span><br /> -</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XVII</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> arrival of the baby boy at Gloucester Place made an extraordinary -difference in many ways. Katherine might well have protested -against being deprived of some of her rights; instead she looked on -good-temperedly and with an obvious pride in the interest created by -her son; her own talk was mainly of the bank, and the possibility -that the authorities might allow her to return so soon as she was -sufficiently restored to health. It depended, she told me, on the -quality of girls newly engaged there since her departure; a highly -placed official named Cummings would have a voice in the matter.</p> - -<p>"Cummings is a bachelor," she went on, "and he won't be very amiably -disposed in my case. When a bachelor reaches the age of fifty he is -inclined to take what he calls the common sense view. And common sense -will be all against me."</p> - -<p>"What is his first name?" I asked casually.</p> - -<p>"Timothy," she replied, "but the scandalous circumstance is not -generally known. He hopes that people assume it is Thomas."</p> - -<p>Mr. Hillier, advanced in position at Woolwich, and able, at times, to -return home at an early hour, came now at a trot from the station, -and his first inquiry as he ascended the staircase always concerned -the infant; Edward gave up his occasional evenings at the theatre to -return home, chat to Katherine, and, by permission of nurse, find -himself allowed to hold the baby for a few minutes; old Mrs. Winterton -discovered amongst her treasures, mid Victorian toys such as ivory -rings, china dolls with black painted hair, and a wooden horse of -barrel shape with circular stripes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> The greatest change to be noticed -was in Muriel. Muriel, in the presence of Master Langford, threw off -all the masks that she wore at various times—aloofness, indifference, -studied composure, sedateness—and, as Edward said, gave herself -away completely when the baby was in sight. She talked to him in the -mysterious language that the very young are supposed to understand, she -was deferential towards nurse in order that she might be allowed to -share nurse's duties; to be permitted to glance at him, the last thing, -as he slept, was counted by her a remarkable privilege. Muriel assured -me that the slightest whimper from his cot during the night, aroused -her instantly.</p> - -<p>"At office," she mentioned, with good humour, "I seem to have been -making him the one topic of my conversation. At any rate, a round robin -was presented to me to-day signed by all the girls in my room, and -pointing out that I am not the only aunt in the world. I suppose it -is true, but I wrote in reply that few aunts had such a brilliant and -exceptional nephew."</p> - -<p>"I felt just the same," I commented, "when Herbert arrived. For a time -people used to say that it cost half a crown to speak to me."</p> - -<p>Muriel was silent for a few moments. "I must write to Herbert," she -said.</p> - -<p>When nurse left, we formed a syndicate, and my earliest grievance -against the shop was caused by the discovery that some one would have -to be engaged to look after the baby; I was free only in the early -hours and the late hours, and those were periods when the other members -happened to be ready to give their services. Katherine herself could -have remained at home, and she had a desire to do so, but she admitted -to me that loneliness meant grim imaginings of disaster near the -Persian Gulf, and I recognised that work, and nothing else but work, -was necessary to her. So I had to look around for some responsible -woman—not a slip of a girl, and not so advanced in age as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> Mrs. -Winterton, who had offered to help—and the task of finding one proved -difficult; there were occupations so well paid at the time that few -wanted to engage in domestic tasks. (I declined Mrs. Winterton's -suggestion with a gentleness not, I fear, usual to me; I had an idea -that the old Captain was beginning to shew signs of breaking up, and if -this happened, I knew her hands would be full.) I did, at last, find -a nurse who produced a guardedly-worded testimonial from her latest -employer.</p> - -<p>"I'm all right," she said, candidly, "so long as no one gets in my way. -Once that happens, I fly straight off into a rare old fit of temper."</p> - -<p>The engagement was made subject to the decision of the bank people. -Katherine wrote, and the reply directed her to call the following -Monday morning; she rehearsed the interview more than once, and -declared her belief that Cummings would prove the one barrier. On the -Sunday, I took the trouble to write to Mr. Cummings a letter, beginning -My dearest Tim, and expressing the fear that he no longer remembered -me, but saying that the note was intended to assure him that, in spite -of the long lapse of time, he was never absent from my thoughts, and -that I remained, now and always, his ever affectionate Daisy. It is not -clear whether my action could be defended on moral grounds, but I did -ascertain from Katherine that she found the recipient of the letter in -a dreamy, slightly absent-minded and quite reasonable state, and that -he handsomely granted her appeal.</p> - -<p>"But," he said, gazing hard at the inkstand, "any repetition of the -error will, of course—er—Good morning!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was enough to make a woman feel important to note how swiftly -members of her sex filled the vacancies caused by the departure of men. -Mr. Hillier spoke of munition factories at Erith and other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> places, -where thousands of girls were employed. At Woolwich, the canteens were -run by women. It had long since given no astonishment to see a lady -driving a motor-car; they seemed to do it more easily, less fussily -than did their predecessors. I heard of waitresses in West End clubs, -and of girl letter-sorters in the district Post Offices; I saw, when -business took me to London, high booted, short skirted alert young -women taking 'bus fares; from the kerbs came soprano voices calling -the evening newspapers; lifts in the big shops were managed by smartly -uniformed girls, and one observed them doing outside establishments the -work hitherto performed by commissionaires. Some of my lady customers -were deeply perturbed and shocked.</p> - -<p>"It don't do to think what poor old Queen Victoria would have said," -declared one, mournfully. "Thank Heaven, she wasn't spared to see this -day. If she had been, it would have been the death of her. She'd never -have survived it, dear soul. It's a mercy she was taken off when she -was. Providence knows best."</p> - -<p>The great argument with these good folk was that the occupations were -unwomanly; they did not trouble to consider who else there was to do -the work, and I always discovered they were the first to complain -of any slight inconvenience to them created by the war, and full of -indignation against some individuals whom they called the authorities. -The authorities ought to have done this, the authorities should have -done that; it was especially charged against the authorities that they -were lacking in fore-sight, and deficient in the valuable quality of -common sense. The most strenuous critics happened, by a coincidence, to -be those who never contrived to remember whether my early closing day -was Wednesday or Thursday.</p> - -<p>I allowed conversation to go on in the shop, partly because one had -all the natural curiosity to pick up any bits of news that were flying -about, mainly because<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> it was worth while that the place should offer -an appearance of traffic. I have often seen people stop, attracted -by the window, crease their features over some of the contents with -a look of perplexity, and then, if the shop were empty, decide upon -postponement and move away; if customers were inside, and there -seemed a likelihood of an article of furniture being on the point of -changing hands, then the shop was entered without delay. I hit upon -the notion—it is improbable that I was the first to think of it—of -placing some desirable arm-chair or attractive cabinet well in the -foreground, and on it a ticket with the word "SOLD." The dodge rarely -failed. Grapes that are out of reach invariably look the sweetest.</p> - -<p>"Now could you manage, Miss Weston," it would be said, coaxingly, -"to just write a nice little note to your customer, and say you're -extremely sorry to find a mistake has been made? And send this round to -my house on a hand-cart at once, and it will be there in time to be a -surprise for my husband when he comes home!"</p> - -<p>These were, of course, the exceptions. Plenty of my ladies were shrewd -women doing good work with the various societies and associations that -had been started in the borough, and I was rarely tired of hearing -about their experiences, and always ready, I hope, to put my name -down on their subscription lists. London grows kinder year by year, -but there never was a period when amiability was so generally shown; -perhaps there had never been a time when it was so much required. The -need did not consist in money, but in friendliness. There were some who -stood in urgent want of this.</p> - -<p>A woman with her two children waited near to my door one day, gazing at -the tram-cars in a bewildered manner. I went out, and asked if I could -be of any assistance.</p> - -<p>"I do feel such a looney," she admitted, cheerfully. "To tell you the -truth, ma'am, I've never been out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> of Greenwich before, and now I've -got to find my way to a railway station up in London. My man's coming -home on leave, and he expects me and the kids to meet him. And we want -to meet him, because if we don't he may come across other friends, -and—Well, you know what soldier chaps are, don't you?"</p> - -<p>I read the pencilled note she held in her hand. Millwood was upstairs, -resting his voice. I put on my hat and coat in the back room, and -called out a direction to him.</p> - -<p>"I'll pilot you up there," I said, "and look after you until your -husband arrives!"</p> - -<p>The children were excited on the journey, wondering what Dad would look -like, and what Dad would bring for them, and how long Dad would be able -to remain at home, and how many Germans Dad had accounted for, and -whether—the great question—whether he would take them to a picture -palace. The woman herself was almost off her head with delight at the -prospect of seeing her husband again. I remember she carried a small -hand-bag with an unreliable catch; it contained all his letters and -post cards, and I should think I rescued it from the floor twenty times.</p> - -<p>"Without your help, ma'am," she declared gratefully at the London -station, "I sh'd no more had been able to get here than nothing at all."</p> - -<p>The boat train was due in ten minutes; we waited in the crowd near -the barrier, the youngsters dancing about expectantly, and too much -engaged to test the automatic machines. The tallest of us in the crowd -presently saw the engine approaching, and we made the announcement; the -crowd surged to and fro, chuckling and delighted.</p> - -<p>"I shall scarcely know him, I expect," said my agitated companion, -"after all these months."</p> - -<p>Mud-covered soldiers began to alight from the train ere it stopped; -cries of identification went up from people near to us.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p> - -<p>"That's my Jim," she exclaimed. And, contradicting herself, "No, it -ain't. Same height though. This must be him, coming along now. No," -disappointedly. "That ain't him, neither!"</p> - -<p>The men and their friends went off, chattering; the crowd diminished -and the features of those who remained shewed anxiety.</p> - -<p>"Anyone here called Mrs. Barford?" inquired a deep voice.</p> - -<p>"That's me," whispered my companion. "You go and see what he wants, -miss. I'm too nervous. I'm all of a tremble." I went forward.</p> - -<p>"If you are Mrs. Barford," said the Corporal, speaking to me formally -and deliberately, "I regret to have to inform you that your husband -fell down, and died he did, just as we was about to get in the train at -Bailleul. Heart attack probably. I need not say how sorry I am to be -the bearer of bad news." He went off with his wife and son.</p> - -<p>I had to take the sad group home to Greenwich, and to give all the -comfort and sympathy I could provide. And wished, with all my heart and -soul, that I had been better fitted for the task.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was not long ere the new nurse and myself stepped inside the ring. -If she had been an angel from Heaven (which she was not) I should -probably have found some excuse for challenging her; she admitted, -when it was all over, that she found Gloucester Place too quiet for a -person of her disposition, and that she was, when the first discussion -occurred, spoiling for a fight. I had received a visit from William -Richards that afternoon, and a letter from my nephew contained an -enclosure, to which I had been looking forward, from Mrs. Kenningham. -William called to tell me he was married—</p> - -<p>"And this I very well know, Mary Weston, means a rumpus so far as me -and you are concerned!"</p> - -<p>—Married to a lady hitherto engaged at a railway<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> refreshment counter, -and, as I remarked when he shewed me her photograph on the back of a -postcard, looking it to the life. I assured him there was no objection -so far as I knew, and that I trusted he would be happy; William could -not get rid of the idea that an apology and a full explanation were due -to me, and with some notion of tempering the blow, made an offer for a -bookcase that stood in the shop. Guessing at the motive, I gave many -reasons for declining this. The bookcase was not for sale. I myself -had taken a fancy to it. Two or three customers were making a bid. The -owner had gone abroad, and might return any day. Eventually, William -became so piteous that I insisted on making him a gift of the article.</p> - -<p>"Wish you hadn't taken it to heart like this, Mary," he mentioned in -going. "But I suppose gels are more sensitive than what we men are. -They brood over affairs of the kind, and make a grievance of 'em. -Only, don't forget this. You had your chance, and it's no one's fault -but your own that you didn't take advantage of it. I'll send for the -bookcase in a day or two, and thank you kindly."</p> - -<p>There was really nothing in this to worry about, but as I went, -after closing the shop, I did feel William might have made a better -selection, and I argued that the chances of his happiness were not -great. At the exit from Gloucester Place to Crooms' Hill I caught -sight of baby's nurse talking to the milkman. I waited until he began -to pull at one of her white cuffs, and then, wondering how grown-up -people could be so stupid, hurried on to the house. Baby was alone, -and crying; he stopped on seeing me and was as right as ninepence in -less than a minute. My lady arrived, and demanded to be told what I was -doing with her child. I gave an answer pretty quickly. One word led to -another, and when Muriel arrived the two of us were having a rare brisk -discussion, hammer and tongs, give and take, such as I had not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> had a -share in for some time past. Muriel stayed the argument, begged me to -go to my rooms, and settled down for her usual talk with the baby. When -she came up later, I was feeling penitent.</p> - -<p>"You are working too hard," she said, firmly, "and unless you go slowly -you'll be ill, Aunt Weston. It's beginning to get on your nerves. We -must see what can be done."</p> - -<p>"You don't imagine, my dear, that I'm the kind of woman who will put up -with any interference from other people?"</p> - -<p>"Sure it wouldn't be an easy task," she agreed, smiling. "What happened -to-day to put you out?"</p> - -<p>She listened to the William Richards incident without great concern. -But when I shewed her the letter that Mrs. Kenningham had written -to Herbert, and the note from him which requested me to call on the -lady, and tell her frankly that he was in no need of affectionate -communications, then Muriel exhibited an energy and a vehemence of -which I had not reckoned her capable. She was willing to accompany me -to Maze Hill, and to go without delay. This style of woman, she said, -forcibly, had to understand once for all that kindness must stop short -of ridiculous infatuation.</p> - -<p>We found in the drawing-room of Mrs. Kenningham's house a cabinet -photograph of my nephew; it was set in an expensive silver frame, and -I wondered how many applications the lady had made before obtaining -it. It was gratifying to me, as a wire puller, to notice that Muriel -had not yet managed to suppress her annoyance; she went across to -the pianoforte and, despite my warnings, extracted the photograph. -Underneath were two portraits of other soldiers whose loneliness had -apparently, at an earlier stage, obtained the lady's attention.</p> - -<p>"How do you do," said Mrs. Kenningham, entering breathlessly, "and I -hope you are not going to detain me, because one has so much to see to, -and such a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> quantity of letters to write, for at a period like this it -is everyone's duty—"</p> - -<p>"My name is Hillier," said Muriel, calmly. "I am engaged to Lieutenant -Millwood. He has received this preposterous communication from you."</p> - -<p>"Oh dear, oh dear," cried the lady, alarmedly, "I am so sorry. I've put -my foot in it this time, and that's a fact. Do hope you'll believe that -my intentions were good."</p> - -<p>"Possibly. But your procedure was intensely foolish. Don't let it -happen again."</p> - -<p>When we were out of the house—our departure watched by the penitent -Mrs. Kenningham—I asked the girl whether she had spoken the exact and -precise truth.</p> - -<p>"Aunt Weston," she answered, "I may have anticipated events slightly; -whatever crime there is in that can be charged against me. But I'm not -going to stand by and see any other woman snatch at him. Let me reply -to his letter."</p> - -<p>"Your news, my dear, will make him very happy."</p> - -<p>"Been trying all my life to find happiness for myself," she said, "and -I haven't succeeded. Maybe I shall be more fortunate in endeavouring to -give it to somebody else."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>We had a great meeting of friends, shortly after this, at Gloucester -Place; so extensive that Mr. Hillier spoke of the drawbacks attendant -on living in a flat, and compared the advantages of a house away from -London. Singing was, by consent, barred. A gentleman belonging to -the music-hall profession had come to live next door, and his habit -of giving a birthday party every Sunday night was not without its -inconveniences; it is only fair to say that when I called on him at the -request of old Mrs. Winterton, he proved as amiable as anyone could be.</p> - -<p>"Had no idea," he declared, self reproachfully, "there was anything -like illness about, or else it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> wouldn't have happened. Say so, won't -you, ma'am, with my compliments. Assure them that, until they give the -word, hospitality is off. The old Captain's honestly ill, is he? Well, -I'm sorry, and I can't say more. I expect the war has been too much for -him. It affects a lot of people who try not to shew it. Here!" He took -me aside. "Between ourselves, I'd give anything for that suit he wears, -if ever he wants to get rid of it. I can assure you it would get me a -roar the very moment I went on."</p> - -<p>So that at our gathering we had no music, but there was plenty to talk -about, and my nephew Herbert and Muriel were, to my great delight, -on excellent terms—they had agreed, she told me, to wait until the -war was over—and John was home from his tour, giving imitations -of chairmen he had encountered, and obtaining the aid of Edward in -reckoning the profits; the total when announced by the lad was received -with applause. John's leg still gave trouble: he spoke of the old and -less exacting task of writing songs. Colonel Edgington was there to -play billiards with Mr. Hillier; I took coffee down to the room and -found the two disputing in a manner that reminded me of Chislehurst -days. The Colonel, I gathered, was arguing not for the first time -that he either possessed influence or knew someone who owned it, and -he desired it should be used on behalf of Mr. Hillier; the contention -of Mr. Hillier was that he had every reason to be thankful for the -position he now occupied.</p> - -<p>And there was Katherine and her jolly baby. I wish I could describe to -you how fond we all were of the little chap; how relieved I was to find -that his nurse had asked for the day off; what a joy it was to me to -watch him and to help his young mother in looking after him. Katherine -and nurse appeared to get along well enough with each other, but my -antagonism to the girl had in no sense diminished, and as I sat near -the window, looking across the gardens at The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> Circus, I tried to fix -the details of a plan for getting rid of her, and securing for myself a -greater control over the dear mite. (You will perhaps think that I was -always scheming to get my own way, and you are probably not far wrong.)</p> - -<p>"The work at the shop in London Street," I overheard Katherine say to -John, "is telling on her. Do wish she'd give it up."</p> - -<p>"Something must be done," said her brother.</p> - -<p>"Millwood ought to be able to help," she remarked. "He seems to be a -man of intelligence."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The great wonder to me was that my brother-in-law remained modest, -continued to take the same size in hats. Before the war, he had been -nothing more, so far as the public was concerned, than a minor local -politician, reckoning himself lucky if the <i>Mercury</i> gave his name -amongst a number of others; occasionally it appeared on small bills -that were posted furtively, by enthusiasts in the cause, who knew how -to run a meeting on economical lines. Now and again, when the borough -elections came on, he was in the sunlight for a space, and anyone who -wanted to deal at that time in second-hand furniture, had no chance of -doing business. At a parliamentary election, he was what is called an -organiser.</p> - -<p>Now, it appeared that he was necessary to the success of recruiting -meetings, indispensable at all sorts of public occurrences that had -connection with the war. I found a card for a drawing-room reception to -meet Her Royal Highness the Princess Somebody of Something at a house -near Pall Mall; the card announced three speakers, and one of these -was H. Millwood, Esq. The date of the affair happened to be an early -closing afternoon, and I made up my mind to go to town and ascertain -how my brother-in-law comported himself in the presence of the higher -aristocracy. I had seen him amongst the Greenwich people, had heard of -his success with larger audiences<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> elsewhere, but it appeared tolerably -certain that Millwood would make grievous blunders in Carlton House -Terrace.</p> - -<p>There was time to spare when I stepped out of the tram-car on the far -side of Westminster Bridge, and in St James's Park I found the lake -still empty; on Horse Guards Parade a band was playing, and recruiting -sergeants conducted sets of newly enlisted to the railway station; near -The Mall and just inside the railings, a row of buildings had been set -up for Admiralty work, and cars with staff officers, and navy men, -hurried to and fro. There was no forgetting here that a war was going -on. At the house mentioned on the invitation card, I hesitated. The -ladies going in appeared distinguished (I recognised some from their -portraits in the illustrated dailies), they were handsomely dressed, -and I feared I might be stopped in the hall and called upon to answer -searching questions. A dowdily-garbed woman came in at the carriage -way, and I followed her. The footman inside the doorway bowed as he -took her card.</p> - -<p>"Has the meeting started yet?"</p> - -<p>"Not yet, Your Grace," answered the footman.</p> - -<p>I was sufficiently flustered to put, in a parrot-like way, the same -question, and the man was well trained enough to give me the same kind -of answer. At the foot of the broad staircase, another polite attendant -asked us to ascend, and on the landing everyone was being announced to -and received by the lady of the house.</p> - -<p>"Miss Weston!" called the man. The lady of the house shook hands, -pleasantly, said it was exceedingly good of me to find time to come, -urged me to take a seat without delay.</p> - -<p>"There will be a crowd," she remarked, contentedly. In a side room, I -could see Millwood in his blue reefer suit chatting with a young woman -who seemed about twice his height.</p> - -<p>The ball room was, on one side, of irregular shape,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> and I managed to -discover a corner, where, from a gilded chair I could watch without -being seen. A small raised platform had been fixed; the windows looked -out on the Park and Government offices. About me, as the room filled -and the rows of chairs became occupied, the talk was of the war and its -progress, or the need for its progress. One could not help observing, -once more, that the appetite for rumours, fresh and seasonable and -tasty, was as keen in the west as in the south-east of London.</p> - -<p>The Chairman entered escorting H.R.H. (she was the tall young woman -with whom I had seen Millwood chatting). We stood up. H.R.H. placed -her bouquet of flowers on the table where there stood a silver tray, -and a glass jug (that I should have liked to buy) and tumblers. A -well-known actor-manager, a notable Judge, and Millwood followed. The -audience sat down, made itself comfortable, and assumed the look of -calm resignation that is appropriate when a flood of talk has to be -expected. The Chairman opened with compliments to H.R.H. and, declaring -that the speakers of the afternoon would save him the trouble of -explaining the proposals of the new Association, went on to describe -these in full detail. At the end of twenty minutes, he called upon -the Judge. The Judge said the Chairman had given all the information -that was necessary, and his own talk would therefore be simple and -brief; he took twenty-five minutes to repeat, in slightly varied -words, the speech of the Chairman. When the actor-manager advanced -to the edge of the small platform, we all bent forward eagerly and -hopefully; it seemed likely that here would be something to break -the steady and persistent dulness. The actor-manager, with fine -declamation and admirable gesture, started with an epigram that missed -fire; my own view was that, by an oversight, he offered it upside -down, and thus robbed it of pungency. Discouraged by this (and by the -circumstance that he could not make out his notes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span> excepting by the -aid of spectacles, which he had decided not to wear) the actor-manager -contented himself by echoing the statements and arguments already made.</p> - -<p>"As you, my lord, have so truly remarked, and as my learned friend, if -I may so call him, has so admirably suggested—"</p> - -<p>I glanced about to discover a chance of getting away; an elderly lady -of great proportions in the next chair, was now well asleep, and to -arouse her would have produced a commotion.</p> - -<p>"Your Royal Highness," announced the Chairman. "I call upon Mr. -Millwood."</p> - -<p>My brother-in-law came forward, one hand in the pocket of his jacket. -He gave a rather awkward bow to H.R.H., nodded to the Chairman.</p> - -<p>"This is a deuce and all of a rummy affair!" he said. The sentence -seemed to box the ears of the jaded audience; everybody became alert; -the stout old lady next to me woke up. "When you come to think it over, -I mean. Before August, nineteen fourteen, you ladies and gentlemen -knew nothing about me and cared less, and what I thought of you isn't -worth mentioning. And here we are to-day, all friends. All chums. All -brothers and sisters. All regarding one another with a real and vurry -sincere affection. And why is it? Why, because we've been attacked, -without any warning, by a bully that wants to murder our men, women and -children, and whose aim it is to wipe us off the face of the earth." -Millwood jerked around suddenly, and spoke with deliberation. "He ain't -a-going to be allowed to do it!" The cheering came for the first time; -loud cheering, and long. "Out there, just now, on the 'Orse Guards -Parade, I spoke to a young chap who was going forward to the tent where -they're jotting down the names of recruits. He appeared not much more -than a boy, and I took the liberty of speaking to him. I says, 'My lad, -what induces you to leave your good mother, and go and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> join the army?' -And he says, 'It's just because I've got a good mother, that I'm going -to fight on her behalf,' he says."</p> - -<p>It is impossible for me to describe the way in which Millwood gripped -and held those people. Set down in writing, there would appear to be -little in his homely anecdotes, his ordinary illustrations, his touches -of domestic pathos. What I do assure you is that at one moment the folk -were laughing, and at the next they were in tears; the great virtue -of the speech seemed to me that it finished within ten minutes, and -I joined with the rest in making the ineffectual appeal of "Go on!" -Once or twice he had made adventures into the alliterative manner, and -these were his only errors. In the room downstairs where the visitors -took tea and coffee, and I had the opportunity of inspecting furniture, -everyone was asking for Mr. Millwood. The lady of the house regretted -he had somehow taken his departure, unobserved by her.</p> - -<p>That evening, when Millwood returned to London Street, I asked how he -had got on at the afternoon meeting.</p> - -<p>"Moderately fairly well," he replied. "Can't say more than that!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Millwood and I came into collision, and each showed an irritability -over the incident not usual with either of us. My own idea is that my -brother-in-law's manner was responsible. He bounced into the shop one -morning when the rain was pelting down, and spattering up from the -pavement; he was in the habit of taking great credit to himself for -never carrying an umbrella, and on this occasion he was without an -overcoat. His first act, the swinging to and fro of his wet bowler hat, -caused me to speak sharply.</p> - -<p>"You needn't worry," he said. "I'm coming back here. I'm going to -take charge again. They tell me I've nearly wore out my welcome, so -far as the public is concerned—getting too refined in my manner,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> or -something—and my name will once more appear above the shop windows."</p> - -<p>"Have you been breaking the pledge?" I asked.</p> - -<p>"Unfortunately, no," he replied. "Otherwise I sh'd be in a better -temper than what I find myself. I've come 'ere, to have a straight talk -with you, I have, Mary Weston."</p> - -<p>"You'll probably get a straight talk in return. What do you mean by -this nonsense about coming back?"</p> - -<p>"When you took the shop over," he said, deliberately, "it was -understood I was free to return and take possession whenever I felt -disposed so to do."</p> - -<p>"Have you any proof of that?"</p> - -<p>"Got it in my inside pocket now. A letter, or note, or communication -in your own handwriting. Contents of the place to be valued by some -independent authority unless the figure could be agreed on between us."</p> - -<p>"I'd forgotten about that," I admitted. "But, in any case, it isn't -worth the paper it's written on."</p> - -<p>"How do you make that out?"</p> - -<p>"Go and consult a solicitor," I retorted, bluffing. "He'll tell you, in -half a jiffy, that you've no legal claim. Now be off, and don't bother -me with your nonsense any longer."</p> - -<p>"If there's going to be any consulting of solicitors," he declared, -"it's you that had best do it."</p> - -<p>When one is dealing with an obstinate, pig-headed man, serious argument -is of no use. I tried a more appealing way, but Millwood shook his -head, and said I was wasting my breath. I remarked that I knew a well -qualified and highly reasonable legal gentleman up in London who could -give wise advice on the subject, and Millwood, after some discussion, -went so far as to agree that he would accept Mr. Cartwright's decision. -Millwood wrote out a copy of the letter I had been foolish enough to -give to him some eighteen months or more earlier.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Be a sport," he warned me. "Shew him this, and tell him everything in -a truthful manner, and come back here, and tell me what he says. I'll -look after the shop until you return."</p> - -<p>My Quartermaster-Sergeant's brother was busy, and, in his office could -give me no more than five minutes: he placed a watch on the table to -make sure that this period was not exceeded. Before I had time to state -the case fully or to produce the copy of the note, he stopped me.</p> - -<p>"You must give up possession," he said, definitely, "at the end of the -current week. Good-bye! Thorough April weather, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>I could not help suspecting that my friends—little Mr. Cartwright -included—were just now associated in a design to control and guide my -career.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Something that looked like an opportunity for dealing with the -conspiracy against me came when young Pinnock, of a shop over the -way in London Street, went before the Tribunal. There were always -establishments to let in the thoroughfare, but I had fixed an eye on -Pinnock's because of its special build and expansive windows; I could -see there a business under my control that would be in opposition to -Millwood, in more senses than one. (I fancy there was some idea, at the -back of my head, that I was a piece of machinery which could not risk -the danger of stopping lest it should be reckoned of no use, and find -itself thrown upon the scrap heap.)</p> - -<p>Young Pinnock was of the very few who declared openly a resolve to -take no part in the war; he had a thousand and more arguments, and -the important one, which he repeated at his doorway, and occasionally -shouted across the street, was that the trouble on the continent of -Europe was not of his making. This we had guessed, but it did not -prevent us from saying that young Pinnock ought to take his share as -the rest were doing; that he constituted an undesirable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> example to -youths who were growing up, that the drill would make a man of him, -and perhaps induce some girl to offer her admiration. Pinnock found a -new contention, each day, to support his attitude, and when he caught -sight of my brother-in-law, rushed out to present it; Millwood was -always able to knock the suggestion over with no trouble, and the -youth returned to his shop to ponder, and to build up a fresh one. -He exhibited an air of great confidence one evening on producing the -statement that his mother had begged and prayed of him not to enlist, -declaring that his departure was likely to be followed immediately by -retirement to a bed which she would never leave.</p> - -<p>"Give me her address," said Millwood, curtly, "and I'll give the old -gel a look in."</p> - -<p>"I don't profess that I'm giving you her exact and actual words, Mr. -Millwood."</p> - -<p>"My lad," remarked my brother-in-law, "what reelly keeps you back is -not your mother, or any other relative. It's yourself. When the war is -over, you ought to have the Humane Society Medal."</p> - -<p>"What for, Mr. Millwood?"</p> - -<p>"For saving your own life. And don't worry me with the subject again. -If there had been many like you, we should have had the Germans here by -now. I've got no patience with your sort."</p> - -<p>"Wish somebody had," complained young Pinnock. "My difficulty is to get -people to listen to common sense."</p> - -<p>It proved that his mother was, in fact, anxious that he should go; it -happened that she was the only parent in her road at Charlton who had -not made some contribution to the services, and she declared that her -position was not to be envied. Pinnock tried, later, the plea that if -he joined up, the shop would close (Millwood said the world was not -likely to come to an end on account of this), that there were texts -in the Bible supporting his attitude (Millwood, as a new and careful -reader, was able to produce some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> war-like quotations from the Old -Testament), also that his principles would not allow him to take life, -(Millwood remarked that the possession of a rifle, and the sight of a -Prussian aiming a bomb, would modify these views.) Finally, and before -appearing at the Tribunal, young Pinnock announced his intention of -arguing that he had no right to set his own existence in danger. That, -he said, was the point. Life was entrusted to us as a high and sacred -charge, and any man who, wilfully and with his eyes open, exposed it to -peril was to all intents and purposes committing suicide and deserving -of the blame the law could give. Nothing but an unsound mind, argued -young Pinnock, and this he in no way claimed, excused the act. Indeed, -he described himself as a thinker; one who refrained from borrowing -views from other people, preferring to make his own.</p> - -<p>"And I'd like you to come along, Mr. Millwood, and hear me argue the -question in front of these gentlemen, because I've got the notion that -I shall be more successful with them than what I've been with you."</p> - -<p>"No special treat to me," said Millwood, "to see a chap make a fool of -hisself."</p> - -<p>"But I owe you something," urged the young man, "for inducing me to -give up arguments that wouldn't hold water. Thanks to you, I've got one -now that's absolutely without a flaw. Shouldn't wonder if my case gets -reported in the evening papers. I feel absolutely confident it'll make -a sensation."</p> - -<p>Millwood and I were not on too friendly terms at the moment, but he -told me, on his return from the court, all that had happened, and told -it in the dramatic way that a man of his type can adopt in describing -an incident which has affected the imagination deeply. Of young Pinnock -entering the room with a determined air—"He would have stuck his -chin out," said Millwood, "only that he hadn't got one!"—of being -directed to take a seat, and finding himself disconcerted by this; the -rehearsals apparently had always<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> been taken in an upright position. -Of Pinnock recovering gradually powers of speech and gesture, and -proceeding to declaim his views on the sanctity of human life, and more -especially the duty of every man to preserve his own life, in a way -that made the members of the court—exhausted as they were by attending -to appeals on a variety of grounds, and sometimes on no grounds at -all—listen with care. Of the Chairman presently stopping the applicant -with the remark that the case had been put forward with conspicuous -ability; the Court would give its decision later in the day, and -announce then whether any exemption could be granted.</p> - -<p>Of young Pinnock leaving the room, and going out of the building in a -great state of exaltation, talking to folk he met, and—on the edge of -the pavement, still propounding his views—being run into by a small -boy on a scooter. Of poor Pinnock staggering under the unexpected -collision, and trying to recover himself, and not succeeding, and -falling into the roadway as a motor-car dashed along.</p> - -<p>The shop was closed on the day of the inquest, and remained closed, -but some feeling of superstition prevented me from making any effort -to secure it. The incident, small in comparison with the large events -which were happening, touched me. And I could understand and sympathise -with the remark that the mother made.</p> - -<p>"I should have felt a lot happier," she said, wistfully, "if my boy had -been killed on the field of battle!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XVIII</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">I assumed</span> at the moment that it was annoyance with the contrariness -of events which made me feel out of sorts. It happened that no one -at Gloucester Place advised me to see a doctor, and if this counsel -had been given I should have rejected it at once; on my own account I -discovered my earliest customer, who occupied the first half-hour by -shewing me the contents of the house added since his original purchase -through me. This over, he gave attention to my case.</p> - -<p>"You have come nearly to the end of your resources," he said.</p> - -<p>"Nonsense!" I ejaculated.</p> - -<p>"Another month or two of the work you have been engaged upon, and you -would have proved outside and beyond any treatment from me."</p> - -<p>"Ridiculous!"</p> - -<p>"Your mind, for a considerable period, has had nothing resembling a -holiday or rest. You have gone from one task to another, without an -interval. You are not sleeping well, are you?"</p> - -<p>"I can do with less than most people."</p> - -<p>"In future, you will have to take more sleep than most people get. I -don't want to give you anything to make you sleep, but—"</p> - -<p>"Shouldn't take it, if you did!"</p> - -<p>"I understand you to say that you are now clear of the shop in London -Street."</p> - -<p>"By pure dodgery and sharp practise, I've been turned out of it. It's a -scandal that the law—"</p> - -<p>"Now, now!" he interrupted. "Don't let us become excited unless there -is good need for it. Has your brother-in-law paid you a fair sum?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I'm not grumbling about that. As a matter of fact, he gave me what I -asked, without any haggling."</p> - -<p>He nodded approvingly. "If it had all been arranged by wise friends," -he said, "it could scarcely have happened better."</p> - -<p>"And do you too think, sir, that my people have been scheming and -planning—"</p> - -<p>"You mustn't get so flushed and emotional, Miss Weston," he ordered. "I -know nothing whatever about your people, or what they are doing. Just -you take matters quietly, and be thankful you can afford to do so. I'll -send some medicine along this evening. Call again, if you find you are -no better."</p> - -<p>I challenged Millwood later with being one of the members of a -conspiracy, and he smiled and said nothing. The suspicion would not -have galled me so much, I suppose, but for the circumstance that I -had always reckoned myself a stage manager directing other people, -and the positions were now reversed. I decided to say nothing of it -at Gloucester Place, where it seemed likely the chief movers in the -plot might be found, and this was the easier because Katherine's baby -occupied my attention; we went into the park together, and rested near -the trees, and I picked flowers that delighted the small person and -were treasured to be presented later to mamma. Also, at home, old Mrs. -Winterton was glad of my help and my advice.</p> - -<p>"The Captain talks of nothing now but the war, my dear," she explained, -"and I can't help wishing he had done so earlier, like most folk, -instead of bottling it up. But I am hoping we shall get peace almost -directly, and then he'll be comforted, and he will begin to mend, you -see."</p> - -<p>"Do you really imagine the war is nearly at an end?"</p> - -<p>"It can't last for ever," she argued.</p> - -<p>"But I see no signs of a finish. The Germans occupied Easter bank -holiday in trying to bombard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> Lowestoft; the Turks are holding us -out where Lieutenant Langford is; there's trouble in Dublin, and the -Zeppelins seem to come over when they like."</p> - -<p>"Yes, yes," said the old lady, "I know, I know. But I've always been -able to get anything I earnestly prayed for."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you haven't made such a large request before."</p> - -<p>The Captain had aged greatly during the last month; without the help -of his elaborate collar and tie, and his frogged overcoat, he appeared -to have become limp, and if a cushion in his easy chair moved, he -slipped with it. His courteous manner towards his wife in no way -changed; he was grateful for any aid I could give, but it was clear -that he favoured her company, her assistance. The content they found in -each other's society made me think of my Quartermaster-Sergeant, and -I began to write often to Seaford, on the excuse that I now had time -to spare. Cartwright replied with a new spirit, declaring my letters -were as welcome as flowers in May, and admitting that some chaps were -more greatly favoured in the way of correspondence than himself; he -always looked out for the <i>Punch</i> I sent weekly, but preferred the -briefest note to the most amusing journal. For myself, I can confess -that, at this time—when I had to be careful of my health, and to watch -my temper, and to keep cool, and not allow small incidents to disturb -me—I had reason to be grateful for his notes. If one arrived by the -first post, there was competition between Muriel, Katherine, and Edward -for the privilege of bringing it to me. Sometimes, Mr. Hillier was the -messenger.</p> - -<p>"Better than all the doctor's bottles, Aunt Weston," he said.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hillier was in exceptionally good spirits. It seemed there was a -prospect that he might be leaving the Arsenal, where the work, I am -sure, had become monotonous; the rest of us had often expressed the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> -hope that he would, some day, be induced to give it up. But this was -not resignation, but a chance of transfer, and I could not help a -slight feeling of jealousy on discovering that the credit was due to -Colonel Edgington, once a fidget of the highest standard, but now, by -reason of circumstances, a person of some authority and influence. The -appointment had to do with a munition factory to be opened shortly; a -well qualified person was required at the head. I confessed I itched -to be taking part in the affair: it appeared to me that the plan could -scarcely reach success without my help. This view was hinted to the -Colonel.</p> - -<p>"Don't you dare!" he cried, threateningly. "Let me catch you -interfering in any way whatsoever, and upon my soul, woman, I'll have -you shot. Or put away in an asylum. Or gagged. This is my fishing, and -I won't allow you, Weston, or any one else to poach. Understand that!"</p> - -<p>I happened to find some recompense in a kind of flying interview with -an auctioneer from Chislehurst. Him I encountered near to the park -gates that lead to Blackheath; he was entering and in jerking to me -a scrap of news concerning The Croft, he sprinted along the avenue -towards the river. I turned the perambulator, and to the astonishment -of Katherine's baby and of nurses, raced along after the hurried -auctioneer, putting eager questions, and obtaining fragmentary replies -thrown over the shoulder. At the Observatory I was forced to give up -the chase. When the baby had been induced to start on his morning's -sleep, I sat down and enjoyed a dream that, like most dreams, seemed -too good to come true. Finding a pencil and a sheet of note-paper, I -made some calculations. My friend, the police-sergeant, went by, in -ordinary clothes, and accompanied by his little girl.</p> - -<p>"Give him my love as well," he shouted, chaffingly.</p> - -<p>My existence, since I had been turned out of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> shop, seemed to be -wanting in ingenious plans. The one now before me was so magnificent -that my pencil shook as it wrote the figures.</p> - -<p>At Gloucester Place, of an evening, we all pretended an indifference to -the prospects of Colonel Edgington's idea; sometimes we went so far as -to deride it, and I, in particular, referred to incidents of the past -which he had handled clumsily, pointed out that as a man grew old, so -confidence in himself increased, and his mental abilities diminished. I -think I suggested that the war would have been successfully terminated, -long ere now, if Headquarters had been served by younger and more -intelligent people. Secretly, we were hopeful that Mr. Hillier would -obtain the berth. I found his silk hats, that had long been enjoying a -rest cure, and polished them with a handkerchief.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Because I had given a small donation to the fund—it was difficult in -those days for even a thrifty woman to say "No" to the applications -that came—a ticket reached me inviting my presence to the dedication, -by a Lord Bishop, of war ambulances, one to be given to the British -Red Cross Society, one to the French Red Cross. The circumstance -that a speech of thanks was to be made by Colonel Edgington would -have discouraged me, but the affair was to take place on a Saturday -afternoon, a period when Katherine, home from the bank, expected to be -allowed to take exclusive charge of her son; I had to stand back and -to look forward to resuming control of the little person on the Monday -morning. Muriel advised me to go, and to bring back an account of the -proceedings: she declared that my imitation of Colonel Edgington was -always amongst my triumphs.</p> - -<p>Some one directed me wrongly, and I happened to be late in arriving -at the school playground where the ceremony was to take place, but -my old lad Peter, there in a position of authority with Boy Scouts, -caught sight of me and, leaving everything, conducted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> me to the raised -platform as the Russian National Anthem was being sung by the children. -Folk, noting the deferential manner adopted by Peter, assumed I was a -guest of importance; a steward discovered a vacant chair in the second -row and would take no notice of my signals indicating a preference for -a more retired place. I found myself immediately behind the Mayor who, -anxious I suppose, to shew that he identified everyone in his borough, -turned and shook hands warmly, introduced me by an unintelligible name -to the Bishop, who declared he had often heard of me, and was charmed -now to make my acquaintance. I listened to the youngsters giving the -last verse.</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">"<i>God the all-wise! By the fire of their chastening,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Earth shall to freedom and truth be restored.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Through the thick darkness Thy kingdom is hastening,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>Thou wilt give peace in Thy time, O Lord!</i>"</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>As somebody offered a prayer, I thought of these words, looked back in -my mind, and realised—almost for the first time—how gentle the war -had been to me, in comparison with the treatment it had served out to -other people.</p> - -<p>The Mayor followed with a statement, and the Bishop rose. Colonel -Edgington, seated near, turned, and in turning glanced at me; the old -chap was too much absorbed in the importance of the affair and his own -share to recognise me, and from this moment, throughout the dedication -and the address, he occupied himself with his notes. I admit I was -touched by the fervour and patriotism of the Bishop's words. Maybe I -had not been fortunate in some of the clergymen encountered during my -life: here was one out of the ordinary. I joined in "Oh God our help in -ages past," feeling more earnest and impressed than I had ever done in -church.</p> - -<p>"You're not going," protested the Mayor.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I have an engagement," I answered readily. It struck me as I spoke -that it did not take one long to escape from religious influence, and -to slip back to ordinary habits.</p> - -<p>"But there's tea to come," he argued. "And I'm just going to call on -the next speaker."</p> - -<p>It was impossible to move ere Colonel Edgington rose, and I resigned -myself to the ordeal of hearing the voice of my opponent. The Mayor -whispered around that the speech was to last but five minutes, and this -was accepted as an encouraging piece of news.</p> - -<p>"—Pleasure and honour to accept," said the Colonel, with more than -his usual pomposity of manner, and barking the words so that some -were extraordinarily audible, and others indistinct. "Doing fine and -glorious humanitarian work—succour the wounded—taken a great part -myself in this work—industry not restricted to this—may mention -that near neighbour of yours, and dear friend of mine, name Hillier, -been this day appointed to—— working for the last year and more, -whole heartedly—now gained his reward—happiness shortly in informing -him——"</p> - -<p>Colonel Edgington read with care from his notes a quotation, and the -Mayor said in an undertone, "Time, Colonel, time!" Everybody stood up, -and I surprised and pained some of the guests by moving to the back of -the stand as they sang,</p> - -<p style="margin-left: 25%;"> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">"—<i>And ever give us cause,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>To say with heart and voice,</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;"><i>God save the King!</i>"</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>I arrived at Gloucester Place, breathless and panting; my hat at not -quite the correct angle, and my features crowded with excitement. The -girls came out to the landing and received me apprehensively.</p> - -<p>"You're bringing bad news, Aunt Weston."</p> - -<p>"I'm bringing," I declared, "the best news you could possibly imagine!"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span></p> - -<p>The baby was instructed in the art of clapping hands, and Edward, on -arriving, threw off his air of maturity until he was reminded that -old Captain Winterton, below, might be disturbed. We went to the -balcony, and watched for Mr. Hillier. He generally came by the Royal -Hill entrance, but now and again he walked through the Park and across -Croom's Hill.</p> - -<p>"We'll draw lots," I suggested, "and see who is to be the one to tell -him."</p> - -<p>"But," said Muriel, "didn't you say that Colonel Edgington was coming -on to do that?"</p> - -<p>"He ought to have the privilege," agreed her sister and brother.</p> - -<p>"Have your own way," I said, reluctantly. "It isn't my custom to allow -myself to be hampered by tact, but perhaps you're right."</p> - -<p>So when Mr. Hillier came, we had to suppress our enthusiasm, and I -think we were all a trifle hysterical, excepting the baby. For once in -my life, I answered Colonel Edgington's knock with genuine satisfaction.</p> - -<p>"Weston," he announced, "I am the bearer of important tidings."</p> - -<p>"Concerning me?"</p> - -<p>"Concerning your master, foolish woman." I gave an ejaculation of -surprise. "Ah!" he said acutely, "I thought the day would come when I -should be able to startle you!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="ph2">CHAPTER XIX</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> seemed to me that I should have to go to work cautiously in -regard to the new scheme in my mind concerning The Croft. A policy -of carefulness had grown up at Gloucester Place; for some time past -accounts had been kept, accounts that had to balance or the expert -young folk applied themselves to the figures, and ascertained the -reason why. Mr. Hillier, as I knew, had been saving money since the -loss of his wife (she, dear soul, never was able to acquire the useful -trick) and once a man begins to hoard it is difficult to induce him -to embark upon anything like adventure or risk. Also, I could not be -sure to what extent their affection for the rooms in Gloucester Place -might weigh; it was certain that the struggles and triumphs associated -in their minds with Greenwich would count whenever a suggestion was -offered of removal. Once, a casual reference had been made to the -house in Tressillian Road, Brockley, where we had lived before going -to Chislehurst; this idea appeared to be lacking in boldness. There -was Katherine's little chap to be considered. We had the Park at hand, -but I was fearful that as he grew up he might be playing with other -children and—Well, I suppose, we people who have once lived in large -houses remain snobs to the rest of our days.</p> - -<p>I managed to find the auctioneer at his office in a comparatively -leisurely mood, but he was a hustling sort of man, constantly looking -at his watch and with the affectation of being over-crowded with -engagements that deceives only the partially demented. He broke off -more than once during our interview to ring people up on the telephone, -and to impress me with the vastness of his business, and the importance -of his dealings.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> The Croft, he admitted, was still unlet, but how long -it would remain in this state of emptiness, he could not attempt to -guarantee. Several folk were endeavouring to obtain it, and the matter -was one of rent, and of rent only.</p> - -<p>"You're wrong," he declared, when I mentioned that large houses were -not now in great demand. "Absolutely off the main line. Never made -a bigger mistake in the whole course of your existence. Try to put -that idea out of your head, my dear madam, as soon as ever you can. -By-the-bye, I like to know who I am dealing with. Give me your name, -and your full address."</p> - -<p>I furnished him with the London Street address. It was no part of my -scheme to give him the chance of calling at Gloucester Place, and -blurting out information there.</p> - -<p>"Good!" he said briskly. "I take it you are a lady of some property."</p> - -<p>"You are safe in assuming that."</p> - -<p>"My method," he went on, "is to be perfectly frank and straightforward. -What I mean is, as frank and straightforward as business will permit. -Now I don't mind telling you that I have two strong offers for the -house, and at any moment one of these may decide to clinch the bargain."</p> - -<p>"Your several, then, comes down to a couple."</p> - -<p>"I'm telling you now," declared the auctioneer, solemnly, "the gospel -truth. I can't disclose names, but if you are inclined to doubt my -word, I can show you a part of communications I have received from -these two parties."</p> - -<p>I was willing to believe his statement on this point.</p> - -<p>"Very well, then! You will understand, Miss Weston, that there is a -reserve rental set, and my duty is—we can't afford to be sentimental, -you know, in our profession—my duty is to get as near to that as I -possibly can. Now, on this slip of paper I am writing the figures of -the highest bid that has been made up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> to the present." He threw the -note across the table. I crossed out the sum, and wrote an increased -amount. "Right you are!" he said. "Come back here the day after -to-morrow, and I may have something further to tell you."</p> - -<p>Looking back, I really cannot be sure how far I intended to go in the -transaction. It was, I knew, impossible for me to realise some of my -investments and put the money down even for one year's rent; certainly -I could not make myself responsible for taking up a lease; I fancy the -idea was to carry on the preliminaries to a certain stage, and then -go to Mr. Hillier and urge him to take the matter over. Meanwhile, -in order to save myself from the risk of being caught in a net, I -told Millwood to say, supposing anyone called at the shop, that I had -gone. Nothing more; just that. Perhaps one had better not discuss the -fairness of the proceedings. I wanted to see my people back at their -old home, and I did not intend to be too particular about the means.</p> - -<p>The haggling went on. I had to go to the auctioneer's office more than -half a dozen times. I climbed the hill from Chislehurst station and -went under the water tower so often that I became tired of seeing the -Bickley arms engraven there. Then old Captain Winterton took a turn for -the worse, and his wife began to fail; I gave all spare time to the -ground floor. To my question, Mrs. Winterton answered that they had no -relatives. At times, both rallied slightly, and I was able to assure -them they would not finish their innings until they scored a hundred.</p> - -<p>"I would like to live on for a few years," confessed the old lady. "I -want to see that dear baby boy grow up."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Few incidents occurred in the neighbourhood that were not in some way -or other communicated to me; for some reason, the striking case of -Corporal Bateman of Royal Hill remained, declining to be evicted from -my thoughts. Bateman represented to me, for a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> period, a type of the -British soldier, and behaviour of the British soldier where matters -of the heart were concerned. My Quartermaster-Sergeant had not, in -all probability, encountered or heard of Bateman, and he little knew -how much his home prospects were affected by the deportment of the -Corporal. (Now, it seems to me that no excuse can be found for the way -in which I allowed it to influence me; at the time, no excuse appeared -necessary.)</p> - -<p>Corporal Bateman had been what Greenwich called half engaged to his -cousin; the two quarrelled over his enlistment (the cousin thought he -should have first mentioned it to her) and when he left for France -his mother only saw him off. Mrs. Bateman was one of the few elderly -people unable to read or write; the joke in Royal Hill was that, to -conceal this defect, she pointedly and markedly bought each evening a -newspaper, and seated on a wooden chair at her doorway, affected to -peruse it carefully, with ejaculations such as,</p> - -<p>"Gracious me, what a war this is to be sure!"</p> - -<p>And,</p> - -<p>"You'd never think they'd have the face to do such things!"</p> - -<p>And,</p> - -<p>"Lay my boy is in the thick of it, although I don't see his name -nowheres." By oversight, she sometimes gave these remarks to the -advertisement page.</p> - -<p>Corporal Bateman, after months in France, came home on leave, anxious -to see again his old mother of whom he was genuinely fond, and all the -more desirous because he had received no word from her. At the door, he -loosened his equipment, and knocked. The cousin, appearing, straightway -threw herself with some impetuosity into his arms.</p> - -<p>"Oh Daniel," she cried, emotionally. "Home at last. Thank Heaven for -this happy moment!"</p> - -<p>Corporal Bateman disengaged himself, and looked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> around in a dazed -manner. Glanced at the brass figures on the door.</p> - -<p>"The number's all right," he said, perplexedly, "and the 'ouse looks -correct, but I don't know you. Who are you, and what are you doing -'ere?"</p> - -<p>"I'm your cousin," she replied. "Your cousin Phœbe, that you used to -be so fond of."</p> - -<p>"Haven't quite got rid of the effects of the gassing," he said, tipping -back his cap, and rubbing at the top of his head. "I'd better have a -stroll in the Park."</p> - -<p>"You'll do nothing of the kind," declared the young woman. "Come inside -at once, and wait till your mother comes home from the market."</p> - -<p>"Have I got a mother?" asked Corporal Bateman, simply. "What's she -like? Where's father?"</p> - -<p>"I can't answer that last question, Daniel dear, because he drew his -final breath years ago. Don't you remember the new suit you had for the -funeral?"</p> - -<p>"I don't remember nothing," he said, hopelessly. "Me mind's a blank."</p> - -<p>He was anxious to stay outside the house until someone else arrived, -but the cousin, an authoritative person, conducted him through the -passage. On observing that he did not know where to find the row of -hat pegs, she burst into tears; he regarded her with an increased -aloofness, and asked the way to the best room. There she announced a -desire to sit near to him, and to hold his hand, and to talk about -old times; he remarked, in a confused mumbling way, that he made it a -principle never to carry on with female strangers.</p> - -<p>"Have you had your tea?" she inquired.</p> - -<p>"I don't know," replied Corporal Bateman, absently. "If I have, I've -forgot all about it. I forget about everything. Don't bother me, else I -shall get worse."</p> - -<p>She was in the kitchen preparing the meal, when Mrs. Bateman let -herself in at the front door with a latch-key. The girl listened. "Good -afternoon,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> ma'am," said the returned soldier. "Have you called to see -mother? Because, if so, she's out!"</p> - -<p>The two women consulted agitatedly later, endeavouring to find a plan -for arousing the dormant intellect of the visitor. They counted it a -hopeful sign that he remembered the name of the nearest public-house; -Mrs. Bateman expressed the hope that a good supper would brighten him. -As a result of their deliberations, the girl went softly into the -room, where Corporal Bateman was now dozing, and gave him a modest and -cousinly kiss; he awoke at once, and declared he would provide her with -a coloured eye if she dared to do this again.</p> - -<p>"A liberty," he said, aggrievedly. "That's what I call it. If it -happens again, I go straight out of the house. You understand!"</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bateman said she had read of such cases in the newspapers, and -believed that at times a sudden shock had a remedial effect. The girl -remarked that she knew what was in her aunt's mind, but hesitated to -take the desperate step of making the announcement in question: she -feared the stunning blow might send poor Daniel completely off his -head, and then the blame would be hers, and the remorse hers, until the -very end of life.</p> - -<p>"He'll have to know one day," urged Mrs. Bateman. The girl shuddered.</p> - -<p>"Let's put it off as long as we can," she begged. "Him coming home like -this seems already like a judgment on me."</p> - -<p>They found him looking through the family album in a casual, -uninterested way; a year ago portrait of himself and his cousin, taken -together, caused him to put the question, "Who are these two supposed -to be?" He gave permission to his mother to take the nearest chair; the -cousin, he said, was to sit at the opposite end of the room. As the -pages were turned, Mrs. Bateman offered comments and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> explanations; he -shook his head to intimate that he could neither confirm or deny the -particulars.</p> - -<p>"That's your uncle, my boy. The father of Phœbe, over there. He's -took in his merchant service uniform. Quite a seafaring family, the -whole lot of 'em. Excepting, of course, Phœbe, and she's made up for -it by—" The girl at the other end of the room coughed; Mrs. Bateman -accepted the warning. Corporal Bateman turned another page.</p> - -<p>"Who's this good-looking sailor chap?" he inquired. "That," said Mrs. -Bateman promptly, "is Phœbe's husband." The cough came too late -this time. "Oh, my boy," she cried, self-reproachfully, "I 'ave been -and told you something, and no mistake. The truth is, his ship was in -dock for repairs, three weeks ago, and he came 'ome here, he did, and -he married Phœbe, and you mustn't take on about it, my son, because -what is to be will be, and everything's ordered for the best, and—Oh, -don't do anything cruel to her!"</p> - -<p>Corporal Bateman had risen and crossed the room. He took his cousin by -the elbows, and gave her a sounding kiss.</p> - -<p>"Hearty congrats, Phœbe, old girl," he said, in his normal manner. -"It's a load off my mind. What I was afraid of was that you'd be -wanting to make it all up with me again. How about us three trotting -along to the first 'ouse at the Empire, up near the Broadway?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The ingenuity shewn by Corporal Bateman caused me to gain the -impression that the British Army, excellent in most ways, could in -matters of sentiment, not be trusted implicitly. The moment was -unfortunately chosen for my Quartermaster-Sergeant's blunder.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A square envelope came from Cartwright, and opening it, I found it -addressed to "My dear Lily."<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> Of course I ought not to have read on, -but there are situations where etiquette cannot be strictly observed. -It was an affectionate but not an extravagant note; the memory came to -me of the statement of an officer, made early in the war, who censoring -letters out at the front, discovered six from one youth, all in -identical and loving terms, but with the Christian names of the girls -different in each case. I could picture my dear Lily without trouble. A -young girl, good looking, and probably occupied in some business that -left her with more time than I had to exchange communications with -a soldier friend at Seaford. I boiled with annoyance to think there -was someone to whom George Cartwright was writing in these terms; I -scorched with irritation to recognise that she was reading the letter -intended for me. Towards the end there was reference to a wedding.</p> - -<p>"It's the first time I trusted a man," I cried to baby, "and, my word, -it shall be the last." The baby seemed under the impression that I was -endeavouring to be humorous. "If he'd been kept out in France, he'd -have been safe enough."</p> - -<p>It has probably been written about already, and in any case I am not -going to write about it here; I mean the trial a woman of my age -endures when she discovers that her romance has gone. For a while, I -lost interest in the matter of the Chislehurst house.</p> - -<p>I had to run, with all my might, one afternoon to the doctor's house to -beg him to come and see the old people on the ground floor; Katherine's -little baby had been given to the care of a motherly servant next door. -The doctor was on the point of leaving the house with his wife in his -small two-seated car, and I threw the Gloucester Place key to him, -gave directions, and started to walk back at a good pace. I noticed -that, just inside the Park railings, a long soldier was lying prone on -the grass. I took the view—it was just after half-past two—that he -had been rather too busily engaged during the brief time of opening<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> -permitted to licensed premises. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught -sight of the stripes on his arm. I found the nearest gate, and raced -back.</p> - -<p>"Cartwright," I cried, forgetting my grievance against him. "What's -wrong, dear man? Pull yourself together. It's Mary Weston who's talking -to you."</p> - -<p>"Goo' Lord," exclaimed the Quartermaster-Sergeant, amazedly. "And here -I've been mourning for you because I thought you'd gone to Heaven."</p> - -<p>"It's not so bad as all that," I said. He jumped up, caught me in his -arms, and kissed me until four children stopped to look on.</p> - -<p>"Nearly all the worries in this life," he declared, "are about matters -that don't exist. And I'm not a chap, in a general way, to go hunting -around for trouble, but the information that reached me didn't somehow -appear to give me much of a loop-hole."</p> - -<p>"You army men get nervy."</p> - -<p>"It wasn't that," he contradicted. "I got a relative of mine to call at -London Street to inquire about you. There the answer was that you had -gone, and my relation assumed it meant you had kicked the bucket."</p> - -<p>I remembered then about the letter. "The news must have come as a -relief to you," I said, coldly.</p> - -<p>"Mary Weston, explain yourself."</p> - -<p>"It isn't me that needs any explaining. It's somebody else, who'll find -a bit of a difficulty in that respect. No doubt a soldier imagines it -a great lark to carry on with three or four girls, and correspond with -them; it's only when he gets a bit careless over envelopes—"</p> - -<p>The Quartermaster-Sergeant looked serious. "Pride of Greenwich," he -said, appealingly, "and Queen of Kent, I ask you, as a personal favour -not to talk about that bloomer to anyone else but me. If it once -reached Seaford, there's active minds there that would give it a touch -of exaggeration, and the story would last<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> for three years, or the -duration of the war. Be a chum, and keep it to yourself." He held my -arm; I shook him away.</p> - -<p>"Out of mere curiosity," I said, "and for no other reason, I'd rather -like to know what view your friend Lily took of the situation."</p> - -<p>"Got frightfully excited about it."</p> - -<p>"Don't blame her."</p> - -<p>"Took a journey across country, at once, with the idea of finding you, -and bringing you your letter."</p> - -<p>"If I'd known where she lived, I'd have discovered her," I assured him. -"And the conversation that would have taken place might have made your -ear tingle."</p> - -<p>"She's a sensible girl," went on the Quartermaster-Sergeant, "although -she is my cousin, and, in spite of the fact that she's up to her eyes -in needlework, and getting ready to marry my solicitor brother, she -gave up the best part of a day in the attempt to make an exchange with -you. What I blame her for is getting a wrong impression from your -brother-in-law at London Street, and upsetting me to an extent that I -leave you to imagine. It'll make a difference to the present I give -her."</p> - -<p>"Cartwright," I said, "ever since the affair happened, I foresaw as -clearly as anything that you'd provide some emergency exit that you -could slip through. I don't mind admitting your story does credit to -your invention. It's a deal cleverer than I expected it to be. I regard -it as a good piece of work, nicely put together, very well dove-tailed. -Only drawback is that I don't believe it."</p> - -<p>"You can look me in the eyes, and say that?" he demanded.</p> - -<p>"I'll say it all over again if you like."</p> - -<p>"Once is ample," declared the Quartermaster-Sergeant, resolutely. "I'll -leave you now. And understand this, Mary Weston. I'm going out of your -life, and so help my goodness"—he raised one hand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> impressively—"I -don't come back to it unless you go on your knees, on your bended -knees, to me." He strode away down the hill, taking no notice of the -retort I made. It was intended to be effective, and later, I thought of -several others that were even more stinging and determined. But it is -of no use aiming words when a target does not exist.</p> - -<p>To my relief, the doctor's car was outside the house in Gloucester -Place, with the doctor's wife glancing at her watch, and clicking her -tongue to indicate impatience. "Do hurry him up," she begged. "He takes -such a frightful amount of time over his patients, unless they are on -the panel."</p> - -<p>I first called next door where Katherine's son was becoming slightly -bored with the extravagant attentions paid to him. At our house, the -doctor came out of the Wintertons' rooms as I turned the duplicate key.</p> - -<p>"What has delayed you?" he demanded, curtly. "Sweethearting, I suppose."</p> - -<p>"Quite the opposite."</p> - -<p>"These old people are too ill to be left alone. If you can't see to -them, we must find a nurse."</p> - -<p>"I'm free now," I said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was a good deal like having three babies to look after instead of -one, and, at any rate the occupation saved me from brooding over the -finish of my engagement with Cartwright. I half hoped a letter would -come from Seaford apologising for swift words and impetuous action, -and I went so far as to draft an amiable reply, but the necessity for -sending this did not arise. On the first Sunday I could manage to leave -Gloucester Place, I hurried to Chislehurst, and ascertained the private -address of the auctioneer. He answered the ring, and protested in a -voluble way against interference with his one day of rest. His nose -to the grindstone throughout the week, he declared, and here he was -disturbed for the third time on the afternoon that he felt entitled -to claim as exempt from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> the worries of business. I made as though to -leave, but this procedure also failed to meet with his favour.</p> - -<p>"Come in," he ordered, recklessly. "I'm a born slave, I suppose, -and folk have got the idea that they're all entitled to act as my -overseers." He flung open the door of the front room. "Uncle Tom's -Cabin," he declared, "is nothing to it."</p> - -<p>I glanced around. One of the chairs had a ticket, "Lot 240," still -attached.</p> - -<p>"I never saw Uncle Tom's Cabin," I remarked, "but if it was anything -like this, the people had grounds for complaining."</p> - -<p>"Most of the articles of furniture were bargains."</p> - -<p>"No," I said. "Never were bargains, never will be bargains. It's all a -muddle. Wonder to me is that you can live with it. I should go crazy if -I were put amongst shoddy stuff of this kind."</p> - -<p>"Tell me," he begged, "what you consider is wrong with the room."</p> - -<p>There was little left when I had complied with his request, and he -became increasingly submissive as I went on with the task. In going -through the crowded mantelpiece I came across two cards that were -seemingly intended to be placed out of sight. A kindly action is -supposed to be its own reward, but here was something in the nature of -a definite prize.</p> - -<p>"My wife separated from me," he remarked, dolefully, "because she said -I was not gifted with taste, and I argued that I was. Perhaps she was -right. It's very good of you to take so much trouble."</p> - -<p>"Don't mention it. I called about that house and property—"</p> - -<p>"Afraid you're too late," said the auctioneer, resuming his quick -business-like air. "The matter is not absolutely settled, but it is on -the point of being settled. Two people, besides yourself, are making -offers—perhaps I told you—and as I've seen nothing of you for some -time, I assumed you had given up any desire to compete."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I have!"</p> - -<p>"Good gracious!" he cried. "But why?"</p> - -<p>"Because Mr. Hillier, who has been calling on you, is an acquaintance -of mine."</p> - -<p>"Come, come!" he urged. "Friendship is all very well, but it needn't be -carried to extreme lengths. Besides, he is only one."</p> - -<p>"And your other caller, Colonel Edgington, I have known for many a -year."</p> - -<p>"That puts the lid on it," he cried, lapsing into slang. "This has -absolutely torn it. I can only hope the two gentlemen are strangers to -each other."</p> - -<p>"Life-long friends."</p> - -<p>"But," he pleaded, "you're not going to disclose the fact to them that -each has been—"</p> - -<p>"A woman," I said, rising to go, "can't possibly keep a secret."</p> - -<p>I waited on Colonel Edgington, and took him back to Greenwich. From the -time the bells rang for evening service, until the hour when people -came back from church, he and Mr. Hillier and I threshed the matter -out; the Colonel was indignant at the thought that anyone but himself -should have hit on the notion of securing The Croft for the Hilliers, -and particularly vehement concerning what he called my unwarrantable -interference. At this Mr. Hillier took my side, and defended me, and -when, to pacify the other, I pointed out that Colonel Edgington was -the best friend the family ever had, Mr. Hillier suddenly burst into a -roar that lasted minutes. It was the first time I had heard him do this -since the war started.</p> - -<p>"But for Aunt Weston," he said, wiping his eyes, "but for her, we two, -Edgington, might have gone on bidding against each other for all time. -I had determined, you see, to go back to The Croft."</p> - -<p>"For my part, Hillier," said the Colonel resolutely, "I never let go of -an idea, once I get well hold of it."</p> - -<p>"Each of you will write now," I directed, "with-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span>drawing your offer. No -one but ourselves, apparently, wants the house, and in a week or two, -Katherine—Mrs. Langford—will take it at a reasonable figure."</p> - -<p>Colonel Edgington went across to the fire-place, adjusted his belt, -glared at me, and turned to Mr. Hillier.</p> - -<p>"Old friend," he said, "if there is anything in the flat in the nature -of a beverage, I should like to give myself the pleasure of drinking -this extraordinary woman's health!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was August again, and the Bank Holiday, a circumstance that jogged -the memory, forcing one to think of the opening of the war two years -before. (The banks were not closed, and few people took holiday, -because we were still in the thick of the fighting, with good news from -the British Headquarters, an excellent report from the Suez Canal, a -splendid telegram from Petrograd.) The Croft looked just as it did -then, and the countryside, which I once pictured as being over-run by -the enemy, was peaceful, but for intermittent booming of guns that -were being tested at Woolwich. The stationmaster told me cheap tickets -had not yet been re-introduced, and I snatched at the excuse for not -going down to Seaford, and there finding my Quartermaster-Sergeant, -and, somehow or other, offering an apology to him; a card had reached -me in July announcing the wedding of Walter Cartwright of Lincoln's -Inn Fields to Lily Cartwright of Haywards Heath, and the last traces -of suspicion had been forced to vanish. I might have written a long -and explanatory letter, and I did try to do so, but the essays made -appeared either too cringing or too haughty, and I persuaded myself -that the first step ought to come from him.</p> - -<p>Muriel had a week of leave from Gracechurch Street, and my nephew -Herbert was staying at the cottage I had taken in Lower Camden, not -ten minutes from The Croft; they were out together for the afternoon,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> -with a tea basket for chaperone. Katherine no longer went to the City. -She gave up the work reluctantly, but when the money came to her from -the dear old Wintertons of Gloucester Place, I persuaded her, and Mr. -Hillier assured her, there was no longer any excuse for attendance -at the bank; I pointed out that she ought to make way there for some -girl who was in need of the salary. So Katherine became the tenant in -name, and in fact, of The Croft, and I went in and out of the house, -and gave her a word of advice when there happened to be any difficulty -with maids. "Why on earth," I overheard one of the servants say, -"doesn't Mattie look about, and find a chap, and have the banns put up? -She isn't too old, and there's plenty of tradesmen around here ready -to wink at her, if she didn't give 'em the frozen face." When one is -alluded to as Mattie, the adjective of Meddlesome is understood.</p> - -<p>Katherine, and the baby, and I on the first Monday in August had tea on -the lawn, and I carried the little fellow about, and picked daisies, -and made them into a chain. A note had come from Katherine's husband; -she read parts of it aloud to me, and I assured her it could not be -long ere he came back, and she counted up once more the number of -months he had been away. It occurred to me, in thinking of the space -occupied by the war, that the one occasion I had felt annoyed with poor -Lord Kitchener was when, quite at the beginning, he prophesied the war -would last three years.</p> - -<p>"I suppose, Aunt Weston," she said, "you are like Muriel. You intend to -do nothing until peace comes. I mean in regard to getting married. Your -Quartermaster-Sergeant. The one in the Guards. The tall, broad—"</p> - -<p>"Oh," I remarked, indifferently, "that's all off. Didn't I mention it -before? Yes, we found that we couldn't agree, and we decided it was of -no use going on."</p> - -<p>"But this is such a pity," she cried, anxiously.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> "Can't something be -done? Surely, if there's been a misunderstanding it ought not to be a -difficult matter to put it right."</p> - -<p>"We're both of us obstinate, my dear, and I suppose we'd got too much -accustomed to having our own way to be willing to give in to each -other. He was in the habit of ordering people about, and I'd got hold -of the trick of expecting everyone to obey me, and—and—"</p> - -<p>Here, at a moment when I was talking cheerfully and light-heartedly, -what must I do but break down. The maid, coming out to take away the -tea-things, looked at me sympathetically, and, at my request, ran back -to the house to find a handkerchief; Katherine patted my hand, and -directed the boy to upbraid me, mainly by gesture, calling attention to -an incident of the day before when he had been hurt by a naughty safety -pin, and refrained from tears. He was told to urge me to be a soldier, -and laugh it off. Mr. Hillier called from the workshop, asking me -whether I had seen anything of a small screw-driver; the handkerchief -came in time to enable me to offer, in replying, a composed and -ordinary appearance. Edward and John arrived from some practice with -convalescent soldiers near the West Kent Cricket Club ground, where the -first had been playing, and the second—never more any games of the -kind for him!—looked on. I slipped away to the tradesmen's gate, to -avoid meeting them.</p> - -<p>I had locked the front door of my small house in Lower Camden because, -as it was a sort of a holiday, strangers might be about. The back -looked up at the railway, and I always found it interesting to watch -troop trains racing along the down lines with bunches of cheery faces -at every window; it was less exhilarating to see the Red Cross trains -going to London. There had come a long spell of hot weather, and in -opening my gate I noticed that signs of melted tar had been brought -from the roadway to the sill. With an exclamation of annoyance at the -carelessness of folk,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> I opened the door, found a damp cloth, and -returning, knelt on the mat to repair the damage. Absorbed in the task, -I did not glance up when footsteps came.</p> - -<p>"Fair maiden," said a deep voice. "Pray rise, and accept the pardon -that is willingly granted."</p> - -<p>"Cartwright!"</p> - -<p>"Your own soldier laddie," he remarked, genially, "and none other. -Called on the old people at Lewisham, and came on here, and been -bombarding the door, I have, like a reg'lar Jack Johnson, and -absolutely determined not to go back without seeing you. And now, Mary -Weston, that you've apologised on your knees in the manner I some time -since suggested, what about me coming in and having a glance round this -nobby little domicile that you're getting ready against the time we -finish off the war, and I retire from the British army?"</p> - -<p>"Give those clumsy boots of yours a good scrape first!" I directed.</p> - - -<p style="margin-top: 4em;"><i>Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons, Limited, London and Reading.</i></p> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="pgx" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMAZING YEARS***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 62418-h.htm or 62418-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/6/2/4/1/62418">http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/4/1/62418</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition.</p> - -<p>Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org</p> - -<p>This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.</p> - -</body> -</html> - diff --git a/old/62418-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/62418-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2b445f1..0000000 --- a/old/62418-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/62418.txt b/old/62418.txt deleted file mode 100644 index abdc2ba..0000000 --- a/old/62418.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9893 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Amazing Years, by W. Pett (William Pett) -Ridge - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The Amazing Years - - -Author: W. Pett (William Pett) Ridge - - - -Release Date: June 18, 2020 [eBook #62418] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMAZING YEARS*** - - -E-text prepared by MFR, Graeme Mackreth, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/amazingyears00ridgiala - - - - - -THE AMAZING YEARS - -by - -W. PETT RIDGE - -Author of -"Mord Em'ly" -"69 Birnam Road" etc. - - - - - - -Hodder And Stoughton -London New York Toronto -MCMXVII. - - - - -THE AMAZING YEARS - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -Mrs. Hillier said something just before lunch that touched me more than -she could have guessed. The family was to leave on the Saturday, and -the elder of the two young ladies--Miss Muriel--had grumbled throughout -the week because of the delay insisted upon by the master. The -departure had originally been fixed for the twenty-fifth; Mr. Hillier, -who seldom spoke at home, but when he did talk expected to be obeyed, -announced that the party would not cross the Channel until the first. -That would be two days before the Bank Holiday, and Miss Muriel foresaw -discomforts arising from over-crowded compartments, carriages reserved -for the incredible Polytechnic folk and the impossible Lunn trippers. -Mrs. Hillier, as I managed with some difficulty to turn the key of a -trunk, put her hand on my shoulder. - -"Weston," she remarked, impulsively, "I wish you were coming with us." - -"Ma'am," I said, "I don't like the sea, and I can't endure foreigners. -Furthermore, a woman like myself, knowing only the English language, -would be simply a hindrance." - -"Wherever you found yourself," she declared, "you'd contrive to make -yourself understood. Who is coming here to stay with you whilst we are -away?" - -"Thought, ma'am, of asking my young nephew. He's just got a -scholarship, and the month's rest will do him good." - -One of the maids knocked and came in to ask me whether she should -sound the gong. Mrs. Hillier's manner altered at once. She gave -definite instructions regarding the tying on of the blue labels that -had been specially printed by a firm at Sidcup Hill, commented sharply -on the condition of Master Edward's laundry, and mentioned that the -working classes were becoming intolerably careless. When the maid had -gone, she turned to me again. - -"Weston," she said. "I'm worried about this trip. Before, I've felt -confidence in your master to see us through any difficulty. He's been -a sort of a dependable courier, and though he can't have relished the -holiday, it's been at any rate a change for him. But lately--Oh I don't -know," she broke off. "Perhaps I'm wrong." - -Talk at lunch, I noticed, was devoted to the coming journey. The -conversation could not be described as good tempered: it needed the -presence of Master John to ensure anything like cheerfulness, and you -might have assumed that the three, instead of going for a holiday, were -about to engage upon one of the most trying and distasteful tasks of a -lifetime. I had come into the family when it lived in Tressillian Road, -Brockley, and Miss Muriel was twelve--that was ten years before--and -Miss Katherine eight. A dear little soul Miss Katherine was too at that -time, with her doll's perambulator, and her hoop, and a nursery not -over furnished. There came Mr. Hillier's good luck in the City with the -agency in Basinghall Street, and we moved to The Croft, where I was -told to make no reference to Brockley, and to disclose to the maids -of the house, or to the servants at any other house, no particulars -of early days that had been imparted to me in confidence or gained by -observation. It was little Miss Katherine's fault that I did not go -from the family when Mr. Hillier went up in the world. It means a lot -for a woman to be near a child--near any child--who can put its arms -around her neck, and hug her. - -"Dover and Calais," Miss Muriel was saying, as I directed the parlour -maid to bring in the sweets. - -"Folkestone and Boulogne," announced Mrs. Hillier. - -"Dover and Calais is the shorter route, mother, dear." - -"There's very little difference, darling, and one saves on the land -journey." - -"I shall tell father," declared Miss Muriel, "that unless we travel by -way of Dover and Calais, I prefer not to go at all. Kitty, you agree -with me, I'm sure." - -"Your sister," said Mrs. Hillier, "has the good sense to take my view." - -"I vote," remarked Miss Katherine, "for Newhaven and Dieppe, and I bet -a large red apple that's the way we take." She hummed something about -Yo ho, yo ho, a sailor's bride I'd be, and live for ever gaily on -the bounding sea. Her mother requested her not to sing at table, and -pointed out that the wives of seamen invariably lived on shore. - -"Let Weston decide," suggested Miss Muriel. "Come along, Weston. This -is where you come in, in the usual way, as peacemaker." - -"'To foil their plans,'" said Miss Katherine, quoting from last year's -pantomime, "'we now bring upon the scene, The villain's foe, our friend -the Fairy Queen.'" - -"If it was my case," I said, "I should wait until there was a Channel -tunnel." It proved to be not the first time that I had managed, by -disagreeing with all three, to check an argument. - -Master Edward came home from Blackheath soon after six, and brought a -new subject for consideration. He had enjoyed a good day in watching -Kent play, and Kent had done well; in my room he rattled off the -figures exultantly. Humphreys 45, Hardinge 86, Seymour 66, A.P. Day -55 and so on; three hundred and forty-nine in all. "Let's see Surrey -beat that!" he remarked, defiantly. The boy took the brass shovel -from the empty fire-place, and described some of the most important -hits of the game. I reminded him of his own score of twenty-five, not -out, performed on the ground of his boarding school at Westgate, and -we had a serious talk concerning the wise life to lead: Master Edward -thought mere education was very much over-rated, and declared he would -rather be Mr. Troughton, captain of Kent, than a science master at a -college. I was unable to go all the way with him, and suggested, as a -compromise, that games should be cultivated in moderation. - -"But you see, my tall old bird," he said, persuasively, "you're only a -woman. I don't say you can't throw a ball in straight, because, as it -happens, it's one of the things you can just manage to do; but apart -from that--Realise what I mean, don't you?" - -Contention about the route came up again at dinner, when Mr. Hillier -took the foot of the table, crumbling his bread in the absent-minded -manner he had recently adopted. Sometimes the evening meal went -through, I noticed, without a syllable from him, and when the savoury -came he would give a nod of apology to his wife, and go off to his -workshop at the back of the house. On this particular Thursday night -he was cross-examined by Miss Muriel with severity concerning the -question of tickets, and he admitted he had not yet secured them. -Miss Muriel gave a picture of the rush, and tumult, and hurry-scurry -at the station; the most cheerful detail seemed to be that father -would undoubtedly be left behind. I was absent from the dining room in -order to see that his two pipes were filled, that, in the study, the -cigars set out in case any one should call; the liqueur stand had to -be replenished, and I suppose ten minutes had gone when I returned. -I found everyone talking--excepting, of course, the master--everyone -shouting at the top of the voice, everyone begging the others to be -silent. - -"Weston," said Mrs. Hillier. ("Keep quiet, all of you. Impossible to -hear oneself speak with all this din going on. Edward, I forbid you -to say another word. Muriel, I'm surprised at you.) Weston, I want to -ask you something." She rapped her forehead with her knuckles. "So -much chatter that it's no wonder thoughts go out of my head." The rest -declined to give the cue. "Oh, I remember. Have you heard any rumours -about trouble on the Continent?" - -"Only what I've read in the papers, ma'am." - -"There!" she said, triumphantly to her husband. "Now perhaps you'll -leave off throwing out these foolish suggestions that you have somehow -got into your head. You speak before you think, James. I've warned you -about it previously. You men in the City meet at lunch time, and over -your chop, and your bottle of wine----" - -"I always have a cup of coffee, and a piece of shortbread." - -"And on that," she remarked, changing the subject, "you expect to keep -well. Why don't you have a sensible meal at mid-day, the same as I do? -It's very difficult," she said to the girls, "very difficult indeed to -knock any sense into men." - -Mr. Hillier rose, I opened the door. Miss Katherine followed him to -whisper something consoling. - -"Don't dare forget to see about the tickets to-morrow, father," -directed Miss Muriel. - -"I'll make inquiries," he said. - -Colonel Edgington called later and I switched on the lights in the -billiard room, took off the cloth, chalked two cues, and summoned the -master from the workshop. I asked Mr. Hillier whether I should remain -in the billiard room and look after the scoring board; he said, "Thank -you, Weston, no. We shan't want to bother you this evening." As I was -going, he called me. "Afraid," he went on, apologetically, "that we -trouble you too much in this establishment. We get into the habit of -depending upon you, Weston." I said, "Not at all, sir!" and left. At -eleven, when Colonel Edgington had gone, I found that spot white had -made four, and plain white had scored nothing. It looked as though the -game had been interfered with by discussion. Home Rule probably. The -Colonel came from the north of Ireland, and he held strong views on -the subject; I knew from the papers that a four days' conference at -Buckingham Palace had failed to settle the question. Apart from the -condition of the scoring board, it was strange that the Colonel had not -touched his tumbler of whiskey. I went over the house to see to the -locking up, and encountered on one of the landings, the master: he was -gazing out at the fine summer night and I expected he would make some -casual remarks concerning the stars. - -"Seven," he remarked, in a dreamy way. "Seven, Watson, seven." - -"More than that, sir, surely." - -"More later on," he agreed. "But seven is the number of Stock Exchange -firms that failed yesterday." - -The next day was cheerful, only in regard to the weather. Master Edward -came home from the cricket ground to announce in a dismal manner that -Hayward and Hobbs were doing astonishingly well for Surrey; I had to -remind him that a match was not finished until the stumps were drawn on -the last day. Several ladies had called during the afternoon, and they -brought all sorts of wild rumours with them that Mrs. Hillier found -extremely upsetting. One said she had heard from a bookstall boy at the -station that the Bank of England was going to close its doors. Another -had been told by her gardener that the Germans would probably land at -Dover, after they had dealt with France, and march up through Kent, -taking Chislehurst on the way, and this she regretted the more because -her gladioli were very fine and likely, but for interference, to do -well at the flower show. A third was able to give, as a more reliable -piece of information, the announcement that her German governess, who -had been with the family for years, and knew how to manage difficult -children, had disappeared; it was found she had taken the train for -Dover. - -Mr. Hillier was bombarded with questions on these and other subjects so -soon as he arrived. Generally he travelled from Cannon Street by the -four forty-eight, which did the journey in half an hour, and his time -for reaching the house was five thirty. He reached home on this Friday -by a quarter past four. - -"I don't know anything," he said. "I can't tell you any more than the -man in the moon." - -"Apparently you are able to tell less," remarked his wife. - -"Perhaps," said Miss Muriel, "you can at least contrive to say, father, -at what time we start to-morrow morning." - -"Oh, that!" he remarked, calling the subject back to his memory. "Oh, -we don't go to-morrow. I thought it was understood." - -Miss Katherine stood by him, but the others raised their voices in -indignant protests. Mrs. Hillier begged that he would, for once, listen -calmly, and endeavour to understand that when trunks were packed, and -preparations made, it was simply nonsense to say that the holiday -was not to be taken; she implored him also to consider the talk that -would go on in Chislehurst. Miss Muriel said that so far as she was -concerned, she intended to go alone, and the others could follow when -and as they pleased. Master Edward suggested it was rotten bad luck to -be disappointed; he could not imagine the sort of tale he would have to -make up on returning to Westgate after a blank and empty holiday. - -"Besides," urged Mrs. Hillier, triumphantly, "there's John!" - -"John I saw this afternoon," said Mr. Hillier. (You must understand -that they all talked freely whilst I was about; if one of the maids -put in an appearance, then, of course, they used more care). "John -and I had a long talk. He expected to have a couple of songs out -next month, and he's afraid all this trouble may delay them. Anyway, -he wants to stay on, and see what happens. He's coming here this -afternoon." - -The elder son of the family had recently taken rooms in town; we all -knew the songs he had composed, from myself down to the scullery-maid, -and everyone in the house was looking forward to his next. I remember -I felt more concerned at hearing the deliberate announcement of Master -John's intentions than at anything else which was happening, and the -others, too, seemed impressed by it. They left Mr. Hillier alone. -The evening was very quiet, the grand pianoforte did not find itself -opened. On the Saturday morning the master went up to Cannon Street, -and came back before noon. He told me he heard the Stock Exchange had -been closed an hour after it opened, and in regard to his own business -in Basinghall Street, where he represented an important Austrian firm, -nothing was being done. - -"By the bye, Weston," he said, "there used to be something in the -house that I don't seem able to find. You would know where it is if -anybody does." I waited for him to explain. "I mean," he said, rather -confusedly, "a revolver." - -"Whenever Master Edward is home for his holidays, sir, I always take -the liberty of putting that where no one but myself can find it." - -"Very wise," he agreed. "But where is it exactly? You see," -persuasively, "if we're going to be attacked, why we must be prepared -to sell our lives dearly, eh?" - -"We're not going to sell our lives, sir, and we're not going to give -them away either. We must keep calm, and not do anything foolish, or -even think of doing anything foolish, on the spur of the moment. If -trouble's coming, we've got to face it." - -"Quite so, quite so, quite so!" He looked at me for a while, and I -looked at him. "Quite so!" he remarked once more. And began to hum. He -had no ear for music, and the playing and singing of the young ladies -were always endured by him with a pained air, but I never heard him or -any other man hum a tune more incorrectly than he did on that occasion. -It was a relief when Master John walked up the drive, and took his -father at once for a run in the car. What Mr. Hillier required was -fresh air, and sensible, male companionship. - -We were more animated that evening. I had Master John's room all in -order, and I told him I hoped he was going to stay for the week-end; he -said he had not thought of doing so, but when I hinted that it would -be a sensible thing to do, he nodded, and said, pleasantly, "Right you -are, Weston. You always have your own way, somehow!" Even Mr. Hillier -brightened in the presence of his elder son, and Master John was able -to check his mother and Miss Muriel when they showed a tendency to -go back to the grievance of the cancelled trip. Master John had been -going about in some of the hard-up quarters of London, and recounted -his experiences, described the folk he had met, the places he had -seen. There was nothing very fresh to me in all this, but he made it -attractive, and I had to speak rather sharply to one of the maids for -laughing at a joke he told. The most difficult thing in drilling young -girls is to convince them that they must keep a straight face when -waiting at table. - -"All the same," remarked Miss Katherine, "it must be a dud life for -them. I mean to have two one double four Hell for a telephone number." - -"They've been used to nothing different," argued her mother. - -"I feel rather sorry," said Master John, "for the folk who come down to -it from the heights." - -"Even in those cases," said his mother, "they have only themselves to -blame. Generally, it's drink." - -"Sometimes sheer misfortune," he remarked. - -"Rather than lead that sort of existence," said Miss Muriel, -dramatically, "I would take a revolver and shoot myself." I frowned at -her, and she said, "Don't make faces, Weston. It doesn't improve your -appearance in the least." Her father glanced at me. - -Master John had a theory, and proceeded to give it across the table. -Many of the districts he had been referring to were, he pointed out, -near the river. You would assume that nothing was easier for these -people, when goaded by worry, and depressed by anxiety, than to stroll -down to the edge of the water, and put an end to their existence. But, -said Master John, this was exactly the course they did not adopt. It -was not in their class you found men and women taking upon themselves a -duty that belonged to a greater power, and deciding when life was to be -terminated. These cases existed in other stages of society, where the -crumpled rose-leaf, and nothing but a crumpled rose-leaf, was sometimes -held to justify the act. - -"An unpleasant subject to be discussing," said Mrs. Hillier. "Let's -talk about the war for a change. What do you think Germany means to do, -John?" - -I have often, in recent days, wished I had written down all the views, -and all the prophecies heard from different sources at that period. -Likely enough, Chislehurst was not more fruitful in this than was -other places, but we were just far enough from town to enable folk -to go around, distributing new ideas between the arrival of editions -of the London newspapers. Master John altogether refused to make -any predictions. "Ask me again in a week's time," he said. He took -his father along to the billiard room, and there kept his opponent -concentrated on the game, and declined to talk of any other matters -than that of how to deal with the red. Mr. Hillier made a break of -twelve, and felt tremendously pleased about it. "Really believe, do -you know, Weston," he said, cheerfully, "that if I had more practise, -I'd be able to give people quite a decent game." - -Master John astonished us by going to church on Sunday morning; he -announced at the mid-day meal that prayers had been offered for the -maintenance of peace. He ran up to town in the afternoon, and on his -return, described an anti-war meeting held in Trafalgar Square, and -a patriotic meeting held close by at the Admiralty Arch. An enormous -crowd, he said, marched along The Mall to the Palace where folk sang -the National Anthem, and the Marseillaise, and the King and Queen bowed -acknowledgments of the cheering. - -"Like looking on at history," he remarked. - -"A good deal of preposterous fuss," commented Miss Muriel, in her -superior way, "concerning absolutely nothing at all!" - - * * * * * - -It would save some trouble if one could ask you to accept Miss Muriel -without explanation, and to judge her by the acts recorded of her, -but this is perhaps making too great a strain upon credulity. At an -entertainment given in aid of some Church funds at St. Mary's Hall I -once saw a performance in which six characters took part: a highwayman, -the landlady of a tavern, a Bow Street runner, a village maiden, an -old Duke, and his elderly daughter; I observed that they came on -separately, and so soon as one went off another entered, and I thought -nothing special of it until I ascertained later, from the programme, -that all the characters were performed by one gentleman. Miss Muriel -had something of this ability. She was everything by turns, and nothing -strong. At one time she determined to go down to posterity as a great -musician, and during this period, she scoffed at her brother's efforts, -and composed elaborate melodies that, without exception, sounded to -me very like something I had heard before; the mantelpiece in her -room was given up to small busts of Wagner and Liszt, and Beethoven -and Mozart. There followed a rather serious attack of literature. Miss -Muriel took literature very badly, and whilst it was on her, the house -had to be kept perfectly quiet; any discordant sound, she declared, -upset her writing for the day. She appealed to eminent novelists for -their autographs (which they supplied with alacrity) and endeavoured to -keep up the correspondence by asking their advice in regard to plots, -to methods, and to publishers; the answers diminished in number, and -Miss Muriel talked darkly of ring-bound fences, of the trials of new -beginners. - -"For two hatpins," she declared, "I would take up some other hobby!" - -She did this, without the bribe suggested. At the time of which I -speak, Miss Muriel was preparing herself for a brilliant career on the -stage. - -It was an epidemic that went around at intervals, started occasionally -by an amateur performance, and the compliments given in the -_Chislehurst and District Times_; in Muriel's case, it was due to -the presence of a well-known actor who had returned from an American -tour with plenty of money, and, taking a house near the Common, -announced his intention of enjoying peace with dignity. Him, Miss -Muriel encountered during the interval that followed convalescence from -literature. It occurred to her that the stone cross which bore the -inscription on one side--"Napoleon, Eugene Louis Jean Joseph, Prince -Imperial. Killed in Zulu-land, 1st June, 1879," and on the other, "This -Cross erected by the Dwellers at Chislehurst"--it occurred to her, I -say, that this memorial was not receiving the attention it deserved. In -placing her daily offering of a bunch of flowers inside the railings -(the self-imposed duty lasted for nearly a week) she one afternoon met -the great man. He was greatly touched by Miss Muriel's devotion. - -"A beautiful act," he said, tears in his eyes. "A most charming -thought. Dear young lady, allow me to offer you my sincerest -compliments." - -He called at The Croft later, and Mrs. Hillier was impressed by -his manner, although Master Edward described him privately, as a -white-haired fraud. Miss Muriel spoke of her wish to assist the stage -by her presence, and he received the announcement with enthusiasm, -promised to give any help that might be necessary. But he went off in -a state of crimson-faced indignation, and I found that, in my absence -from the drawing room, Mrs. Hillier had been so incautious as to offer -a casual and approving remark concerning one of the younger members of -the profession. Miss Muriel asserted that her bright anticipations had -been marred by this carelessness, and it did prove that the promised -help failed to come. A Sunday journal announced that the gentleman had -been induced, by pressure from his countless admirers, to return to -the boards, and to give a series of "those brilliant impersonations -with which his name, and his name alone, will ever be associated." -Miss Muriel's letters to him were not answered, but she told me this -circumstance would have little or no effect on her plans. - -"Even this absurd war business won't stop me!" she declared. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -Guard Richards called at The Croft on the Monday afternoon, and brought -a newspaper which he said contained little that was fresh and nothing -that could be reckoned as jolly; before entering into any conversation -with him, I took it to Master John. - -"The governor requires careful handling," he mentioned. "You -understand, Weston, I'm sure. He mustn't get too many whacks all at -once." - -"He can scarcely have anyone near him better than yourself, sir." - -"The others are not helping a great deal," he admitted. "I foresee -how much we are going to rely upon you, Weston." I expressed the -hope that he would stay as long as was possible, hinted that, in the -circumstances, he might perhaps feel disposed to give up his rooms -in town. "It will depend upon--" he began, and searched for a word. -"Circumstances," he added. - -William Richards I had known since the country days when I tried to -be a school teacher and failed in the examination, and my mother, -considerably annoyed, packed me off to service, and he, too, -disappointed his people by refusing to be educated with the view -of becoming a Wesleyan minister, and ran to London, and joined the -railway. By the time I returned to the hall, Master Edward had found -him, and Richards, with coat off in the field near the house was -sending down a swift ball at a single stump, where Master Edward in -gloves and pads endeavoured to imitate the methods of his favourite -wicket-keeper. For some reason, the spectacle annoyed me. In the case -of the boy it was easy enough to understand, but William was forty if -a day, and at a time when everyone about the place seemed more or less -worried, it was irritating to see a big hulking chap playing at games. - -"But it's Bank Holiday," he argued, when I had given my opinions. - -"You're nothing but a kid," I declared. "In everything but years." - -"Neither you or me, Mary Weston, can reckon ourselves as mere chicken. -But that's no reason why we should go about with a face as long as a -fiddle." - -"It's a reason why we should set an example to those younger than -ourselves. Are you aware that your country is likely to find itself in -the biggest difficulty it's ever encountered?" - -"A lot of passengers," he remarked, "have been telling me about it, -but I never take much notice of rumours. Up at Charing Cross, one of -the inspectors said the railways was going to be taken over by the -Government; but, there again, I don't place much dependence, for the -simple reason that it comes from a man who has give me more wrong tips -in regard to 'orses than I've had from all the rest of the staff put -together. Who's this coming up the road?" - -A woman in my position cannot possibly think of everything, especially -at a time when there is more than usual to be thinking about, and -I had clean forgotten to write to my young nephew to tell him the -Continental trip was cancelled. Here he came, looking taller than ever, -but slightly round shouldered; his leather case in one hand, and in the -other a book that he read as he walked. Herbert Millwood was never one -to waste a single moment in his studies, and we watched him as he by -chance avoided collision with other people, and by luck escaped contact -with a lamp-post. He was going past the second gate of The Croft when -I called to him. He came out of his dreams, dropped the book. Master -Edward, impatient to resume play, ran out and picked it up whilst -Herbert gave me a kiss, and offered his hand to William Richards. - -"Are you reading this too?" cried Master Edward. "I've just finished -it. Isn't it a ripper." - -"I found it," said my nephew, in his careful way of speech, "extremely -interesting. It appears to me a most accurate description of cowboy -life in Western America." - -I recognised one of the twopenny volumes with which the house was -always strewn during the period of Master Edward's holidays. Coming on -the top of Guard Richards's behaviour, the discovery did not lessen my -resentment. - -"Herbert," I said, shortly, "you can take yourself off home again. I -meant to have written to you. William Richards, perhaps you've got -sufficient intelligence to tell us when the next up train goes?" - -Miss Muriel came out of the house, walked down the steps, and along the -broad gravelled space. "Weston," she said, authoritatively, "arrange -something for me to do. The tennis party I ought to have gone to has -been put off. It's most annoying." She stared at Herbert. - -"My nephew, miss," I said, presenting him, "who was to have stayed here -if you'd all gone abroad." - -"Do you play?" she demanded. - -"Haven't a racket," he answered. "It's been sent up to Cambridge with -my luggage." - -"One can be found. And do you play?" (To William Richards.) - -"No reason why I shouldn't be learnt, Miss." - -They took the whole business out of my hands. Herbert and Miss Muriel -decided to be partners against William Richards and Master Edward. The -two visitors remembered, at the last moment, that their shoes might -damage the grass. "It doesn't matter in the least," said Miss Muriel, -with a touch of bitterness. "The general impression I gain is that we -shall be leaving here before the end of the week." - -"You don't mean that!" exclaimed my nephew. - -"Really don't know what I mean," she retorted, irritably, "or what -anybody else means. There are so many riddles about that I have given -up all attempt to answer them. And Weston, here, whose business it is -to cheer us up, and who is paid to cheer us up, has apparently gone on -strike. Just as though," addressing Guard Richards, "just as though she -were a railway man." - -"Miss Hillier," said Master Edward, "having made herself pleasant -and agreeable to most of the company present, will now show us her -celebrated imitation of Mrs. Lambert-Chambers at the net." - -"I am not a crack player," she remarked condescendingly to my nephew, -"but I have my good days." - -It appeared, later, that Miss Muriel was put off her game by the -marching by of Territorials, an insect in her eye, rays of the sun, -and one or two other discouraging incidents. Nevertheless, the game -improved her temper, and she was in a gracious mood when I sent two of -the maids out with table and trays; she admitted the victory had been a -narrow one, and that Herbert was as good as Master Edward, whilst she -was but a shade better than Guard Richards. William Richards improved -his position, and caused himself to be reckoned an efficient member -of good society by juggling dexterously with four tennis balls. "If -I could do that," declared Master Edward, "I should never trouble to -do anything else. How did you get the knack of it, guard?" William -explained that on long journeys, when parcels had been sorted, and -letters arranged, an official of his rank had plenty of time for -practising the art. He tried to make a further impression by essaying -a trick he had seen at a popular entertainment; this necessitated the -providing of a leather hat case, an open umbrella, and a cigarette, -and all these articles were readily discovered and furnished. William -Richards threw the cigarette in the air, and failed to catch it with -his mouth, the leather hat case fell upon Miss Muriel, and the open -umbrella came down upon me. William said he thought he had better catch -the next train, but Master Edward, declaring that he, too, did not -always succeed in his experiments, begged him to stay. - -I was afraid Mrs. Hillier, when she came out, would be annoyed at the -sight of the mixed group, but she was so eager to obtain opinions -concerning the war that she seemed ready to forgive the presence of -the two visitors, and to overlook the fact that one of them was in a -uniform. My mistress, at that period, always accepted and repeated the -views of the last person consulted, and the effect of this was that -sometimes she felt certain we were not going to be involved in the -war, sometimes that France, with one hand tied behind its back, could -beat Germany, sometimes that the Kaiser would be at Buckingham Palace -by the end of August. William Richards took care from her shoulders -by alluding to the numerous occasions, within his knowledge, when -inaccuracies had appeared in the journals of the day. - -"If they spelt your name wrongly in the Board of Trade inquiry you are -speaking of," she said, "why it stands to reason that the newspapers -are capable of making even greater blunders in regard to more important -subjects." - -"Exactly my argument, lady," he said. - -"I must get you to talk to my husband, guard." - -"If the gentleman has made up his mind, perhaps it wouldn't be much -use." - -"That," she said, addressing the group, "is just what I complain of -in regard to Mr. Hillier. He's obstinate. He's self-willed. He won't -listen to reason. He doesn't understand as I do that no reliance can -be placed on what one reads. I wonder whether we shall get an evening -paper?" - -I mentioned that Guard Richards had brought one, and went in search of -it. On the way back I glanced at the stop press column, which William -apparently had over-looked. It seemed a pity to spoil the comfort of -the party, and I tore the portion off, and held it in my fist. - -"This time next week," said Mrs. Hillier, after glancing at the head -lines, "we shall be laughing at the way people have allowed themselves -to be upset over trifles." - -My dodge did enable them to enjoy an hour of composure; I regretted, -in a way, that the others were not present, if only to see how well -my nephew could comport himself when he encountered his betters. -William Richards was telling the old story of the flustered young woman -passenger, who on the platform kissed the guard, and gave her husband -threepence, when Colonel Edgington came along the drive, flourishing a -newspaper. - -"The bounders have invaded Belgium," he shouted. - -"I don't believe it," declared Mrs. Hillier at once. "It's probably a -misprint." - -"Weston," he said, ignoring my mistress, "where is the governor?" I -hurried towards him, and explained that Mr. Hillier was out with Master -John and Miss Katherine; I hoped that if Colonel Edgington happened -to meet them he would be careful to soften down any bad news he had -to communicate. "War is a man's business," he retorted. "All that you -women have to do is to just stand outside the ropes, and look on." - -"I think you'll find us doing a lot more than that, sir." - -"Ah," he said, "you mean nursing. Well, we may allow you to take a -share in nursing, but nothing else, mind." - -"It probably won't rest with either you or me, sir." - -"It certainly won't rest with you, Weston. If I miss the governor, say -that I am going up to the War Office to-morrow morning early. I shall -most likely catch his train. But I daresay it will slip your memory. -Never met a woman yet who could be depended upon to do as she was -ordered." - -"Perhaps your experience of them has been limited, sir." - -"Weston," he said, rolling up the newspaper, and pointing it at me, -"I've often heard it said about here that you were treated as one of -the family. I've denied the statement. I've always pointed out that you -are treated as the head of the family." - - * * * * * - -There was telephoning to and fro, and the local shops were kept in -attendance on the instruments, town establishments were harried and -badgered by the same means of communication. I looked through the stock -room, and at first decided that no great additions were necessary; -if the worst came to the worst, The Croft could stand a siege of -reasonable length, and the kitchen gardens would furnish supplies. But -the shop-people at Sidcup alarmed me, and another housekeeper I met -there induced me to believe I was failing to take wise precautions. -The shop folk spoke of the immense orders they were receiving from -customers who had the fear that either prices would go up with a -tremendous jump, or that articles of food might be unobtainable; my -friend assured me, with gleeful confidence, that whatever happened to -other households in the neighbourhood, her's, at any rate, was safe. - -"They made me pay cash for everything, Miss Weston," she went on, "but -that was only reasonable. Paper money is not of much use at times like -this. What I'm anxious about is the number of hands that will be thrown -out of work. I told my girls, only to-day, they'll all be starving -before the month is up." - -"That ought to have pleased them." - -"We've got to face the facts," she declared, earnestly. "There's not -the slightest use in burying our heads in the sand. Everyone will be -getting rid of servants, and what the poor souls are to do doesn't -bear thinking of. I suppose your people are like the rest, talking of -cutting down expenses." - -"Hints. Nothing more!" - -"Fortunately," she said, "I have been able to put by, just as you, no -doubt, have managed to do. Eh?" - -"I didn't say anything." - -"And my notion is that when it becomes too hot, I shall rush off to a -quiet place I've got my eye on in Wales where the Germans won't trouble -to come, and if they do, all my money will be safely buried in the -flower garden, and I shall pretend I'm too silly to understand anything -that's said to me." - -"You'll find that easy enough." - -"You wouldn't care, I suppose, Miss Weston--I've always had a great -respect for you--to join forces with me, so to speak, and----" - -"No," promptly. "Got work to do here. Folk to look after." - -"The time will come," she prophesied, in going, "when you'll want to -kick yourself for not having listened to friendly advice." - -It occurred to me that even if there existed little risk of a shortage -in supplies, the fact that so many people were making large purchases -might have serious results, and I resolved to concentrate my thoughts -on the subject of flour. Flour became an obsession with me. Flour, for -the space of at least one morning, was the one article that I desired. -I had, the previous night, dreamt of flour; sacks of it, cellar-fulls -of it, and the dream finished with the perturbing discovery that the -bags on being opened contained nothing but wooden shavings. It is -easy enough now to look back upon those very early days of the war, -and to smile at the flurried anxieties and the nervous agitation; I -can say truthfully that, being ordinarily as calm as most people, -I nevertheless caught the epidemic and came as near as I have ever -been to losing my head. My most extravagant act was to induce William -Richards, by wire, to make himself responsible for bringing, whilst -off duty on the Tuesday, two hundred-weight of flour from London; he -conveyed it from the station to The Croft on a luggage trolley. - -"Your thanks, Mary Weston," he said, "amply repay me, they do, for all -the trouble. Came in, I did, for a fair amount of chaff on the way down -from humorous colleagues of mine, and it's been a warmish business -getting the stuff here, on a day like this, but this glass of cider, -and your kind remarks--" - -"When I wrote off in a hurry to you last night, I never thought you'd -be able to do it." - -William finished his glass, and appeared to be forming words in his -mind. Altering the intention, he hummed the first lines of "Auld Lang -Syne." - -"There's a good deal of extra work going on," he remarked, "with the -railways, and I can't always call my hours my own. But anything I -can do for you, Mary Weston, I'm prepared to do. If I may offer a -suggestion it is that your next orders should be such as not to make my -uniform look quite so dusty." - -I found a brush and dispersed the white marks. As I went up and down -the sleeve, he took my hand and kissed it, and, at once, rushed from -the kitchen, leaving the second glass that had been poured out for him. -Going down to the tradesmen's gate, I caught sight of William Richards -sprinting along the tarred road, more as one under the impression the -Germans were after him than as though he had given an impetuous sign of -affection. - -My housekeeper acquaintance was not the only person who held the view -that the war would throw folk out of employment. Everybody seemed to be -furnishing everybody with the same idea. The most cheerful anticipation -was that there were always the workhouses, and in any case the -Government would have to do something. The disturbing fact that, as my -acquaintance hinted, cheques were not being accepted, was, in itself, -enough to startle and to alarm. Master Edward went on his bicycle a -dozen times in the course of the day to pick up news at the station, -and never returned without something like an arm-full; the trouble was -to sift the correct from the undependable, and to keep one's mind clear -of inaccuracies, but appetite for particulars was so keen that nothing -was refused. Our old gardener with whom, owing to his partiality for -alcohol, I had hitherto been on remote terms, appeared flattered to -discover that I listened to his muddle-headed rumours with an attentive -ear. - -"They do tell me, ma'am," he said, confidentially, "that these 'ere -foreigners drink a kind of beer that don't have no effect on you, like -what our stuff does. Nice cheerful sort of prospect, ain't it, for -those on us that are what you may call settled in our 'abits? Dang my -old eyes," the gardener went on with vehemence, "if it ain't nearly -enough to induce a man to turn teetotal!" - -Mr. Hillier made no attempt to catch his usual train. Instead of -doing this, or cultivating his hobby in the workshop, he walked up -and down on the lawn, tweed cap at the back of head, and when I sent -Miss Katherine out to him, she returned with the announcement that he -wished to be alone; Master John was similarly repulsed. My nephew had -been asked to stay the night, and he and Master John were consulting -together with serious countenances. Two of the maids came to me with -telegrams, and asked to be permitted to leave at once. In one case a -father belonging to the Naval Reserve had been called out, and the -mother wanted her daughter's company at home; in the other, the girl -wished to say good-bye to her sweetheart, a Territorial who was leaving -with his battalion for a sea coast town. I allowed them to go, and went -to mention the circumstance to Mrs. Hillier. She never objected to any -decision of mine, but I generally kept her informed of anything that -happened. - -"I was just going out," she said, "to liven your master up, Weston. -If you have a few minutes to spare, you might come with me. I've got -rather a good idea, and you will come in handy to support it. Get the -rose basket, and my leather gloves, and the scissors." - -No pretence that my mistress adopted would have taken in a fly, and -when she affected to be surprised at discovering her husband on the -lawn, he glanced at her without speaking. She submitted the good idea, -without delay. Mr. Hillier was to take advantage of the brief holiday -from Basinghall Street, and start upon the task of learning to play -golf. "I'd sooner walk about on my head," he declared. She begged him -not to come to a hasty decision, and pointed out first, that no one -walked about on the head; second, that a great many folk did play golf, -and if one could judge by their conversation, found enjoyment in it. - -"You want something, James," she argued, "to take you out of yourself. -You're getting into a habit of brooding and that never yet did any good -to man, woman or child. Try to follow my example, and take cheerful -views. Think of the people who are worse off than yourself." - -"I wouldn't mind so much," he said, "if I were twenty years younger." - -"Now I appeal to you, Weston," she remarked, looking up at me. "Isn't -that a foolish thing to say? Why, if he were twenty years younger he -wouldn't be living in this large house, and these fine grounds, and -with plenty of servants about to do everything that's wanted." The -under-gardener came across to ask some question; I signalled to him to -stay where he was. - -"The large house," said Mr. Hillier, with deliberation, "and the fine -grounds, and the plenty of servants, will soon be nothing but a memory." - -"Wandering in his speech," she whispered to me. - -"It's time," he went on, speaking carefully, "that you knew the truth, -and there's no reason why Weston should not hear it. If it hadn't been -for this war, I might have pulled matters round, but as it is--Well, -I'm done for!" - -"You've been smoking too much." - -"My pipe is the only real comfort I have left." - -"James," she cried, expostulatingly, "you forget me!" - -"There was a time," he said, "when you were my good companion, but that -takes me back a long, long while ago. And the children are not children -now, and altogether--I beg pardon, my dear. I ought not to be saying -anything likely to hurt." - -"If matters are so bad, we must try a little economy." Mrs. Hillier had -a sudden inspiration. "I've sent off a couple of the maids already." - -"You'll have to do more than that." - -"You don't mean," she cried, alarmedly, "that we shall have to do -without Weston?" - -He gave a half smile at me; I waited anxiously to hear what he would -say. "We shall have to do without everybody," he said. "It's like -this. I've been working all these years to make money for you and the -kiddies. I've never saved, partly because you gave no help in that -direction, partly because I wanted to look on and see everyone having a -capital time." - -"How selfish of you, James!" I touched her arm reprovingly. - -"The sooner we get away from here," he said, "the better for my good -name. I want to keep that because--because it's about all I shall have -left. The only question that's worrying me is this. What sort of a part -are you going to play?" - -"I shall go," she replied, with an air, "wherever destiny calls me." - -"Well then," rather doubtfully, "that, I suppose, is all right then. -If you set an example to the children, they'll follow on. Explain it -all to them--or perhaps Weston here will do that, as one of her last -jobs before leaving--and make it clear to them that I'm sorry. And she -might contrive to hint that it isn't altogether my fault." - -I gave the two gardeners their notice at once. The younger one, it -appeared, wanted to leave and was ready to go instantly; the other who -always made a grievance of everything, took it very ill. "Me just in -the middle of a lot of clearin' up, and now I'm called upon to go and -look for another situation! Hard lines; that's what I call it, miss." -I pointed out that he was not the only person who suffered. "I'm the -only one that interests me," he said, doggedly. "People don't seem -to remember that I'm getting on in years. Be rights, I ought to be -pensioned off, or dumped into an almshouse, or some'ing of the kind." -I reminded him that he was fortunate in having no wife or children. -"There's some advantage in being a bachelor," he agreed, "because -there's no one to nag at you when you reach home at night a bit late, -and a trifle comfortable. On the other hand, you've got no one to 'elp -earn your living for you. And that reminds me. I shall chuck work for -a hower or two, and go along, and take a glass o' beer. Just in order -to stiddy my nerves." He came back later singing, and told one of the -dogs that there were many worlds inferior to this, and that he proposed -to celebrate the occasion by arranging a good old hang-it-all bonfire. -Master John and my nephew had gone from the house (without mentioning -where they were bound for), otherwise I should have asked one of them -to order the elderly chap to go home. I might have done this myself, -but I never care to argue with men when they are in drink. It is -impossible to tell whether they are going to be extremely abusive, or -aggressively affectionate. - -The master seemed more like himself now that he had made a full -statement of the position. At his request, I went over the house with -the two of them, and we made something like an inventory; I estimated -the prices, and Mr. Hillier was quite cheered when he eventually -reckoned up. - -"Might have been worse," he said. "The money we've spent hasn't all -been wasted." - -"I've never bought any furniture," remarked Mrs. Hillier, "without -first taking Weston's advice. She's an excellent judge." - -"It's hard to be treating her as a criminal," he mentioned, "after all -these years." - -"Don't you trouble about me, sir," I said. - -"I foresee," he remarked genially, "that a certain official on the -railway will shortly send in an application for holiday leave, and -passes for himself and wife." - -"If Richards has got any such idea in his head," I declared sharply, -"he's in for a big disappointment. My intentions are entirely -different." - -"I must go and find a good auctioneer," he said, "And at once." - -In this way it happened that when the fire at The Croft broke out, -there were women folk only in the house. For over an hour there had -been a smell of burning, and when I spoke of it, one of the maids said -the old gardener had set light to rubbish, but that the flames were -now out; in the quiet summer evening air the scent remained. It was at -about eight o'clock when the alarm came that the garage was on fire. -Dinner was half over; the ladies were wondering at the delay in the -return of Master John and of Herbert, and hoped they would soon appear -with the latest news. Directly I caught sight of the blaze I recognised -that here was a serious matter, and I ran off to the telephone, and -called up the Brigade. Then I beckoned from the doorway of the dining -room to young Master Edward, told him what had happened, and begged -him to rush around and get together all the able-bodied men he could -find in the neighbourhood. Downstairs the maids were hysterical, and -one had fainted; I spoke to them with an abruptness that made them -come to their senses, and gave directions. I collected hats and coats -belonging to my mistress and the young ladies and, saying that there -was no danger and that the fire would soon burn itself out, told them -to go on the lawn, and to watch for the engine. Miss Muriel began to -talk excitedly and protestingly; her sister and mother interposed. - -"Weston knows best!" they said. - -Even if there had been a man about the place, I doubt whether it would -have been possible to save the car. The bemused gardener had set his -mound of rubbish near to the wooden doors, and these were the first to -catch alight. The billiard room was overhead, and when an explosion -came from the garage I knew that nobody would ever play on that table -again. There was not much wind, but all that existed was blowing in the -direction of the house. The master's workshop, where he had spent many -Saturday afternoons, was the next to go. - -Master Edward (enjoying it all tremendously) ran up the drive with -his party of a dozen men, Colonel Edgington amongst them and clearly -determined to take charge, and to extinguish the fire in his own -style; he gasped out orders that no one could understand, and no one -felt called upon to obey. The men rushed through the dark path at -the side of the house, where Colonel Edgington had the misfortune to -step upon a rake that instantly--as is the habit of rakes when thus -treated--instantly sprang up, and gave him a blow in the face which -put him temporarily out of action. His language included several words -quite new to me. - -"Pails, Weston!" shouted Master Edward. - -We had a number of pails but, despite the efforts of the helpers, they -were of little more use than a soda water syphon would have been. For -one thing, the fire was now so scorching that the men could not get -near; the water when thrown fell with a slight hiss and had no other -result. I called them into the house, disregarding Master Edward's -appeal, and asked them to do their best to save the furniture. Their -best, I am willing to admit, was very good. Colonel Edgington came up -the staircase and again endeavoured to assume command: I told him to -go down, and look after the ladies, and keep them out of the way of -the articles that were being flung from the windows. It was no time -for being civil, and it was no time either for careful and delicate -handling of furniture. A cheval glass came down on the sun dial, and -cracked in all directions. Articles in silver from dressing tables -rained upon the grass; a jewel case danced about on the gravel, -distributing its contents. I felt glad to see two constables inside the -gate, keeping back folk who wanted a good view. - -The house was alight when the fire engine came, and everyone was out, -and gathering up the property that had been strewn around; Mrs. Hillier -and the two young ladies worked as hard as the men, and with the -maids--the early fright over--I had no reason to discover any fault. -Master John and my nephew Herbert arrived when the hose was playing on -the flames; the supply of water, owing to the recent fine weather, was -not too good, and the pond, that might at other times have assisted, -was almost empty. The two young men accepted the condition of affairs -without a word; threw off jackets, and dashed into the task of salvage. -Despite all the efforts it was not a great amount that could be saved: -the fire chased the men from room to room. A drizzling rain came -on, and the lads found tarpaulins and canvas to serve as protection -to the rescued furniture. Colonel Edgington had vanished, and I was -congratulating myself on this, when he returned with his car. - -"Come along now, Mrs. Hillier," he said, authoritatively. "And the two -girls. And the small boy. And any of the servants who can find room. -I'm going to take you all over to my place, and you'll stay there as -long as you like. Weston," he said to me, "I'll come back for you." - -"Sorry, sir, if I was rather rude to you, just now." - -"Rude?" he echoed. "Bless my soul, that was nothing. I'm rather rude to -everybody. But I mean well, Weston: indeed, and I mean well!" - -The brigade superintendent, making his way across pools of water, at -the finish, asked me whether the house and the fittings were insured, -and I said, "Why, of course!" The men assisted in returning furniture -to the two or three rooms that had not been touched by the fire. The -beer cask in the cellar was safe, and I told them to find tumblers and -help themselves. Master John and my Herbert came up to me, so begrimed -that I kissed Master John by mistake; he declared it was a full sixteen -years since I had thought of paying him such an attention. - -"Wish we had been here at the start," he remarked. "We should have -been, only that there were so many others waiting to enlist." - -"Others?" - -"We've both joined," he announced. "Is that the governor out in the -road?" - -Mr. Hillier was gazing at the damaged house. We went across, and I put -the question to him that the superintendent had put to me. He mentioned -that he had experienced a difficulty in finding the auctioneer, and was -describing this at some length when I repeated the inquiry. - -"I wish you'd tell me, sir, about the insurance," I begged. "Just yes -or no." - -"The answer is no, Weston," he replied, in a quiet voice. "I allowed -the policy to lapse at midsummer in order to give the job to a hard-up -man who was starting as an agent. I heard last week he had disappeared." - -"You don't seem very much upset about the fire." - -"Dreamt that it happened," said Mr. Hillier, "these three nights past." -He turned to his son. "Anything fresh about the war, my lad?" - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -I had at times complained about the folk of the neighbourhood; some -made money rather suddenly and appeared anxious to persuade the -residents that they belonged to aristocratic families; a few took up -an attitude of reserve that could be easily mistaken for contempt. -But, in the misfortune which had overtaken my people, their behaviour -left no room for criticism. It was not only Colonel Edgington who -showed kindness. I stayed the night in Miss Katherine's room, which was -amongst the apartments that had escaped, and when I went out in the -morning and walked along to the Colonel's house I found, even at that -early hour, cars outside and messages being delivered, and all sorts of -hospitality tendered. If we had cared to accept them, we could have put -up at a dozen houses. - -"Thank you ever so much," said Miss Katherine, taking the duty of -answering. "It is really sporting of you, but we shall be perfectly all -right here for a few days. And then we shall have to find a new house." - -"At Chislehurst?" - -"Not at Chislehurst. I think my father intends to butt in at some other -neighbourhood." - -"Quite natural in the circumstances. Be sure to let us know if there is -anything we can do." - -Under her breath Miss Katherine said, "Oh do push off!" - -The old gardener, in a sobered morning mood, had given himself up at -the police station, but Mr. Hillier declined to take any proceedings. -(We heard, later, that the gardener, acutely disappointed, again tried -the remedy of beer, and was eventually fined ten shillings for being -drunk and disorderly; a tame finish, so far as he was concerned, to the -whole incident.) Mr. Hillier wished to make another effort to discover -the auctioneer, but I told him there was not enough of property -remaining to justify a public sale, and that if he determined to get -rid of everything, I could arrange with my brother-in-law at Greenwich -to make a valuation, and to give a fair price. - -"See to it, Weston," he directed, cheerily. "I have been talking it -over with Mrs. Hillier, and we agree that we want to begin afresh. -We're going to make a new start." - -"Very glad, sir, that you are all taking it so well." - -"I've an idea that the fates have used their last cartridge. It's a -relief, Weston." - -"Afraid you haven't yet heard what Master John has done." - -"But that," he declared, "is the best news I have had for months. It's -good to think he joined up without advice or encouragement. To tell you -the truth, I was afraid that he might be afraid. And that would have -been, not so much the last straw, as a whole truss of it to carry on my -back all through the war." - -"Don't know what Herbert's father will say." - -"I can guess," said Mr. Hillier, confidently. "Everything depends now -on what our lads do for us." - -The two young men left directly after breakfast. They had passed the -medical examination, it seemed, at the schools near St. Martin's -Church, Trafalgar Square, and although Master John was rather short for -a guardsman, they urged their desire to be in the same regiment, and -it had been arranged they should join the Coldstreams at Wellington -Barracks. We all came out to wish them good luck, and Colonel Edgington -took off his straw hat, and, waving it, led the three cheers. I -mentioned to him that to see the two going away side by side--my -mistress's son and my own nephew--was one of the proofs that a war -existed. "You'll see mightier changes than that," he remarked. "People -who know nothing whatever about it are saying it'll all be over by -Christmas." I expressed the hope it would not last so long. "Indeed," -he cried, explosively, "and you're as big an idiot as the rest of them. -In this respect, I mean," he added. Later, the Colonel took me aside, -and spoke in confidence. He asked me to believe that his house was at -the disposal of the family for an indefinite period, but he knew it -would be better for the Hilliers if the move which had to be made were -effected quickly, and whilst the excitement of recent occurrences was -still about. "Do just what you think is best," he said. - -Herbert's father kept a second-hand furniture shop in London Street, -Greenwich, and whilst my sister was alive the business had been -prosperous; on her last day, she gave such precise instructions -concerning the boy's career that Millwood had never attempted to depart -from them. I took an afternoon train to New Cross, and the tram-car -from outside the station there, and found Millwood setting up a map -in the window of the shop and adjusting small flags upon it; a crowd -stood watching interestedly. Children, free from school (their holidays -were afterwards cut short) marched along banging toy drums, and wearing -paper hats. The newspaper placards gave the information, "Kitchener at -the War Office." Groups were talking and arguing on the pavement. - -"Knowed my boy'd be one of the fust to offer hisself," said Millwood. -My sister improved his manner of talking a good deal, in her lifetime, -but when she left, he dropped back into his earlier methods. "I says, -soon as ever I heard about the war being started, I says to myself, -'Mark my words. Young 'Erb'll be in this. Right in the very thick of -it.'" - -"Good to find you accept it like this. You being such an out and out -Radical--" - -"How could I accept it otherwise?" he demanded, warmly. "And can't a -Radical be as partial to his country as what the bigoted dunderheaded -Tories is? I remember hearing Bradlaugh say once--" - -"I haven't called to talk politics." - -"Because you know very well, Mary Weston, which of us comes the best -off when you and me do have an argument." - -"I do know. And I must say you generally accept your beating in very -good part." - -"I never get beaten in no discussion," he shouted, "and if I did, I -shouldn't accept it in the way you describe. Often feel uncommon glad -that I didn't pick out you instead of your poor sister. I might ha' -done, but for what I may term the intervention of Providence. You was -better educated than her, and to tell you the truth nothing but that -saved me from making the blunder of a lifetime." - -"I should perhaps have had a word or two to say in the matter." - -"Can't imagine any subject on which you wouldn't." - -I had to talk him round because there was a favour to be asked. He -declared, at first, that he had no wish to add to his stock or to his -responsibilities; of the second, I knew nothing, but I could see that -the contents of the shop had scarcely altered since my previous visit -on the occasion when the funeral took place. There were dilapidated -writing desks that no one seemed to require; a suite of chairs with -red plush that had nearly lost colour from exposure to the sun, a -cabinet out of the perpendicular owing to partial failure of one leg, -an easy chair with broken springs, engravings in mottled frames of -events in the life of Queen Victoria, a tipsy-looking music stand, a -bookcase that ought to have revolved but had lost the trick. It was but -necessary to hint at the misfortunes that had overtaken the Hillier -family, to secure Millwood's aid. He was ready to see the furniture, -to offer a good price for it on my behalf, to attend to the removal and -the storing. Two young women came in whilst we were arranging this, -and asked Millwood for the address of the local newspaper. He gave -the directions, and they mentioned that they wished, by means of an -advertisement, to let their furnished flat in Gloucester Place. "We are -going off nursing," they mentioned, animatedly. I came forward, and -put some questions, and within five minutes I was looking through the -rooms in their company, and inside of a quarter of an hour I had come -to an agreement with them. The rooms were old-fashioned in build, and -pleasant to look upon; Gloucester Place, with The Circus, bow shaped, -opposite had, in their day, been the society part of Greenwich; a large -railed garden was set between the two rows of houses; a broad roadway -led in from Royal Hill, and a narrower one went out to Crooms' Hill, -and to the Park. To Gloucester Place a touch of modernity had been -given by the conversion of one house into County Council offices. At -the very top of the residence I inspected were two rooms, not occupied, -and not furnished. Before I left, I saw the agent, and took these for a -quarter at a rent I could well afford. The ground floor, I ascertained, -was occupied by a quiet, elderly couple. - -"Depend upon me," said Millwood. "And as you're coming to live in my -neighbourhood, mind you drop in whenever you have the opportunity, -Mary Weston, or the wish to do so. I foresee that with both political -parties coming into line over this fighting business, life for a public -man like myself is going to be jest a trifle monotonous. I shall get -stale if I don't find someone to have a few friendly words with." - -It pleased him when I gave him an order to pick up one or two -articles of furniture I indicated from a sales room with which he was -acquainted. - -I went home and announced the result of my journey. I settled with cook -and the two housemaids and sent them off in a good temper. I rang up -the agent for the owner of The Croft, and advised him to give notice -to his insurance people. I took the two young ladies to the house and -found old trunks in the cellars, packed some of their clothes that the -fire had not damaged; Miss Muriel appeared inclined to be sentimental -over the task, but Miss Katherine chaffed her out of this, pointing out -that the verses composed by her sister that morning, with, for opening -lines, - - "Home of my childhood, oh where art thou gone, - The fire has consumed thee, thy loss I bemoan" - -had, if looked upon as poetry, certain merits, and if considered as a -statement of facts, many inaccuracies. It was not, she declared, the -home of Miss Muriel's childhood, unless that period could be reckoned -to start at the age of seventeen. The house had not gone, and it could -not be said with truth that the fire had consumed it, for here it was, -requiring only the aid of a builder and carpenter to make it habitable -for new tenants. - -"And that's that!" she said, summing up briskly. "You chuck poetry, my -beloved sister. There's no money in it, and you never use it except as -a medium for grousing." - -"I mean to write some verses about the war," said Miss Muriel, -resolutely. - -"If it gets known, peace will be arranged without delay. Besides, I -thought you were going on the stage. Weston, can we give you a hand -with your packing?" - -"Couldn't think of asking you to do that, Miss Katherine." - -"Which, being interpreted," she said, "means that even you, with all -your common sense, have not yet realised all that has occurred. Tell -me: you have money put by, haven't you?" - -"A trifle, Miss Katherine." - -"So that you are now above us. You are better off than we are. You are -a plutocrat, Weston. At any moment, some gay spark may come along on -his motor cycle, wed you for the sake of your riches, take you off in -his side car." - -"A pity," I said, to change the subject, "that neither of you young -ladies had contrived to get married before all this happened. It would -have simplified matters a good deal." - -"Perhaps," she remarked, "we have hitherto been too ambitious. In -the new circumstances, I shall be ready to listen to any honourable -proposal from a baker. No," correcting herself. "Let me not sink too -low. A confectioner. A confectioner, near a school. And over military -age." - -"There won't be many young men left if this fighting goes on for long." - -"'How happy,'" quoted Miss Katherine, "'is the blameless vestal's lot, -The world forgetting, by the world forgot.' By Pope, my dear Muriel, -Pope. A gentleman who was in the line of business you have recently -taken up." - -We managed to finish the task, and a greengrocer undertook to convey -the packages to Colonel Edgington's house. I was under the impression -that everything was going well and smoothly, when a telegram came -from the two young women at Greenwich. "Find course of lectures -indispensable. We remain in flat for a time." - -The delay which ensued became one of the most trying details of the -whole affair. If I had been able to whisk the family off as I intended -to do, if it had all been done whilst the excitement was upon us, if -we had been able to give a hurried good-bye to Chislehurst and then -disappear, why, I do believe the job would have proved easy enough. -There was the alternative of finding other rooms, but I had fixed my -mind on the arrangement at Greenwich, and when it was suggested to me -privately by Colonel Edgington that this might be done-- - -"Not a word to the others, mind, Weston. Don't want them to think I'm -tired of their company." - -Then I talked about contracts, and represented the two impetuous girls -at Gloucester Place as square-headed, obstinate women of business; I -hinted that to argue with them or plead to them was like contending -against a brick wall. So the Hilliers stayed on, and each day brought -for me some discouraging occurrence. Mr. Hillier, with nothing else -to do, went back to his habit of mooning about: the Colonel was very -good, and always endeavoured to give him his company, but the master -seemed to prefer solitude, and whenever he could manage it, contrived -to slip away for a lonely walk. Mrs. Hillier, dismissing all thoughts -of the immediate past, allowed herself to be taken up by her friends -in the neighbourhood, and readily agreed to take positions--for which -she was in no way fitted--in the charitable work that had been started -with feverish and excitable energy. The idea was, at the time, that -there would be an enormous amount of distress in London, and meetings -were held, and speeches made, and Mrs. Hillier when asked to take any -part, succeeded in making just about as big a fool of herself as it was -possible to do. I told her so. I told her so plainly, and we came very -near to parting from each other on account of this. I suppose I was -becoming irritable over the postponement of my scheme, and I certainly -did not like the notion of all of us staying on at Colonel Edgington's -for an indefinite period. One word led to another, and I happened to -use a phrase without giving due consideration to it. - -"Imposing on good nature?" she echoed, amazedly. - -"We'll call it sponging, if you like." - -"Weston," she said, with dignity, "you are, and you have been for some -weeks past, free to leave my service. The wages due will be paid so -soon as Mr. Hillier has had time to look about him." - -"He's doing that now. And precious little of anything else." - -"It is not for you to criticise your master. That is one of my -privileges, and I think I may say that I have never failed to take -advantage of it. For the moment, my powers in this respect are directed -against yourself. You are forgetting, Weston, the position you hold, -and unless you think fit to remember it, I shall have to ask you to go." - -"You know as well as I do, ma'am, that I can't leave you all like this. -You'll be lost without my help, and I should have it on my conscience -for the rest of my life." - -Master Edward rushed in. He had been down the hill to the station, -seeing train loads of soldiers go through, and, with the assistance of -other boys, cheering them. He began to tell us of his experiences but, -recognising an unusual tension in the air, dashed off at once to find -his sister Katherine. When she came, the trouble was soon adjusted. I -apologised to Mrs. Hillier, and Mrs. Hillier apologised to me, and we -both said it was all a misunderstanding, and one that would not happen -again. - -But I went over, that afternoon, to Greenwich, and waited there until -the young women arrived home from their lecture at the Polytechnic. -Millwood had carried out my instructions very well; the two rooms on -the top floor needed only a few more bits of hay to make them into a -comfortable nest. The two came in, tired with study; all the animation -they had shown at our first encounter seemed to have vanished. - -"Of course," said the elder, desolately, "we are sorry for the -inconvenience that is being caused, but you have no idea how much there -is to be learnt before one can be reckoned a capable nurse." - -"Have you considered the advisability of trying anything else?" - -"We most particularly want to tend wounded soldiers." - -"But," I argued, "wounded soldiers don't want to be tended by people -who can't tend." - -"Seems a pity." - -"Now, if you care to leave it to me," I said, "I'll find out whether -there's anything else you could start upon. What do you say?" - -"It must be something we can do at once," they urged. "We appear to be -wasting time." - -I hurried along to the Miller Hospital, and consulted a Sister there -whom I had known for years. She told me that hospitals in London, and -at other places, were on the defensive owing to the strong attacks -made by unqualified, but well-intentioned ladies. For example, a -society woman attended one of the classes and said, at the end, to -the lecturer, that she had gained a considerable amount of knowledge -by the afternoon, but that as she was going abroad with an ambulance -party, she thought it would be advisable perhaps to come to a second -afternoon. The lecturer retorted that she herself had been learning -the business of nursing for ten years, and still felt she had much -to learn. "Ah, yes," said the society woman, "but you see, I'm -exceptionally quick." The Sister told me other anecdotes of the period, -and then considered the problem set before her. - -"Let them become gardeners," she decided. "Gardeners at a convalescent -home I'm acquainted with." - -A reply paid telegram was sent, and, before I left the hospital, the -answer had been received. Taking it to Gloucester Place, I used the -best argumentative qualities at my disposal. Here was a noble chance -of taking--in all likelihood--the places of two men who would thus be -released for the purposes of the war. Good, healthy out-door work, -and later, when soldiers came to the home, there would be a splendid -opportunity of instructing them in arts connected with the land. "An -opening of a lifetime," I urged. They confessed they had been brought -up on a farm, and knew something of agricultural tasks, but it was -dear the attraction of becoming second Florence Nightingales was too -great to be relinquished hastily. I mentioned that, if they insisted on -becoming nurses they would probably find themselves at a hospital in -London; the chances of being sent abroad were small, and I furnished -details of the hard labour probationers were called on to perform. - -"If we did accept this offer," asked one, "do you think we should be -allowed to wear some kind of uniform?" - -"Sure you would," promptly. "And when the War Office takes over the -home, why, of course, you will be under Government control." - -This settled the matter. I found an A.B.C. and selected a train; sent -a wire announcing the time of their arrival; fetched a cab from the -station yard, helped the driver with their trunks. They shook hands -with me gratefully, and alluded to me as a treasure, and a perfect dear. - -That evening, my people arrived at Gloucester Place, and even Miss -Muriel could discover no fault in the new surroundings. Mr. Hillier -took Master Edward down to the riverside whilst we were arranging the -different rooms; they came back enthusiastic regarding the shipping, -the London steamboats, the College, the view from the Observatory. For -the first time since the Saturday before the Bank Holiday we made no -reference in conversation to the war, and I abstained from mentioning -that a placard of an evening journal bore the words, "France fighting -for its Life now." Nor did I repeat a scrap of talk I heard near the -station between two Deptford women. "And ain't it a shame," said one, -"to think that all this trouble has been caused by the Germin Emperor." -The other shook her head. "It ain't the Germin Emperor what's to -blame," she said, correctingly. "It's the Kayser." Boys ran around The -Circus bawling news, and we took no notice of them. Master Edward came -out strongly on historical subjects, and told us of all the Royal folk -who had lived at Greenwich, from King Henry the Eighth, onward; it -seemed to make us feel that we had really gained in social position by -the removal. Mr. Hillier mentioned that history was interesting enough -to look back upon, but trying to live with; Master Edward expressed -sympathy for the boys who came after him and would have to learn all -about the present war. The master and Mrs. Hillier conferred with each -other near a window that looked across at The Circus. I heard her say, -"You must tell her, James. If I try to do so, I shall simply break -down." He beckoned to me, and we went out on the landing. - -"Weston," he said, clearing his voice rather nervously, "I've shut the -offices in Basinghall Street, and it wasn't pleasant to say good-bye -to men who have worked for me and with me during past years. And -now a duty has been imposed upon me that I should very much like to -escape. But someone has to do it, and I suppose--The fact is, we are -very grateful to you for all you have done for us in this trying and -exacting predicament, and we are obliged to you for piloting us safely -to this new--er--harbour." He hesitated, and went on again. "You have, -I take it, made your own plans, Weston?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Very well, then. It only remains to say good-bye, and to give you this -small envelope that contains the wages due. I ask you to believe that -the sum in no way represents our indebtedness--" - -"Look here, sir," I interrupted. "I know all about the finances of the -establishment, and if I take this money I shall be taking nearly the -last penny you have. You just let it stand over. Any time will do for -settling with me." - -"Good of you." - -"And as regards future arrangements, I'm going to live on the top -floor, and I shall be in and about in a friendly sort of way whenever -I'm wanted. The mistress and the young ladies have been used to plenty -of help and attention, and I don't wish all that cut off suddenly at -the main, so to speak. My wages stop from to-day, and when matters get -brighter--and that may not be long ahead--why they can start again." - -"Weston," he declared, "the State ought to be making you, just now, a -generous allowance. You should be put in charge of the ray of sunshine -department. You are a mascot. You're a sheet anchor. So long as you are -with us, we shall feel ourselves safe. God bless you!" - -In the morning, I went down early to answer the milkman's knock. -Content to gain new customers, he told me an important item of -information which had come to him direct from no less an authority than -the pier-master at the end of King William Street. Russian troops, in -enormous numbers, were on the way _via_ Archangel, and would shortly -pass through England on the way to France. The pier-master's idea was -that this would settle the war in less than no time. - -"But don't give it away, miss," begged the milkman, urgently. "Don't -mention it to anyone, because it's a secret, and only a few of us, who -can be depended upon to keep it dark, are supposed to know anything -about it." - - * * * * * - -We were all of us to blame, more or less, for the circulation of -rumours, but the chief responsibility in my own immediate district had -to be placed upon Arthur. Arthur was--it sounds like an extract from -a French lesson book--the brother of our greengrocer's wife; the lady -professed to be suffering from nerves in consequence of the war (she -had no relatives engaged in the struggle, and felt, I think, that it -was necessary for her to take up a distinguished attitude in order -to avoid the pain of being reckoned of no account) and Arthur had -previously been spoken of by her as a West End club-man, one who mixed -with the aristocrats, not so much on equal terms as on terms of high -superiority. - -"Great shock to him when I went and married a tradesman," she confided -to me. "I recollect so well the words he said to me at the time. -'Julia,' he said, 'promise that you'll never on any account do a hand's -stroke of work in the shop.' And," triumphantly, "I've kept my word, -even on Saturday nights." Her husband, instead of being annoyed, and -rating her for indolence, took great pride in the aloof attitude thus -taken up; he was in the habit of referring to her, in conversation, as -his little Queen of Sheba. - -It appeared--when a doctor had been sent for and admitted, after he -had cross-examined and investigated, that he could not give a name -to her ailment (the greengrocer's wife was enormously conceited over -this, counting it as a victory for herself), and when the oft-mentioned -brother called and asked me to keep an eye on her--that the description -of West End club-man was exact, but not complete. He was, in point of -fact, a hall porter at a club, where he described himself as second in -command, and his hours were from eight o'clock in the evening until -three in the morning or earlier if there happened to be no member -remaining in the establishment. - -"And you'll easily understand," he said, with an effort at modesty, -"that in my position, I get to hear about a large quantity of matters -that under the present arrangement of keeping nearly everything out -of the newspapers, won't be mentioned in print, for months to come, -perhaps not at all. So in return for the kindness you are going to show -to my sister Julia, I shall make it my business to bring down to you, -miss, any little tit-bits of information that come my way, because, -with a nephew in the army you must feel specially interested. Do you -follow what I'm driving at?" - -I take some credit to myself for making a selection from the -particulars brought, later, by Arthur. When he prefaced an announcement -by--"Looked in at the club, I did, on me way, and the last thing in on -the tape machine was to the effect that----" then I felt justified in -assuming that the news had association with truth. But when he said, -"Overheard one of our gentlemen, I did, talking to another in the -lounge last night, after dinner, and he said, as distinctly as ever he -could speak that--" then I knew that here was something which required -a good deal of salt before it could be accepted, something it would -be wise not to pass on to other folk. Apparently there was, in the -West End, all the keen desire to be early in the field with news, that -existed in minor districts of town, with an added gift for invention. -At times Arthur brought a double load, and one was called upon to take -a share in a perfect orgie of rumours. Of notable public men (alive -to-day) who had been rushed off to the Tower, and shot, without trial -or any unnecessary fuss-- - -"They tie him to a chair in the Range," said Arthur, exultantly, "six -Guardsmen come along from Wellington Barracks, their rifles are loaded, -the party in the chair is blindfolded, the sergeant gives the word of -command, and then--shoot, bang, fire!--and there's no more headaches -for him! Do you follow what I'm driving at?" - -Of members of the Government in the pay of Germany, and making money -hand over foot; Arthur said darkly that their names were known to him, -and they had best be careful. Of the utter and complete uselessness of -these Zeppelins that Germany was bragging about; Arthur explained to me -a means of bringing down an enemy air-ship, so simple that it appeared -to be within the capacity of any boy of ten. Of a remark made by the -wife of a Cabinet Minister to her lady's maid, and transferred by many -and devious routes, and losing nothing, it was certain, on the way. -Of optimists who knew for a matter of absolute fact that Germany's -finances would not allow her to continue the struggle for longer -than six weeks from now, and of pessimists who said (as the old lady -remarked when she heard that Spa Road Station was to be closed), "This -war is really getting beyond a joke!" - -Until the greengrocer's wife--finding that people were ceasing to -inquire after her health and discovering too that, on one occasion her -brother called on me without visiting her--until she announced that -by exercise of strength of will she had cured herself, where doctors -proved of no avail, we were well supplied with rumours, and could have -sold them, at a profit, at two for three half-pence. For the rest, came -throughout the day, and every day more reliable news on the posters, -and often these announcements were staggering blows that made one feel -as sick and as helpless as a defeated team in football; sometimes the -punishment was followed by a cheering and encouraging smile from the -fates, and for the moment, disasters were forgotten. Take it as well as -one might, it was a trying period and one cannot pretend any desire to -live through it again. - -Arthur, on his last call, said that he had found my company very -soothing, and assured me that but for the existence of a wife and six -children, living at Fulham, nothing would have prevented him from -making me a definite and honorable proposal. - -"Wish I'd met you earlier," said the hall porter, speaking tremulously, -"but there it is, and it's little use grumbling about what can't be -remedied. Do you follow what I'm driving at? All the same, I wish -you every prosperity, miss, and when the right man comes along--he's -a trifle late, if you don't mind me saying so, but he may have been -detained--why, I'll trust you'll recognise him, and that you'll both -live happy ever afterwards!" - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -It was all very well to accept the compliments that Mr. Hillier had -paid me, but as a matter of fact, whether a ray of sunshine, or a -mascot, or a sheet anchor, I felt as much disturbed by all that -was going on out in Belgium and France as anybody; if I woke up at -night, I was so anxious and depressed about it that I could not get -to sleep again. Looking back, it is possible to see how greatly one -was helped by the milkman's Russians. He never wavered from his first -announcement, and I am sure that at the present time he is confident -he was right, and official statements were wrong. Indeed, one was -receptive for any encouraging news at a time when a journal, on a -beautifully bright and summer-like Sunday, gave the question on its -poster, "Can the British Army be Saved?" and the thick black line on -the daily war maps bent lower and lower in the direction of Paris. And -at the fishmonger's, plaice was a shilling a pound. I tried to bargain -with the man, and he said bitterly that I could take it or leave it, -or, if I knew how, do both. Belgians were coming over, he added, in -their thousands, bringing no money, and we should have to keep them. In -a short time, he prophesied, the French people would arrive. - -"We shall be eaten out of 'ouse and 'ome," said the fishmonger, -dismally, "and I 'alf wish the Germans were here now, and that it was -all over and done with!" - -Master John and my Herbert wrote that they had been transferred -to Caterham for drill. Their letters were common property, and if -I received one I read it aloud, and if the family had one, I was -called in to listen. Miss Katherine began to take lessons from me in -cooking; Miss Muriel joined a sewing society and, clumsy enough at -first, and quite incompetent when put in charge of the cutting out, -did keep on at it, and showed herself ready to learn, willing to be -reproved for blunders. Master Edward I took off to the Council school, -and that disposed of him for five and a-half hours from Mondays to -Fridays; at first, he came home extremely contemptuous of what he -called the blighters, but in a few weeks he was bragging of Wilkinson, -and Perrett, and Moore, and other great lads of the educational -establishment. It was the subject of income that worried me. Money was -going out, day by day, and a ten shilling note seemed to vanish in no -time; not a penny was coming in. So soon as the amount representing the -sum due to me was exhausted, there would be left nothing but farthings -in the pillar box on the kitchen mantelpiece. Mr. Hillier looked -through the advertisements carefully, and occasionally wrote letters; -he became a special constable partly for the sake of filling up time. -Mrs. Hillier alone declined to make any change other than those which -circumstances forced upon her; now and again I was tempted to take her -by the elbows, and give her a good shake. - -"I find Greenwich very soothing," she would say, complacently. "Ideal, -really!" The first cold day, and the falling of brown leaves out in the -park, made some impression on her, and she shivered slightly in making -any comments upon the fighting. - -Master John, home on Sunday, gave us a description of his drill at -Caterham. He had experienced a fall at the gymnasium, and made light of -it, but his mother was concerned, and offered the view that Mr. Asquith -ought to be told. Master John said that turning out time in the morning -was half-past five; on the previous day he was on duty until a quarter -to ten at night. Nearly eight thousand men down there, all Guards, -and the Senior Medical Officer examined everyone, although the men -had been passed in London for general army service; Master John said -that about ten per cent. were rejected, and was content to announce -that he himself had gone through safely. Food rather poor at times; -occasionally it had to be taken without the assistance of plates. - -"Your father must write to the papers about that," decided Mrs. -Hillier, warmly. "Gross carelessness on the part of somebody." - -Master John said that everyone was eager to get out to the front. Now -that the Germans had been turned back from the Marne, and were on the -run northwards, the fear at Caterham was that it might not be possible -to arrive at the fighting district in time to take a share in the lark. -Mrs. Hillier said this would be scandalous. - -It was soon after this that the milkman told Mrs. Hillier of the -imminent reduction in lighting; she declared that other people could, -of course, do as they pleased but she, for one, intended to take no -notice of the order. I argued with her, the young ladies argued with -her, but she was obstinate until Mr. Hillier took the matter in hand. -He gave a hint to the most serious of his colleagues who paid a call -one evening at Gloucester Place, and talked to Mrs. Hillier in a way -that she had probably never been spoken to before. After pointing out -the risks and the penalties, he remarked that neighbours would have no -alternative but to assume that she was in sympathy with the Germans. -Upon that Mrs. Hillier gave directions, and blinds were drawn, lights -carefully shaded. As I let the special constable out at the front door, -he said to me: - -"A difficult lady to deal with, your friend upstairs." - -And I had to agree with him. I sometimes wondered whether any -occurrence would effect an alteration in her. - -She proved to be greatly annoyed by Miss Katherine's announcement. -Miss Katherine had told me of her intentions, but under the bond -of secrecy, and when she disclosed the fact that she had obtained -a position as clerk in a bank, you might have thought, from Mrs. -Hillier's deportment, that a lasting and intolerable disgrace had -come upon the family. Nothing ever upset Miss Katherine, and even in -our palmy days, she had always been the one to keep a serene temper; -she listened now to her mother's severe criticism, and explained that -the matter had been kept quiet for the reason that it was possible a -failure might have occurred over the examination. - -"The news is bound to reach Chislehurst," bewailed Mrs. Hillier. "And -when we eventually go back there, I can't see, for the life of me, how -it is to be explained." - -"We must put it down, mother, to temporary insanity on my part." - -"That wouldn't answer," she declared seriously, "because everyone is -aware that there have been no signs of it on either your father's side -or mine." - -"Hadn't thought of that," admitted Miss Katherine. - -"Weston," said Mrs. Hillier, appealing to me, "is it, or is it not a -fact that in many cases a girl behaving in this way would, by some -parents, simply be cut off with a shilling?" - -"If you wanted to do so, ma'am," I said, "you'd have to borrow it." - -"Not very tactful of you, surely, to throw my misfortunes in my face." - -"Has to be done, now and again, in order that you should be reminded of -them." - -"Because I preserve calm," protested Mrs. Hillier, "whilst all around -me are losing their heads and behaving in a hysterical manner, it -does not mean, Weston, that I am indifferent to the events which are -happening. Katherine must write a letter to the authorities at once, -and say circumstances prevent--" - -"You can't do that with a bank, ma'am. A bank has powers that a lot of -other firms don't possess. People never dream of arguing with a bank." - -"I didn't know, Weston," she said, weakly. - -"High time you did," I declared. - -I was glad to have the prospect of some money coming in to the -household, and when Miss Katherine arrived home, after a day at office, -I took care there was a meal ready, saw that she went off each morning -in good time to catch her train to the City. I think the work must -have been trying, exacting probably for any young lady brought up, so -to speak, in cotton-wool, and I encouraged her to talk about it to me -and to her sister; Mrs. Hillier declined to listen to any reference to -the occupation. Miss Katherine, it appeared, reached the bank at ten -minutes to nine, and engaged sometimes on the work of entering up pass -books; occasionally she was given the task of writing up the waste book -where the cheques paid in, on account of other banks, and sent out, -were recorded. For the first time in her life, the girl discovered -the necessity of being exactly precise, completely correct. Mistakes -were not permitted. Miss Katherine described to me the machine called -a totalisator that reckoned any figure you gave it up to ninety-nine -thousand pounds. - -I began to feel anxious again in regard to Mr. Hillier. He managed to -catch a cold whilst walking on his beat during the early hours of a -night, and thought of the expenses of a doctor worried me. I nursed the -cold, and made remedies, and whilst attending upon him there occurred -the opportunity of talking over his own prospects. He said, at the -start of the conversation, that these could scarcely be discussed at -any great length for the very sound reason that they did not exist; I -assured him it was his indisposition which forced him to take this view. - -"But I am simply not wanted," he argued. "That's the long and short -of the matter, and when you have said that, there's nothing more to -be said." Mr. Hillier gave a movement of the shoulders that indicated -hopelessness. "The fact is, Weston, I was suited for one job in this -life; fairly well suited for it. If it had not been for the war, I -should have pulled round, and contrived to go on making an income. But -there seems nothing else that I am capable of doing." - -"Surely you could be a clerk, sir, in some office, and earn thirty -shillings or a couple of sovereigns a week. You've got to pocket your -pride, you know, at a time like this." - -"All the pride I have," he said, "could go into my waistcoat pocket. -The one that used to hold my watch. But it's impossible for me to go -and beg a situation from the men I used to know, and the men I don't -know just give a glance at me and shake their heads." - -"But look here," I argued. "You're talking as though your's was a -singular case. There must have been many others who came a cropper last -August in the same way that you did. What are they doing now? They're -not all moping about, surely, and wearing a hump on their back!" - -"I have met only one or two. And they pretended they hadn't a care in -the world, and I did the same." - -"Oh, you men!" - -"Face the difficulties of your position, Weston," he counselled, "and -recognise them, and don't commit the blunder of attempting to perform -impossibilities. The women of this family you may be able to manage, -and in doing that you are achieving more than I have ever been able to -do. But the men must go their own way." - -"Trouble about some of you is that you don't know your own way, and you -are too independent to ask. Why, bless my soul, there's work just now -for everybody. Somewhere or other there's a job waiting for you." - -"Wish it would give me a call," he said, earnestly. - -I visited Millwood's shop in London Street, to settle for the articles -of furniture he had bought for me; I had looked in for this purpose -two or three times before, and discovered no one but a boy who appeared -to have few other qualifications but that of impudence. On this -occasion I noticed a small bill, lolling so carelessly in the window -that it was with some pains I made out the announcement, "This Business -to be Sold. Enquire Within." London Street was a thoroughfare where, -since I had known it, there had always seemed to be establishments -closed or on the point of closing; shutters were up at places, and, at -others, announcements of selling off. The cheeky boy said the governor -was not in, and would not be at home to receive company until six -o'clock; he added that the governor was a widower and preferred to -have nothing to do with ladies. "Me," explained the lad, "I'm just the -reverse. Never 'appier than when I'm in their company. Always able to -get a smile out of 'em." I made it clear to the youngster that he was -dealing with an exception to this pleasing rule: he affected terror, -and begged me not to be cross, or to do tricks with my features. He -spoke of one or two remarkably good films at the local picture palace -where the characters exercised this art with greater success, and -illustrated his assertion by depicting for my benefit, hate, acute -anxiety, murderous intentions, foiled villainy, triumphant love. I sat -in the least dusty of the arm chairs, and my interest gained the boy's -confidences: he told me that the occupation on which he was engaged -did not satisfy his wishes, and that he had some thought of making -his way to the interior of Germany, and there playing the part of an -ingenious and successful spy, worm out all the enemy's most important -secrets, and bring them back to be laid before our War Office. "One -shake of the hand from Kitchener," he declared, with emotion, "and I -sh'd feel I'd been amply repaid for my trouble." He was describing -further magnificent projects when my brother-in-law came in. He gave a -curt nod to the boy, and the young gentleman, after smoothing his hair -with both hands in front of a cracked looking glass, put on a roller -skate, and, uttering a piercing scream that conveyed satisfaction at -the relief from business duties, vanished. - -"That's all right, Mary Weston," said Millwood, in taking the money. -"Glad you was satisfied with what I picked up for you. You're not a -easy one to please." - -"I find you looking a deal brighter than when I saw you last." - -"That remark, coming from the quarter it does, is scarcely intended to -be in the nature of a fulsome compliment. I know you mean it. And if -you want to know the reason, it is that I am working 'ard." - -"About the last thing, Millwood, I should have expected you to do." - -"A justifiable comment," he agreed. "I admit I was getting slack. -Loafing about in a business like this, and only moving when somebody -stopped outside to have a look at the furniture, was enough to make -anyone become blassy, as our friends across the water would put it. -I showed a card, I did--'Don't hope for the Best: come inside and -get It'--but it didn't stimulate matters. Now I'm at the Arsenal. A -mechanic at the Arsenal: that's what I am. Getting good money, and -earning it. I come back here of an evening, jolly well fagged out, and -uncommon pleased with myself. And now there's the chance of you making -one of your sarcastic snacks that you're reckoned pretty good at." - -"Millwood," frankly, "you have every reason to feel pleased with -yourself." - -"Thank you, Mary Weston. Wanted to get the idea, you see, that I was -doing something useful." - -"There are one or two matters I'd like to talk to you about, but, first -of all, there's this shop. It's no use to you." - -"It's a incubus," confessed Millwood. - -"You are trying to get rid of it." - -"Anyone can have it as a free gift, if they'll only let me go on living -over'ead." - -"I'll take it off your hands." - -Directly I had said this, and Millwood had recovered from his surprise, -he began to hedge; I expected this. He explained that the phrase -"a free gift" was used in a metaphorical sense, and that if he had -realised he was talking to a likely purchaser, he would, of course, -have selected his words more carefully. Millwood was a haggler from -long practise, and I was something of a bargainer by habit, and we -spent a very pleasant hour in coming to terms, with, on the one side, -an amount quoted at first above and beyond all expectations, and, on -the other, a sum low enough to provide a margin for increase. In the -end, we agreed, and Millwood said that, so help his goodness, I was a -hard nut to crack if ever there was one, and I said of him that he was -as artful as a waggon load of monkeys. - -"I'd nearly forgotten something else I wanted to speak of," I said. -"This Arsenal work. Do they want more hands there?" - -"They're nearly full up, but there's still a chance. If it's any -working man of your acquaintance, get him to hurry along." - -"And I suppose if he has some skill in engineering, it makes a bit of -difference." - -"Makes all the difference," said Millwood. "The difference between -being a mechanic like myself, and something a good deal better paid. I -know a fitter there who's earning close upon four quid a week. The work -is indispensable to the Government, and the Government doesn't mind -paying for it. But it's no child's play, mind you!" - -Millwood, in regard to the shop, suggested a letter should be written -agreeing that he could retake possession when the war was over, or -earlier. - -From that moment I was as fully occupied as one desired to be; perhaps -a trifle more. There came first the business of getting Mr. Hillier -free of his cold, and here I missed the assistance, by day, of Miss -Katherine; meanwhile I threw out hints concerning the Arsenal, and -he showed interest in the description of some of the tasks performed -there. He confessed that in leaving Chislehurst the greatest wrench -had been the loss of the workshop. "The one place," said Mr. Hillier, -"where I could forget everything else. It was drink, and golf, and -smoke to me. If Mrs. Hillier nagged, or the girls bothered, or matters -went wrong in the City, I had only to go down beyond the garage, and -put on a yellow over-all, and, for the time being, I was someone else. -Those experiences can never come again, Weston." - -I provided some additional information regarding the Arsenal, spoke of -the convenient train journey. You left Greenwich, and passed Maze Hill, -Westcombe Park, Charlton, Woolwich Dockyard, and there you were at the -Arsenal station. Fifteen minutes in the train. - -I knew Mr. Hillier well enough, and I understood his temperament -sufficiently to be aware that the idea would seem much more attractive -if he had the impression that it was his own, and that it had not been -forced upon him by anyone else. Later, he put some questions about -Trades Unions, and I promised to make inquiries. - -"There is no hurry," he remarked. "I asked only out of curiosity." - - * * * * * - -Master Edward arriving home from school, made an announcement that -astonished me, and furnished a new task. I ought to have remembered -that a boy leaves the County Council schools when he reaches the age -of fourteen, but I had so much to think of that the fact escaped my -notice; Mrs. Hillier, on hearing this excuse, said it seemed to her my -intelligence was decaying. Miss Muriel had been invited to pay a visit -to friends at Chislehurst, and I was relieved from the task of looking -after her: Mr. Hillier was making a good recovery, and I hoped my -scheme in regard to him might be successful; the shop in London Street -was in the hands of a firm of decorators who had promised to be out of -it within seven days, from the start, and had already been pottering -about there for three weeks. And here came Master Edward thrown back -from school upon my hands; it appeared to be understood at Gloucester -Place that it was for me to arrange the launching of him into business -life. - -"What would you like to be?" I asked, sharply. - -"Really don't know, Weston," he answered. - -"But haven't you any bent, or inclination, or----" - -"I fancy the pater's notion was that I should go in for the law." - -"You'll have to do something useful," I declared. "Something that will -bring in a few shillings a week, without delay." - -"Most chaps have a holiday when they leave school." - -"Not in these war times. Just now, the country wants everybody to work. -Don't let me hear any nonsense talk of that nature." - -"Wish I were old enough to do as John did, and join the army." - -"My dear lamb," giving up my manner of severity, "you ought to be -thankful that you're young enough to be out of all this terrible -business. Haven't you seen the poor wounded soldiers limping about in -the Park, and on Blackheath?" - -"They look happy," said the boy. - -I sent a postcard to William Richards, and he hurried down from Charing -Cross so soon as he was off duty. We met at the station, and I first -took him along to the shop, where the elderly workmen were startled by -the fact that I had brought a companion; William Richards supported my -arguments with some determined words that they seemed to understand -better than the milder language which I used. He said they were a -dashed lot of adjective mikers. He declared his intention of calling -on their adjective governor, and dashed well taking the adjective job -away, and giving it to some other adjective firm. He assured them they -had every reason to be dashed well ashamed of themselves. William -Richards wore a bowler hat to indicate that he was free of railway -service, but underneath an overcoat was his brass buttoned uniform, and -I think the decorator's men were impressed by the sight of this. The -foreman urged they were doing all that mortals could be expected to do; -contended that a job, to be carried out well, should be carried out -with nothing like undue haste. William Richards waved these arguments -aside, and used some more of his resolute denunciations. - -"Look here, sir," said the old foreman. "We don't wish for no -unpleasantness. All we want is to live and let live. In regard to this -job, we'll get a move on, and I promise you we shall be clear and away -by Friday evening." - -"Friday noon," directed William Richards, "and not a minute later." - -"Friday noon it shall be," agreed the other, "and it's been a pleasure -to meet a gentleman who can express himself so clear as what you have -done. Mind that pail as you go out, and see that your lady friend don't -take off any of the wet paint on her skirts!" - -We walked around the old-fashioned market off Nelson Street, where the -names--Underwood, Austin, Gladwin, Goulding, and others reminded one of -country days--and considered the case of Master Edward. William said -that so many railway men had left to enlist, and so many more wished -to go, that it was an easy matter for a lad to obtain employment. All -the same, William shook his head in a doubtful way, and happening to -discover as he talked the phrase of _infra dig_, used it liberally. He -remembered the family as it existed at Chislehurst, and declared it -would be _infra dig_ for any member of it, however youthful, to join -the railway service. He could scarcely imagine that a gentleman who had -once been a first class season ticket holder would become so _infra -dig_ as to allow his son to go in for railway work. The railways were -not intended for _infra dig_ people. In his opinion _infra digs_ ought -to offer themselves to loftier occupations. - -"Go back at once to headquarters at London Bridge," I ordered. "Get -a form of application, and send it to me by this evening's post. And -thank you very much, William Richards, for being kind enough to help." - -"I'd do more than this for you, Mary Weston," he said. "And well you -know it." - -Master Edward was sensible over the business, and rather pleased to -be engaged on something like a conspiracy. We said no word about it -to any of the others, and on a day when Mr. Hillier had gone out with -the remark that he did not expect to return until late, I obtained -permission to take the boy to London on the pretence of seeing the -recruiting on Horse Guards Parade, and listening to any bands that -might be playing. The application form had been endorsed by the head -master at the schools, and by Millwood. At the head offices, Master -Edward was told that he could start work on probation the following -morning in a booking office at a suburban station: wages ten shillings -a week. - -"Bright looking lad, that son of yours," remarked a senior clerk, as I -was waiting. - -"He's not my son." - -"A nephew, perhaps." - -"Not a nephew." - -"I see," he remarked. "You're just a friend of the family." - -It occurred to me there were some grounds for hoping that this was not -altogether an inaccurate description. - -The announcement was made to Mrs. Hillier that evening and, -fortunately, Miss Katherine arrived home from the bank in good time, -and ready and willing to support the action taken. Mrs. Hillier -complained that she was being treated as though she were a mere -nonentity in the household, declared that it was high time Weston -learnt her right place, and was made to keep in it, and to refrain from -assuming responsibilities that, correctly speaking, belonged to others: -Master Edward had described his own satisfaction with the arrangement, -and Miss Katherine was inviting her mother to recognise the facts of -the case, when Mr. Hillier came up the staircase, taking two steps at a -time, and whistling as he entered the room. - -"I've obtained a berth at the Arsenal," he announced, cheerfully, "and -I feel as happy as a sand boy. Give me your congratulations, my dear." - -"No," said his wife, distantly. "No, I cannot do that. That, James, is -impossible. But I willingly extend to you my most earnest sympathy." - -The last post brought a letter from Chislehurst which induced her to -regard events with a slightly diminished amount of gloom. It gave the -news that Miss Muriel was engaged. "I hope the man has money," said -Mrs. Hillier. "I think we can trust Muriel for that. And, at any rate, -it saves her from the peril of going on the stage!" - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -I paid little attention to the news from Chislehurst, although one was, -of course, interested in Miss Muriel as in the others; the opening of -the shop at London Street occupied in truth a good deal of my time -and care. Mrs. Hillier, answering my invitation to look over the -establishment, said that in view of my incurable habit of embarking -upon adventure without consulting her, it was impossible for her to -give any sort of countenance to the business, or make purchases there. -I retorted that I had no desire to ask for her patronage, and I might -have added--but did not--that in the circumstances, it was not much -she could afford to buy. But the good lady appeared to find one of her -rare joys in pretending that her money resources were as large as they -had been before the war, and it seemed a pity to be always destroying -the notion. Miss Katherine was the one who sometimes took me apart, and -said: - -"Weston, dear. How much do we owe you now?" It was to Miss Katherine -alone that I showed the penny memorandum book in which I entered the -accounts. The girl had given up her manner of talking slang; she said -it was not approved by the best City authorities. - -I gave Saturday to the new shop, and a part of Sunday (better the day, -the better the deed) and on Monday morning, was there again so soon -as I had prepared breakfast at Gloucester Place for the three working -members of the family. Mr. Hillier left the house at six o'clock, -Master Edward, being at present on middle duty, caught the train at -half-past eight; Miss Katherine did not have to go until rather later. - -The cheeky boy, at London Street, had been paid off by Millwood, and -his mother called to beg me to take him on again. She was one of the -helpless parents that London sometimes cultivates. - -"I'm sure I don't know what'll become of him," she declared, rubbing -eyes with the hem of her apron, "if you refuse to take my Peter in -hand. He only wants looking after; nothing else. And hearing you talked -about, Miss, as a rare good manager, why, it struck me that I couldn't -do better than get you to look after him. You've got a chance of -doing a good action, and I'm sure you'll regret it if you don't take -advantage of the opportunity. It'll be on your conscience." - -"If he comes back here, he will have to work. And work hard." - -"Break that news to my Peter," she urged, "as plainly and as forcibly -as ever you can. Give him a good nagging. He takes no notice of -anything I say. I'd very much like," she added, tearfully, "that he -should grow up a credit to me. It's hard on mothers when their sons -turn out badly." - -I took Peter back, but did not deliver to him anything like an address, -or a lecture, or a heart to heart talk. Instead I provided him with -a duster, and a bottle of polish, and other articles constituting an -outfit, and gave him brief instructions. Ten minutes later, I found him -behind a leather screen, and resting on a settee; he was concentrating -his attention upon literature that dealt with the Adventures of Gideon -Smart, Detective. I placed the journal in the fire, and Peter supported -the argument of heredity by weeping; I allowed him to cry, and, when -he had finished, pointed to the tasks which awaited his consideration. -Used to the companionship of words and plenty of them, my silence -impressed him, and so soon as he had finished one job, I provided him -with another. Peter submitted later some brass candlesticks for my -approval, and was honoured with a guarded sentence for which he seemed -acutely grateful. - -"Excuse me, miss," he said, respectfully, "but you're not much of a -conversationalist, are you?" - -"I'm a worker." - -"Couldn't it be managed, do you think, to run the two, so to speak, at -one and the same time?" - -"Work comes first," I said. Peter gave the sigh of a man who regrets -the eccentric rules concerning business deportment. - -Neighbours looked in from shops hard by, and told me that their own -trades were doing badly, and would, in their opinion, do worse ere they -did better. Having said this with much cheerfulness, they endeavoured -to assume a compassionate air in giving the view that of all the trades -none could expect to fare so ill, in these exceptional times, as that -which dealt with furniture; they spoke of the condition of affairs -in Shoreditch and Bethnal Green. Their knowledge was never first -hand, but had come from a cousin of a friend who knew a person whose -brother-in-law was something of an authority on the subject. Certain -of the older ones spoke of the days that were prosperous at Greenwich, -when visitors came to the Ship and the Trafalgar, and climbed the -ascent in the Park, and strolled about the town, and bought mementoes -and souvenirs. - -"Fifty year ago," said a watchmaker to me, confidentially, "you might -have made a do of it. Now, it's like throwing your money down a sink. -Besides, you women-folk always get swindled right and left when you -barge in to affairs of this kind. By the bye, I've got a couple of -grandfather's clocks you might care to have a glance at when you're -passing my way. They're almost genuine!" - -A proportion of Millwood's stock was useful only as fire-wood, and the -covered yard at the back received these articles, making a pile to -be drawn upon during the winter months. The mere eviction of these -improved the look of the shop; the greatest change was perhaps effected -by the linoleum covering of the floor which gave a fair imitation of -parquet, and received the care of Peter when there was nothing else -for the lad to do. Folk, hurrying past on their way to the station, -observed the altered appearance and stopped to give a few moments -of inspection, and I hoped some of them would come in, and at least -inquire the prices, or make an offer where the amount was exhibited. -Not until three o'clock on the second day did the first customer enter. -He was young, and I wondered why he was not in khaki. He seemed pressed -for time. - -"You a judge of furniture?" - -"I am," I said. - -"Able to tell whether it's good or not?" - -"Rather!" - -"Care to take on a sort of a contract?" he demanded. - -"If I can make anything out of it." - -"How long have you been engaged in this work?" - -"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I answered. - -He appeared satisfied with my replies, and, taking off his silk hat, -explained his wants. He was a doctor and had to join the R.A.M.C. the -following week. Before that date, he proposed to get married. The lady -had remarked, in agreeing to the hasty procedure, that the drawing room -and the dining room were to be set out with articles that possessed the -quality of age; she drew the line at the accession of Queen Victoria. - -"Now," he said, rapidly, "I've no time to go about searching here, -there and everywhere, and, apart from that, I haven't the necessary -knowledge. I may have hinted to her that I possess it, but as a matter -of fact I don't know Chippendale from Wensleydale, or whatever they -call the stuff." - -"What is the limit, sir?" - -"Two hundred and fifty," he said. - -"Give me some references." - -"Rather give you a cheque." - -I set ink and pen before him, and he, demanding my name, filled in the -slip. - -"There you are," he said, preparing to run off. "I've made it three -fifty. Now, I'm depending on you. Don't fail me, whatever you do." - -It occurred to my mind that although he was trusting me, there appeared -no reason why I should trust him. The cheque was drawn on a local -branch, and leaving Peter in charge, and giving him enough to do to -keep him out of mischief, I went along and saw the manager. He said the -cheque, if paid in at once, would be met, and he suggested I should -open an account of my own. I did this. - -The milkman--an uncertain person so far as concerned rumours of large -events--proved useful and reliable here. He knew, as not many knew, -the financial position of establishments in the neighbourhood; his -information, most likely, was gained from news collected in areas, and -corroborated by promptitude or delay in settlement of his account. -Also, he was able to tell me of houses where the furniture was old -and valuable. By a stroke of luck, it happened that the very first -door in Crooms' Hill I knocked at proved to be a place where my call -was welcomed, and indeed expected. The three ladies there, facing -serious reductions in dividends, had resolved to leave Greenwich, and -go off to a cottage owned by them and already sufficiently furnished -in Buckinghamshire. (When the transaction ended, one of them admitted -to me that fear of air-raids and nearness to the Arsenal had something -to do with the decision.) Terrified by the idea of a public sale, they -had, the night before, made an appeal on their knees that some other -means should be supplied. - -"Providence has sent you," said the eldest, contentedly, "and, knowing -that you have been selected to help us at this moment of trouble, we -are willing you should go over the house, choose what you require, and -name your own figure. Of course, it's a wrench for us to part with the -furniture, but it brings with it the consolation that we are taking -our share in the war. And it is such a relief to find that we are not -called upon to deal with some man, with a smell of tobacco about him." - -Their simplicity disarmed me, and their genuine piety forced me to -deal with them in a more straightforward manner than I might otherwise -have adopted. One or two of the articles were particularly good and -valuable: there was, for instance, a Chesterfield sofa that would -have fetched forty pounds in the open market, and I told them so, and -advised them to take it, with some of the rest, away to Farnham Common. -In the servants' bedroom I found three Queen Anne mirrors. I made up an -inventory that included four-posters, cupboards, dining tables, suites -of chairs, an Adam cabinet, two escritoires, some remarkably fine -glass, and a few mezzotints. - -On these last I was not qualified to put an exact value. - -"I'll give you three hundred pounds for the lot," I said, handing over -the list. - -"No," remarked the eldest firmly. "Dear me no!" I prepared for the -duel of bargaining. "Two hundred and fifty will be ample. We cannot -think of taking advantage of one who has come here in answer to our -prayers." The sisters nodded an emphatic endorsement, and I realised it -was useless to argue with them. They asked, as a great favour, that the -van which took the furniture away should attend at an early hour in the -morning, before Crooms Hill was awake. "We don't wish," they pleaded, -"to be the subject of gossip." They gave me a new prayer book, and I -came away with the feeling that one had peeped into a world too good -for a business person. - -The young doctor was well satisfied with the transaction. He told me -his fiancee said she had always known that his taste and selection -could be depended upon, and he thanked me warmly for my assistance. To -the milkman I presented five one pound notes signed by John Bradbury, -Secretary to the Treasury, and when he realised that the notes were -genuine and that he was not being made the target for a practical -joke, he declared I was a lady well worth knowing, assured me that -any information he possessed concerning the inside of residences at -Greenwich would always be at my disposal. - - * * * * * - -The telegram informing us that Master John and my Herbert were leaving -for the front arrived one morning when the working members of the -family in Gloucester Place had gone off to their respective duties. A -few hints had come before, but this information was definite. - -"We shall have to hurry, ma'am." Mrs. Hillier was taking breakfast in -bed. "There's no time to lose. Bustle about!" - -"You are asking me to do something, Weston, altogether foreign to my -nature." - -"I very often wonder, ma'am, what can happen that will rouse you up -thoroughly. There seemed a possibility that it was going to happen at -Chislehurst but it passed off." - -"With so much turmoil and excitement," she said, serenely, "going on -around me, I feel it my duty to give an example of--" - -"We must be out of this house in half an hour's time." - -"But why on earth--" - -"I'll tell you," I interrupted. "We're going to see the dear boys off -for the reason that we may never catch sight of them again!" - -"You always look on the dark side, Weston," she complained. - -In the tram-car, on the way up to Westminster Bridge, she made it -clear to other travellers that my position was that of a dependent, -and this would have been continued throughout the journey, only -that at New Cross Gate two jovial factory girls came in, and these, -appreciating the situation, at once began to imitate her voice and her -manner. Mrs. Hillier was silent after this, and when I explained to -the two girls the task on which we were engaged, they stopped their -raillery, and, apologising, told me that their chaps were abroad -fighting; they insisted upon showing me the latest communications which -had reached them. Our half of the car became friendly on this; other -notes and cards were produced, photographs were handed around. A woman -possessed a letter from the King's secretary, congratulating her on the -circumstance that she had a husband and four sons in the army, and this -broke down Mrs. Hillier's attitude of lofty reserve. She counselled the -owner to have the document framed, lest, by frequent passing about, -it should become creased and torn; the woman said this was a rattling -good idea, and promised to act upon it. The factory girls left at the -Elephant, and Mrs. Hillier shook hands with them; when we alighted at -the Boadicea corner the passengers gave us a message of good luck to be -tendered to the two boys. - -"Some of these people, Weston," she said, tolerantly, as we went in the -direction of Birdcage Walk, "are, after all, very human." I thought to -myself that the same could be said of her whenever she cared to show -herself at her best. - -We found an enormous crowd outside the barracks. Inside the park, -hobbled horses were at the sand place marked "This Space is for -Children only"; the lake was empty. We stood on the high walk near the -park railings, and could see the Guards drawn up on the parade ground; -it was impossible to identify Master John or Herbert. - -"Why didn't you think to bring the field glasses, Weston?" complained -Mrs. Hillier. - -"Because they were sold," I answered. "Sold with everything else -that would fetch money. And try to recollect, ma'am, that this isn't -a moment for asking silly questions; you're looking on at something -wonderful. Something that you'll want to keep in your mind's eye for -the rest of your life. Don't let me have to speak about it again." - -The soldiers were allowed to stand easy for five minutes: their -comrades ran forward to have a last talk. Orders were shouted. The men -marched out four abreast through the open gates. The crowd cheered, and -began to move eastwards; we followed and went at a good pace, but not -good enough to keep up with the foremost ranks. There was no music, -but the soldiers sang, and called out facetiously in unison, "Is the -canteen shut?" and gave a shouted answer of "No!" Each carried his full -equipment, and a tin of thick sandwiches. In Great George Street, when -I had begun to think we should have to give up, Mrs. Hillier caught -sight of Master John and they exchanged waves of the hand; encouraged -by this she walked faster, and we crossed the bridge at a rate I had -not experienced since competing in running games at school. - -"Aunt Mary!" cried a voice, as they swung around into York Road. - -"God bless you, Herbert, my lad," I panted. "And bring you both back -safely." - -"Don't forget to ask Him to do so," said my nephew. Some of his -comrades thought this was meant as a joke: I knew quite well the dear -lad was in earnest. - -We went home by tram-car, too full of our thoughts to exchange a word -with each other. That night, in my rooms at the top of the house, I -obeyed my boy's directions. It made me think of the three ladies of -Crooms' Hill, and I could not help wishing I had some of their placid -and simple faith. - - * * * * * - -It seemed possible the departure of the lads would have a lasting -effect upon Mrs. Hillier, and this, I believe, might have happened but -for the arrival of her elder daughter. The others of the family were in -good working order. Mr. Hillier returned at night, comfortably tired, -ready for the meal prepared for him, willing to talk of the incidents -of his new life, the men he encountered and the tasks he was called -on to perform; all the satisfaction he had gained from his hobby at -Chislehurst he was now securing at the Arsenal. Mr. Hillier often -pointed out to me that the fighting had sent us back to a condition of -affairs where the man of brains occupied a position inferior to that of -the man of hands. - -"It will take the conceit out of some people," he remarked. - -"It's taken a certain amount out of you, sir." - -"Agreed, Weston. It has improved all of us. Excepting--" He did not -finish the sentence. - -Miss Katherine came into the flat of an evening, justifying her -father's assertion, eager to chat vivaciously of everything that had to -do with banks, and her own progress in type-writing and shorthand. The -first of these came to her easily enough; the second presented greater -difficulties. Sometimes I read aloud a speech from the parliamentary -reports and Miss Katherine took it down, with appeals of "Please, -please, not so fast, Weston, dear," and then, apologetically, "You -always are a bit of a sprinter in conversation, you know, and I expect -it's not easy to get out of the habit." When it was finished, she took -her meal, and then transcribed the speech from her shorthand notes, and -read it aloud. Often, she had to admit that the result was incoherent, -and not to be understood: I tried to comfort her by pointing out that -the same might be said of the original, but Miss Katherine shook her -head. "I shall never be any earthly good at it, Weston," she declared, -hopelessly. It seemed that the qualification was not needed in the -department where she was at present engaged, but Miss Katherine had -hopes of promotion. - -Master Edward, too, had been changed considerably by his railway -experiences. His hours when on the early turn were from five o'clock, -and when on the late turn from one o'clock; every other Sunday he had -to give sixteen hours to duty, with three hours off for the mid-day -meal. Later, he hoped to be transferred to a London station where the -figure of wages was said to reach as much as L90 a year. The early -turn was the one that troubled him, and indeed it was not easy or -comfortable to turn out in the dark of a January morning. At times, -when I knocked at his door, he would reply in a bright active voice -as though he were fully awake, but I knew boys too well to be deluded -by that trick, and I waited and knocked again until he came to the -door and assured me that he would be ready for his cup of hot coffee -within ten minutes. One of the compensating moments of pride came when -I gave him on his birthday, a case of safety razors that I had picked -up at a sale; he accepted it gratefully as a tribute to his age, and -impending requirements. For the rest, Edward had to tell us of agitated -passengers who came with a rush demanding tickets for the station which -they wished to leave, of attempts on race days to ring the changes or -tender notes of home manufacture, of the dislocation of time tables to -permit of trains being run for Government purposes, of the cancelling -of all excursion fares and cheap tickets, of economical parents whose -long-legged children refused to admit to any age above twelve, of the -head booking clerk who always began the day in the worst possible -temper, and invariably ended it with perfect geniality. I daresay -Master Edward lost some of his refinement of manners, and I confess -I was shocked when I first heard him allude, one morning to "these -blasted shoe laces." - -"Oh," he said, answering my reproof, lightly, "you're old-fashioned, -Weston. You belong to the antiques. By-the-bye, how is London Street -doing? And who, just now, are you doing?" - -I want to speak of Miss Muriel, but whilst I think of it, I must set -down some reference to the collection of glass that I came across -in a large house at Vanbrugh Park, where an old lady, the daughter -of an Archdeacon who knew something besides Church matters, had -recently died, leaving her property to a certain benevolent society, -"because," her will said, "it has never asked me for a donation." -Sales were not being well attended just then, and at each one that I -went to--sometimes nodding frequently to the auctioneer, and sometimes -keeping my head still--there were fewer of the agents, as they liked -to call themselves, to be seen. A mixed crew, these, and inclined, -at first, to resent the presence of a woman dealer; they tried, on -one occasion, to pinch my fingers by running up the price of a fine -horse-hair settee for which I had a purchaser ready, and I stopped just -in time to compel a syndicate to take it; one of the members came to me -later, and made a deferential offer that involved a loss on his side of -two pounds ten. In the matter of the glass referred to there was little -competition; a few private buyers were willing to bid for certain -articles, but the fact that it was all comprised in one lot compelled -them to refrain from making any offer. I have rarely been so pleased -in all my life as when I took back to the shop in London Street that -set of glass, cleaned it well and arranged it on dark wooden ledges. -(In the result, I disposed of every piece, but I never parted from one -without feeling regret for myself, and something like animosity towards -the buyer.) - -Let us come to the topic of Miss Muriel. She had been away at -Chislehurst for some time; she and her mother had corresponded -regularly and her letters, since the announcement of her engagement, -seemed less querulous. Miss Muriel wrote, in one, a description of the -gentleman's house, and this ought to have prepared me for the facts; -as it happened, it was not until Miss Muriel brought him over one -Saturday afternoon to be formally presented to the family, and I heard -him below in Gloucester Place giving directions to the driver of his -car that I gained the first hint of his age. He was speaking in curt, -loud, and ejaculatory manner, and--just as well to admit it--I made up -my mind at once that I was not going to regard him favourably. And this -intention was confirmed when Miss Katherine ran up to my rooms at the -top of the house, and said through the half-opened door-- - -"Weston! Weston! He's a bounder. A bounder from the village of Bound. -One of the worst ever. Come down, and have a peep at him!" - -I had to go back to the London Street shop, and ascertain whether -Millwood was able to take care of the establishment and to look after -Peter for a few hours; my brother-in-law proved quite ready to do -this, and I fancy he took some pleasure in sitting near the window, -and observing the interest shown by passers-by, listening to their -comments, and, if they entered, to say, "You must call again when Miss -Weston is here, unless you're prepared to give what's marked on the tab -that's tied to the articles. I've got no power, mark you, to accept a -farthing less!" In Gloucester Place, could be heard now the middle-aged -gentleman's voice at the balcony, explaining how the trees in the -garden ought to be cut down. Miss Muriel came out to the landing. - -"Ah, Weston," she said. "Haven't seen you for ages. I expect you have -missed me." - -"In a sense, yes." - -"Never a flatterer," she remarked, indulgently. "You might, at least, -though, offer your congratulations." - -"I've not seen the gentleman yet. But if you've quite decided, miss, to -change your name, there's nothing more to be said about it." - -"Your assumption is wrong. I don't propose to change my name." - -"The engagement is off, then." - -"Once more," she said, complacently, "error has crept, Weston, into -your calculations. Mr. Schloss intends to take my name. He will become -Mr. Hillier, and I shall be Mrs. Hillier. And he has an income that -will enable me to live in the comfort I was once used to." - -"Your handwriting, miss, is so bad that I never guessed he was a -German." - -Miss Muriel reprimanded me for the criticism of her pen, and for the -suggestion concerning her gentleman. Mr. Hillier came out of the room. - -"We don't talk to Weston in this manner," he ordered, closing the door -behind him. "Weston is one of us. We owe a great deal to her, Muriel, -in more ways than one. In fact, we are only just beginning to pay off -the indebtedness. Kindly treat her in a proper way." - -"She had no right," protested Miss Muriel, "to suggest that he is -anything but English." - -"I ascertained a while since," said her father, quietly, "that he was -naturalised, rather hurriedly, in August of last year. And he has just -admitted the circumstances to me." - -"Nothing," she declared, in a tragic manner--"not even the -extraordinary behaviour of my own people--shall ever part us from each -other!" - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -Miss Muriel went back in the car to her friends at Chislehurst, with -the air of one who, for the sake of romance, was prepared to defy -the world. She had always been spoilt by her mother (it is fair to -myself to mention that the treatment was started before I entered the -family) and Mrs. Hillier now took her side against the rest of us, -declaring that a girl had to obey the instructions of her own heart, -that love was something which could not be directed by those outside -its influence, and that, moreover, it was a comfort to think there -was likely to be an establishment available which would enable one to -escape from the surroundings of Greenwich. - -"Apart from all that," she argued, triumphantly, "a man can't help the -country he was born in." - -"He ought to help it," said Master Edward. The lad was the most -strenuous of us all on the opposition side. "This chap should have gone -back directly the war started. He has no business here." - -"Pardon me," said his mother, "he has a business here. And a very good -one, I am happy to say." - -"I mean that when two countries are fighting each other----" - -"You don't know what you mean," she asserted. "And, besides, you are -much too young to have an opinion on a subject of this kind. If your -father, sitting over there by the window, and saying nothing, had a -proper control over his children, he wouldn't allow you to talk in this -way." - -"Do you want my view of the matter?" asked Mr. Hillier. - -"Oh, no," she answered quickly. "No. It's all settled, and there's -nothing more to be said." - -"My view is," he announced, "that I'd rather see her cleaning -doorsteps." - -"I daresay!" said Mrs. Hillier, coldly. "That is because the Arsenal -work has coarsened your outlook. Vulgarised your mental attitude. -Twisted your sense of proportion." - -Miss Katherine went to her father: Master Edward crossed the room to -his mother. I left them as Mr. and Mrs. Hillier were beginning to offer -apologies for hasty words. The day was Sunday, and upstairs--having -the time to spare--I wrote the drafts of two notes; one begging Miss -Muriel to come and see me and have a long talk, and the other asking -her to think of the way in which her brother John, out in France, -would receive the news of her engagement. I am supposed to be handy -with my pen, but neither of these communications satisfied me, and I -decided to take a few days to consider the matter. Instead, I wrote -a long communication to Corporal Herbert Millwood, and sent in it -an affectionate message to Master John. I tried to make the letter -cheerful. "If you come across the Kaiser on his birthday, please wish -him, for me, many unhappy returns." - - * * * * * - -William Richards called at London Street one afternoon. Whenever he had -happened to say anything of a specially friendly nature--as he had done -on his previous visit--William always stayed away for a considerable -time, as though desirous of allowing the memory of it to fade, and -he now seemed rather nervous; to conceal this, he told me three war -anecdotes, which, so far as I could see, had no point whatever. I -mentioned this, and he admitted that a story never improved in his -hands. He gave compliments to the shop, remarked that Peter seemed a -decent sort of lad, spoke of the large amount of traffic which was -being dealt with by the Southern railways. He had heard excellent -reports of Master Edward, and told me that the boy's appearance, -speech, and behaviour had, by good fortune, been noticed and commented -upon by the wife of the superintendent. After this interval of sanity, -William again went blundering in and amongst tales from the fighting -line. - -"Now that one," he remarked, rubbing the top of his head with the peak -of his uniform cap, "that one, I'll swear, appeared funny when I first -heard it. And now it sounds simply chronic." He glanced at his large -watch. "By Ginger," he exclaimed, "but time does fly when you're in -pleasant company. There was something I wanted to tell--" He gave a -fair imitation of a puzzled look. "I've got it," he said, triumphantly. -"Piece of news I heard at Charing Cross. The Major of that lot that -your nephew, and your Master John was in: he's been took prisoner. -Good-day to you, Mary!" - -The news was confirmed by a brief paragraph in the evening journal; I -said nothing of it at Gloucester Place because it is rarely wise to -go out of your way simply in order to shake hands with trouble. Far -better to wait where you are, and let trouble, if it cares to do so, -come to you. (Afterwards we discovered that all of us had seen the -announcement, and each determined to make no allusion.) - -The first information of a definite nature came in a letter from a -Quartermaster-Sergeant. Addressed to Mr. Hillier, and written in pencil -it said, "I regret to tell you that your son, Corporal Hillier, has -been missing since the twenty-fifth January. He may be a prisoner, but -we do not know for certain. He asked me, should anything happen to him, -to let you know." - -There followed a brief letter from my nephew, Herbert. - -"We were surprised in a dug out," he wrote. "We ran in single line for -cover, with machine firing coming across. John had no rifle. That was -the last we saw of him. Tell his people to hope for the best. I was -one of the few who escaped, but I am in hospital. Nothing serious. Love -to my father, and to you." - -There came a month of suspense during which we gathered scraps of news -but nothing that re-assured us. The good Quartermaster-Sergeant, in -another letter, said there were no further particulars; they could not -say what had really happened; directly the battalion obtained definite -information he would write again. - -I went up to town, and called at Wellington Barracks; Mr Hillier paid a -Saturday afternoon visit to the War Office; Miss Katherine communicated -with a girl friend at Geneva, begging her to make inquiries of the Red -Cross Society. During all this time, I noticed that Mrs. Hillier, eager -as the rest of us, showed no tears, but she became more active in the -work of the small household, and took duties that had hitherto been -performed by the rest of us. She rose each morning to see her husband -leave for the Arsenal, and kissed him before he went: kissed him again -when he returned in the evening. No complaining came from her now. If -she spoke of Master John, she referred to him hopefully. - -An envelope arrived with the postmark of Cricklewood. We recognised the -handwriting, and waited anxiously for Mr. Hillier to come home and open -it. - -"I am having this letter posted," wrote the Quartermaster-Sergeant, -"by a comrade who is off to England, so as to avoid it being censored. -Well, to tell you as much as possible, sir, about your son. We were -in the forward trenches on the morning of the twenty-fifth of last -month, when the enemy made an attack. Their trenches were not a hundred -yards from our own. They had under-mined our forward trenches. They -threw up some smoke bombs as a signal, and to blind their attack. At -the same time, they exploded their mines. The result was that part -of our trenches were blown up, and before you could look sideways -they were upon us in thousands. The Right Flank and the Left Flank of -our regiment stuck to their ground until overcome by sheer weight of -numbers. Then, those that possibly could, retired to a brick field -about eight hundred yards back which the remainder of the battalion -(two companies) had turned into a miniature fort. This was known as -The Keep. The Germans made violent attacks, all without any material -advantage to themselves, on this position, but were unable to take it. -And it was not lost when matters quietened down. Our trenches have now -been regained, and our boys, I am pleased to say, managed to steal some -of the German trenches. - -"I am very sorry to say I can give you no good news of your son. I have -made inquiries of the regiments who held the position after it had been -regained, and one of the sergeants told me they buried over two hundred -of our men. Some of them were found dead at the 'present,' ready to -fire at the enemy, so you see it is no good telling you anything that -might build up very great hopes. - -"The strength of the companies going into the trenches was two hundred -and seventy-six. Of these forty-six returned. Of course, we held a -position where we did not dare to lose ground, and although it was a -terrible business, it was a great victory for the English and French -troops. At any rate, the enemy did not score much on their Emperor's -birthday. - -"You can understand how deeply I sympathise with you as none of us -knows the minute when our own people will need the same. I have a -father and mother living at Lewisham." - -Mr. Hillier read this out to us, in a voice that broke now and again. -His wife took his hand when he finished, and patted it sympathetically. - -"I could hug the man who wrote that nice letter," I declared. - -Herbert sent a note later from the hospital at Boulogne (where he -found himself, after treatment at a dressing station) saying that he -was nearly well, and ready to go back to the fighting line. "Have you -any news of John?" he asked. "We were real good chums." The official -communication came to Gloucester Place from the War Office, stating -that Corporal Hillier was reported missing. His mother, showing greater -industry in domestic work every day, and relieving me of half my -duties, argued that the use of this word by the authorities proved that -they were not without hope; the rest of us abstained from contesting -this opinion. We knew that all the two hundred and thirty mentioned -in Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright's letter would be reported in -the first instance under the same heading. Mr. Hillier ventured to -allude to the question of Muriel's engagement as regarded in the new -circumstances. - -"I have already written to her, dear," said Mrs. Hillier. "Don't you -let that worry you. I've told her the engagement must be cancelled. -After the way his people have treated our boy--" - -"I was sure," he said, gratefully, "you would see the matter in that -light." - -"You can consider it as settled," she declared. "Weston," turning to -me, "I'm going to cook supper this evening. And you are to sit down -with us, please." - -I was not at all certain that I wanted to join the family party at -table, and I had my doubts concerning Mrs. Hillier's abilities to -prepare a meal. As a fact, the dish she served up was excellent, and -when we offered our congratulations she disclosed a circumstance that -had been kept from everyone but Mr. Hillier; in her early youth, it -seemed, she had been compelled to take charge of a household, and -run it with economy. "But, mother dear," protested Miss Katherine, -amazedly, "why in the world didn't you tell us this before?" Mrs. -Hillier considered for a moment before replying. "I can think of -no other excuse," she said, "than that of foolish pride." From that -moment, I began to feel a new regard for Mrs. Hillier. It needed some -courage to make an admission of the nature before her own children, -and in front of me. We were very cheerful that evening (partly, I -think, because we had resolved to keep each other's spirits up) and -Miss Katherine, recalling a comment of mine when the letter from France -was being read, sketched out a romantic episode in the life of the -Quartermaster-Sergeant to take place after the war, with a wedding at -St. Alphege's, and the bride offering a charming appearance in the -latest confection from Dover Street. She suggested that business could -be combined with sentiment if all the gifts were purchased at the -bride's establishment in London Street. - -"But I've never set eyes upon the man," I protested. - -"The moment he sets eyes upon you, Weston," prophesied Miss Katherine, -"his fate will be sealed." - -"He may be married already." - -"If he has, which I very much doubt, for he spoke of parents at -Lewisham, but said nothing about a wife--if he has, I say, she is -suffering from a nervous affection that will take her off in the nick -of time." - -"None of your widowers for me," I declared. - -The affair of Miss Muriel's engagement was not settled so easily as -we had hoped. She wrote expressing regret at the absence of definite -news concerning her brother; she was also sorry to find that her mother -had allowed herself to be impressed by occurrences which had no real -bearing on plans agreed upon earlier. Her marriage was to take place on -the twenty-seventh. Mr. Schloss had decided to set up a new home in the -West of England: this, owing to prejudices which were being shown by -folk of the neighbourhood who ought to know better, but were seemingly -unwilling to listen to reasonable argument. Miss Muriel enclosed some -verses of hers beginning, "True love knows no barriers." - -My brother-in-law met with a slight accident whilst on the way to his -work, and came home to London Street, depressed by the thought that -he would be prevented for some time from assisting in munition tasks, -discouraged by the knowledge that his wages would cease. I set him -right on this second question by engaging him to look after the shop -which he had once owned, and I gave Peter instructions to look after -him and to see that he did not over-exert himself. Peter had joined the -Boy Scouts, and had become such a dependable lad and so well spoken -that Millwood announced he was prepared now for miracles of all sorts. -(Peter's mother called one day at the shop and denounced me, up hill -and down dale, on the grounds that I had marred and spoilt her views -regarding the boy; she intended, it seemed, that he should follow -the example of her two other children, and qualify himself for being -sent by a magistrate to an Industrial School where the State would -have accepted the responsibility of making a man of him. "And all my -plans set aside," she lamented, "owing to your clumsy interference!") -Millwood was glad to be able to go with the aid of a couple of sticks -to his club again of an evening, although he complained that with -Radicals and Tories working in hearty agreement over philanthropic -matters, all the pepper and mustard had gone out of the institution. -Millwood had given up alcoholic beverages for the duration of the war. -"Really," he explained to me, confidentially, "I did that because I -fancied it might please young 'Erb. I'd rather like the boy not to be -ashamed of me." - -It was near the end of the month that I went to town to see a customer, -recommended to me by the doctor who set up the home of old furniture. -He lived in North Street, behind the Abbey, and on the way back I -looked in at Whitehall, and made inquiries. The officials there, -although badgered by anxious folk, answered me politely. No news of -Corporal Hillier. I returned from Charing Cross, where I happened to -see William Richards. - -"Hope on, hope ever!" said William, encouragingly. - -I told myself in the train for Greenwich that I had come to the limits -of my optimism, and that Master John was to be henceforth only a -memory. I thought of his early days when I had first come into the -Hillier establishment; thought of the pride we all took, later, over -his first song; wondered whether there was perhaps some young girl, not -known to us, who sorrowed for the loss of him. Crossing by the subway -at Greenwich station, and coming up the steps I caught sight of Master -Edward, on his way to late duty, and, to my pain and astonishment, -dancing on the platform. His train came in before I could reach him, -and give him a word of reproof. - -At Gloucester Place, Mrs. Hillier waved gaily from the balcony; -I assumed this was but a part of her new and improved method of -conducting life. She disappeared, and a few minutes later came -running--actually running--along to meet me. - -"Sorry to say, ma'am," I remarked, "that I have no good news." - -"But we have, Weston," she cried, exultantly. "The dear boy is safe. -The dear boy is wounded, but he's alive. Come indoors, and see the card -for yourself!" - -It was a beautifully clean, white card, headed on the front "Field -postkarte. Kriegsgefangenen--sendung," and endorsed "Geprueft pass -zentrale, gouvernement--Lille." On the back the words, "Envoyez -directement a la Famille." Underneath, the entries filled in with -Master John's own handwriting. - -"Je me trouve a.... Lille." - -There followed Nom et prenoms, Regiment, Compagnie, Escadron. Then this -message under the word Notices. - -"Painfully wounded left leg, and rather weak." - -I observed that, for the first time since the beginning of the war, -Master John's mother had tears in her eyes. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -We all went slightly off our heads that evening at Gloucester Place. -At first, there was a misapprehension on my side to be removed: I -had forgotten that Lille was in the hands of the Germans, although -the superscription of the card ought to have made this obvious; -explanations made it clear to me now that Master John was a wounded -prisoner, and that we should probably not see the dear lad again until -the war finished. Master Edward, when he came home, was still so -greatly excited that he omitted, for an hour, to tell us that he was -about to be transferred to the head offices at London Bridge, where -his hours would be fixed and regular, and escape effected from hot -tempered and argumentative passengers. The recommending word of the -superintendent's wife and his own engaging manner had to be thanked for -the swift promotion. We regretted the absence of Miss Muriel; if she -had been with us our party could have been reckoned complete. - -"Really didn't think we should hear of him again," admitted Mr. -Hillier. "With every desire to hope for the best, I had come to the -conclusion John was lost to us." - -"It will be something to tell the girls at the bank," mentioned Miss -Katherine. "They have been inquiring every day, and they meant it well, -I know, but it only seemed to remind me of--Anyhow," brightly, "the -suspense is over. Let us be musical. We haven't lifted up our tuneful -voices in song for a long time past." - -"There's no piano," I remarked. - -"Unaccompanied," directed Miss Katherine. "Edward, my laddie, if you -have gone past the stage when you didn't know whether you were going to -give out a high note or a low one, you make a start. Anything, except -Tipperary." - -We were joining in a chorus when a rap sounded at the door. I answered -it, and, seeing the old lady and gentleman of the ground floor, assumed -at once that they had come up to protest against the noise. - -"Beg your pardon," said the elderly gentleman, "but--my wife and -myself--we're rather quiet people." - -"The singing shall be stopped at once, sir." - -"By no means," he cried, urgently. "Pray do nothing of the sort. We are -here to ask you if you would kindly leave your door open. Our sense of -hearing is not so good as it was, and we want to learn the words of -some of the popular songs of the day." - -"Are you serious?" I asked, incredulously. - -"Bless my soul, no," he chuckled. "We're not serious. We enjoy life. -We're rather lonely, it's true, but apart from that you can look upon -us as the most frivolous young couple this side of the river." He -turned to his wife. "Always have been, haven't we, my sweet?" - -"We married for love," whispered the old lady to me, nodding her head. - -They had the appearance of people in fancy dress--she with ringlets -and a lace cap, and a silk dress that, as my mother used to say of a -remembered costume of the same quality, could have stood by itself, and -he with large collar, black stock, heavy watch chain and fob, velvet -jacket, shepherd's plaid trousers. - -"Our compliments to your young folk," he said, with a bow, "and our -apologies for interfering." - -"You, like ourselves," she remarked, "are fortunate in having no -relative engaged in this terrible war. Few have such cause to be -thankful. We wish you good evening." - -Mrs. Hillier came forward, and, breaking the rule which she had laid -down regarding communication with neighbours, joined in the discussion, -gave the news concerning Master John. The old gentleman, greatly -interested, offered congratulations, and excusing himself, left his -wife to go on with the talk. She with many antiquated protests-- - -"But I shall be discommoding you, I fear." - -"I hope you will not look upon it in the light of an intrusion." - -"Pray do not fail to tell me when to go." - -Accepted the invitation to enter the sitting room, and giving a -curtsey, felicitated Miss Katherine upon her singing, spoke of Madame -Jenny Lind, Mario, Grisi, Sims Reeves. We were in the sixties, and -forgetting all about the current year and its troubles, when she -stopped suddenly. A jingling sound was heard from the landing. - -"Do you mind," she said to me, "helping Captain Winterton? He is not -quite so active in household duties as he used to be. I myself am just -the same that I always was, but I perceive a change in him." - -Captain Winterton had brought up a large silver tray that I coveted the -moment I caught sight of it; the tray bore decanters of cut glass that -would have looked well on the shelves at London Street; a cigar case -had a flourished inscription announcing it was a testimonial from the -passengers of sailing vessel _Magnitude_. The old gentleman wore now an -embroidered smoking cap with a tassel. - -"Sir," he said, giving up the tray to me, and addressing Mr. Hillier, -"this is a great liberty, and no one knows it better than I do, but the -circumstances must be held responsible. A few beverages, selected by me -on my many travels, and I want you, sir, and the ladies, if they will -be so good, to favour me with their opinion on them." - -I went off to cut sandwiches. When I returned he was near the -fire-place, making a speech. Old Mrs. Winterton beckoned to me. -"Remarkably gifted," she whispered. "So much experience, you see, on -board his ship. This is the only time I've heard him speak about the -war." She laid a finger on her lips to enjoin perfect silence. - -"--Goes off to fight for his country's welfare," Captain Winterton was -saying, in the full enjoyment of oratory, "and fights, I'll be bound to -say, like a gallant and determined Englishman. And although he appears -to be now suffering from his honorable wounds, and is detached from his -comrades, and his friends, I am sure he has the consolation of knowing -that they are all thinking of him with affection and sincere regard, -and looking forward to the joyful day when he shall again find himself -among them. I drink to the elder son of this estimable family. I wish -him a quick recovery, a safe and a glorious return." - -I think Captain Winterton was slightly disappointed to find that he had -succeeded in making no one cry but his wife: he assured Mrs. Hillier -that in his happiest moments and his most successful efforts on the -last day of a lengthy voyage, you might look around at the tables when -he had spoken after dinner, and fail to discover a single dry eye. - -"I may be out of practise," he suggested, wistfully. Mrs. Hillier -assured him that she felt more touched by his remarks than she cared -to show. He said that as time went on, one was bound to recognise -alterations and differences; as to himself, he could perceive no great -change in the last thirty years, but he feared Mrs. Winterton was -exhibiting some of the marks of age. - -"My sweet," to his wife, "we mustn't outstay our welcome." - -"My dearest," she agreed, "there is your beauty sleep to be remembered." - -"You are not going to hurry away like this," protested Mr. Hillier. -"Recollect that we so rarely get visitors, nowadays." - -Mrs. Winterton spoke of the period when she mixed in the best society -that the neighbourhood afforded. Greenwich, she said proudly, was -Greenwich in those times, and held up its head, bless you, and saw -the aristocrats coming down to dine at the Ship; carriages arrived -from London bringing the finest in the land, and the railway was still -something like a novelty. Master Edward had seen at the head offices -an aged picture of the earliest trains leaving London Bridge to the -music of a band; the old lady said very precisely that this she had -heard, but she had no personal knowledge of the occurrence, and Captain -Winterton rallied her good-temperedly on the question of her age. "My -sweet likes to be thought," he remarked to us, "as on the sunny side of -eighty, but I can remember that when I first met her she called herself -seventeen, and that was in the year of the great Exhibition in Hyde -Park, and I could tell you what she wore at the time. She'd got on the -prettiest little poke bonnet--you don't see anything so attractive in -these days, if this young lady here will forgive me for saying so--a -full flounced skirt and a waist so small that I could nearly go twice -around it with my arm--" Mrs. Winterton took her husband off, and -returned for the tray, and to explain that her husband's memory was -failing, especially in regard to dates. - -A few weeks earlier, and Mrs. Hillier would have resented the call -from the elderly pair of the ground floor; now, she made friends with -them, running down sometimes to have a chat with old Mrs. Winterton, -and delighted when the Captain made a visit, bringing daffodils, "With -respectful inquiries, ma'am, and hoping you continue to have good news -of your boy." The best service they did to my mistress was in taking -her mind from the war. It seemed that they were too advanced in years -to give their mind to events of the day, however important and enormous -these might be; they lived in the past, and to them we were all nothing -but children with memories covering a brief period only. To Miss -Katherine they became specially attached, although Mrs. Winterton -could not approve of the idea of a girl engaging herself in commercial -affairs; she spoke with pride of the days when no young women of good -position had any other prospect or hope but that of marriage. To me, -she confided a secret which I was not to disclose to a soul, or ask -whence the information had been obtained; it was that on the day that -the first woman was entrusted with, and exercised, the power of voting, -on that day the world would undoubtedly come to an end. - -"A great pity, of course," she said, nodding her ringlets and -dismissing the topic, "but it can't be helped, and there you are, and -that's all about it!" - -Miss Katherine followed Master Edward's success by gaining a transfer -to the correspondence office, where figures were less intrusive, and -the work more varied. The weekly income at Gloucester Place was now as -follows: - - Mr. Hillier L1 17 6 - Miss Katherine 1 10 0 - Master Edward 15 0 - -We were able to settle up tradesmen's books promptly; there was some -talk of a holiday to be taken, months later on, but economy had to be -observed, and one of the improvements in Mrs. Hillier was noticeable in -the fact that she now heartily supported my efforts in this direction. -No more cards arrived from Master John. We wrote to him regularly -to the care of the Information Bureau at Berlin, taking pains to -give nothing but domestic news, and we hoped he was receiving these -communications. At the Post Office I was told it would be useless to -send parcels until he came out of the hospital; I was also assured it -was unnecessary to do so, and from other quarters we gained that the -hardships over there did not begin until the wounded men were away from -medical treatment. Herbert sent me a cheery letter saying that he -was back in the trenches, and mentioning that there was a chance that -he might get his third stripe. Answering my question, he said that he -knew Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright, and described him as a chap who -thought a good deal of himself. My own estimation of Cartwright was not -diminished by this, and I began to forward _Punch_ to him each week, -and the Quartermaster-Sergeant occasionally sent me one of the printed -cards with everything crossed out excepting the line, - -"I am quite well." - -And - -"Letter follows at first opportunity." - -By asking Herbert what Cartwright was like, I meant that I wanted a -description of his appearance. In the absence of particulars, this had -to be left to the imagination. Miss Katherine pictured him as a tall -man, florid and stout, with an enormous moustache, and using language -at which she could but hint. - -"Dismiss this particular romance from your thoughts, dear Weston," she -counselled. "Concentrate your mind, instead, upon your railway guard." - -"You and your nonsense!" I exclaimed. "There's precious little chance -of me getting married to William Richards or to anyone else. My -opportunities never have been great, and now they are less than ever. -And it doesn't matter so much, for some of us, but I do feel sorry, -when I look at the casualty lists each morning, for young ladies like -yourself. Luckily, in your case, there is no one out there that you're -especially fond of." - -Miss Katherine said something in regard to the latest fashions. Hearts, -she mentioned, were no longer worn upon sleeves. - - * * * * * - -There were several matters, and many views, and some fears, in those -days which we kept from each other; the young people had long since -given up at Gloucester Place the old habit of reciting dreams at the -breakfast table. In my own case, I found that, awaking at three o'clock -in the night, it was possible to consider the most dismal and gloomy -aspect of everything. At that hour, all the good news was forgotten, -and nothing but disaster could be anticipated. By day, there was -generally some encouraging placard to be seen, and the announcement -given, though not always based on fact, was undeniably cheering. ("Only -two forts left in the Dardanelles," was one of these, I remember.) But -in the small hours, Dreadnoughts were sunk by the dozen, U boats were -doing as they pleased, German forces again came near to Paris; the -enemy's navy was steaming up the Thames, and bombarding the college at -Greenwich; my nephew Herbert had been killed by a hand grenade, and -Master John was being kicked and starved. When these pleasing incidents -ceased to dance about in my brain, there was always the business in -London Street to offer a possibility of disaster. The number of times -that, in my imagination, I saw the name of Mary Weston, spinster, -figuring amongst the names in the list of receiving orders from the -London Gazette, cannot be reckoned. - -Water carts came out, and the green chairs were set in Greenwich Park, -spring flowers made their bow, Gloucester Place brightened itself, -children at the L.C.C. schools behind The Circus played their games -more shrilly, and the river took on a cheerful air that had been -absent throughout the winter. My brother-in-law Millwood, at the shop, -complained that Peter's industry left him with no scope for exercise -of the mind or body, and I sent him, with his walking stick, on a -hobbling tour around the neighbourhood, and invested him with a task -which I described precisely. He was to make a list, in no case was the -sum to be higher than ten pounds, and in most instances the amount was -to be less. Then I inserted an advertisement in a Woolwich journal -that had a circulation amongst the Arsenal workers; a well displayed -advertisement with a note to the effect that it would not appear again. -The Chance of a Lifetime, it was headed, and it announced that Weston's -had been fortunate enough to secure some Magnificent Bargains in the -shape of Second Hand Pianofortes by Well Known Makers. Satisfaction -Guaranteed. Do not Delay. A Rare Opportunity for Lovers of Music. - -I have no wish to exaggerate the results of this notice, but I can -say with truth that Millwood, and young Peter, and myself, had a busy -time. There was plenty of money being earned in Woolwich, and all of -it did not go in wastefulness, as some folk suggested: there were many -families where the desire was to improve the interior of households. We -became a sort of clearing house for pianofortes, exchanging them from -establishments affected adversely by the war, and passing them on, by -pantechnicon vans, to those where incomes had been improved. I remember -an Arsenal man and his wife and young daughter called one day to make -a purchase: they examined the cases only, and made no attempt to try -the keyboard. They were puzzled which to buy of two that seemed to them -equally attractive. - -"Look 'ere, old gel," he said, at last to his wife. "One will look -rather lonely. We'll take both." And this they did, paying the money -down. - -There was one attractive baby grand that Millwood picked up at -rather above the limit fixed, and I arranged to have it delivered at -Gloucester Place. It arrived there just as daylight was going, at seven -o'clock. Miss Katherine had received but few tokens to call attention -to her birthday, and one could not help guessing that she might be -comparing it with previous anniversaries. A welcome card had come from -Master John; she declared that this, in itself, was the best present -any one could require. "Still in hospital," he wrote. "Leg progressing -slowly. Am fairly cheerful." - -The men with the van had done so much work on my account that they -tackled the difficulties of the job in a determined and breezy way; -they reached the landing of the first floor watched by the old Captain, -who gave advice in seafaring terms that they did not pretend to -understand. Miss Katherine came out. - -"Weston, my child," she exclaimed, "they will never manage to get that -beautiful instrument up to your rooms." - -"They'd better not try, miss. It's for you, wishing you, with all my -heart, many happy years." - -"But," she stammered, taken aback, "you really mustn't, you know, do -extravagant actions like this, dear soul, in war times." - -"There's no one, Miss Katherine, in a position to dictate to me how I -shall spend my money." She tried to conceal her emotion by making some -reference to the Quartermaster-Sergeant. - -There could be no doubt that the new pianoforte--new to the Hilliers, -anyway--did manage to cheer and brighten up the establishment. Now -that Miss Katherine and Master Edward were exempt from the direction -of music teachers, they practised and played of their own will instead -of being driven to the keyboard. The family began to talk of other -additions in the way of furniture, to be exhibited as a surprise and a -gratification to Master John when he returned. Mrs. Hillier admitted to -me that she was becoming as house-proud as she had been in the early -days of her married life. - -And into the comfortable group suddenly arrived Miss Muriel. Miss -Muriel, fresh from the large house of her friends at Chislehurst, -and losing no time in complaining of the want of room at Gloucester -Place, of Weston's position of equality at table, of her father's -appearance when he returned from the Arsenal, and indeed of everything -that lent itself to criticism. She was allowed a free tongue at first, -but when she returned to the grievance that concerned me, her mother -interposed. Miss Muriel followed me out of the room, and offered a kind -of defiant apology. - -"What's wrong, miss?" I inquired. "You were always rather difficult, -but I should have thought that this war--" - -"I am under no obligation to the war." - -"Few of us are, but we can't help being influenced by it. People who, -before it started, had good expectations, find themselves with none, -and folk who used to be on their beam ends, so to speak, are now doing -well. It's all according to whether a person is of any real use, or -not." - -"I can't pretend," said Miss Muriel, "to be greatly interested in the -fortune of others. To compensate for that, I am enormously interested -in my own." - -"We are all hoping, miss, that your engagement has been cancelled." - -"An amiable wish," she retorted, "that has been anticipated by events. -Mr. Schloss is interned. Interned by the astonishing authorities of -this country." - -"Very glad to hear it," I said, genuinely. "And now that you are -amongst us again, I trust you'll make yourself as amiable as possible, -and we, on our side, will try to recognise that it's hard on you, miss, -to have been disappointed in love." - -"Not disappointed in love, Weston. Disappointed in money would be a -more correct phrase." - -"Upon my word!" I exclaimed warmly. "I can't make it out at all. I'm -sometimes inclined to look on you as a bit of a freak." - -"At last," said Miss Muriel, "I have achieved a notable success. I have -contrived to make our Weston really angry. No one can say now that I -have lived in vain." - -The others, as has been hinted, had adopted the habit of looking after -themselves, but Miss Muriel exacted from me all the attention to which -she had a right in the old days. I found myself doing lady's maid -work. She did not do a hand's stroke in any of the domestic tasks. She -bewailed the circumstance that her friends at Chislehurst, answering -her appeal, wrote that they regretted it was impossible to offer a -fresh invitation; I pointed out to Miss Muriel that it was always an -error in tactics to remain at people's house for an undue length of -time. In her trunk, I found a packet, carefully sealed, and I put a -question regarding the contents; she recommended that I should mind -my own business. Later, she mentioned that the parcel held documents -which she believed were of high importance, and asked whether at London -Street there happened to be a fire-proof safe. - -"I can get one," I said. "Been thinking about purchasing one for some -while past. After our experience at The Croft, we can't be too careful." - -"Take charge of the packet now, Weston," she begged. "The -responsibility will be off my mind." - -"Do I understand that you don't actually know what is inside?" - -"I can trust you," she said, after a moment's pause. "You are queer, -but you are reliable. Mr. Schloss gave this to me just before the -police called on him. I promised to look after it until all the trouble -was over. And that cannot be long now." - -I bought a good second-hand safe, and Peter took a leather, and -polished up the brass handle, and the cover of the lock; set in a -corner of the shop it would give a solid, business-like look calculated -to impress people who came to inspect furniture. Whilst the lad was -engaged on the work, my attention was taken by a group from Charlton -who had called to see about a pianoforte; the woman who desired to buy -had brought with her half a dozen experts made up of female relatives -and neighbours. When they had gone, I turned and found Millwood and -Peter endeavouring to move the heavy safe to the place chosen for it. - -"Mind that packet on the floor!" I cried. - -The safe, in moving, crunched over the parcel entrusted to me by Miss -Muriel, smashing the seals. I contrived to make the two understand what -I thought of such clumsy behaviour; Peter offered to obtain a stick of -wax from the shop not far off, and declared confidence in his ability -to repair the damage. Millwood said it was a good job the parcel -contained nothing of a breakable nature. - -It was sheer curiosity that induced me to look at the papers inside; -I found little to repay me, for the letters were all written in a -language I did not understand. Millwood was prepared to take his oath -that the language was German. - -"You'd best be careful, Mary Weston," he said. "You mind out what -you're a doing of. Otherwise you'll find yourself at the Tower. They -don't make no bones about shooting nobody, not nowadays, they don't!" -Millwood was giving more advice, when William Richards looked in. The -two men never liked each other; in earlier days they always wrangled on -political subjects, and now, in view of the truce agreed upon regarding -these topics, Millwood, with the comment of "Hullo! Not dead yet, -then?" went into the back room. - -William Richards wanted news of Herbert, and of Master John. He -hoped the Germans would deal with Master John fairly, but admitted -he could not trust them in this or in any other particular. When we -had discussed the subject, I told him about the parcel, submitted the -documents. William shook his head gravely. "If only Dickenson was -here!" he said. It appeared that Dickenson was a uniformed interpreter, -known to William, and for the number of languages with which Dickenson -was acquainted you needed the fingers of both hands, and the thumbs as -well. - -"Look here, Mary Weston," he said. "Hand 'em over to me. Just as they -are. You shan't be dragged into the affair. I shall tell Dickenson I -found the parcel on the floor of a second-class smoking. If they're -nothing more than love letters, or business communications, you shall -have 'em back!" Peter arrived with the sealing wax, but we decided that -the present condition of the parcel should remain. - - * * * * * - -Mr. Schloss was tried a few weeks later on a charge of attempting to -deal with the enemy, and he received a sentence of twelve months hard -labour. Miss Muriel, terrified and penitent, begged me to destroy the -parcel she had confided to my care, lest the contents should have any -bearing on the matter, and, in promising her that she might depend -upon me, I gave her about the straightest talking to that she had ever -received in the whole course of her existence. - -"It will be a lesson to me," she declared penitently. - -"But some of you," I remarked, "want such a lot of teaching!" - - * * * * * - -Old Captain Winterton, in his determination not to discuss war news, -fell back on reminiscences, and if he sometimes told these more than -once, the Hillier family nevertheless gave him their attention; -although he talked in an elaborate manner, they made no attempt to -interrupt. I could not help comparing their Greenwich methods with -those adopted at Chislehurst. He had three anecdotes and to these his -wife listened eagerly and expectantly, sometimes whispering to me, -after the twentieth or so repetition, - -"You'll like this, Miss Weston." - -And. - -"This is new to you, I expect." - -She joined in the expressions of amusement with great heartiness. The -first story was of the lady who feared that if the storm continued she -might find herself in Heaven, and wanted to be re-assured. ("Depends -on the life you've led, madam.") The second was of the sailor who -reported that Jim Bates had been blown overboard. ("And that ain't -the worst, cap'en. He's took my pail with him!") The third was so -long and so much involved, and required such an amount of preliminary -description that the old fellow never reached the point of it, and -we, at times, wondered if any point existed. I liked him best when he -described Greenwich, at Easter, in the old days at the period when -Richardson's Fair was held at the end of what is still known as Tea-pot -Row, although its proper name is King William Street, and all the tag, -rag and bob-tail came from far and near, and to carry a watch in one's -pocket was to make a present of it to somebody with light fingers, and -the taverns did a roaring trade; all this, it appeared, came to an end -in '57. Of the time when London folk drove down in hackney coaches, -and the men wore veils to their white top hats, and the ladies wore -crinolines, and they had joyous hours at the Ship or the Trafalgar, and -gave incredible tips to waiters, and started for home singing "Slap -bang, here we are again!" Of more demure parties of statesmen who came, -once a year, by steamer, from near to Westminster Bridge, and were -reported to chat over the table of other matters than Cabinet secrets, -and to consume quantities of old port, and, at any rate, returned in a -sleepy condition, ignoring the cheers raised by their local supporters, -and the groans given by their opponents. Of crime connected with the -borough-- - -"Love," interposed Mrs. Winterton, "be careful not to shock the young -ladies!" - -"I will be most cautious, sweet!" - -And, in particular, of one Charles Peace whose real name, it seemed, -was John Warne, and who on a night in October shot three times at -Constable Robinson in an avenue leading from St. John's Park to -Blackheath; shot with a revolver that was strapped around Peace's -wrist. Captain Winterton had learnt, word for word, the statement made -by Peace when Mr. Justice Hawkins asked him whether he had anything -to say why sentence should not be passed upon him, and the old chap -spared us nothing of this, from--"I have not been fairly dealt with, -and I declare before God that I never had any intention to kill the -prosecutor--" to "So, my Lord, have mercy upon me; my lord, have mercy -upon me!" Peace lived for a time at Greenwich, in a well-furnished -house where he sometimes gave musical evenings. - -"I always give myself the satisfaction," said Captain Winterton, with -relish, "of gazing at the dwelling whenever I happen to pass that way." - -If he began to tell the story of the murder of Jane Maria -Clousen--discussed and debated at Greenwich to this hour, because no -one was hanged for it--Mrs. Winterton placed hands over her ears. Miss -Clousen it seemed was, in '71, a domestic servant in the employment of -a Greenwich printer; she was found in Kidbrooke Lane, Eltham, on the -edge of death, murmuring, "Oh my poor head, oh my poor head!" and the -acquittal of a young man, charged with the crime, was followed by noisy -and disorderly gatherings outside his father's house, and proceedings -at law for libel. - -Captain Winterton had, too, political reminiscences of the borough, -and of the time when it was notably represented in Parliament, and we -had excerpts from Mr. Gladstone's speech on Blackheath, and from Mr. -Gladstone's farewell address at the Ship Hotel, and a description of -the wonderful moment when Mr. Gladstone said to Captain Winterton, "And -what, pray, is your view in regard to the future of our mercantile -marine?" and did not wait for an answer, but instead furnished his -own opinions on the subject. And we listened (none so eagerly or -so absorbedly as Mrs. Winterton) to the Captain's account of the -_Princess Alice_ disaster of '78 at Becton Reach near Woolwich, and -in the technical details--was the _Bywell Castle_ to blame, or did -the _Princess Alice_ starboard her helm, when she ought to have done -something else?--in all this, I found myself at first bewildered, then -semi-detached, and finally my thoughts went to London Street, and -prices of the articles of furniture stored there. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -I should, perhaps, have given more attention to the case of Miss -Muriel, but for the demands upon my time made by the business: it -appeared that many of my Woolwich customers were well satisfied -with their dealings with me, and they handed my cards around, with -the result that the shop was rarely free of callers, and sometimes -Millwood, and Peter, and myself would be all engaged in answering -questions, quoting figures. Once the visitors had made up their minds -that they wanted a certain article--a cheval glass, a sideboard, a card -table, or anything else--there was little haggling about price: from a -well-filled purse they produced one pound notes and ten shilling notes, -and settled the account; their chief difficulty came in an urgent and -feverish desire to get the articles of furniture home with the least -possible delay. I once saw two women, customers of mine, who had bought -a music stool, and a settee, and a brass fender with fire-irons, -endeavouring to board a tram-car with the burden of these possessions. -They told the conductor, after argument, that he would undoubtedly come -to a bad end. - -Apart from the business, I had some anxiety caused by a letter from the -Quartermaster-Sergeant. Written, as usual, in pencil, and mentioning, -as always, that he was in the pink, it said that he hoped to be coming -home on leave soon; his first call would be given to his parents, and -he then proposed to look in at Gloucester Place and thank me for the -journals sent to him each week. I wished the man further. I felt sorry -I had ever hit upon the idea of posting the illustrated newspaper, or -of writing. I had some thought to going away to escape him, but one -did not know where to go. The postscript to the letter offered some -hope: it said that leave was a doubtful thing in these days, and I was -not to be disappointed if it happened that he could not get away. And I -was beginning to think I had worried myself over nothing at all, when -a telegram signed Cartwright came from Folkestone. I showed it to Miss -Katherine. - -"But, my dear soul," she protested, "you're trembling. In your own -words, you're all of a fluster." - -"The mistake I made was in not telling him my age at the outset." - -"That would have been an eccentric course to pursue. It is one that I, -myself, rarely adopt in these situations." - -"You're young, Miss Katherine, and it doesn't matter what they imagine -your age to be. I'm getting on towards the forties, and it matters a -good deal to me. I've always tried to write to this blessed man in a -cheerful style, and if he has got the idea that I'm twenty-two, and -look less, one can't blame him." - -"There are beauty specialists in Bond Street." - -"And there are foolish women who patronise them." - -"If he comes along," said Miss Katherine, "when I am home from the -bank, I could--pardon the conceit in the suggestion, for which I am -sure Heaven will forgive me--I could pretend to be you, Weston." - -"That wouldn't do at all," I declared promptly. "I want to see him. -Want to find out what he is like." - -"The next best idea that occurs to my inventive brain," she remarked, -"is that I should take you in hand to-morrow morning before I leave, -and by all the dodges known to my toilet table, subtract a few years -from your appearance." - -"No making up," I bargained. - -"I will do nothing," she agreed, "to bring the artificial blush to your -cheek, dear woman. The game we are going to play is, believe me, not -rouge et noir." - -Compliments have sometimes been offered to me on the length and the -colour of my hair, but they mostly came from maids at Chislehurst who -wanted the afternoon off to go and meet their sweethearts; for the -rest, people troubled very little about my looks, and I suppose I had -not paid an extravagant amount of attention to them. Certainly Miss -Katherine, when she assumed management and command, did effect some -notable improvements. She persuaded me not to look in the mirror whilst -the task was in progress, and when I was allowed to take a glance, I -gasped with astonishment, beamed with satisfaction. - -"That's it!" cried Miss Katherine. "That's exactly the right kind of -smile we want. Ah," regretfully, "it's slipping. And now it's gone!" -She imitated the tricks of the photographer when he is taking portraits -of defensive babies; I assured her the ability to grin was not in my -line. "Practise, Weston dear," she counselled. "Remember that with hair -like yours you need never say dye." - -Miss Muriel offered no remark upon the alteration, but Mrs. Hillier -gave compliments, and declared she was reminded of the time when we -first met; she advised me not to mar the effect by wearing one of the -hats I usually pinned on before leaving the house. Noticing that I -wavered, she insisted on accompanying me to a milliner's establishment -near the Chatham and Dover station. When, later, I entered the shop -in London Street, Millwood came forward, without first putting on his -spectacles, and not recognising me, said: - -"Well, lady, and what can we do for you this morning?" - -Subsequently, he delivered a lecture on the impossibility of regarding -women-folk as anything like sensible beings so long as they devoted -nearly all their time, and the whole of their thoughts, to fashion. -"You don't find me spending money, and going to shops, and fussing -about, just in order to make myself better looking than I really am." I -answered that, more than once, I had been tempted to call his attention -to the fact. - -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright dashed in soon after mid-day. He had -called, it seemed, at Gloucester Place, and had been sent on to London -Street. - -"A flying visit," he announced to Peter. I was in the back room, -looking once more at my reflection in the mirror. "Tell the lady to -hurry up. Only five days leave, and a thousand and one urgent matters -to see to. Mention that I'm pressed for time, will you." - -He was tall, broad, and middle-aged; very smartly set up, and with, -apart from his quick deportment, the air of a man accustomed to give -orders, and expecting them to be obeyed. This I gained from the first -sight of him over the curtained glass of the door. - -"Miss--Miss Weston, I believe," he stammered. - -"Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright, I think." We shook hands. - -"You'll excuse me," he said, confusedly. "I'm rather taken aback. I -had the notion--forgive me for saying so--that you were somewhat older -than--. What I mean to say is--" - -"I am old enough," I said, "not to tell you how old I am. This is my -brother-in-law, Mr. Millwood. This is my assistant, Peter. What do you -think of the shop?" - -"Fine," he declared, with enthusiasm. "A1. Top hole. First class. -Anyone can see, with half an eye, that you've got good taste. You know -what to select, you do." - -"I may point out," chuckled Millwood, "in regard to Mary Weston that -no one has yet taken the trouble to select her." He looked around for -approval of this remark. Nobody laughed. - -"Oversights will happen in this world," said the visitor. "We find them -even out in France." - -"In my view," contended Millwood, "this war isn't being conducted in -the manner that it ought to be carried on. Blunders have been made -which seem to me most 'ighly reprehensible. Mistakes occur which ought -to have been foreseen." - -"I can tell you the reason," said the Quartermaster-Sergeant. "The -reason is a very simple one. It's mainly because you are not out there. -And now," to me, briskly, "what about lunch? Can you spare half an hour -to come and have something to eat with me?" - -"I can spare an hour and a half," I answered, "to take you along to the -Ship, and get you to take a meal with me." - -"But my motive for calling on you was to repay you in some measure -for--" - -"You're wasting your breath," interposed Millwood. "I've knowed her -longer than what you have, and I can tell you, in strict confidence, -that when Mary Weston has made up her mind, dynamite by the ton won't -move her." - -We walked towards the riverside, and the Quartermaster-Sergeant -congratulated me on the fact that I was one of the few women he had -met who could keep in step with him; he called my attention in Nelson -Street to the difficulty encountered by tall soldiers who walked with -short girls, and never succeeded in coming to an agreement concerning -gait. Cartwright was a shade taller than myself, but I noticed, by the -reflection in shop windows that my new hat made us appear to be of -almost equal stature; two women, near the entrance to the market, gazed -at us and said in duet, "Them's a fine-made couple, and no mistake." - -It is not for me to dictate or advise other members of my sex who may -find themselves in like circumstances, but I do feel sure, in looking -back, that I did the wise thing in providing Cartwright with a good -meal, and one served up in environments calculated to impress him. He -had some doubts whether a N.C.O. would be allowed to enter the dining -room; I interrogated the head waiter who said, re-assuringly, that, -bless his heart, all the old nonsense had long since been dismissed; he -pointed out a couple of brothers seated at a corner table, one a Staff -Officer and the other a Private in the H.A.C. So I piloted Cartwright -to chairs near the window where we faced each other, and could gain a -view of the river with its bend towards Woolwich, and there gave orders -in a manner intended to show composure, and no doubt exaggerated into -sharp authority. - -"I can see with half an eye," said Cartwright, admiringly when he had -placed his cap on a hat peg, "that you're well used to this sort of -thing. I'm not. I'm new to it. And if I make any blunders, you must -just give me a quiet reminder to think of what I am doing." - -"Providing you don't think of what you're doing," I declared, "you -won't find the leastest trouble. For my part, I wish I knew what to -call you. I can't say 'Mister' to a soldier, and Quartermaster-Sergeant -seems such a mouthful." - -"What about calling me 'George?'" - -He discovered, half-way through the meal, that our first names were -those of the King and the Queen, and we pretended that we lived at -Buckingham Palace, and talked of giving a few days to Sandringham. The -boy waiter, attending upon us, dropped a plate to the floor on hearing -us speak of our eldest son, the Prince, and the fine work he was doing -out in France; he later induced some of his colleagues, relieved from -distant tables, to come and listen, whereupon we spoke of ordinary -matters, such as increase in the price of vegetables, and reductions in -the motor omnibus service, and an Aunt Maria at Stepney; our juvenile -waiter was told by his elders that over clever kids who tried to play -practical jokes invariably obtained, sooner or later, the reward of a -thick ear. - -"'Pon my word, though," declared Cartwright, "this is an experience -for me. First in regard--if you don't mind me saying so--to a lady's -society, and whilst I am on that topic, I may as well admit that I feel -as though I had known you all my life." - -"I feel that I wish I had known you all my life." - -"Very nicely phrased," he said, approvingly. "Second, in regard to -taking plenty of time over a meal, and having it served up politely -instead of being flung at you. People can say what they like," -contended the Quartermaster-Sergeant, earnestly, "but comfort isn't a -thing to be despised. Out there, all these months, I've dreamt over and -over again, in my waking hours, of a nice little house, Forest Hill -way, and a nice little garden with scarlet runners growing near the -nice little wooden palings, and a nice little wife--" - -"Your ambitions appear to be on a small scale." - -"Don't misunderstand me," he begged. "I don't mean she's got to be -a dwarf. My idea has always been someone about your own height." He -helped himself, with some confusion to enough mustard to serve a -regiment. "Tell me if I'm talking too much," he begged. "I get so much -into the habit of laying down the law that I'm inclined to forget -myself." - -"That doesn't matter," I remarked, "so long as you don't forget me." -I declare I said this only for the sake of keeping the conversation -going: he put his large hand across the table impetuously, and gripped -mine. - -"Don't you ever keep awake at nights," he said, "worrying about that. -I shall recollect this day that we're having together when everything -else has vanished from my memory." - -I think we both recognised that we were travelling faster than the -rules permit; for the remainder of the lunch we were more guarded -in speech. He talked about his father and mother, and I made some -allusions to the Hillier family. It seemed he had the notion that I was -a friend and an equal: he assured me Master John had once spoken of me -in a way to support this, and one could not help feeling it was good -of the lad to convey the impression. George Cartwright had a cigar, -recommended by the head waiter as of a brand smoked by all the nobs, -and I followed the head waiter out of the room, and settled the bill. -The head waiter said, with great heartiness, "Thank you, miss; thank -you very much indeed. Wish there was more like you!" - -I expected--or feared--that George Cartwright would want to hurry off. -Mentioning that his latest recollection of Greenwich Park was connected -with a Sunday School treat-- - -"Lord!" he said, setting his cap at the mirror, "but I've learnt a bit -since those days. And most of it wasn't worth the learning!" - -He suggested that the afternoon was fine enough to excuse a stroll up -the hill to the Observatory. We walked first along the narrow pavement -near the river, came to the old Trafalgar Hotel, now an Aged Merchant -Seamen's Institution, and Cartwright, by request, gave to the old chaps -standing outside, the latest news of the war. Then we strolled towards -the Park. - -I may as well admit that I had never before enjoyed a stroll so much. -It seems a foolish thing for a woman of my years to say, but for the -time the business in London Street mattered nothing, the Hilliers at -Gloucester Place mattered little. One of my customers met us near the -gates of the Park, and rushed at me with an inquiry concerning a Bible -box; I sent her off with a direction to call and see Millwood. At the -top of the hill, and near the edge where green chairs were placed, -we found the elderly couple of the ground floor in Gloucester Place; -they were seated there holding each other's hands, and gazing down -contentedly at children tumbling about on the slope. - -"Miss Weston," said the old gentleman, rising, and saluting with a -sweep of his curly brimmed hat, "it needed only your presence to make -the afternoon entirely charming. Pray do me the honour to introduce me -to your military friend." - -I had no reason to be ashamed of the Quartermaster-Sergeant. Some men, -in his position, and after a good lunch, might have felt inclined to -ridicule the Wintertons; they looked as though they had emerged from -past centuries or stepped from a mantelpiece, and, indeed, they ware -not exempted from comments and criticism of frivolous young people who -went by. But Cartwright listened to Captain Winterton's explanation -of the windings of the river, drawn on the gravel with the point of a -malacca cane, was deferential to the old lady when she spoke of the -highly cultivated society in which she had mixed during early years. -She was careful to make no errors in the various branches of any -genealogical tree. - -"The Admiral," she said, in her precise and leisured way, "perhaps -neither of you knew; he was long before your time. But his eldest -daughter whom you may have met, she, as I need scarcely say, was a most -highly accomplished young woman, playing the harp divinely, and singing -'Juanita' in a manner that caused sensitive hearers to swoon away. She -married a Mr. Todhunter, a most humorous gentleman who used to make -really wonderful puns, and afterwards took to drink. She, as you are -doubtless aware, removed to New Cross, and gave music lessons. The -second daughter, whilst less gifted in music, had a passion for making -woolwork slippers that you seldom encounter nowadays. Everyone said -that she was going to marry a bachelor clergyman of the neighbourhood, -but she ran off with her father's coachman. It chanced that I heard -some of the Admiral's remarks upon this lamentable occurrence, but -not all, because my dear mother intervened and--You didn't have the -privilege of knowing my dear mother, Miss Weston, but it will be a -delight, some fine day, to shew you her tombstone." - -"My love," said Captain Winterton, solicitously. - -"My sweet." - -"Think of your throat," he begged. - -"I was about," remarked the old lady, "to turn up the collar of your -overcoat. We are not yet favoured with the balmy weather associated -with spring. The Quartermaster-Sergeant," she went on, beaming at -Cartwright, "will recall the lines of Mr. Browning that contain an -allusion to the present month." - -Cartwright jerked his head knowingly, and remarked that poetry was very -stimulating if you were but careful not to take too much of it at a -time. - -"My love!" said the Captain, with deference, "Do you think, in all the -circumstances--April afternoon, a highly intellectual audience, and -the surroundings of youth--that you could manage to recite your set of -verses?" - -The old lady protested modestly. She had written them, it appeared, in -the early sixties, and she argued that fashions in poetry changed as -in everything else. We insisted, and she gave, with gesture and a rapt -expression, some lines about trees and bees, and birds and words, and -flowers and bowers; her husband listened eagerly with a hand at ear, -and occasionally prompting her when memory failed. Cartwright and I -ejaculated at the end, "Beautiful, beautiful!" and Captain Winterton -said we might be interested to know that these verses were composed not -many yards away, under an elm which had, most unfortunately, been blown -down in the gale of '81. But he could shew us a still more interesting -feature of the past in the shape of the oak that witnessed his proposal -to the lady whom he now had the honour to call his wife. We had to see -this, and as we left the elderly couple, we heard him say: - -"My love, I never heard you give those lines with greater force and -expression." - -And she remarked: - -"My dear, I hope we didn't bore the young people." - -I took pains to assure the Quartermaster-Sergeant, in walking along -the avenue, that the Wintertons were genuine in their admiration for -each other, and he declared that, of this, he had no doubt. He seemed -rather quiet, and I asked him what he was thinking of; he answered that -it would be many days ere he managed to send the Wintertons out of his -mind. - -"What I mean to say is," he explained, "married all these long years, -and always in each other's company, and still on friendly terms! Why, -it's the greatest achievement that anyone can hope for." I remarked -that the two might be looked upon as exceptions. "Granted," he said, -taking my arm, "but why are they exceptions? There's no good reason why -they should be exceptions. If they can do it, anybody can do it, and a -happy old age ought to become the general rule." - -"Perhaps hasty marriages are sometimes to blame." - -"Ah!" releasing my arm. "Hadn't thought of that. I suppose it's pretty -safe to assume that they are usually a mistake. Glad you reminded me." - -I furnished other reasons, and spoke of the case of Miss Muriel, of -my anxieties concerning the girl. It appeared to me that with her -mercenary views there was, for her, but small prospect of happiness; -the Quartermaster-Sergeant agreed, but pointed out that in this world, -and especially in stirring times like the present, you could never say -for certain what was going to happen. He urged that I should not worry -myself, overmuch, concerning other people. He said that whilst it was -undoubtedly a mistake to concentrate thoughts too much on Number One, -it was certainly possible to err in the opposite direction. - -"Oh, but I'm a manager," I remarked. "That's my job in life." - -"Doesn't follow that there isn't some one who could manage you." - -"Explain yourself." - -An interesting conversation might have taken place, but that a -heated lad came up at this moment, cricket bat in hand, and begging -Cartwright, as a man of years, and moreover possessing military -authority, to come across the heath, and arbitrate on a nice point that -had arisen. The Quartermaster-Sergeant complied at once. It seemed -that the youth, sneaking a run, as he described it, found himself some -yards from the stumps, and the ball coming to the gloved hands of the -wicket-keeper; he thereupon, with great presence of mind, flung his -bat, and this, it was agreed, reached the inside of the crease ere the -bails were knocked off. Cartwright's decision was that the action, -though ingenious, was not sufficient. In his view, the batsman and the -bat had to be reckoned as inseparable. - -"I s'pose, sir," remarked one of the players, "you couldn't stay on and -umpire, could you? It'd mean a great saving of time." - -"If I stay on," said the Quartermaster-Sergeant, loosening belt, and -taking off tunic, "I take a more prominent share in the game. What -about me playing for both sides?" - -"Good old sort!" declared the youngsters. - -"Mary," he begged, "fairest of thy sex, and more intelligent than most, -look after that military property I've thrown down on the grass." - -I should have preferred that we had gone on with our talk, but I knew -enough about men to be aware that, with many, cricket comes ahead of -everything else. Cartwright enjoyed himself. The ground was not too -good, but he bowled well, and took wickets, and made catches, and -when the lads found that he did not propose to take his turn with the -bat, their admiration for him became frank and genuine. And I felt -interested for a time to watch the boyish side of his nature, but only -for a time, and I was not sorry when one of the keepers came along, and -pointed out the date was not sufficiently advanced to make the playing -of the game legal and permissible on open spaces. It looked as though -our walk and our conversation could now be resumed, but the keeper -had two sons out in Flanders and--well, people are very sarcastic at -times about the way women-folk chatter, but when you get men discussing -affairs, it is difficult to guess when they will stop, and not easy -to find a method of arresting the debate. I strolled off, found the -boys, and persuaded them to set up their wickets once more. Returning, -I pointed out to the keeper that his authority was being derided. He -hurried away. - -"Thought you were never going to finish your cackle," I remarked to the -Quartermaster-Sergeant. "What time do you want to be starting for home?" - -"Tired of my company already?" - -"Of course not. Only that there are your parents to be considered." - -"For one day at least," he announced, "I'm going to consider myself. -And you. We're going to a theatre together. A theatre up in town." - -He went on first to choose a play, and arrange about seats; I called -at London Street, where Millwood grumbled at my long absence, and -mentioned that he had never before seen me with such a colour. "Makes -you look like I don't know what!" he declared. "And mind you don't go -getting yourself talked about, Mary Weston. Greenwich is a rare place -for gossip." - -As though I cared! As though any woman would have cared, with the -prospect of going to a theatre, and sitting next to a soldier man, home -on leave, after doing fine work for his country, and soon going out to -do more! - -I could tell you everything about the play, and could give you all -the particulars of the dresses (I did furnish these details the next -day, first to Peter at the shop, and afterwards to Miss Katherine at -Gloucester Place). The incident worth recording here is that when my -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright saw me off at Charing Cross station -that night by the eleven-thirty train, we shook hands through the open -window of the railway carriage, and he promised to see me again before -he went out. And, without saying "By your leave!" or "Hope you don't -object!" or any remark of the kind, he, as the train moved out, kissed -me. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -Millwood felt tremendously gratified because his example in regard to -abstinence from alcohol was followed in high quarters, and he became -from that moment, not only a supporter of royalty, but a man of ideas -regarding the deportment of folk staying at home. He had a row one -evening in a South-Eastern train with a stubborn passenger who argued -that there was no sense in the order concerning the pulling down of -blinds. He ordered a strict method of economy in London Street, and -gave lectures on the subject to Peter who, endeavouring to pass them -on to his own household at Deptford, found himself slapped by a mother -who, a pronounced bungler and a most inefficient person, evidently -considered she had nothing to learn in domestic management. I had to -check Millwood when I found that to new customers he was in the habit -of saying: - -"Now, the question you've got to put yourself, is, not 'Can I afford to -buy this?' but 'Can I manage to do without it?'" - -He did work that met with greater approval from me, in addressing -out-door meetings during the special fortnight of recruiting. I -happened to hear him speak at one of them. A military gentleman of the -Colonel Edgington school stood up, and fiercely denounced the young -men present who had not enlisted; they accepted his thundering attack -with calm. A soldier who had been through Neuve Chapelle offered a -grisly, and, no doubt, exact description of the fight; the youths -shook their heads knowingly as though to indicate that they were far -too wise to run any such risks. Then my brother-in-law stepped up and -told an anecdote in his London accent: they began by laughing at him, -and finished by laughing with him; he kept them amused--I had never -before guessed that he had a sense of humour--for about eight minutes, -and in the last two minutes of his speech, became forcible, strenuous, -pathetic. He pointed to Greenwich Park-- - -"Where your mothers and fathers went sweet-hearting, my lads, years -ago, and where you go sweet-hearting now, and I don't blame you!" - ---And said we were at war that this might remain in our possession. He -sent his arm out towards the river-- - -"Look at British commerce going up and down there, a-carrying food that -keeps me and you from starving!" - -He drew their attention to a double line of children going along under -the control of an assistant mistress from one of the County Council -schools-- - -"It's to protect dear little kiddies like them, my lads, that we ask -you to become soldiers, and prevent the Germans from arriving here!" - -Twenty young men walked up to the Recruiting Sergeant when Millwood -ended his address: the band played "The Red, White and Blue," grown-up -folk--and I was amongst them--gave signs of tears. - -News of air raids did something to back up and support the arguments -of my brother-in-law. The attacks came for the most part at night, -and generally over the East coast, but an enemy's aeroplane appeared -once, at mid-day, near Faversham in Kent. We were alarmed at Gloucester -Place, because Miss Muriel--taking every advantage of any opportunity -to get away from Greenwich, and from her people--had gone there to -visit acquaintances and (as she told me frankly) in the hope of finding -some eligible husband. A relative of the family, she added, a man who -had gained a fortune in the United States, was shortly coming home for -a holiday. Miss Muriel gave his name. I was curt with her, but when the -news came about the attack over Faversham, I felt sorry I had been so -outspoken. On discovering from the journals that no damage had been -done, I wished I had been more candid and abrupt with her. But I sent -her something for her birthday. - -The _Lusitania_ was sunk by an enemy's torpedo early in May, and it -is referred to here because it had some effect upon a member of the -Hillier family. In the absence of Miss Muriel, everything was going -comfortably at Gloucester Place. It often happened that I was not -called upon there to do any sort of work in the whole course of a day. -Mrs. Hillier seemed to find a pleasure in carrying out the duties of -the household during the week; on Sundays she and her husband took -short trips together, either up the river, or out into the country, -leaving me to look after Miss Katherine and Master Edward; an easy task. - -Everybody can remember the afternoon that news of the sinking of the -big liner arrived, and not many people will ever forget the manner in -which the information reached them. I had been to a sale at Blackheath -where the auctioneer's announcement suggested the possibility of -finding bargains, and after giving a couple of hours to the big house, -I found there was nothing that justified a nod of the head from me; -the owner of the place had been taken in, right and left, and an agent -of my acquaintance, in referring to him, and to their earlier dealings -with each other, expressed regret that there were so few mugs of the -kind left nowadays. I walked quickly across the heath to get rid of the -annoyance created by the waste of time; the feeling had not disappeared -as I went down the slope of Lewisham Hill. Outside the news-agent's -shop at the foot was the staggering placard. Folk stood around gazing -at it. One or two said hopefully that it was nothing but a catch-penny. - -"Lot of use having a Press Bureau!" they remarked, with bitterness. -"These papers are all out on the make, and, seemingly, it's no one's -business to stop 'em." - -The next morning, full confirmation arrived. The ship had been -torpedoed off the western coast of Ireland. Many well known people were -aboard, and as I glanced down the passenger list, one name struck me -as being familiar, but, at the time I could not place it. Mrs. Hillier -came, in great haste, to the shop, bringing a telegram from Faversham. -"Is Muriel with you?" it said. I took charge of the task of sending -the negative reply, and assured her there was no cause for anxiety; it -probably meant some temporary confusion or misunderstanding that would -be cleared up ere the day was out. But, being by no means so confident -as my words, I rushed off directly that Mrs. Hillier had gone, taking -my chance of trains, and finding myself lucky in this respect. I was -at Faversham by two o'clock, and I caught the three-three back to -Victoria. It was an express, and in view of the information I was -taking home, I wished it had been a slow train. - -"She left that house this morning," I informed Mrs. Hillier. "Here is -the note she placed on the hall table. And you must try not to be upset -about it, ma'am, because nearly everything comes right if you do but -allow enough time." - -"Read it, Weston," she begged, piteously. "Trouble seems to be all -around us, and it has got into my bones, and into my eyes." - -The slip of paper in Miss Muriel's handwriting had evidently been -written in haste. It announced that she was tired of encountering -disaster, and in no mood to receive condolences. "I am doing the -vanishing trick. Explain to my people. Tell Weston not to make a fuss." - -All the particulars gained from the girl's friends, I supplied to -Mrs. Hillier. The nephew of the family, whose name and fortune had -been mentioned by Miss Muriel, had taken a berth on the _Lusitania_ -at New York; he wrote beforehand to say that his aunt's allusion to -Miss Hillier's impending visit induced him to accelerate his voyage -home. American girls, he added, were too independent. Although he had -become naturalised in the United States he was sufficiently English to -recognise this. He held pleasant memories of Miss Hillier, and trusted -she had not forgotten him. The lady at Faversham--she seemed to be one -of the few remaining experts in match-making, and her disappointment -at the upset of her plans was even keener than her sorrow at the loss -of a nephew--assured me Miss Muriel had taken an enthusiastic share -in the preparations for his arrival; had composed an affectionate -and welcoming telegram to be sent by the family to Liverpool; had -assured the aunt that a good marriage was the one piece of fortune she -particularly desired. "A sweet, ingenuous, simple nature," the aunt -remarked to me, with emotion. "The very child for a romantic episode. -Really she might have stepped out of a novel." I could not help -thinking that our Miss Muriel had surely worked hard and industriously -in order to succeed in conveying this impression. - -"Had the dear girl any money with her?" inquired Mrs. Hillier -anxiously. "You didn't remember to find out." - -"I found out everything there was to be discovered, ma'am. She had a -postal order for ten shillings which her father had sent her for her -birthday." - -"And that was all?" - -"And one for two pounds that I sent her on the same occasion. She -changed them this morning at the local post office. At the station, -they could give me no particulars; she was not known by sight to any -of the officials there. The local police are going to make inquiries. -On the way from Victoria just now, I put an advertisement into the -newspaper she was most likely to see, asking her to communicate with -me." - -"I might have guessed," said Mrs. Hillier, gratefully, "that you would -do all that was possible. But she is a queer child, and I wish I could -tell what is likely to happen to her." - -It was just because Miss Muriel had always behaved differently from -anyone else that I felt anxious. All the same, I declared to Mrs. -Hillier that it was impossible to share her fears; I spoke of Miss -Muriel as a rather spoilt young lady who would very quickly resent -the discomforts she encountered, and, the two pounds ten gone, we -might expect her to ring the bell at Gloucester Place, and demand -to be fussed over, and treated as though she had acted courageously -and with shrewd common sense. There was no music from the pianoforte -that evening. I went up to my rooms, at the top of the house, as -early as convenient, leaving a thoughtful family group to discuss -the matter. To detach myself from worry, I wrote a long letter to -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright. In his last pencilled note, he had -explained that his father, taken ill on the second day of Cartwright's -leave, required his attention during the rest of the time, and he -seemed to hint that I might have some excuse for feeling annoyed at not -seeing him again. My letter was calculated to re-assure him. I asked -for the address of his people, and promised, when this came, to call -and see them. It can be added that the part of Cartwright's note which -gratified me the most came at the end where three crosses had been -drawn, small enough to be over-looked unless one was searching for them. - -My intention was to give my full time to the job of discovering Miss -Muriel. The advertisement appeared, and in answer to it, I received a -card from her, postmarked London, N.W., bearing nothing more than three -words-- - -"Quite all right!" - ---And I should have made an effort to search the postal district -indicated--although, as I knew, it included Kentish Town, and -Hampstead, and Cricklewood, and all sorts of distant places--but for -the fact that I was suddenly bound, hand and foot, to London Street. -Millwood left, and in the circumstances one could not blame him for -leaving. His effective talk at recruiting meetings had been noticed -by the authorities, and he received an offer that excited him, and -gave him enormous gratification; he bustled around before leaving -for the tour in the manner of a junior clerk starting for his first -holiday. One speech, they told him, would be all that was needed, and -this speech was to be delivered in the Midlands, up in the North, -and, in fact, wherever he was instructed to go. So Millwood--when I -had chosen a new suit for him, and selected a new hat, and made him -look fairly respectable, without suggesting prosperity--Millwood went -off, and on the top of this, Peter's mother came from Deptford, and -with a preliminary announcement that she intended to behave herself in -a lady-like manner, asked what the blazes I meant by paying her boy -twelve adjective shillings a week, when, at the Arsenal, he could be -earning untold gold, and thus save his poor father from the necessity -of going out to work. She described my origin as German, and warned me -to look out for an attack on the shop; I stopped the shouted tirade -by handing to Peter the wages due, and advising him to follow his -extraordinary parent. - -"I don't want to go with her, miss," he pleaded. "I'm very comfortable -where I am." - -"That," said Peter's mother, to her reflection in a mirror, "that is -what your modern child has come to. That's one of the consequences of -them 'aving a education. That's the result of waiting on 'em, hand and -foot, and struggling for 'em, tooth and nail, and stinting yourselves -so as they should live on the fat of the land. A nicely managed world," -she added, bitterly, "that, I must say." - -"It's bad enough," argued Peter, "to have to go home there at nights, -and find the old man blind to the world, and called upon to make the -beds myself, because she's too lazy to attend to them." - -Peter's mother called Heaven as a witness on her behalf, declaring that -Heaven knew, better than neighbours or relatives, or friends, how she -had laboured morning, noon, and night, working her fingers to the bone, -and becoming a mere slave in her desire to bring up her boy as a credit -to herself, and a model for all other youngsters. - -"I shall run off on my own, mind you," Peter warned her, "jest as soon -as ever I can!" - -I dismissed the incident from my thoughts, but one remark offered by -the Deptford woman came back when mobs began to smash windows of shops -owning names which gave a foreign hint of other nationalities. They -were not too particular, and, starting with confectioners and bakers -where the origin was possibly Teutonic, they extended the sphere of -their operations. The _Lusitania_ affair had saddened some people, -impressed many, and excited a few: it was the few who set out during -the day, and occasionally of an evening, to enjoy revenge, and to give -themselves the luxury of committing reckless damage. In High Street, -Deptford, there were at least a dozen shops with not a sound piece of -glass in anyone of them; from the upper floors, blinds and curtains -bulged out of empty windows, and carpenters were engaged in nailing -up a wooden protection. There followed stories of the rioters helping -themselves to any article of domestic furniture which appealed to their -fancy. There came rumours of the paying off of grievances against -shopkeepers who had incurred unpopularity by requesting the settlement -of accounts. The mob, it was stated, preferred to throw stones at -establishments where no man was in charge. - -"You can get on without me," I said to Mrs. Hillier. "For the time I -must look after myself. I don't intend to leave London Street, for a -moment, day or night." - -"We must find some one to stay with you, Weston, and help to protect -the shop." - -"Mr. Hillier is too old, and Master Edward is too young. Besides, I -know as well as you do that they are both scouring London, every spare -minute they've got, trying to find Miss Muriel. If it wasn't for this -bother I should be helping them." - -"Wish one knew when the dear girl was likely to come back." - -"She'll be running short of money pretty soon now," I mentioned, -encouragingly. - -"That is the time," said Mrs. Hillier, with a shiver, "I am fearing -more than any other." - -A cheery letter came in Master John's writing, dated from Darmstadt, -and headed with a number and a company and a baraque, with the long -German word, "Kriegsgefangenenlager," that went across the entire -breadth of the sheet of note-paper. His leg was getting better, he -wrote; he was receiving our parcels; he hoped we would write often; -the German doctors had been good to him; he sent his love to all, and -especially to Weston. "Ask Muriel to send me some books," he added, -"and to write on each that it contains nothing concerning the war. -'Dieses Buch enthaelt nichts ueber den gegent waertigen Krieg.' Muriel -well knows the kind of volumes to select. And she might include a -German grammar, and any of my old school books in the same language. -Tell Muriel that I managed to bring her photograph through safely, -although I lost many treasures, and it is now smiling at me as I write. -I am glad to have her for company." - -The news made us feel slightly more tolerant concerning our enemies, -but the shadow remained at Gloucester Place. The earlier suspense -concerning Master John had been sufficiently trying, but that was -one of the events of war, and many families had been called upon to -endure a like experience; the tension concerning Miss Muriel seemed -an undeserved and an extravagant suffering. From Mrs. Hillier down to -Master Edward, the entire group became older, graver, more subdued. -Miss Katherine made an effort to brighten the atmosphere by giving an -imitation of senior clerks at the bank. - -"Regarded as an entertainment, Weston," she remarked, aside, "a -pronounced and dismal failure." - -"We're on the toughest job we've had, up to the present," I agreed. "A -pity we can't all get away for a holiday." - - * * * * * - -A Continental Railway Guide had not been issued since August of '14, -but a copy of this date had been brought on from Chislehurst, and I -recall that one wet evening at Gloucester Place, when a desperate -suggestion was made by Edward that we should all take the bull by -the horns, and go to the Picture Palace (this was not seconded, and -therefore fell to the ground), then Katherine recommended we might -start on the trip which had been cancelled by events. It was decided, -in order to avoid delay and trouble, to take the old services, -and--the crossing satisfactorily accomplished on a smooth Channel, -with everyone on deck, and protesting against the building of a Tunnel -as unnecessary--at Calais, Mr. Hillier's counsel was adopted, and by -the aid of the Guide we visited one or two places that had become -conspicuous. We found that, according to the book (which we trusted) -Ypres was "an interesting, clean old town," and that Zeebrugge was "a -fashionable and secluded sea-side resort; restful and quiet." The Guide -added to the list of attractions at Zeebrugge the word "shooting." -Taking up the journey on the main line, we travelled to Paris, and -stayed a night at the Continental in the rue de Rivoli, but dined out -previously at a restaurant in the Avenue de l'Opera, where the meal was -really admirable. Nothing could have been better. Unambitious perhaps, -but adequate. The selection of dishes was left to me, and I ordered the -following: - - _Tortue Claire au Marsala._ - _Saumon bouilli._ - _Cotelletes d'Agneau._ - _Pointes d'Asperges._ - _Jambon d'York._ - _Caille rotie._ - _Bombe glacee._ - -The train for Pontarlier left at rather an early hour, but with -Continental travel, one has to be prepared for some inconvenience, and -we were at the P.L.M. station in good time, and Mr. Hillier (at the -hearthrug in Gloucester Place, and in charge of the Guide) had managed -to reserve a compartment, and despite the crowded state of the train, -our comfort suffered no interference. There were places of importance -to be looked out for on the way, and the Guide was disinclined to allow -us to miss any of them, but we did miss some because Mrs. Hillier (from -her arm-chair near the window) said the great thing was to arrive at -Lausanne, and get along to Territet. Territet, said Mrs. Hillier, was -a good centre for the making of excursions. It was important, declared -Mrs. Hillier, that being in Switzerland, one should see all there was -to be seen. I took charge of the meal at Territet. A light repast made -up of - - _Poulet roti._ - _Langue de Boeuf._ - _Pate de Pigeon._ - _Gelee a l'orange._ - _Anchois en croute._ - -The first trip was to Champery by steamer up the lake, passing by -the Castle of Chillon, and at Bouveret, on the opposite side, we -took the train for Monthey. From Monthey by electric railway through -Trois-Torrents and Val d'Illiez. We liked Champery. We thought highly -of the rock galleries. We gave a word to the Cascade de Bonaveau. -Returning to Territet, I was called upon to order dinner; pleading that -invention demanded a rest, I advised that we should take the table -d'hote meal. - -On the other days--each occupying not more than ten minutes--we went by -the funicular up to Glion, and Caux, and the Rochers de Naye; by train -to Bex and by the electric railway to Villars (4,250 feet up) and the -lunch taken at the Hotel Muveran, by special and particular arrangement -with the management, was as follows: - - _Tortue verte en tasse._ - _Truite saumonee._ - _Poussin de Hambourg._ - _Biscuit glace._ - _Canape Favorite._ - -My companions regarded this as one of my lesser triumphs, and were -frank enough to say so. "You've left out the meat," complained Edward -(from the music-stool). I declined, on artistic grounds, to make any -alteration. There followed a move to Chamonix where we at first stayed, -I think, at the Hotel de Paris, but found it over-run by visitors, -and we transferred ourselves instantly--no harm in being snobs in -theory--to another establishment. And we visited the Glacier des -Bossons and showed a proper interest in the Glacier "where the remains -of Captain Arkwright were found in 1897, after being entombed in the -ice for thirty-one years," and we went up La Flegere, and to the Gorge -de la Diosaz, and to the Montanvert Hotel where the meal was too good -to be omitted here. (The considerable advantage of these travels of -the imagination was that one could always order anything, in season or -out.) - - _Hors d'Oeuvres varies._ - _Langouste Parisienne._ - _Coeur de filet de boeuf._ - _Poulet en casserole._ - _Asperges vertes en branche._ - _Dessert._ - -We did Zermatt pretty thoroughly, and then Mrs. Hillier (glancing at -the clock on the mantelpiece), pointed out that time was getting on. -Edward and Katherine protested, Mr. Hillier offered no opinion, and I, -answering a direct question, declared I was in no hurry to find myself -home at Greenwich again. So we rested for a few days at Lausanne, and -lunched once at a large hotel in considerable grounds at Ouchy, where -we, most fortunately, met several English people whom we had always -wished to encounter; Mr. Rudyard Kipling (chatty and communicative), -Mr. Lloyd George (who promised to do something on Edward's behalf, -later on), the editor of a London journal (knowing John Hillier well, -and ready to give notices of his songs), Mr. J.R. Mason (who gave us -several interesting and little known facts concerning first-class -cricket). I fancy that these and others were our guests at the lunch; -expense was naturally of no object. This was the meal I ordered, -pleading now that on the return journey, one should be reckoned exempt -from the task. Edward begged that, in these circumstances the details -might be solid and satisfying, the repast one--in his phrase--that you -could get your teeth into. I give a copy of the menu card:-- - - _Petite Marmite._ - _Supreme de Sole._ - _Noisettes de pre-Sale._ - _Pommes._ - _Volaille en cocotte._ - _Salade de Saison._ - _Aubergines au gratin._ - _Peches Melba._ - -Mrs. Hillier was definite, after this, in ordering that the trip should -be considered at an end, that the game of imaginary travel should -finish, and I left the room to prepare the evening meal for the family. -It consisted of cold ham, cheese and lettuce. - - * * * * * - -I had put up the shutters one evening, and I was in the room at the -back of the shop, when the booming came of distant voices. I ran -upstairs and, without turning on the light, gazed out, and caught sight -of the Deptford crowd. There was a good deal of incoherent shouting, -with bass notes from the men, shrill voices of the women; one carried -a flag, and boys knocked at anything that could be reckoned as a -substitute for a drum. A ring came from downstairs; I assumed it to -be only the lad with the evening newspaper, and if it happened to -be anybody else, I was certainly not going to open the door. As the -crowd came nearer, I could see Peter's deplorable mother in the front -ranks; she was gesticulating wildly and screaming an instruction. They -made some effort to range up near to my shop. A few constables were -about and one was sent off, at full speed, to the police station. As -I watched, I saw young Peter dash up and catch hold of his mother; he -pushed her along, and once he had got her on the run, it was not long -before the two disappeared. More names were being shouted now, and some -of the excited people, to my relief, began to move; at that moment I -heard a cracking of wood downstairs, and it appeared certain to me that -my shop, with all the valuable articles I had selected so carefully, -was about to be smashed and ruined as evidence of the patriotism of the -wreckers. Footsteps came on the staircase. - -"Hullo," said a husky voice. "All in the dark? War time economy?" - -I kept very quiet. - -"Surely," the voice went on, "you've got a kiss for me?" - -I struggled fiercely as arms went around me. The lights in the road -were suddenly turned on, and I found myself giving a bang, with the -flat of the hand, on the head of my own dear nephew. - -"A fracas in London Street," cried Herbert, amusedly, on seeing my -apologetic distress. "Well known resident in assault case. How the -warrior boy was welcomed home." - -"Herbert," I said, "if I had only guessed it was you--" - -"You ought to be out in Flanders," he declared. "Strong fighters are -just what we need. But you're trembling, aunt. What's wrong?" - -"I'm afraid of these rough people out in the roadway." - -He lighted the gas, and throwing up the window, leaned out. The crowd, -recognising a soldier, cheered, and somebody started one of the popular -airs. Three mounted policemen moved their horses sideways, and the mob -surged off. - -"Thought you'd got more nerve, aunt," said Herbert. - -"I always use to have plenty," I declared. "But, just lately, my stock -seems to shew signs of giving out." - -"For any special cause?" - -It was not necessary to load him up with troubles directly that he -arrived. To a challenge about meals, Herbert admitted that he felt -peckish. To another inquiry, made as I found the grill, and started the -fire, he explained that he had managed to enter the shop by the device -of putting one shoulder against the door, and forcing the lock to give -way. - -"Corporal Millwood," I remarked at the fire-place, "of the Guards is -a very different lad from Herbert Millwood who used to pore over his -lessons, and get bible-backed and gain scholarships." - -"Sergeant Millwood," he said, drawing himself more upright than ever. -"Sergeant Millwood, if you please." - -I had not observed the extra stripe. "You'll be an officer soon, my -dear," I said. - -"There happens to be a special reason," he confessed, colouring, "why I -should like to get a commission. By-the-bye, now are all the Hilliers? -And how's the dad trundling along?" - -I told him of his father's new engagement. Herbert, seated at the -table, so soon as the meal was ready, could not help breaking off in -conversation to return to the subject. - -"Fancy the old chap holding such a good hand of trumps!" - -"And doing more work for his country, I'll be bound, than many a Staff -Officer." - -"And the last time I heard him speak in public, he was arguing that we -ought to abolish the army and reduce the navy." - -Presently, he asked a serious question. "How does he manage about his -aitches?" - -"It's my belief," I declared, "that half of his success is due to the -fact that he doesn't bother in the least concerning them." - -Herbert, on the way to the base, had, it appeared, met the -Quartermaster-Sergeant; he said that Cartwright spoke, with enjoyment, -of the first day of his leave, and insisted upon giving all the -details, excepting (I was relieved to find) the last incident at -Charing Cross. Herbert said that Cartwright was a good man at his -job--which I could well believe--and one of the toughest and sternest -N.C.Os. in the British army--which seemed to me incredible. Herbert -wished to spend the days of his leave at Greenwich, and I went off to -air his father's bed for him. - -"Whilst I think of it," he said, when I returned. He was about to put -a match to his briar pipe, but held it free of the tobacco whilst he -spoke. "Did I ask you how Miss Muriel was, or did I, perhaps, only mean -to do so?" - -I told him all that happened, described the anxiety we were all -experiencing; the match burned down to his finger, but he did not -appear to observe the fact. I said Mr. Hillier went up to town each -evening, after his work at the Arsenal, and walked, at a swift rate, -about different quarters of London in the attempt to find his elder -daughter. That Master Edward had supplied officials on his railway -with a copy of Miss Muriel's photograph, and an urgent appeal that -they would keep a good look-out. That Miss Katherine, in all of her -spare time from the bank, made inquiries at girls' clubs, and homes, -and associations. That the one card received by me was written in a -confident manner, and that I was still hoping. - -"Still hoping?" he echoed, rather sharply. "No use in doing that. -Plenty of folk are still hoping in regard to the war, and doing -precious little else." He found his cap, and put it on: looked around -for his great-coat. - -"Where are you going, Herbert, my dear?" - -"Going to try to find her," he answered. "If she's lost, I don't care a -hang what becomes of me!" Within two minutes he had gone. - -The extraordinary thing, from my point of view, was that I, reckoning -myself a woman who took notice of everything that went on around me, -should have omitted to notice that my nephew was in love, should have -had no sort of idea that he was in love with Miss Muriel. I wished -I had taken the opportunity to tell him of the girl's defects; her -indifference to everyone but herself, her ever-changing projects, her -frank intention of marrying money, the circumstance that she alone, -out of all the members of the Hillier family, had allowed the war to -have no effect upon her. But when I considered this, it became clear -that nothing I said would have made any alteration, so far as Herbert -was concerned. If someone had called at the shop and mentioned that -Cartwright had killed three wives, and was now liable to a charge of -bigamy, it is probable I should have contented myself with the remark -that at any rate he was a well-spoken and a good-looking man. And -this in no way means that love is blind. On the contrary, love uses -eye-glasses which have the ability to exaggerate all the virtues of the -person looked at, and to minimise all the defects. - -A postcard arrived from Herbert on the last day of his leave: it was -headed Victoria Station, and it had been written with an indelible -pencil. - -"Have not discovered her. Good-bye. Please send me news." - - * * * * * - -I had little time to enjoy the pleasures and amenities of Greenwich, -but I saw enough of the borough to assure myself that, despite an -air of increasing age, it was not without its attractions. There was -always the riverside with the pier and arriving and departing steamers, -ships going up and down, and a walk to be taken along the narrow -railed passage from King William Street to Park Row, and, at low tide, -bare-legged youngsters playing on the beach, or larking with the high -and dry boats. There was the market, off Nelson Street, where those of -us who were economically minded made selections and effected bargains. - -I recall, in particular, a Sunday afternoon of May when the Park -gave me a special comfort of mind. The week had been a trying one. -The _Lusitania_ shock had not passed off, a question of re-arranging -the Cabinet was in the air, and local politicians shook their heads, -and, making groups near the Baths corner of Royal Hill, discussed -the matter gravely; the London tram-strike was still on; one or two -journals were making an attack on Kitchener; up in the north there -had occurred the worst railway accident that ever happened in Great -Britain, with two hundred of the Royal Scots killed; a two days' list -of casualties from the front contained over three thousand names; -the Germans were using new methods, and we had lost some ground near -Ypres; there had been naval disasters, and a wooden tip-cat, driven by -an energetic child with a stick, had caught me just under the eye. I -went out of Gloucester Place where sun-blinds had been fixed on the -balconies, and entered the Park by the Crooms' Hill gate that enabled -one to avoid the at times over-crowded lower part. The pink hawthorn -was in full blossom, yellow laburnum was at its best, chestnut trees -were candelabraed with white, and, in the enclosure at the foot of -the Observatory Hill, wild grasses stood thick and high. The inclined -roadway took me to the tea-house, where, inside the tall railings, folk -sat at tables in the shadow of trees, and watched the friendly sparrows -that hopped about on the close-shaven lawn. There, it was possible on -that Sunday afternoon to forget about the war (on week-days there came -the boom of testing of guns at Woolwich to remind, and the hurrying -to and fro of Red Cross vans, and the War Department motor lorries). -There, one could gaze north and see nothing but the calm sky; at the -end of the Avenue the Park took a sudden dip, and landscape was out -of sight. Captain and Mrs. Winterton came in at the gate as I was -at my second cup; folk commented on their odd appearance, and young -women giggled, but to me it seemed that the surroundings fitted them -appropriately. - -"Miss Weston," said the old gentleman, in his courteous way, "you are -enjoying solitude, and we will not permit ourselves to intrude upon -your thoughts." - -"I happened," I remarked, "to be thinking of nothing at all." - -"A fortunate state," he declared. "I discover, in my own case, that a -slight effort is needed to effect this." - -"The terrible war, sir--" - -"My love!" Turning to his wife. "Shall we tell her? I think she would -be interested to know? We can regard Miss Weston as a friend." - -"Do as you think best, dear," said the old lady. - -He gave orders to the waitress, and taking me across to the railings, -pointed with his malacca cane. "Under that tree," he whispered, -confidentially, "in the month of May and in a year that was long, -long before you, dear madam, graced the world with your presence, I -proposed marriage to the lady who is now Mrs. Winterton!" He stepped -back two paces, and gazed at me; I (for the second time) gave the look -of surprise that was expected. Captain Winterton offered his arm, and -we returned to his wife. She nodded pleasantly to indicate that I might -now reckon myself amongst the privileged few, and inside the circle of -friends. - -In the Wilderness at the south end of the Avenue, sweet smelling -azaleas welcomed one, and the imposing rhododendrons were at the summit -of their pride; in a week or two they would lose colour, and come down -in the world, but on this afternoon they were wealthy aristocrats. -Young couples sat about, declining to disengage hands when older folk -approached, and the sight made me think that I might perhaps have -cultivated romance, and thus have rendered my life the happier. The -gates to Blackheath, and there, after the shade of the Park was a -sun-illuminated space, so extensive that, but for the distant houses -on the borders, it would have been easy to imagine oneself in the -country. The heath furnished a slight breeze that invigorated, and I -walked along Dover Road to Shooters' Hill, turned and came down into -Blackheath village, took Belmont Hill to the Obelisk, and so home by -Lewisham Road and South Street. By the time I arrived, I had forgotten -to worry about the absence of sentiment from my current life; a Sunday -evening newspaper boy racing up Royal Hill, brought my thoughts again -to the war. - -I think I was not alone at Greenwich, in owing a debt to the Park. -For the folk in mourning who increased in number each week, church -was perhaps more consoling, and it was significant that even my -brother-in-law, Millwood, no longer jibed at people who attended places -of worship. - - * * * * * - -In looking back, I find it difficult to understand how it happened that -folk managed to keep up an appearance of serenity and composure; I -think there must have been tears on pillows, but nobody showed them to -the world. For one thing, there was the example of the men out at the -front. We all knew, from the start of the war, that they would fight -well; few guessed they would fight so gaily. I used to take cigarettes -and illustrated papers along to the hospital in Greenwich Road, and my -friend, the Sister there, could always introduce some humorist who had -returned grievously wounded perhaps, but rarely so much damaged as to -be deprived of his diverting outlook; the exceptions were to be found -amongst those who suffered from the gas poison first used by the enemy, -and for these the world did seem wanting in attraction. When other -subjects failed, and when the good-tempered men had exhausted jokes -about water-filled trenches, and shells that sent earth into the soup, -and mines that blew up unexpectedly, then there remained the visitors. -These were always well meaning, but they often seemed imperfectly -furnished with openings for conversation. (In my own case, I found that -the carrying of a box of matches, and the offer of it to a patient who -was about to smoke, proved a useful method of starting talk.) - -"Where were you wounded?" was the usual inquiry, and the soldier -could never tell whether the questioner wanted geographical or bodily -information. "I am sure you must be dreadfully keen on getting back -to the fighting line," was a remark that did not always gain an -enthusiastic and affirmative answer. "How we envy you in being able to -take a part in the struggle!" sometimes received a non-committal jerk -of the head; the Sister and the nurses listened later to the comments -on this aspiration. The sentence that remained long in the memory of -the ward was one made by a wealthy woman from Blackheath. She arrived, -with the obvious determination to say the correct, the tactful, the -exactly appropriate word. - -"And what injuries have you sustained, my man?" - -"Well, lady, as you see, I've lost my left arm, and I've got rather an -extensive collection of shrapnel in my right leg." - -"Oh," she remarked, casually, "is that all!" And passed on to the next -bed. The Sister declared that imitations of this visitor were popular -for weeks. - -I think women-folk showed to better advantage in the entertainments -they arranged. There were large houses in the district, possessing -extensive grounds, and parties of convalescent soldiers would be -taken by cars, and a concert provided, and plenty of food, and if the -men were not rendered shy by excessive suggestion of patronage, they -enjoyed the outing, and it counted for restoration to good health. And -some of them must have felt astonished to discover kindness where they -had never guessed that kindness existed; I know, from what certain of -them told me, that they would remember it for the rest of their lives. - -"You can take my word for it, ma'am," said one, impressively. "The -upper classes ain't nearly so black as what they've been painted!" He -ruminated for a while. "Human beings," he went on, "that's what they -are. Human beings, almost as good as the rest of us." - -I felt myself drawn towards the north country-men, who had trouble in -making themselves understood by Londoners, and who became puzzled by -the methods of London speech. Four of these came from Northumberland, -and when they were allowed to go out of an afternoon, they understood -that, if the weather chanced to be erratic, and the Park gave no -welcome, they could make their way to London Street, and rest in my -shop, and look at newspapers, and smoke, and have high tea; the great -attraction offered was freedom to talk amongst themselves with no -interference. As each recovered, he went home on leave, and I treasure -now, more than most things, a sheet of exercise book paper, written by -a child living at South Shields:-- - - "Dear lady, - - Thank you verry much for being kinde to my Daddy, - - Your loving friend, - - Milly." - - - - -CHAPTER X - - -A letter came from my Quartermaster-Sergeant. - - "We have been having a busy time lately. Nothing else but marching - and fighting, and the regiment was in the great attack described - correctly in the London papers of the 15th under the heading of - 'British Check.' But I am pleased to be able to tell you that - another attack has taken place, which proved a huge success, and the - advantage is being followed up at the time of writing. - - "Would you like to send me two re-fills for my electric lamp; address - in the Strand enclosed. It is difficult work to find one's way about - at night on unfamiliar ground. Hope you are keeping well and fit, as - it leaves me at present." - -There was the strike on with the tramway men, and I had to go by rail -to make the purchase. The train went to Cannon Street only, and in -running across there from one platform to another, I nearly came into -collision with Guard Richards who was also in a hurry. - -"Caught sight of your Miss Muriel t'other evening," he called out. - -"Where," I demanded stopping, "and how was she, and what is she doing?" - -William Richards had disappeared through one of the barriers, and did -not hear my question. It was something, however, to know that the -adventurous girl was still alive. - -At the shop in the Strand I put the usual inquiry to the -attendant--"How do you find business?"--and he said he found nothing -to complain about, and I mentioned that I, too, had no cause to -grumble. Hedging slightly, he remarked that he felt sorry that in the -old days, before the war, he had devoted so much time and money to a -favourite hobby; his wife--"She's got a bitter way of talking when -she likes!"--aided and encouraged by her mother, never failed, it -appeared, to hold him up to ridicule of an evening when he returned -home, to take supper. I had given a few vague words of sympathy, and -the counsel to take no notice, and was leaving when he happened to say -that anybody who once began to collect old furniture was considered -by non-collectors as on the road to Colney Hatch. Within ten minutes, -I had promised to wait for him near the post office, and journey -northwards in order to look at his stock, and to see whether I felt -inclined to make an offer, and take the whole lot off his hands. There -would have been less celerity over the early part of the transaction -but that, as I explained to him, it was rarely I found myself so near -to his district, and, as he explained to me, he had, to appease his -wife and her relatives, given the assurance that he was taking active -steps to get rid of the articles which crowded the rooms. On the way, -he suddenly expressed the wish that I had been a member of his own sex. -He did not know what his wife would say when she found he had brought a -lady, unknown to her, into the house. He expressed the view that if the -Zeppelins ever dared to come over London, they would receive from her -as good as they gave. - -The wife quickly informed him of her attitude in regard to my visit. So -soon as he opened the front door of his house with his latch key, and -immediately that she heard my voice, she ordered the two maids to go -upstairs. Herself conducted us into the drawing-room. - -"I've been anticipating this," she said, tearfully, "and I fully -recognise, David, that I'm partly responsible. I've got a jealous -disposition, and I expect it will be my curse and companion to the -very end of my life." - -"Miss Weston has come here--" he began. - -"I know!" interrupted his wife, finding her handkerchief. "I quite -understand, and the fewer words we exchange on the subject, the better. -Perhaps if there had been children, it might have been different. Very -likely if I had been more tactful in speech, this terrible business -could have been put off for a while. Think as kindly of me as you can, -David." - -"I always do, my dear, and--" - -"No," she contradicted, with a show of truculence. "I'm not going to -allow you to say that. I am ready to take my just share of the blame, -but not more. You know as well as I do that I stand very low in your -estimation, compared for instance with that Oliver Cromwell chair you -picked up somewhere in Essex three years ago. I needn't tell you that -you love that gate table in the next room with a devotion you never -gave to me, even in the early days of our acquaintance. It's been a -hideous blunder, David, this marriage of ours, and now that you have -taken a definite proceeding by bringing another woman into the house--" - -"What a foolish person you are!" I exclaimed. - -"Don't you dare speak to me," she ordered. "David I am sorry for, but -you I consider beneath my estimation. Heaven knows by what tricks and -dodges you have succeeded in weaving your mesh around him." - -"My dear," said her husband, "this lady and I have met this evening for -the first time." - -"That makes it worse, David. But I always suspected you were really -fond of tall women, and I cannot be blind to the fact that I am short -and stout. I only hope--" - -I managed to induce her to cease talking after a while, and, in a few -sharp words, described the reason of my visit. The strange thing was -that so soon as I had forced her to comprehend this, her annoyance -with her husband knew no bounds. Why had he mis-led her in this -preposterous manner? Why was he never so happy as when inducing his -poor wife to make herself a laughing stock? As to the furniture, she -felt by no means inclined to allow it to go. Any allusions she had made -in the past were given, she declared, more for the purpose of keeping -up genial conversation than anything else. Certainly, she did not -propose to have the house emptied of half its contents, bought mainly -with her cash, in order to gratify a man who rarely thought of any plan -or scheme likely to make her existence cheerful. - -"Nothing can be done," I remarked to the husband. "It isn't your fault. -I must see about making my way back to Greenwich." - -"I'd like you just to look at my collection," he said. "You're a bit -of an expert, I can tell, and it would be interesting to know what you -think of the purchases I have made during the past ten years. I may -have been taken in over some of them." - -"I can give you fifteen minutes." - -In the list of eccentric people I have met, the lady of this house well -deserves a first place. During the quarter of an hour, her mind went -to every point of the compass. When I said a word in praise of the -half-dozen Hepplewhite chairs, she announced that she would sooner die -than permit anything to be taken out of the house: when I commented -strongly on a faked Sheraton sideboard, she said disconsolately that a -van had better be sent for the rubbish on the following morning. Her -husband was described alternately, as the wisest and shrewdest darling -in the world, and, a moment later, as a drivelling idiot. - -"Don't you think so yourself, ma'am?" she inquired, at one moment. - -"Undoubtedly," I answered. - -It appeared I had carelessly agreed with one of her condemnatory -remarks, and, swirling around, she ordered me to leave the house. Who -was I, she would like to know, to venture to criticise her David? What -did I mean by coming there, a perfect stranger, simply in order to hold -her dear one up to ridicule? The dear one conducted me to the front -door, muttering apologies on the way. - -"Never marry anyone who's got money," he counselled. - -"There doesn't seem to be much of a catch in it." - -"Sorry you have been brought all this way for nothing. You've got a -fine night for your journey home, anyway. Fortunately, you're one of -the sensible people who take no notice of all this wild talk about -air-raids. Mind the steps," he added, counting them as I went down. -"One, two, three; that's right!" - -The first thunderous clamouring bang came as he had nearly closed the -door. He rushed out, caught hold of my arm, and pulled me in. Another -tremendous report sounded as we stumbled over the mat. The two maids -rushed wildly down the staircase and, throwing themselves upon me in a -hysterical manner, babbled questions, begged that I would save them, -urged that I should remain in the house for their protection. - -"There's no danger now," I said. "It's all over. The Zepps are a long -way off by this time. Come into this room, and let us see how your -mistress is taking it." - -The lady of the house had fainted with great promptitude, and the -discovery of some one more considerably affected by the incident than -themselves, restored the girls to composure. Dogs were barking out of -doors, and there was shouting by children; the explosions had awakened -birds in the trees at the back of the road. A fire engine went along, -clanging its bell. - -"I'm all serene," announced the astonishing lady, when she was able -to sit up. "Appear to have taken it much more calmly than the rest of -you. It's a great mistake to let the Germans imagine they can frighten -us. David, give the maids something to drink, and let them go upstairs -again." - -She mentioned, when the others were out of the room, that her people -had always been renowned for their courage, and that it was a -considerable help, in time of need, to feel one had to keep up this -reputation. I remarked that the bombs had fallen near enough to excuse -alarm; for myself, I had no desire for a closer acquaintance. - -"Now that they have come once," she said, complacently, "they will come -again. I shouldn't wonder if they arrived every night, regularly." - -"Cheerful anticipation!" - -"I can always look facts in the face," she remarked. "Nothing daunts -me. I possess the heart of a lion. The word 'fear' has no existence -where I am concerned." She went to the mirror, and beamed at her -reflection. "Do you think he will mind giving up the house?" - -Her husband's return saved me the trouble of guessing at the meaning -of this inquiry. He was ordered to find the A.B.C. and, this done, -accepted, with bowed head, all the responsibility for the circumstance -that no train ever left Paddington for Wallingford after nine-fifty p.m. - -"Then I go there, David," she announced, "early to-morrow, and stay -at a farmhouse until the war is over." She asked me rather anxiously -whether I thought the enemy's airships were likely to get so far as -Berkshire, and, meeting a glance from her husband, I gave the opinion -that the county referred to, might be looked upon as safe. In all -likelihood, the Germans had never heard of it. "My view exactly," she -said. "You will get rid of the house, David, and go into your old -bachelor rooms." - -"But the furniture, my dear?" - -"He has no head for management," remarked the lady to me, -apologetically. "You and I must settle this. Name a figure for all the -old stuff, and the remainder can go to one of the auction rooms." - -Her husband, in seeing me once again, to the front door, mentioned, -with a chuckle, that Zeppelin raids had their drawbacks, but that they -did appear to be capable of solving a domestic problem. - -The circumstance that my journey had not been wasted, in a business -sense, helped me to make my way home cheerfully. There was some -excitement amongst the people travelling, a great deal of interest, and -very little of anything resembling nervousness. One or two who had been -at the moment in underground trains regretted their ill-luck in missing -the sights and the sounds, declaring that this was but a sample of the -misfortune which persistently dogged their footsteps through life, and -the others tried to console them up by prophesying hopefully that the -occurrence would undoubtedly be repeated. No one could have complained -that night of the reticence of the Londoner. Everyone talked to -everybody, and one woman with a basket of groundsel possessed special -information that made her seem richer than any of the rest of us; she -exacted a respect that had, it is certain, not hitherto been paid to -her. All the values were, for a time, disturbed. At Greenwich station -I met Mr. Hillier. He was waiting for Miss Katherine and her brother, -who had gone to a theatre, with orders that had been presented to -Master Edward; some of the invented scraps of news had come by the down -trains, and Mr. Hillier was anxious. He walked the three sides of the -courtyard outside the station, and I remembered the announcement thrown -to me by Richards. - -"Well now," he declared, "that is really something to be grateful for. -Muriel is alive, at any rate. But what I can't understand is, why she -is doing it? I don't see the reason. What induced her to run off?" - -"I think, sir, that she was fed up with everything. I imagine that she -wanted to start afresh." - -"But she might have taken you, Weston, or me, or one of us into her -confidence." - -"Miss Muriel never gave much thought or consideration to other people. -She fixed all her regard upon herself, and for that reason, I feel -pretty sure that she is not likely to come to any harm. There's plenty -of work for girls to do nowadays, and she ought to be taking her share. -But I admit I'd like to know more about what's going on." - -"I had great theories," he remarked, "when I first married about the -bringing up of children. Wonderful theories. Magnificent theories. -And, in the result, the children brought themselves up. With help from -you, Weston. You came along in time to save three of them; if you had -arrived earlier, you might have helped the other one. Don't assume, -because we rarely talk about it, that we forget." - -"Only earnt my wages, sir." - -"I may have taken that view at the time; I see it all more clearly now. -And if you should ever meet any of the maids of the old Chislehurst -establishment, I'd like them to know, Weston, that I appreciated the -services they gave there. I did see one of them on a platform the other -day, and I should have spoken to her, but she and her husband were -travelling first and I was going third." He drew in his breath sharply. - -"You've had a lot to put up with," I remarked, "and, in my opinion, you -have stood it uncommonly well." - -"Don't mind confessing to you, Weston, that at first it took a bit of -doing. Now that I'm in the swing of it, it doesn't require so much -effort. Look at my hands!" They gave evidence of hard work in the -Arsenal. The palms had become hardened; lines were marked darkly; -there was a cut or two, and one finger had the protection of a stall. -"Honourable scars, Weston," he said, rather exultantly. "And there are -some, too, on the mind, that no one can see. Discover from your friend -the guard, so soon as you can, where he caught sight of Muriel. Here -come the other two." - -Miss Katherine and Master Edward arrived in the high state of -excitement that youth can gain from a visit to the play; they were not -greatly interested in my news of the raid, but insisted on telling -their father and me, on the way to Gloucester Place, the plot of the -musical comedy they had seen; a task which made a demand upon their -combined efforts. We found Mrs. Hillier waiting up, with a post letter -addressed to her husband that, as she admitted, she had refrained -from opening only by an effort; I could not help recalling the times -when she would have shown no such consideration. The writing was Miss -Muriel's; we made an eager semi-circle to listen to the communication. - -"I'm sorry," said Mr. Hillier, brokenly, "but I--I can't read it. -Weston, you try." - -Miss Muriel gave no address at the head of the letter, and the wording -had something of the romantic and poetic touch that she always -favoured. Having encountered a railway friend of Weston's who mentioned -that her people were worried and perturbed about her, she was now -sending a line to assure her father that she was well, and in no need -of money. Miss Muriel announced that she had engaged upon the task -of re-forming her character, and did not intend to return home until -this process was completed. She sent love to all, "including dear -fussy Weston." The note contained nothing more, and each of us, in -turn, searched it carefully, and held it up to the light, examined the -envelope. - -"Not much," decided Mr. Hillier, "but better than no news." - -"The dear child is in good health anyway," remarked his wife. - -"The dear child," said Miss Katherine, "might have a little more -consideration for her relatives. If I happen to meet the dear child, -I shall talk to her in the manner that Dutch uncles are supposed to -adopt." - -"'Re-forming her character,'" quoted Master Edward, taking the note -again. "'Re-forming,' with a hyphen. I haven't the slightest idea what -she means. A silly phrase, I call it." - -"She means improving it," I said, quickly. "And I like the tone of -her letter. The handwriting is firmer than it used to be. She's in no -trouble, and that's the great thing." - -"But," argued the lad, frowning, "how is she getting money?" - -"This parcel of mine," I said, changing the conversation, and producing -the articles bought in the Strand, "ought I suppose to go in a wooden -box if it is to travel safely to France." - -Miss Katherine, following my lead, inquired regarding the contents, -and pointed out to the others that Weston was sparing no efforts in -the endeavour to trap and secure the Quartermaster-Sergeant. Going on -with her chaff, she expressed the hope that she herself would never -have to adopt such unworthy means in order to capture the affections -of a male bird. Rather than force gifts upon a coy recipient, Miss -Katherine declared she was willing to remain a spinster with nothing in -the shape of love but a deep and unswerving affection for bank work. -Master Edward, coming in on my side, mentioned that Katherine had lent -her opera glasses that evening to an enamoured youth seated beside her -in the stalls. Miss Katherine declared that the gentleman was in no way -enamoured, that his age was well over seventy, and that she had offered -the glasses with no other motive than that of preventing her brother -from gazing through them absorbedly at a six foot lady on the stage. -The two gave us some of the tunes they had heard, acted one of the -scenes. - -"Bed, children," ordered their mother. "You both have to be up early in -the morning." - -"Shan't feel much inclined to turn out." - -"I'll see to that," I promised. - -Whereupon the young people described me as the curse of the household, -as a woman with an insane craving for breakfast at eight, one devoid of -consideration for anybody under the rank of a Quartermaster-Sergeant. I -put an end to the discussion by taking Miss Katherine in my arms, and -carrying her upstairs as I had often done when she was a small girl; I -threatened to return and perform a like service for Master Edward. - -"Weston," said Miss Katherine, in her room, "joking apart, and speaking -with a full knowledge of the importance of the announcement, let me -tell you in strict confidence, that the hour is not far distant when I -shall not have to depend, for company, upon my respected brother. Of -course we can't insure against war risks, but the outlook, Weston, may -be regarded as hopeful. Decidedly hopeful." - -"When the time comes, miss, I can only hope you will be as happy as you -deserve to be." - -"I am looking forward," remarked the girl, "to being much happier than -that!" - - * * * * * - -Cartwright acknowledged receipt of the package in a long letter written -with such an ineffective pencil that, at first, I did not trouble to -read it to the end; a van, at the moment, was arriving from the north -of London, and the elderly men in charge, explaining that all the -firm's young chaps had enlisted, announced there had been difficulty -enough in loading the furniture; they appeared to regard the task of -discharging it as impossible. Luckily, my brother-in-law, Millwood, -came along: he had some engagements to speak near town, and desired -to take up residence at London Street for a few days. He took off his -coat at once, put on green baize apron, set to work. Sales had been -good at the shop of late, and by a little shifting, and re-arrangement, -space was made. Millwood talked as we engaged upon the job, and I had -difficulty in understanding the trend of his remarks. After a while, -I discovered that he was cultivating alliterativeness in speech, -and, being challenged, he admitted that he found the trick extremely -effective in speaking to audiences. - -"I enjoy myself no end," he remarked, as we carried in an escritoire. -"Generally I'm called upon at the finish, when everybody has just about -had enough of 'igh class talk, and of well-educated chaps saying the -same thing over and over again. I give it to 'em straight from the -shoulder. Definite as a door-knocker. A tornado of truth. An avalanche -of asseverations." - -"And don't they guy you?" - -"In some places, a slight tendency to do this, at the start. But I -tell 'em a pathetic story about a soldier's little daughter, and after -that I can do what I like. I make 'em cry, and I make 'em laugh. The -tribulation of tears, and the deportment of diversion. See what I mean? -And, before I sit down, I turn on the patriotic key, and they shout the -blooming roof half off. Mary Weston, you ought to see the swell ladies -come up afterwards and offer their congratulations." - -"No doubt, a picturesque sight." - -"Sometimes," my brother-in-law went on, chuckling, "sometimes they're -at the railway station to bid me good-bye. Floral tributes. Illustrated -papers. Shaking of hands, and come again soon. Three cheers for Mr. -Millwood. And the other passengers regard me with the envy of--" -he appeared, for a moment, to be floored--"the envy of enthusiasm. -By-the-bye, why didn't my 'Erb come and listen to me when he was home -on leave?" - -"Herbert was busy," I explained. "And he felt anxious about a certain -young woman." - -"A mistake his father never committed," said Millwood. "With the -exception of your poor sister, there's never been one of them able to -exercise the slightest attraction so far as I am personally concerned." - -"You'd better touch wood," I suggested. - -The two elderly men were relieved to find the undertaking -satisfactorily completed, and in accepting silver, they mentioned that -if all lady customers were as business-like and as generous as I proved -to be, the drawbacks experienced in emerging from retirement and taking -up active duties would be considerably lightened. "The very female -parties," they asserted, "that were always a-badgering our young chaps -with 'Why aren't you in khaki?' are just the ones that complain now -because some of us old 'uns are a trifle careful in our movements!" -I counselled them not to place too much importance on exceptional -cases, and called their notice to the fact that women-folk were doing -remarkably good work in munition factories, and elsewhere. The aged -carmen closed the debate with the remark that it took all sorts to make -a world. - -"I overheard your talk," said Millwood, when we sat at a meal, in the -back room, "and it's give me an idea that I shall dove-tail into my -speech at Croydon this evening. It may be that, in the past, I've taken -somewhat 'arsh views in regard to members of your sex. Probably I have -shown a certain aloofness so far as they are concerned. A deportment of -disdain. An attitude of inattention." - -"I don't suppose they minded." - -"Not too late to make amends," he argued. "It'll come rather well from -me to pay them a sort of a veiled compliment. I shall be careful, -mind you. If they want the fulsomeness of flattery, or the slavery of -serfdom, they must go to other quarters. I made a fool of myself over a -woman once, by going out of my way to marry her, but--never again!" He -shook his head, knowingly. "Once bit, twice shy." - -"That describes your attitude fairly well," I said. "Shy is just what -you are. You're always awkward, but you're more clumsy than ever when -you're in the presence of women-folk." - -"It's a disappointed female who's making that statement," he declared, -warmly. "Oh, yes," as I protested, "I know very well what I'm talking -about. I've noticed a difference in you ever since that bill was passed -making it legal to marry your wife's deceased sister--" Millwood found -himself in a tangle of words, and his annoyance increased. He rose and -went across to the mantelpiece to find matches. "Who is this letter in -the green envelope from?" - -"The Quartermaster-Sergeant who was so kind when Master John was -missing." - -"Can I read it?" - -"If your eyesight is good enough. It only came just now, and I am not -sure that I finished it." - -Millwood explained that he sometimes picked up useful snips of -information from letters written near the trenches, and, putting on -his glasses, he went through the numbered pages of the communication. -Towards the end he began to frown. At the finish he threw the sheets on -the table, with a gesture of irritation. - -"Well," he said, curtly. "What are you going to do about it?" - -"I shall write to him, I suppose, when I can find time. They like to -receive correspondence out there. Makes them realise they are not -forgotten." - -"Yes, yes! But how are you going to answer him? What sort of a reply do -you intend to give? I'm one of the family, and I have a right to know." -To my surprise, he took hold of my arm, and shook me. "You women!" he -shouted. "Upon my word, you do know how to exasperate. It's my belief, -you find a certain delight in trying to send a man clean off his 'ead." - -"An easy job, enough, in some cases. Let me glance at Cartwright's -letter, and see what it is that has upset you." - -"Read page four," he commanded. - -It was impossible to avoid smiling, and this sent Millwood raging up -and down the small room. The Quartermaster-Sergeant wrote that he -wished to marry me so soon as the war was over, or, if I preferred it, -at an earlier date; he begged that an answer should be despatched at -once--"that the subject can be off my mind." - -"Look here, Mary Weston," said Millwood, shaking a fore-finger at me, -in his platform way. "You've got a mad, wild, reckless, tempestuous -nature--" - -"Don't be ridiculous. I'm one of the most self-possessed--" - -"Where love is concerned," he insisted, "all women are alike. I know -'em well. I've studied 'em. And I ask you to put this soldier chap off. -Postpone him, so to speak. Let your decision be definitely deferred. -Treat his offer in a lady-like manner, but allow him to see that you -are in no way eager to march immediately into the madness of matrimony." - -"What I can't understand is why you are in such a state of alarm and -excitement. What on earth has it to do with you?" - -"Everything!" he declared. "My future is at stake. My happiness is in -peril. My career----" He glanced at the clock. "Hang it," he cried, "I -shall be late for my meeting if I don't fly." - -I brushed his hat, and gave it to him. Reminded him of his pipe. -Hurried after him with his walking stick. - -"Daresay I seem somewhat peculiar in my style," he remarked, more -composedly. "But the fact of it is, Mary Weston, I came home here with -the full and definite intention of proposing to you, myself!" - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - -My mother used to say that everything in this world went by threes, and -it surprised me but little to receive a prepaid telegram from William -Richards; in his anxiety to economise he succeeded in being obscure, -but I gained that he wished to marry me. (Subsequently I discovered -he had the chance of an inspectorship at a suburban station, and -entertained a fear that he might experience loneliness.) To Cartwright -I sent a friendly note asking him to renew the suggestion when we were -better acquainted with each other. At the back of my head, there was -an apprehension that the success of the business in London Street had -something to do with all this striking unanimity. - -"Seeing that I've waited so long," I remarked to myself, "I may as well -wait a bit longer, and make sure I'm acting wisely." - -I wrote to William, giving a fuller explanation than a telegram -permitted, and asked for detailed information regarding his encounter -with Miss Muriel. He may have been huffed at my reply; in any case, he -did not send the particulars. - -The shop just then engaged me so much that not until Miss Katherine -called my attention to the fact did I notice a change in her mother's -appearance. July happened to be a warm month; there was a Sunday -in it when the heat proved trying, and Mrs. Hillier, going out to -the Park with old Captain Winterton and his wife, returned with the -confession that she felt inclined for rest. I arranged a holiday for -her without delay. The bank was, very generously, giving Miss Katherine -a fortnight, although she had not completed a year of work, and Master -Edward found himself able to get away; able too, by virtue of his -position, to obtain passes. Mr. Hillier said it would be useless for -him to make any application for leave at the Arsenal. So I packed -the three off to a town on the Suffolk coast, and it occurred to us, -as they were leaving, that nearly twelve months had elapsed since a -holiday trip was stopped; we agreed that the time--closely packed as it -had been with incident--seemed more like ten years than one. - -"You ought to be coming with us," they said. - -"Expect me at the first week end. I'm single-handed, you must remember." - -"One hand of yours, Weston dear," remarked Miss Katherine, "is worth -four belonging to anybody else." She took me aside. "What made you -select this particular sea coast town for us, you wonderful person?" - -"Seeing that letters arrive for you every other day with that post -mark----" - -"Weston," she said, "I do believe you are growing young. I detect a -strain of romance that you have not hitherto exhibited. It shows how -much influence is possessed by a Quartermaster-Sergeant in the Guards." - -I closed the shop early on the Saturday. The Wintertons promised to -look after Mr. Hillier at Gloucester Place. My train on the Great -Eastern was crowded, although excursion fares had long since been -cancelled, and a guard put me in a first-class compartment where the -passenger immediately opposite was Colonel Edgington, formerly of -Chislehurst, and for some time absent from my memory. Apparently I -too was but vaguely in his recollection, for he grasped me warmly -by the hand, assured me he was delighted to see me again, offered -congratulations on my appearance of good health. I was about to speak -of the Hilliers, when he started the topic of himself and his own work, -and the subject occupied the whole of the journey. It appeared he was -engaged at the War Office, that he had not a single moment to call his -own, that he was working as he had never worked before, that he was -now on the way to a point in the Eastern Counties which he could not -mention (but I guessed it by the ticket that was visible in the palm -of his glove) there to engage upon a task that he was not at liberty -to disclose (he told me all about it ere we reached Chelmsford). The -others in the compartment looked at me with respect as we chatted. - -"And tell me, dear lady," he said, towards the end of the journey. "I'd -like to know something about yourself. Busily engaged, I'll wager, at -this period of stress and turmoil. Eh, what! Funds, and societies, and -associations, and so forth. I've seen your name in the papers, over and -over again." - -"How was it spelt?" - -"In the way you always spell it," he answered, promptly. - -"But how do you spell my name?" - -"To tell you the truth," he confessed, "I've a most remarkable gift for -identifying faces, but I can't always find the right label. Give me a -clue, in your own case." - -"Chislehurst," I answered. "The Hillier family. A fire, and your -kindness when it happened." - -He occupied the rest of the time by blessing his soul, and reprimanding -his memory, and explaining that his thoughts were occupied with -important affairs. He was incredulous regarding my news concerning his -old friend-- - -"Not working in the Arsenal? Good Lord! Whatever will happen next in -these times?" - ---He assured me that, in making a large number of new acquaintances, -he found no one so companionable as Mr. Hillier, nobody with whom he -could argue on a perfectly amicable note. Sending my mind back to the -disputes that used to take place, I could not help estimating the -degree of warmth that existed in present-day debates between Colonel -Edgington and his friends. He asked for the address of the private -hotel where Mrs. Hillier and the two young people were staying, and -promised to call on the Sunday. - -"I find life perplexing, Weston," he admitted confidentially, -before leaving at Saxmundham. "Everything seems to be undergoing an -alteration. As for instance; in talking to you I've somehow felt as -though I was conversing with one almost my own equal in intelligence." -It was a great temptation to retort that I had never shared this, in -talking to him. But there were people in the world more deserving of -being snapped at than Colonel Edgington. - -Aldeburgh gave reminders of the war that I had not hitherto -encountered. At Greenwich, one saw troops marching about, but there -was no suggestion that any possibility of invasion existed. Here, Miss -Katherine and Master Edward pointed out to me excitedly the barbed wire -protections on the beach, the trenches with the usual names--Paradise -Terrace, Fairy Glen, A Home from Home--mine sweepers were coming -in, and we watched the ships taking up position, and the crews -disembarking. Up and down the coast, sea traffic appeared to be going -on as usual; Master Edward gave us a lecture on the useful work done -by the British navy. In the absence of his father, the lad was taking -charge of the women-folk, planning the day for them, and surprising me -by his grown-up manner: it seemed that but a week or ten days since -he was a school-boy with no greater anxiety in his mind than that his -county should win cricket matches. At the private hotel where Mrs. -Hillier welcomed me, Edward talked gravely of war affairs, and recited -scraps of information he had picked up during the afternoon, gave views -about the Russian retreat, saw that the thick blinds were carefully -drawn so soon as the lights had been turned on. In this last regard, -there was nothing casual in the military control. When a match was -struck near an unprotected window, a soldier's voice from below shouted -imperiously. - -"Put that light out there!" - -And later, came the challenging that was new to me; the circumstance -of it being given with a strong London accent made me think of it, -at first, as a joke. "'Alt, who gaows there? Advaunce friend, and -give the cahntersign. Paws friend; all's well!" Master Edward gave -me a brief abstract of the rules to be observed in the case of -attack from the sea; the general impression I secured was that you -would do well to make the way inland by the main roads, and that as -these would be required for military purposes, no civilians could be -allowed to use them. That night, the Germans did make an invasion on -the Suffolk coast, and I found myself, insufficiently clad for the -journey, and with shoes that came off at every other step, carrying -Mrs. Hillier, and Miss Katherine, and Master Edward; the progress, -not unnaturally, was slow, and I felt so gratified at encountering -Quartermaster-Sergeant Cartwright that I awoke suddenly in my room. -(Other people's dreams are rarely interesting, but I have never failed -to take great account of my own, and I sometimes wish that, during all -the long years of suspense and perturbation, I had set down details of -them for my own reading. It is not easy now to calculate the number -of times between ten o'clock p.m. and six o'clock a.m. that I led a -British regiment to victory, and made, with my own hands, a prisoner -of the Emperor William.) In the morning I had a definite reminder -of the war in being called upon to fill in a Registration Form for -New Residents and Visitors, with present address in the area, date -of arrival in the area. A refined lady boarder complained that the -Government seemed to be treating us all as though we were kitchen maids. - -It was strange to be in a house where the early hours brought no -domestic tasks for me, and to find myself able to dress leisurely, and -completely for the early meal. Master Edward ejaculated "My Aunt!" as -I entered the coffee room, and Miss Katherine--observing that other -residents nodded privately to each other as though the remark confirmed -their estimate of relationship--at once adopted the idea. - -"We shall be proud, madam," she declared, across the table, "to include -such a considerable swell as yourself amongst the family. You will -do us credit. Your presence raises us in the general estimation. You -are, dear Aunt Weston, as my poor brother here endeavoured to convey, -nothing more nor less than a fashion plate. You are the last word from -Hanover Square. I am not using the language of exaggeration, but merely -the speech of candid compliment, when I describe you as absolutely It." - -"You are learning how to dress yourself," said Mrs. Hillier. - -"Miss Katherine gave me the first lessons." - -"Aunts," said the girl, decisively, "do not, in the best society, call -their nieces by the title of Miss. Aunt Weston, I'll trouble you to -hike over the toast." - -It took me some time to become used to the new regulation, but the -young people insisted it was to be observed. The proprietress spoke to -me in the hall, and, in regretting the brevity of my visit, suggested -that the holiday had already done my sister and her children a vast -amount of good; the remark showed how quickly inaccurate news is -able to circulate. The proprietress wanted information in regard to -my niece's marriage prospects, but on this point I could give no -particulars, and she said it was only fair to tell me that a young -lieutenant named Langford had been offering attentions to Miss Hillier, -that she and several other ladies at the hotel feared Miss Hillier's -mother knew nothing about it; a sense of duty, together with a feeling -of responsibility made it difficult for them to keep silent. There -were, in the general opinion of the hotel, too many hasty marriages -nowadays, and attractive girls, from some idea of patriotism, or a -notion of acute sentiment-- - -"It certainly isn't love," declared the proprietress, earnestly. "At -any rate, not love as I've always been brought up to understand it." - -The girls, she declared, found themselves whirled off to the altar, or -dashing away to a registrar's office, before they had taken time to -give the subject due, solemn and appropriate consideration. I assured -the lady that, in calling my notice to the incident, she had done -everything that could be expected from any right-minded woman. She -seemed greatly comforted, and went off, I am sure, to report to the -authorities. - -Lieutenant Langford was so tremendously and perhaps extravagantly -astonished at meeting us near the Moat House, which Katherine had urged -me to inspect, that he was at the start almost deprived of speech. The -other strange detail was that he happened to have leave for the day, -that he had invited a group of friends to join him in a yachting trip -up the river, and every one of them had sent an excuse. Young Langford -begged us to realise the situation in which he was placed, and to -suggest a way out. The yacht was waiting with an efficient sailorman -in charge; baskets of provisions aboard, and just enough wind for a -pleasant trip. - -"Deuced awkward, you must admit," he argued. - -"Why not take these two young people?" I asked. Langford struck himself -on the chest for not having thought of this. "I'll stay here with their -mother, and you bring them back in time for tea." - -"It's a brain wave," declared Katherine. "Aunt Weston, how bright you -are! I'll run back to the hotel, and change my hat for a veil." - -I had persuaded Mrs. Hillier the trip was a safe one to be undertaken, -and we were waiting for Katherine's return, when Colonel Edgington came -along. One could tell from the glint in his eyes that he was about to -exercise authority. - -"Well-known poet man," he announced, speaking the manner of drum taps. -"Lived not many miles from here. We'll make up a party." Langford -was presented; the Colonel eyed him sternly, until the young fellow -blushed. "Ever heard of Mark Higham?" - -Langford seemed puzzled. - -"A Persian writer," I said, interposing. And gave the correct -pronunciation of the name. "Fitzgerald translated his verses." - -"Any good?" demanded the Colonel. - -"Generally considered to be readable." - -"Very well then. We'll go and see his grave. Appropriate occupation -for a Sunday. Nothing sacrilegious about it." He turned sharply to -Langford. "You'll come with us." - -"Delighted, sir," said the young officer, endeavouring to appear -gratified. - -"And you, Weston." - -"I am going on the river," I answered, "with Miss Katherine, and Master -Edward. We particularly want Lieutenant Langford to look after the -yacht." - -"Mrs. Hillier," he said, frowning, "I ask you to give me your support. -Nothing annoys me more than to see plans upset." - -"The original plans were ours," I said, "and it is you who are trying -to upset them." - -He tried the effect of a glare upon me. The others stood around, -watching anxiously. - -"I've often crossed swords with you, Weston," he said, relaxing, -"and I can't remember a single occasion when I came off anything but -second best. Have your own way. Consider me at your disposal." He -took Langford aside, and mentioned confidentially to him and to Miss -Katherine, who had now come up, that in dealing with an exceptional -woman, it was necessary to act in an exceptional manner. The young -people, agreeing cordially, ventured to hint that he had shown tact and -diplomacy of a high order. - -Mrs. Hillier and the Colonel went off in an open carriage, and we -walked along the sea front to something like a quay, where we descended -wooden steps, receiving assistance from a sailor who was waiting with -a dinghy. "You're a tidyish bit late," he grumbled. I record this -speech because they were the only articulate words we heard from him -in the course of the trip. On the yacht that was lying out, he made -vocal sounds in lifting the anchor, but these, I fancy, were intended -to represent melody; when Langford or Edward made an attempt later to -help with the ropes, he grunted ejaculations, and the tone in which -these were uttered gave the impression that they conveyed blame rather -than praise. For the rest, a capable man, gifted in the management of -sails, and acquainted with all the tricks of the wind; as a consequence -we out-distanced other craft going in the same direction, and arrived -at a village before the hour for lunch. By nods of the head, he ordered -us to get into the dinghy that had followed the yacht with an air of -being dragged against its will, and to pull to the shore; a fore-finger -uplifted indicated that we were to return at one o'clock. - -Miss Katherine and her sweetheart had been slightly awed by his -presence, and with myself and Edward seated opposite, they engaged on -no more reckless adventure than the exchange of affectionate glances. -Once on land, they gave to folk coming out of church the sight of a -young officer of His Majesty's Army running hand in hand with a girl, -equally fleet in movement; the two raced towards the old Castle, and -went up the slope with as much ease as though the ground were flat. -Edward showed a discretion beyond his years by remaining at my side, -and adopting the gait of maturity. Looking at the couple as they -waved to us from afar I could not help thinking that youth was the -only time for love, and that when it came at middle age, whether with -Quartermaster-Sergeants, or railway men, or public speakers, it brought -an element of sobriety that constituted a drawback. Another point of -view was given by my companion. - -"They make themselves rather ridiculous," complained Edward. "I've no -objection to high spirits but the line ought to be drawn. People are -watching them, you know, and making comments." - -"And the beauty of it all is, they don't care in the least." - -"Girls are so foolish," declared the wise lad. "There seems to be no -limit to their idiocy. Why in the world a sensible fellow like Langford -should permit himself to take a share in such absurdities, I can't -imagine." - -A motor car stood in the roadway, occupied by two extremely tall ladies -who had apparently decided to allow the rest of their party to make -the ascent to the Castle. One said, before we were out of hearing, -"Bright, smart-looking lad!" and Edward held his head erect, and said -no more on the subject of the eccentricities of folk who are in love. -He was impressed, too, by finding just inside the door of the ruins, a -portly gentleman who said, "Ah, my boy, enjoying your holidays? That's -right, that's right, that's right!" Edward whispered to me that this -was a very high official in railway life; so exalted, indeed, that -to be spoken to by him in this familiar way might be reckoned as a -special compliment, and one that would not easily go from the memory. -We went up narrow stone staircases of the Castle to upper floors, and -discovered Langford and Katherine with their heads close together; -Edward's excitement over the recent encounter prevented him from -offering criticism. From an opening in the walls he begged us to share -the joy of watching the important man, seated on the grass below-- - -"You'd never guess he was anyone particular, would you?" - -Filling a pipe and seemingly in no hurry to rejoin the very tall ladies -who were beckoning to him from the car, Langford said casually, "Oh, -I know him!" and turned again to Katherine. Compared with her, even a -great personage seemed of no account. The pipe was not finished when we -descended and came out again into the open; Edward gave an ejaculation -of warning as Langford strolled across to the smoker. - -"Hullo, uncle," he said. "What on earth are you doing in this -neighbourhood?" - -The other raised himself with Langford's assistance, and shook hands. -Langford made the introductions. Sir Charles Barrett. - -"This youngster I know," said Sir Charles, breezily. "We meet, don't -we, my boy, in different surroundings." Edward was so much affected by -the generosity of the remark that he could not answer. "Your aunt"--to -Langford--"is along there with her sister in the car. Go and keep them -good tempered until I have emptied my pipe. One can't enjoy tobacco -when one's driving." - -"Care to have food with us out on the river?" - -"Settle it with your aunt, my lad. Let her arrange. Leave the decision -to her. As a matter of fact, we were on our way to discover you." - -There seemed at first a possibility that the new additions to the -group would mar enjoyment of the day. Lunch on the yacht was to be a -crowded business, and ladies of uncertain temper are rarely at their -best in these surroundings. But Lady Barrett was delighted to see her -nephew, and beamed graciously upon Miss Katherine and upon me: her -sister repeated the comment on Edward's appearance, and chatted to him, -inviting his views in regard to cricket in the past, and in the future. -The capable sailorman had everything prepared on board, and Langford -and Katherine went into the cabin to serve the meal; the rest of us sat -outside with Sir Charles and Edward on the cabin roof, all ready to -catch food as it was thrown, and to pull corks, mix salads, cut bread, -pass the salt. - -It was some time ere the lad managed to get over his astonishment at -seeing a respected and distinguished colleague behaving as an ordinary -person: I think Edward would not have succeeded in emerging from -silence during the lunch but for the occasional words of encouragement -sent up from Lady Barrett's sister. The sailor took his own well-filled -plate and retired to the cubby-hole; the yacht was well away from -both shores, and there was nothing to prevent us from taking up the -attitude of comfort. The meal over, and plates washed in the river, -and tidiness restored, Sir Charles, with no sort of warning, stood up -and in a baritone voice slightly out of practice, aided by a memory -that could not be described as perfect, gave a song appropriate to the -times, about "A soldier who never knows fear, But battles for those -he holds dear, And fa la la lah, and fa la la lah, Oh, as he goes -by, how we cheer." Young Langford and Katherine sang a duet from one -of the musical comedies with words which hinted at a light-hearted, -almost derisive view regarding the element of constancy in love, and -on this Lady Barrett's sister shook her head, and gave signs of tears, -and Lady Barrett patted her hand sympathetically, saying, "I know who -you are thinking of, dearest, but believe me he is not worthy of it!" -and the sister, recovering, smiled bravely, thus providing Edward -with an excuse for giving up a scowling determination to murder some -person of the male sex, name unknown. Lady Barrett's sister, after -much persuasion, agreed to recite. She mentioned, however, that it -was necessary for an exhibition of her art that she should face her -audience, and we had to gather together and sit closely, whilst she -took up a position at the cabin door and gave a long scene in dramatic -form, to which we were compelled to give earnest attention for a space -of eighteen minutes by the wrist watch; all the gentlemen in the -tragedy spoke huskily as though suffering from colds or drink, and all -the ladies possessed gentle, almost childish voices; it might have -filled the half hour but that the sailorman appeared and jerked a -thumb in the direction of home. The visitors prepared to leave. - -"Perfectly beautiful," declared Edward, rapturously. "Never heard -anything like it. Superb! May I ask the name of the author?" Lady -Barrett's sister pointed in a modest, and also an exhausted, way at -herself, and the lad gazed dreamily as one recognising that powers of -compliment were, in the circumstances, of no avail. Lady Barrett's -sister remarked to me that elocutionary efforts constituted an enormous -strain upon the mind and the body; in her own case it often meant -compulsory rest in a darkened room for the whole of the following day. -Lady Barrett, when her six-foot relative had, with the assistance -of the whole strength of the company, stepped from the yacht to the -dinghy, told us, in confidence, that London managers had often and -often gone on their knees to the lady, begging and imploring her to -play in Macbeth, but terms had never been arranged, because one of the -parties insisted that it was impossible for her to perform Scene One, -Act Five, on account of the language set down, and the managers--slaves -to convention--were unable to meet her views by deleting the sanguinary -incident. Langford took his people off to find their car in the garage, -and we exchanged signals of farewell when they reached the small quay. -I imagine the four of us left on the yacht were perfectly content. The -sailor had the prospect of returning home, and later, of an hour or -two at the Turk's Head; Katherine, meeting her sweetheart's relatives, -had been favourably received by them; Edward had fallen in love with -someone about three times his own age; I had been treated with no sign -of patronage. - -It was indeed the sort of day which, coming in those strenuous and -exacting times, helped one to cheer up, and to live on, and to preserve -hope. Without being in any way indifferent to the war, folk discovered -it useful now and again to become detached from it, and to escape -grim fears, and needless multiplication. (So far as multiplication was -concerned, dwellers in town were the great sufferers. Occasionally when -I had to run up to London from Greenwich, and the news of some disaster -at sea happened to be announced on the countless placards, then, in -finishing the journey, the vague notion in my mind was not that we had -lost one cruiser, but that the entire British navy had gone down.) -On the voyage back, Katherine and her young Lieutenant held hands, -and forgot, for a space, the troubles of our banking system, and the -complications of military strategy. The climax to a happy period came -when Mrs. Hillier met us on the sea front near to the lifeboat shed. - -"Aunt Weston must be told something at once," she declared, when the -young people began to give an account of their experiences. "Something -Colonel Edgington ascertained this afternoon. Her nephew has obtained a -commission in a regiment stationed not far from here. He is coming home -to do work at musketry practice." - -"Ladies and gentlemen," said Katherine, "I ask you to give three cheers -for Lieutenant Millwood." - -It is possible the Aldeburgh people thought we were slightly off our -heads. If so, the Aldeburgh people were correct. - - * * * * * - -I travelled to town that evening in a crowded compartment of the class -named on my ticket, and whilst my fellow passengers slept, I kept awake -and enjoyed my dreams. Young Langford, in seeing me off at the station, -had explained to me that although his aunt and her husband had regarded -himself and Katherine with approval, he felt by no means certain that -this view would be shared by his father; to avoid a row and to escape -anything like a dispute with a parent whom he had always obeyed, he -proposed, in the case of being ordered out, to come up to London and -take Katherine to a registrar's office. Langford hoped he might count -upon me, both for help and for discretion. - -"You know she is only a clerk in a bank?" I suggested. "Not sure -whether you have been told. We don't want misunderstandings." - -"The dear girl has told me everything," he declared, earnestly. "And -it will be a most tremendous comfort to me when I'm out there, to know -that her days are occupied, and that she has a rare, good friend in -you!" - -My open-eyed dreams regarded my nephew Herbert. The war had, so far as -he was concerned, shuffled the cards afresh, and by the hour the train -reached Liverpool Street, I had settled comfortably in my mind how the -new hand was to be played. - -"Miss Muriel shan't have him!" I promised myself. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - -I assured Katherine, more than once, that whatever the need for secrecy -so far as Lieutenant Langford was concerned, no necessity of the kind -existed in her case. She pleaded to be allowed to have her own way, -reminded me that Harry particularly desired that the fewest folk -possible should know, and eventually settled the question by informing -me, on the best authority, that her bank did not favour the assistance -of married girls. - -"I make no promise," I said, "but I shall do what I think best." - -"That will be quite good enough, aunt dear," she agreed. "And may -Providence reward you suitably by giving you a husband of your own." - -"One might look upon that more as a punishment." - -"Foolish scoffer!" she remarked. - -Colonel Edgington came to Gloucester Place, and Mr. Hillier was glad to -see him, but the evening could not be reckoned a success, because the -caller harped upon an idea of obtaining for Mr. Hillier a soft job of -some kind in Whitehall, and Mr. Hillier declared himself well contented -with his present occupation. He gave details of this with great relish -to the visitor, and Colonel Edgington commented with disparaging -comments, such as, - -"Bah!" - -"Pooh!" - -"Gah!" - -"Brrrh!" - -It seemed likely that friendship would diminish if meetings were to be -conducted on these lines, and in seeing the Colonel out, at the end, I -urged him not to call again for a week. Within that period I found a -three-quarter size billiard table in good condition, late the property -of a local club now, owing to the absence of youthful members, in need -of money. Katherine and I cleared out the half room, half conservatory -at the back of the rooms occupied by the Wintertons, and used by the -old couple as a lumber room for odd articles accumulated during a -lifetime, and of no use, as we managed to persuade them, of no use to -anybody. Apart, the Captain assured me he had been for years anxious -to destroy the rubbish, but feared this might pain his wife, and she -declared to me in private that her impression had always been that he -valued the collection dearly. We set up thick curtains over the glass, -arranged for the electric light to be fixed over the table, placed a -high long seat against the wall for the use of spectators, and when -Colonel Edgington paid his next visit, he and Mr. Hillier were taken -down to the newly furnished room, and the old sea captain, with great -importance, took up the position of marker. The game not only checked -conversation on a debatable subject, but brought the two chums into -something like their former terms of intimacy; each discovered an -excuse for the other when any failure occurred, and said, - -"If you had been playing on a full-size table, that stroke of yours -would have come off!" - -Captain Winterton was well intentioned at the scoring board, but -seldom remembered who was spot and who was plain, and his wife, with -many apologies for intruding upon the company of gentlemen, entered to -assist him in the perplexing task, with the result that one of the two -opponents, at the close of the game, was able to declare, upstairs, -that he would not have been the first to reach the two hundred if -the score had been correctly kept. The time came when Edward offered -to give lessons to the old captain, and this was self-denying on the -part of the lad, for no plan, however ingeniously devised--giving -eighty-five in a hundred, or three strokes to one--ever assisted -Captain Winterton to get near to a close finish. We encouraged him with -judicious flattery, and although he usually took about two minutes -to decide how to play a ball, he invariably declared that his one -fault was recklessness; this defect amended, he felt sure he would be -numbered amongst the experts. Meanwhile, he quickly adopted one method -of the billiard room by giving copious and truculent advice to Edward, -using for this a booming fog-horn voice, altogether different from his -normal tones. - -"Play it off the cushion, my lad!" And "For Heaven's sake, don't pot -the red; the white's in baulk!" And "Chalk your cue, sir; damme, chalk -your cue!" The game over, and the result announced, he went back to the -usual manner of courtesy. One advantage gained from the presence of the -old gentleman was that as he still declined to argue about the war, or -to recognise that it existed, all of us, including Colonel Edgington, -decided to imitate this peculiarity. - -Which did not mean that our minds were permitted, for long, to escape -the subject. From a customer, I heard that some exchanged men had -arrived at the Third London General Hospital at Wandsworth, and I went -over there on a Wednesday afternoon that Millwood was able to give to -the shop, to ascertain whether any of them had been in the camp from -which Master John's letters and post cards, with now and again an -alteration in number, or company, or barracks, were now dated. There -was some trouble at the gates because I had no permit, but I mentioned -I had come from Greenwich, and the sentry, remarking with pride that -his birthplace was Maze Hill, found a solution of the difficulty. "I'll -turn my back," he said, "and pretend to have a sudden fit of a cough: -you take advantage of my infirmity, and slip through." - -Maimed soldiers in blue uniforms were about on the sloping lawn that -went to the railway; some had groups of friends around them, and a few -were alone. I went past the main building, and entered a corridor that -took me past a number of wards, well ventilated, cheerful and with the -faint scent of anaesthetics, and to nurses I put an inquiry; for the -most part they could give no information, but one or two suggested C5. -Outside C5 I found two men who had no visitors, and they replied to my -question alertly and re-assuringly. They had said good-bye to Corporal -Hillier but five days previously. He had gone up for examination with -the others selected, but was sent back. They felt certain he would come -along in the next group. They said Corporal Hillier was bright and -well; his knowledge of French and German proved helpful. Being amongst -the wounded, he was not called upon to perform arduous tasks. Both said -the treatment was as good as one could hope for, excepting in regard -to food. "The food, miss, is absolutely--well, there's no word for it! -At any rate, not one that could be repeated to you." They agreed that -no British prisoner could keep alive unless he received parcels from -home, and assured me Corporal Hillier was more fortunate than many in -this respect. "He gets two a week, he does, regular, besides them from -his own family. Two a week, sent by a particular donah of his called -Weston. We've noticed her name on the labels." I was about to make -further inquiries, but a child's voice at the doorway of C5 called -"Daddie--Daddie. Don't you know me?" and one hobbled off to greet the -little girl; the other man was summoned by a Yorkshireman who, engaged -in writing a letter, needed some counsel in regard to spelling. On -my return I noticed in the wards of the corridor, one or two men in -their beds who looked dejected and tired of everything; a Sister was -explaining to some callers that these suffered from gas poison. For -the rest, they were so cheery, and good-spirited that you might have -thought--to look at their features, and to disregard their injured -bodies--that they had been taking a share in nothing more serious than -a rather exhilarating football match. - -The times were all the more interesting because the age of miracles -re-appeared. In a local hospital which I visited, with Katherine, on -Sunday afternoons, there was a young soldier afflicted with loss of -speech, following upon shell-shock. He proved a ready student, and we -were gratified by the way in which, under our tuition, he picked up the -deaf and dumb alphabet. We might have saved ourselves the trouble. One -afternoon we called, and went directly to his corner, prepared to give -advanced lessons. - -"Begun to think," he remarked, in a natural voice, "that you two were -going to give me the slip. What's delayed you?" - -It appeared that on the Saturday, a group of amateurs had come to give -a harlequinade entertainment. One dressed as a clown, in going through -the ward, advanced playfully towards our soldier, holding out the red -painted poker that was to take a share in the acting. The youth started -back affrighted, and speaking for the first time for months, told the -clown to be careful, adding that he had no desire to find himself -burnt. From that moment, onwards, he made up by vivacious conversation -for the period of enforced silence. - -Hospitals could scarcely be evaded by anybody, and you never knew -whom you might meet there. For instance, a customer of mine, after -declaring that she would add nothing to her collection of old -furniture on the grounds that money should be saved and lent to the -Government, discovered in a friend's house a Queen Anne tallboy chest, -and a craving for possession took hold of her. The friend resolutely -declined to sell; my customer came to me with an urgent appeal. I saw -an advertisement of one from a London square, and although I begrudged -the trouble of the journey, and the giving up of time, I went to town; -spent a brisk three-quarters of an hour in haggling with a gentleman -who knew more of the subject than I had ever attempted to learn; made -a feint of coming away and was re-called by him, to listen to a frank -statement of eagerness to sell. On this, I fixed upon an Adam elbow -chair, affecting to have lost all interest in the tallboy chest. I -eventually obtained the chest at less than the figure I had first -offered. On the best of terms now, he made me promise that before -returning to Greenwich I would inspect the glass windows, not far off, -which had been broken in an air raid of a few nights before. - -On the way I noticed that a hospital where wounded soldiers were -sunning themselves outside, announced a Pound Day and a grand -entertainment for the current date. Remembering the profit I was to -make out of the chest bargain, I went up the steps, put my sovereign on -the matron's table. I think it was the rare sight of gold that caused -the official lady to exhibit particular gratitude--there were several -notes there signed by Mr. Bradbury--and anyway I found myself taken by -her to the out-patient's department where a show was being given by a -first class set of good-natured theatrical folk. (There seemed to be no -limits to the kindness of their profession). - -The matron caught sight of me as I was leaving, and dropped everything -in order to intercept. I had not signed her Visitor's Book. I must -undoubtedly sign her Visitor's Book. Her Visitor's Book would be -valueless without my signature. On the same page, and but a couple of -entries above, appeared the name of Herbert Millwood. It seemed my -nephew was upstairs visiting one of the men, and feeling myself well -repaid now for a burst of generosity, I waited outside for him. - -"No, aunt," he said, when I made a suggestion concerning the raid as -we walked in the crowded main road. "Smashed glass belonging to other -people makes no call to me. Broken hopes belonging to myself are much -more important." - -It appeared he was going back to duty that night, and had to catch a -train from Liverpool Street; I soon discovered that he had spent the -day in making one more effort to discover Muriel Hillier. - -"I've no patience with her," I declared. "There can't be a good reason -for keeping her relatives in suspense. If I came across her now, I -should have a word or two to say to her." - -"And I too," remarked Herbert. "Likely enough, though our words would -not be identical." - -We turned into Red Lion Square to escape the crush. - -"I know how difficult it is to give advice, my boy," I said, "in -matters of the kind, and I'm aware that it's next door to impossible to -get it accepted. But I wish you'd recognise that the situation has very -much changed since the time when you fell in love with her. You're a -lieutenant now. You're an officer in His Majesty's army. You've made a -good record. Whilst she--" - -"I don't want to hear anything for her, aunt, or against her. I only -want to hear something of her." - -"She may have found somebody--" - -"'May,'" he echoed, impatiently, "'May' conveys nothing to me. The -truth is what I'm going to find out." - -"How?" - -"By all the means in my power. By all the means in other folk's power -that I can command with influence or money." He turned appealingly to -me. "You are clever at most things, aunt." - -"If I lose a needle, my boy, I don't go searching for it in a bundle -of hay. I get a new one. And listen to me. You know how much I care -for you." For answer, he pressed my arm affectionately. "If I've been -able to do something for you since your dear mother went, why it has -been done, not only because it was my duty, but because I reckoned it a -pleasure. And to be quite plain and candid, I've no desire to see you, -when the war is over, going back to your ordinary career, hampered, -and crippled, and bothered by a selfish wife who, all the years I've -known her--" - -"This," he interrupted, "is an admission that you haven't put your head -into the work. Be a good soul now, aunt, and do me a great favour. I -promise I'll never ask for another, so long as I live." - -"That's a promise I hope you'll break." - -"Find her!" he persisted. "Let me know she's safe and well, and you'll -place me so much in your debt that, whatever I do, I shall never be -able to repay you. Give me a kiss to seal the bargain." - -There was no refusing when he put the case in this way. I guaranteed -that I would increase my efforts, assured him I would strain every -nerve to find her. We walked through the narrow passage to Red Lion -Street, and in Holborn, before taking a motor omnibus, he declared, -cheerfully, that he knew I would be sending him news ere the month was -out. - -Young Langford received a hint that his regiment was to be ordered -abroad at an early date, and news of the engagement had to be announced -at Gloucester Place; this done, I took Katherine off to the registrar's -office, and made the necessary inquiries. It appeared that the official -there was used at the time to hastened ceremonies; he seemed to expect -that I, too, had an intention of getting married without delay. We -decided it was to be done by licence, and Katherine was able to state -that she had lived in the district for fifteen days; she felt justified -in declaring that there existed no legal impediment. It was fortunate -that we acted promptly. At home we discovered a telegram of reckless -extent from young Langford announcing that he was coming to town on the -morrow, and leaving England on the day which followed. - -"I had intended," said Mrs. Hillier, smiling, "to read my little girl a -lecture, but there's no time for that now." - -"It will be all hurry-scurry," I mentioned. - -Hurry-scurry it was, but Mrs. Hillier and I agreed that the day was -not to be exempt of formality, and we all resolved that the dear girl -should not go without wedding presents. So there was shopping to be -done, food to be ordered, and Captain Winterton was directed to be -ready to stand by in case Mr. Hillier proved unable to obtain leave -from his work at the Arsenal. I had given assistance to a next door -neighbour of mine in London Street at a period when he was experiencing -domestic anxiety, and, after the baby came, and all was well at home, -he mentioned to me that if I wanted anyone, at any time, to look -after my shop for a few hours, he would be offended unless the choice -fell upon him. Katherine wrote to the bank to say a slight attack -of neuralgia made it advisable that she should remain indoors for -twenty-four hours; she added a dutiful apology. Edward declared that -the question of his leave of absence was an easy matter: if necessary, -he proposed to seek audience of Sir Charles Barrett himself and explain -the reason. He found the idea received with screams of protest. - -"Thoughtless infant!" cried Katherine. - -"Foolish lad," I ejaculated. - -Edward, reminded of the demands of secrecy, admitted he had come near -to putting his foot deep into disaster, and took some credit for having -enabled us to give a warning. - -It is certain that no one took such a keen relish of anticipation in -the ceremony as Captain Winterton. His habit was to walk the pavement -of Gloucester Place on fine mornings as though he were pacing a deck; -the residents knew that when he crossed and made the tour of The -Circus, exercise was nearing its finish. Generally for this promenade -he was apparelled in a blue serge reefer suit and a peaked cap: on the -great day, the old sea captain wore a silk hat with a crescent-shaped -brim that, despite good condition, marked its age; he had lavender -trousers, yellow waistcoat, a frock coat of the style of the eighties, -a malacca cane. Always courteous in acknowledging salutations, he now -stopped to chat with tradesmen and neighbours, feeling perhaps that -an explanation of his splendour was due to them. We had to thank the -Captain for the fact that a small crowd of ladies began to assemble -near the house, very hardly tried in the endeavour to pretend that each -was there by accident; from the balcony I could hear those who had come -in pairs bewailing the circumstance that the wedding was not to take -place at a church. - -"Seems such a skimpy way of getting married," they declared. - -Young Langford arrived in good time, and shewed exuberant spirits when -he found that the arrangements were complete and satisfactory. "Ought -to have known I could rely upon you, Miss Weston. And I've been in -a most frightful agony of mind in the train; you've no idea. Eleven -o'clock? Right-o. This is absolutely topping!" Mr. Hillier did not -return from the Arsenal, and he had told us to avoid waiting for him. -The four of us went down the stairs, found Captain Winterton in the -hall. - -"I know, my love," said his wife to Katherine, coming out of her room, -"that it doesn't go with your costume, but, just to please me, wear -this piece of lace. It brought me happiness, and I've got the notion -into my foolish old head that it may bring good luck to you. It's -valuable," she added, nodding her head, "in more senses than one." - -"I'll take every care of it," promised Katherine, "and you shall have -it back in less than an hour." - -"You're to keep it all your life, dearie. And I've some other bits for -you, later on, to go with it." - -It was but a short walk from Gloucester Place to Trafalgar Road, but -we gained enough attention to satisfy any craving in that respect. The -sight of old Captain Winterton, arm-in-arm with Miss Katherine in -itself attracted notice; I wanted the party to stroll along informally, -but he begged me to allow him to superintend this detail, and his joy -in thus leading the procession was something it would have been a pity -to hurt. Arrived, he marshalled us two deep, and went into the office -to make inquiries. Returning, he appeared to have bethought himself -of the fact that this was to be a quiet wedding, for he beckoned in -a mysterious way, spoke in a whisper assuring us all was in order. -Within, his deportment was that of a devout person in church; the -discreet manner in which he gave half-sovereigns to everyone about -the place willing to accept tips, suggested an anxiety to make the -ceremony as legal and binding as possible. The two young people made -a good-looking couple as they stood at the table, and they were -extraordinarily composed; for myself, I can restrain tears, with no -difficulty, at a funeral, but at a wedding--well, the one incident -comes, as it were, at the end of the story, and there is nothing -more to be found out concerning it: in the second, you cannot help -speculating, and wondering, and sometimes fearing in regard to the -coming chapters. - -The registrar--I knew him by sight as well as anything, and had always -guessed, incorrectly, he had to do with a picture palace--the registrar -shook hands, gave over the certificate, and told the bridegroom (first -inquiring anxiously whether he had seen this week's _Punch_) an -anecdote concerning a drill-sergeant. I think old Captain Winterton -was rather pained at this secular demeanour, for he escorted us out, -sorted us into couples, and gave orders. "The wife," he whispered to -me, "will be desirous of knowing that everything has gone off well." In -Gloucester Place, some of our neighbours did an act that I shall always -remember to their credit; from the balconies they threw down flowers as -the young soldier and his bride came near. I recollect that Katherine -picked all of them up, and smiled at the givers, and blew a kiss to an -infant, who, held by his nurse, was clapping his chubby hands. - -The meal was, for Edward's sake, taken early; the lad seemed concerned -at the possibility of disastrous happenings at the head offices during -his absence, and assured his new brother-in-law that railway life -exacted, in these days, and under Government control, a strain that -military men with their comparatively simple duties could scarcely -estimate. Langford appeared to be in no humour to dispute or argue with -anybody. - -"People say I look worried," remarked Edward. "What do you think?" - -Langford had not observed this, but if it existed, felt sure there was -every reason. - -"You wouldn't imagine I was not much more than fifteen, would you?" - -Langford had, it appeared, estimated the other's age as higher than -this; Edward showed gratification. - -"By-the-bye, there was something I meant to ask when I saw you--I have -such a lot to think about that--I know what it was. Your unmarried aunt -whom we met at Aldeburgh. Keeping well, I hope?" - -Langford was able to give re-assuring information. - -Mrs. Winterton came up to the meal, bringing her present of more lace, -and the rest of us exhibited our purchases. The gifts were all of a -simple nature, but the young couple showed rapture over each article; -Katherine reproached me with forgetting that the baby grand in the -corner had always been looked upon as a wedding gift, in advance. -Everything would have proceeded smoothly but that Edward, coming out of -a fit of abstraction remarked suddenly: - -"Wish Muriel had been here!" - -Captain Winterton broke the silence which followed, by adjusting the -plates and glasses before him, pulling at collar, clearing voice, -running fingers through his white head of hair. Standing up, he bowed -to Mrs. Hillier. He rose, he said, on this happy occasion--this -festive, domestic and matrimonial occasion, he might say--to propose -a toast, one which, he felt sure, we should all join heart and hand -in drinking. It was a happy toast, and this was a happy occasion. He -loved a wedding, and during his somewhat lengthened progress through -life--and he had had his fair share of bunions: yes, we might laugh, -but he was speaking the truth--as he said, he loved a wedding; he had -been to many, and hoped to go to many more. Captain Winterton spoke for -five minutes, and closed with these lines, - - "_The toast, the toast, the toast's the thing - To make hands tingle, and glasses ring_." - -The old chap seemed greatly relieved to get the speech over: it -occurred to me the style of it was somewhat away from his usual manner. -Lieutenant Langford said, "Thanks, ever so much!" and we were chatting -freely when the bell rang at the front door. I ran down. Colonel -Edgington. He had brought a square parcel for Katherine, and was about -to leave it, with his compliments, when I told him the wedding had -just taken place. He bustled up the stairs, upbraided Mrs. Hillier -for not informing him of the date, kissed the bride, took a chair, -and declining other food, ate an orange with considerable fierceness. -Katherine filled his glass, and he stood up, and frowned at us. - -"I rise," he said, in a loud, determined voice, "on this happy, and I -might say, festive, domestic and matrimonial occasion, to propose a -toast which, I feel sure, you will all join heart and hand in drinking. -It is a happy toast, and this is a happy occasion. I love a wedding, -and during my somewhat lengthened progress through life, and I have had -my fair share of bunions--oh yes, you may laugh, but I am speaking the -truth--" The Colonel finished with, - - "_The toast, the toast, the toast's the thing - To make hands tingle, and glasses ring_." - -The solution of the duplicated address came, days later, when we had -discussed fully the question of coincidences. A middle-aged clerk in -Edward's office, invited to a wedding breakfast, had been cautioned -that he would be expected to propose the health of the bride and -bridegroom. Edward was called upon to listen to his colleague's recital -of the same piece of eloquence from a shilling book called, "Speeches -for Every Occasion." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - -Lieutenant and Mrs. Langford went off to town, and by nine o'clock -the following morning Katherine was at the bank, her wedding ring in -hiding and attached to a thin gold chain that hung around her neck; -I am sure she found a keener delight in the secrecy than she would -have discovered in the most elaborate publicity. Young Langford's -battalion left Southampton with three rumoured destinations--France, -The Dardanelles, Mesopotamia--and all we could say of these was that at -least two were surely inaccurate; the dear girl came to London Street -that evening and in the back room, and on my shoulder had a long cry, -and, this over, gave no signs of depression or tears. We had good news -one Sunday night of an advance by British troops south of La Bassee, -and a victory by the French in the Champagne district; to hear folk -talking of this near the railway station you would have guessed that -the war was almost at an end. A few days later the casualty lists of -our officers came in, and we knew then some of the expense of the -small victory, and could guess at the total. The newspapers were in -disagreement concerning the proposed landing of troops at Salonica. -A quotation from a Paris journal was headed, "Help Mother First." My -customers, at times, brought me their definite and resolute views on -the conduct of the war, and seemed disappointed that I was prepared to -go no further than admit relief in the thought that I had not to take a -share in the direction. - -"Women," they argued, "couldn't make a bigger muddle of it than men are -doing." - -"Nothing ever happened yet," I said, "that might not possibly have -been worse. Let's keep cheerful. Peace will come along some day." - -"And then," grumbled a woman from Plumstead, "there won't be near so -much money to be earnt as what there is now." - -Certainly there was no lack of critics at that period. A blind man -who sold matches and boot-laces said to me one evening that he would -very much like to occupy Kitchener's position for twenty-four hours. -Four-and-twenty hours; no more, no less. He refused to disclose his -scheme to me in full, but hinted that it included the dropping of a -bomb full tilt on the helmet of the German Emperor. "The Government -hasn't got gumption," he complained. "What it wants is the help of us -business men. We'd soon stop these Zepps!" - -There came another and a serious air-raid, and hearing a certain town -spoken of in this connection, I hurried there to ascertain whether some -small houses belonging to me had been damaged. There was a considerable -amount of destruction there, but my little property was safe, and -I managed to get away from the excited tenants, and escape some of -the vivid details of the attack. Intending to alight at New Cross -station on the Brighton line, I, absorbed in the evening newspaper, -found myself carried on towards London Bridge. I wanted to reach home -swiftly, because the private inquiry folk, whose services I had engaged -immediately after my officer nephew's urgent appeal, had hinted that -they expected to be able to send me a communication by an early post. -There seemed few grounds for hoping that this would be satisfactory, -and bewailing my stupidity in missing New Cross, and regretting the -delay, I changed thoughts from self-reproach by composing a letter -which would convey my regrets at the failure of the inquiry, sarcasm at -the want of intelligence exhibited. To be candid, it was only for the -sake of Herbert that I wanted to gain news of Muriel Hillier. We were a -comfortable group now at Gloucester Place, and the return there of an -authoritative and selfish-minded girl was not an alluring prospect. - -"How much is the excess fare?" I asked, at the barrier. - -"One moment, madam. Stand aside, please, and let the other passengers -go through." - -For some reason, I had not before encountered girl ticket collectors, -and the politeness of manner surprised me. Obeying the instructions, -I waited in the shadow; the peak-capped young woman collected -tickets, disregarded a florid gentleman's offer of a rose, gave brisk -information concerning return trains. Then she turned to me, and the -light of the lamp shewed her features. - -"Miss Muriel!" I exclaimed. - -"Excess from New Cross," she said, filling in a slip from a book. -"Threepence." Taking the coin and the ticket from me, and handing -over the change. "Ninepence, thank you." I went through the barrier, -expecting her to follow, but she closed it and remained on the platform. - -The inspector said he would certainly give me all the assistance in -his power, so soon as he was free from the task of despatching a main -line train. Ten minutes later, he and I searched the ticket collectors' -office. Two of the uniformed girls were emptying tickets from pouches, -and sorting them. - -"That is the young lady I wish to speak to," I said, pointing. - -She turned and faced me. - -"You've made a bloomer," remarked the inspector, frankly. "You want a -party with the cognomen so to speak of Hillier, I understand. This one -is Miss Dumbrill." - -"That is my name," she said, composedly. - -"I don't care what she calls herself," I declared. "I know very well -who she is." I appealed to her. "You recognise me, don't you, dear?" - -"Oh, yes," she said. - -"There!" to the inspector. "What did I tell you?" - -"Remember you quite well," she went on, eyeing me steadily. "You had a -ticket as far as New Cross, and I excessed it. You gave me a shilling, -and I handed you the right change. What is your grievance?" - -The other girl stood by, watching interestedly. - -"I am Weston," I said. "Mary Weston." - -"If that is the only complaint you have to make," she said, "it is not -very serious." - -"I was housekeeper for many years at your people's place at -Chislehurst. I moved with them to Greenwich. Your brother John -enlisted, with my nephew Herbert Millwood. Herbert is more anxious than -anyone else to have news of you. He has a commission now." - -"And the Victoria Cross?" - -"No." - -"Strange," she mentioned. "In romantic stories of this kind, they -invariably gain the Victoria Cross." She spoke to the inspector. "Find -out where this lady wishes to go, and put her on her way, will you? If -she hasn't any money, I'll provide all that's needed." - -"Miss Muriel, Miss Muriel!" I cried. "For Heaven's sake, don't go on -playing this silly game. If you want to keep your independence, you can -do it, without all this. You don't know how much worry your folk have -gone through on your account!" - -The inspector was called away by a porter. I left the collectors' room, -and stood at the doorway, endeavouring to think of some plan. - -"Shut the door, please," she said, attending once again to her work of -sorting. She found that the order was not obeyed, and came forward. - -"Miss Muriel," I whispered, urgently. "Your mother. She is seriously -ill. Not expected to live. And wants to see you." - -Her features became pale. With a nervous movement she tipped back her -peaked cap, and she hesitated. - -"Wait for me," she said in a low voice, "near the bookstall at the -other station." - -I did not mind any delay, and objected the less because I found at the -stall my young friend Peter serving newspapers and magazines alertly; -ready to chat with me, in the intervals, on what he called, with an -air of enormous age, the good old times at Greenwich. He endeavoured, -I am sure, to keep the suggestion of patronage out of his inquiries, -but it seemed impossible for him to disguise the fear that Greenwich, -since his departure, had been on the down grade, and that nothing could -be done for it unless Providence thought fit to return him to the -neighbourhood. Peter was still engaged with the Scouts: he had attained -a notable position of authority, and was persuading all his younger -colleagues to join. Peter said his firm had sent thousands of men to -the war; if it lasted long enough he himself hoped to have a chance of -taking a part in it. "I'd like to account for a few odd Germans," he -said. "By-the-bye, how's that poor nephew of yours getting on? And his -poor old father. And poor old Mr. Hillier? And poor old Mrs. Hillier?" -In assuring Peter these were well, I recollected that trouble would be -encountered later when an explanation had to be given of the statement -used to persuade Muriel to accompany me. Always a difficult young lady, -it was not easy to guess how much reason had been brought into her -disposition by the change of surroundings and the new manner of life. -She came up when I was considering the best moment for an admission. - -"Is my mother really very ill, Weston?" she demanded. - -"It's doubtful," I answered promptly, "whether she will ever be able to -leave the house again." - -We went up the slope to the platform; it happened that a train arrived -immediately. The carriages were crowded, and as we both had to stand -up, conversation--fortunately for me--was impossible. The great point -was to get her to Gloucester Place, and meet her folk; I felt ready -to take any amount of blame and criticism so long as this result was -effected. As intervening passengers swayed to and fro, I observed, -now and again, the alteration in her appearance. Muriel had lost the -petulant, fractious air; in its place was a manner of determination, -and self-reliance. A middle-aged man, after thinking the subject -over so far as Deptford, rose and asked her to take his place; she -answered that he was not to incommode himself. At Greenwich, and on the -platform, she took my arm. - -"Don't let us talk," she begged. "I want to get there as quickly as -possible. She may be asking for me." - -A small car was standing outside the door, and, recognising it, I -thought perhaps the doctor had called to see the old couple on the -ground floor. In the hall stood Captain Winterton and his wife: they -were holding hands, and their features shewed acute anxiety. The house -was very silent. - -"At last," he whispered, relievedly. "She wants you, Miss Weston." - -"Who?" - -"That," said Muriel, "is surely an unnecessary question." She led the -way briskly upstairs. - -"We heard a bumping sound overhead," explained Mrs. Winterton to me. -"We ran up at once, and found Mrs. Hillier in a faint on the floor. The -Captain rushed at once for a medical man." - -The doctor was on the landing as I ascended the staircase. He looked -grave, but on that I put no great account: it is one of the tricks of -some members of the profession to hint at acute difficulties and thus -emphasise the credit for overcoming them. He said Mrs. Hillier had -probably been attacked by sudden giddiness, and that the fall had -stunned her; he was perturbed by the fact that she had not yet regained -consciousness. - -"She has had worries, doctor." - -"Of course, of course," he said, impatiently. "Everyone has them in -these days." - -"Her's have been rather extra special. But the presence of her elder -daughter will have a wonderful effect when she comes to." - -"If she comes to," he corrected. - -Katherine was home from the bank, but Mr. Hillier and Edward had not -arrived. The doctor and the Wintertons had carried my mistress into -the bedroom, and there I found the two girls watching their mother -intently and apprehensively. I loosened a part of Mrs. Hillier's dress -and took her hand; there came a slight twitch of the face, nothing -more. The doctor was called from below. Returning, he said that he -had been summoned to a case of a young wife in Croom's Hill; it was -imperative he should attend, for no nurse was in attendance. He gave me -instructions, promised to come back. I could not help agreeing that his -services were more valuable in a case where an addition was being made -to the world than in one, at the other end of life, where he could do -little. - -"By-the-bye," he said, at the front door, whilst his man was -re-starting the car, "I know all about you, Miss Weston. A friend -of mine, once a doctor of the neighbourhood, has a house, so well -furnished that his wife is envied by the wives of all other medical -men. He confided to me that the credit was really due to you. Now, I -wonder whether you would mind, some day, looking in at my place, and -just giving a word of advice--" - -"My dear sir," I declared, "this is no time to be talking shop. At any -rate, not my shop. All I can think of now is whether the dear soul -upstairs is going to recover." - -Edward came home full of a compliment that had been paid to his -railway by a notable statesman; he hushed down at once, and begged I -would give him tasks to perform. I could think of nothing else but the -job of meeting his father at the station, and giving a hint of the news -that waited in Gloucester Place. To the lad's satisfaction, this proved -worth doing, for Mr. Hillier had intended to give up an evening to one -more search in town for his elder daughter. Edward was able, from the -platform, to beckon to him. - -We all stood about in the rooms, talking quietly. No commotion was made -over the return of Muriel, and few explanations were asked, but Edward -declared himself puzzled and slightly aggrieved on hearing that his -sister, for nearly all the time that we were looking for her, had been -so close to the offices in which he himself was engaged. - -"She's altered," he remarked. "Less disposed to make every one wait -upon her, hand and foot." - -I hurried from him to the side of the bed. - -"Muriel," Mrs. Hillier was saying. "My Muriel!" - -The girl, at a signal from me, came across, and kneeling down, took her -mother's hand, placing it against her own cheek. The hand moved slowly -upwards and smoothed the hair. - -"Ah!" ejaculated the dear woman, contentedly. And her head drooped on -the pillow. I adjusted the clothes and bent down to listen. - -"Wonder how long the doctor will be," whispered Mr. Hillier anxiously, -"before he comes back." - -"There is nothing for him to do now, sir," I replied. - -I sat up all that night--I could not tell you why--and the others -rested. The two girls went off tearfully to Katherine's room; and I -could hear them whispering confidences to each other until the early -hours of the morning. Breakfast was ready when they all came into the -sitting room; I might have spared myself the trouble of preparing -anything but the coffee. The blinds remained down; the cheerful sounds -of a waking day in the gardens had a jarring note. - -"The funeral on Sunday," I suggested to Mr. Hillier. "Will that be -convenient?" I tried to speak in business-like tones. - -"Please take charge of it, Weston," he begged. "I feel rather--rather -knocked over." - -"You ought to stay away from the Arsenal for a week, sir." - -"No, no! Work is the best thing for all of us. Especially just now." -He went around the table and kissed the three, and hesitated after -embracing Muriel. "My big girl," he said, nervously, "is not going to -leave us again?" - -"I meant to, father," she replied, quietly, "but this makes a -difference. This brings us together." - -"Wish John were at home," he said. - -"We've been saying that," I remarked, in a brisk way, "ever since he -was taken at La Bassee. We shall have to be patient until the war is -over. No use expecting wonders to happen, just to oblige us." - -I wrote that morning to my nephew Herbert. - - * * * * * - -Herbert's father was entitled, by his alertness, to put in a claim -for a smart piece of work. He happened to be at a military hospital, -Westminster way; an entertainment was being given to some of the -wounded, and he had been asked to give one of his rousing, patriotic -speeches. The commandant, in shewing him around, mentioned that some -exchanged men had arrived that day. - -Millwood said, "I want some fresh stuff to talk about. Let's have a -glance at 'em, and a bit of a chat with 'em." The first one he spoke to -was introduced as Corporal Hillier. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - -John was allowed by the hospital authorities to come to Greenwich for -the ceremony, and his return to Gloucester Place--which we had often -decided, in conversation, was to be a great incident, with flags out -at the balcony, and, indoors, food and much rejoicing--found itself -tempered by the circumstances. We reckoned to find him changed; it -never occurred to us that his wounds and his hard experiences would -have aged and altered him so much. But for his voice--and that, -too, was not quite the same that one remembered--it might have been -difficult for those who knew him but casually to identify him. We -came back from the cemetery at Lewisham, leaving there the two simple -wreaths (one from her Ever loving Husband and Children, and the -other from Mary Weston, with Respectful Sympathy) to find Colonel -Edgington waiting outside the house in Gloucester Place, and swelling -with annoyance because he had been unable to obtain an answer to his -summons with the knocker, or his appeal with the bell. The Wintertons, -desirous of not intruding upon us, were out for the day, and their maid -had gone to see the boys performing their exercises on the corvette -that rests on a calm sea of asphalt near the Royal Hospital School; -she was doubtless giving a special interest to a scholar in Boreman's -Foundation, who chanced to be her brother. Although the blinds were -down, and we, with the exception of John Hillier, wore black, the -Colonel did not make a guess at the loss which had taken place; he -explained that he had written out a telegram to Mr. Hillier on the -previous evening announcing that he intended to call and provide an -afternoon's enjoyment but, by oversight, had given no orders for this -to be taken to the Post Office. He seemed to reckon this a trifling -omission on his part, and was sketching out the programme when I took -him aside. - -"Bless my soul!" he ejaculated. "Good gracious me! Heart failure, you -say, Weston? I never heard the poor lady suffered in that way. Why -wasn't I told? People," he fumed, "seem to take a positive delight in -keeping me ignorant." - -"Perhaps because it's so difficult to make you understand." - -"Not at all," he declared, heatedly. "Always most willing to listen. -Exceedingly eager to gain information! I ought not to be treated in -this fashion. Dam shame, Weston, dam shame. And I can't help thinking -that you are responsible." - -"We'll say that it's my fault, sir." - -"No, no," he protested. "Not so much your fault as your misfortune. You -ought to get married." He pulled at his uniform and, having delivered -the reprimand, went across to Mr. Hillier. "My dear old friend," he -said, with genuine sympathy. "What can I say to you excepting that I'm -awfully sorry. Command me, please, if you want help. I'm not much use -in that way, but all that I can do--" To my surprise, he broke down. At -the grave-side Muriel had been the only one to give way. - -Colonel Edgington, always at his best in the presence of disaster, -recovered, and followed us upstairs, sat with us at the meal, and -contrived to induce John to talk of his experiences. A war map had been -pinned on the wall, as in most households, and John, once started, -gave an animated description of the fighting at La Bassee, described -the journey, taken whilst he was in a seriously wounded condition, -to Lille, furnished an account of his various transfers from lager -to lager, the treatment he received, the folk he encountered. We -listened attentively, rather glad to have our thoughts switched away -from immediate trouble, and John sent off all of his detached manner, -becoming really eloquent towards the end. At the finish his young -brother started the applause, and the rest of us joined in. - -"But I say," cried Edward enthusiastically, "all that, you know, is -absolutely ripping." - -"You'll write some articles in one of the magazines, John," suggested -his father. - -"Any of the daily papers," remarked Katherine, "would be jolly glad to -have the stuff." - -"Much more dignified," said Colonel Edgington, "to put it in a book. A -big book. A large book. A well-bound book." - -"What about a lecturing tour?" I asked. - -It appeared that none of them had acquaintance with this procedure, and -all I knew had been gained from my brother-in-law, Millwood. I told -them of his successes, and the fees he occasionally made; John admitted -that, so soon as he found himself discharged from the hospital, nothing -would suit him better than to travel about the country, and speak to -audiences; he said it was likely to distract his mind, and prevent it -from brooding over the misfortunes that had happened to him; by talking -of them, he reckoned it possible that he might consider them less -acutely. I promised to make inquiries regarding the agency of which -Millwood had spoken: mentioned that, according to him, the business -arrangements were taken over, and all the lecturer had to do was to -make a note of the places and the dates. Ten per cent. deducted for -commission. - -"Occurs to me," interposed Colonel Edgington, "that there'll be a large -number of returned men willing to take on a job of this nature." - -"Willing, perhaps," I said, "but not qualified. Master John," I -declared, "will get ten or twelve guineas for each lecture." - -"I have said my say," remarked the Colonel brusquely. - -"If Aunt Weston is determined John is to go on a tour," mentioned -Katherine, "nothing that any of us argues, Colonel Edgington, will have -the slightest value." - -"Obstinacy in a woman," he announced, "is a quality that--that--" - -"A quality," she said, "that in men is called firm resolution. John, -you ought to have some pictures." - -Here Muriel proved helpful. She remembered that her friend, once of -Chislehurst, now in one of His Majesty's prisons, had given her a set -of photographs that illustrated towns in Germany, and some concerned -the places where John had been detained; she had also in her trunk, -which was now on the way from Camberwell, German illustrated magazines -which would furnish, by their war pictures, useful material. We sat -around the table, discussing the matter eagerly, and presently Colonel -Edgington took part in the debate, and made a very good recommendation -to the effect that the agency should be persuaded to take a hall in -the West End for John's first appearance; the Colonel promised to -secure for chairman some one high up, either in the military or the -political world. "Great thing is," he barked, "no delay. Let us be the -first in the field. Every moment is of value. Prompt action absolutely -necessary." I pointed out that the hospital authorities would most -likely insist upon supervising John's health for two or three weeks. -"During which period," ordered the Colonel, "he can prepare the -lecture, and you, Weston, can complete the arrangements." - -I offered to run around to London Street, and obtain from Millwood a -letter of introduction to the agent. Colonel Edgington approved of -this, followed me to the landing. - -"This is a great idea," he declared, rubbing his hands. "Gives the chap -something to do." - -"Quite a brain wave, sir, on your part." - -"That is so!" he admitted. - -On my return with the note, I found that Mr. Hillier was walking -inside the railings, hands behind back, head bent; my memory flew to -the time when I saw him, in a like attitude on the occasion of his -financial reverse. I entered the gate, and asked whether he required -his hat. He said I was not to give myself so much trouble, but begged -for my company, and in going up and down the gravelled path, confessed -he had escaped from the others because their absorption in the new -plan had slightly hurt him. "We have but just placed the dear woman in -her grave," he contended, "and we ought to let no one else occupy our -minds." I argued that there was something to be said for our methods. -No advantage ever came from grieving and sorrowing over those who had -gone. The world did not stop, because one person, however beloved, -went away. The wise deportment in the circumstances was to select the -happiest memories and preserve them. "I am doing that," he said. "There -is an interval at Chislehurst, and just after Chislehurst which is -already a blank. Earlier than that, and later, I have no recollections -of her that are not good and sweet." We took another turn the length of -the square. - -"She had a great affection for you, Weston," he remarked. - -"Mrs. Hillier showed it, now and then. Neither of us was the kind that -liked to gush." - -"I want you to have something of her's, as a memento of all the years -you were together. And that reminds me. She made her will years ago. We -might try to find it." - -The document was in Mrs. Hillier's writing desk, together with letters -from the children, written when they were at boarding school (they -were all chattering now in the next room, Colonel Edgington's voice -intervening, and it seemed queer to connect them with the round -text hand notes that had been kept so affectionately). There was a -well-bound diary, too, that started, as diaries will, in a profuse -literary style, as though for publication, and dwindled to short -notes, and brief figures, reviving when Muriel disappeared and the news -came of John's disaster. One line caught my eye as I turned the leaves. -"I have never thanked M.W. sufficiently, and I never shall be able to -do so." - -The will itself had been drawn up in the days of prosperity, and there -were legacies that could not now be paid to one or two charitable -affairs, bequests to servants who had long since gone their different -ways. No mention of my name; the document had probably been filled -in at a time when, for some reason or other, I happened to be out of -favour; the remark in the diary fully compensated for the omission. - -"You might have a piece of her jewellery," said Mr. Hillier. - -"It all had to go, with the exception of her wedding ring." - -"Wasn't aware of that." - -"I told her you wouldn't notice, and she wanted to get rid of it, when -money was short." - -"Can you suggest anything?" - -"Yes," I answered. "Let me stay on upstairs on my floor, and manage -the family just as I've always done. I couldn't help overhearing you -telling the young ladies that there was now no excuse for taking -advantage of my services. As a matter of fact, you will all need me -more than ever. It's true I shan't be wanted as a companion to her, but -the rest have got to be looked after. And," with a burst of frankness, -"I don't particularly wish to see anyone else doing it." - -"You'll work yourself to death, Weston, if you are not careful." - -"There are many less interesting ways of reaching there," I said. "You -know that as well as I do." - -"I shall be glad," he admitted, "to find myself back in the Arsenal -again. Taking a day off makes me feel that I'm neglecting my share in -the war." He returned the papers to the desk, and locked it. "The -scoundrels," he exclaimed, with sudden anger, "killed her. They killed -her, just as they have killed other innocent people." He raised his -arms. "May God never forgive them!" he cried. - -John Hillier's first delivery of his lecture was a great evening for -us. I think it can be said, although I took some part in the arranging, -that it was well managed. On my suggestion, the profits were set aside -for the Red Cross Society, and any entertainment, at the period, which -had an air of benevolence was supported by generous folk; John's name -was known only in connection with his songs, but the newspapers were -kind in giving preliminary paragraphs; Colonel Edgington secured, as -chairman, one of the members of the Government whose popularity had not -been chipped and damaged by the conduct of the war. When, on placards -outside the hall at the upper end of Regent Street, the notice was -fixed "All Tickets Sold," then the demand at the box office became -urgent and appealing. Folk who had relatives detained in Germany urged -that their special interests justified presence at the lecture; they -were referred to coming dates and to places near London where Mr. John -Hillier could shortly be heard. John had been given his discharge from -the army. He worked hard at the preparation of the lecture whilst he -was in the hospital, forwarding to me the sheets, a dozen at a time, -and I had these type-written at an office in Greenwich Road. Edward -and I went through them carefully of an evening, and found, to our -satisfaction, that John had contrived to treat the subject, not too -seriously, not too aggrievedly. When the last instalment came, Edward, -at a raised table, delivered the lecture, in platform style to all -of us, and timing by the watch I discovered it lasted for near upon -two hours. From Millwood came the valuable hint that this was far too -long. An hour and ten minutes, said Millwood, yes; an hour and twenty -minutes, perhaps, but two hours, no. Most decidedly, no. "What you -want to do," argued my brother-in-law, "is to go off, and leave the -audience wishing to goodness you'd gone on cackling for another quarter -of a hower. That's the 'ole secret of it." So John's task, once free of -the hospital, was to cut down the lecture, and although we bewailed the -loss of precious words, it was obvious the address became improved by -the operation. - -"Do you feel nervous?" I asked. - -"I think the rest cure at Darmstadt got rid of my nerves," he said. -"But there's no use in disguising the fact, Aunt Weston, that I am -anxious." - -"We shall all be there." - -"My own people are the critics I fear." - -We arrived at the hall in good time, and our party was amongst -the earliest to go in. I do not know how the others felt, but the -place--with folk whispering to each other, and stewards on tip-toe -escorting new comers to seats--the place struck me as having a singular -resemblance to a place of worship; the coughing that went from stalls -to balcony, and balcony to gallery increased the impression of -solemnity. Moreover, the hall was slow in filling up; there were huge -gaps on the ground floor; a woman behind us was complaining to her -husband of his mad carelessness in purchasing tickets when the money -could have been better laid out on a musical comedy at the Lyric. -It came to ten minutes to the hour, and some one near said, in an -undertone, that society people often bought tickets for entertainments -connected with a charity, and destroyed them. The stewards made a group -near the doors, chatting to each other. I thought of John's dismay when -he came on the platform, and saw the vacant rows of seats. - -"Why on earth don't the people come in?" cried Muriel, agitatedly. - -As though reminded of duties by this question, they arrived in crowds -at every doorway, brandishing tickets, and insisting upon being shewn -at once to their places: the stewards performed their duties at a -rush: the empty places filled; the noise of spring seats being pulled -down went like pistol shots; animation began to shew itself, everyone -talked in natural tones. The chairs on the platform at either side -of the white screen no longer had the aspect of desolation. Captain -Winterton and his wife went along a gangway, arm in arm; their -old-fashioned appearance caused a titter, and we forgave this in -consideration of the circumstances. Colonel Edgington bustled on to the -platform, and examined the height of the reading desk, slightly altered -the position of the high-backed chair. - -"I expect," said young Edward, across to me, "he's jolly glad you -aren't down there to interfere." - -The Cabinet Minister came, accompanied by John, who was able to walk -now, for short distances, with the aid of a stout stick; the audience -stood up and applauded, and Colonel Edgington bowed profoundly. I -think he would have remained on the platform, but the chairman, with a -jerk of the head, intimated that his presence was no longer necessary, -and the Colonel withdrew reluctantly to engage at the side upon a -brief altercation with a strong-minded lady who declined to comply -with his order to remove her hat, on the grounds that she was not, as -it happened, wearing one. People called out "Order, order!" and the -Colonel disappeared. - -The chairman introduced John in a dozen words, thereby confuting the -apprehensions we had expressed in the train, coming up; we had felt -bound to agree with Mr. Hillier's suggestion that political folk when -they faced an audience, rarely knew where to stop. The chairman said he -proposed to keep any remarks he had to offer until the end. - -The hall was defensive in its attitude at the start, and John had a -little trouble in getting his voice to the right pitch. He remedied -this, and there was no more coughing, no signs of inattention. He -gave accounts of small incidents connected with the engagement, -with imitations of some of his comrades and their wonderful light -heartedness; he told one or two anecdotes that went well, and suddenly, -ere people had finished their laugh, switched off to a dramatic and -exciting description of the struggle. Master John had got them well -in hand by this time. When the lights were lowered, and it was seen -that his pictures were not of the type called 'moving,' there came a -slight ejaculation of surprise; a moment's thought and folk seemed to -realise that British prisoners of war were not, perhaps, furnished with -a cinematograph machine. John was particularly fair to the enemy. He -had a good word for the German doctors, a severe one for a commandant -who had not apparently set out to achieve popularity. He re-constituted -the lager, and took us through a day there; it was not prejudice on my -side in favour of a young man whom I had known and liked for years that -made me feel that this was more vivid and more illustrative than the -printed word. John finished with a couple of sentences full of hope and -enthusiasm, and declaring that all who had suffered for their country -enjoyed a pride they were not disposed to change or to forget. - -Our party, flushed and warm with content, had the idea that the -afternoon might well end here: the rest of the audience evidently -wanted a speech from the chairman. A speech he gave, and it was -interesting for us to compare the two styles; John's endeavour to use -only the indispensable words, and the Cabinet Minister's large and -luxurious manner of the practised orator. The hall, I admit, liked the -great man's method. The hall indicated its approval of the chairman's -compliments to the lecturer: it became uproarious with excitement when -he quoted the Crispian speech from _Henry the Fifth_. Edward assured me -the quotation was not really correct (and proved later, by production -of his Shakespeare, that his criticism was right), but the people, I -think, liked the recital all the better for the touch of undesigned -originality, and when he closed by asking us to sing "God save the -King" and we all stood up, and sang our best, and ladies in the front -rows of the stalls took the bunches of flowers they wore and flung -them on the platform, and Colonel Edgington--the fusser!--came on to -guide the chairman, and our John, to the exit, as though the perfectly -obvious way had to be made through a scarcely penetrable forest--why -then we knew, and everyone knew, that Mr. John Hillier had received -what is called a good send-off. - -"Who," asked Katherine as we reached the vestibule, "who, pray, is -the eccentric but seemingly perfectly happy gentleman dancing all by -himself in a corner over there?" - -"He," I was able to answer, "is the lecture agent!" - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - -One ought to have been made apprehensive and cautious by the fact that -everything seemed to be going so well. In congratulating myself on the -smoothness with which the machinery was running, I should have adopted -one of the precautionary measures of a superstitious nature, handed -down to me and impressed on me by my mother. But it was satisfactory to -observe the chastened deportment and comfortable peace in the Hillier -household--the loss endured seemed to have brought all the members -closer in affection--it was cheering to find that John's tour could be -reckoned a success; it was so pleasant to discover in the notes from -Herbert Millwood a new tone of cheeriness, that there seemed no grounds -for anticipating disaster. Herbert was unable for the present to obtain -leave; he wrote that he intended to come up to town and see Muriel at -the earliest possible moment; I gave her the message in a way that -deprived it of any special meaning, and she said, casually, - -"It will be interesting to see your nephew again." - -The war had passed the first anniversary of its birthday and still went -on, and the news that arrived was occasionally of a cheerful nature; no -justification, however, occurred for putting out the Union Jack I was -keeping in reserve. We had a flag day of another kind in Greenwich, and -I provided tea in the shop for some of the white-gowned young ladies -who sold the decorations; as they left a middle-aged man came to the -doorway and thanked me in an elaborate way for the hospitality shown; I -took it that he had something to do with the organisation, and answered -civilly, nothing more. He made a sympathetic allusion to poor little -Serbia, mentioned the attacks that were being made on Lord Kitchener -and said he did not approve of them. He thought the single young men -ought to join, before the married men were called up. He did not feel -inclined to trust Winston Churchill. He offered to bet sixpence that -Greece meant mischief. He doubted whether the Government was acting -wisely in announcing a further restriction of licensing hours, and -argued that the people ought to be consulted in these matters. His -conversation seemed to me to be lacking in originality, and I was -getting tired of it when a police-sergeant came along, known to me -by an occasional exchange of nods, and a friendly remark concerning -changes in the weather. Looking around, I discovered that my talkative -visitor had vanished hurriedly. - -"How's business, ma'am?" inquired the sergeant. - -"Mustn't complain," I answered. "Thanks to Woolwich, I'm able to muddle -along. How do you find matters?" - -"Slack," he said, regretfully. "Nothing doing at all. 'Pears to me, -crime is becoming a lost art. I shall soon be like Othello." - -"Not jealous of your wife, are you?" - -"I mean my occupation will be gone. I'm suffering from monotony; that's -what's the matter with me. Fortunately for you, you're not troubled -with it. And I'm told you're uncommon keen on a bargain." - -"My work is to buy cheap, and sell dear." - -"It's a job," remarked the sergeant, "where you have to keep your wits -about you. By-the-bye, I heard something in your favour the other day, -but," he tapped at his forehead, "it's gone. I shall think of it when -I'm trying to remember something else." - -The middle-aged man called again the next afternoon, but I was busy -with a customer who had bought a pianoforte and was explaining to me -that her neighbours, hitherto friendly, were declaring that the music -produced from the instrument by her two little girls was in no way -pleasing to the ear. She happened to be one of the newly affluent, and -my suggestion that a pianola arrangement should be fixed, received her -consideration. The other caller, seeing that I was not prepared to -break off the discussion in order to attend to him, placed a card on -a dresser, and said he would pay a visit at a more convenient moment. -The card bore the name of Professor Basil Chailey; in the corner, the -title of a West End club. I noticed that on the back was pencilled what -seemed to be a day's expenses. Newspaper, lunch (ninepence for lunch), -tea, railway ticket, pair of boot-laces. Evidently the professor was -obeying the suggestions regarding war-time economies. - -He came in that evening, as I was about to put up the shutters, and go -to Gloucester Place. The shop closed early at that time, because with -the regulations concerning the lighting of windows, it was impossible -to shew off my goods, after dusk, to any advantage; besides which, -folk were not going out at night as they had done, and the anxiety -concerning air-raids still existed. My visitor carried a small box from -which one or two wires had escaped; he wore, on this occasion, a tweed -cap. - -"I am in rather a hurry," he announced, speaking carefully, "and I -shall not detain you long. I happen to be one of the many suffering -from a diminished income on account of the war. There is no need to -disguise the fact that the sudden loss of a berth of about six hundred -a year is no joke." - -"It certainly wouldn't make me laugh." - -"All of my students," he went on, "have joined the Army. My classes -have been shut down, and I find myself, to use a vulgarism, stranded. -On the rocks. In other words, suffering from an acute financial -embarrassment." - -"I never lend." - -"There," he said, approvingly, "I think you are wise. My own resolve -is not to get into the hands of those who are willing to make monetary -advances at an exorbitant rate of interest. My knowledge of the world -is not great, because all my life I have been devoted to science, but I -do know that once a man is involved in the coils of these people--" - -"Hurry on with what you have to tell me." - -"Finding myself in this awkward position," he said, "I look around -with a view of ascertaining how I can dispose of some of my property. -I have for years made a hobby of collecting silver. That silver I wish -to dispose of, quietly, and at a fair price. I don't expect to get the -money I paid for it, but I have no desire to be swindled." - -"Give me your address, and I'll call and look at the articles." - -"Pardon me," he said. "My two sisters with whom I reside; they must -know nothing of the transaction. It would be the death of them." - -"But they will notice that the silver has gone." - -"I have a device," he remarked, holding up a fore-finger, in a shrewd -way, "for accounting for that. A midnight burglary. A window left open. -Do you follow me?" - -"Go back now," I suggested, "and bring the goods along as quickly as -you can, and I'll stay here, and wait for you." - -He seemed doubtful concerning this plan, and I spoke rather -abruptly; on this, he agreed that there was much to be said for my -recommendation. I inquired where he lived, and he answered promptly, -"St. John's Park, Blackheath." I mentioned that this was some distance -away, and he could scarcely return within less than an hour. He assured -me that he would use celerity, and, with great politeness, declared his -regret at causing inconvenience. - -I went over to Gloucester Place after closing, took supper with the -Hilliers, mentioned to them that I had some dealings with a strange -customer, and hoped to make a profit out of the transaction that would -compensate me for the trouble I was incurring. At the shop, there were -no signs of the professor, and as I sat there in the dim light on a -saddle-bagged chair, and time went on, I determined he should suffer -for the delay. My hours were too valuable to be wasted. An appointment -was an appointment, and should be kept even by middle-aged gentlemen -connected with scientific occupations. A policeman went by trying -doors, and when mine opened, he glanced in and apologised. - -"Working overtime, eh, ma'am?" he remarked. - -"Expecting a caller," I said. - -"Not afraid of being alone?" - -"Prefer it, sometimes. Good-night, constable." - -"I can take a hint," he said, glumly. - -My new customer arrived in a taxi-cab as I was on the point of making -up my mind to go; he dragged across the pavement a large bag of green -baize. - -"Sorry I'm behindhand," he remarked, exhaustedly. - -"I, too, am inclined to regret it." - -"Had to wait," he explained, "until my sisters went upstairs. We -needn't lose any time now. I will pay the driver whilst you look over -the articles." - -Everything seemed in good condition, and it was clear that the silver -had been treasured and polished carefully. I set each piece on a -sideboard and estimated the value roughly, adding up the amounts in my -head. The professor had returned, and he stood watching me with some -impatience, as my lips moved in the effort of reckoning. - -"How much?" he asked. - -"I shall have to weigh--" - -"No, no," he interrupted urgently. "Give me a fair sum, and let me have -the money now. I'm not used to adventures of this nature, and I want to -get the matter over." - -"You will take a cheque?" - -"I would rather have had cash," he said, "but, in these days, that -is too much to expect. Make it payable to bearer, and not crossed." I -mentioned that I had about thirty pounds, as it happened, in Treasury -notes, and part payment could be made with these; he shook his head -and said that, on consideration, he preferred to take the cheque. I -suggested an amount: he agreed to it so swiftly that I blamed myself -for not quoting a lesser sum. He gazed over my shoulder as I filled in -the slip. Snatching at it, he, without another word, hurried from the -shop. - -I was placing the smaller articles in the safe, and congratulating -myself on an easy bargain, when the door opened. Turning, I saw two -quietly dressed men, of severe countenance. One advanced, pulling -hard at a note-book that fitted too exactly the inside pocket of his -overcoat. - -"Got my pencil, sergeant?" he asked of his companion. - -"You had it last, inspector," replied the other. - -"I distinctly remember lending it you," said the first with warmth, -"as we were coming out of the Police station. You said you wanted to -make a note of something concerning the robbery, and I handed you my -pencil case, and you never gave it back. 'Tisn't the first time that -has happened. If it occurs again I shall report the matter to the -superintendent." I asked what they wanted with me. "Your name is Miss -Weston," he said. - -"That's right." - -"We are two plain clothes detectives," he went on, "and we have a -rather painful duty to perform." - -"I suppose your tasks are never very pleasant." - -"True for you, ma'am. Sergeant, close the door, and tell our men -outside to be prepared in case any attempt is made to escape. Now -then!" Addressing himself to me. "You have just purchased a quantity of -silver. Tell me what you gave for it." - -I mentioned the sum. - -"Not much more than the full value," he suggested, ironically. - -"People in my line of business rarely pay more than they are obliged to -do." - -"Generally a good deal less. And that is where they sometimes find -themselves in trouble. Now, I don't wish to frighten you, ma'am, or -make a scene of any description, but that silver represents stolen -property, and we shall have to take charge of it, and you'll have to -stand in the dock, and answer--" - -I screamed. - -"Keep calm, keep calm!" he directed. "As a matter of fact, we are not -going to take you away now, providing you give us your word of honour -to attend at the Police Court to-morrow morning. I'll tell you what'll -happen. You'll be there, with your accomplice, facing the magistrate. -If you're wise, you'll get a solicitor to take charge of your case. Not -sure whether you've had much experience--" - -"I was never," I wailed, distressedly, "mixed up with anything of the -kind before. Please give me all the advice you can." - -"And he'll probably reserve your defence. He may, as you have hitherto -been a respectable shopkeeper, manage to have you let out on bail. -Anyway, you'll be committed for trial, and when you appear at the Old -Bailey with a jury on the right hand side of you, and the Recorder just -opposite to you, and a couple of warders, one on either side of the -dock--" - -I put the impetuous question that is likely enough offered in most -cases. He scowled, and I feared the inquiry had annoyed him. He -beckoned to his companion. - -"Sergeant," he said, "you're a man of discretion and tact, and although -I am your superior officer, I should like to have your advice. This -good lady wishes to know whether there is any means of squaring the -case, so far as she is concerned." - -"I'm opposed to it, sir. Much too risky." - -"But if it could be managed, I should be inclined to consider the -project. She has undoubtedly been taken in by a plausible scoundrel." - -"People who are foolish enough to do that," declared the other, -stolidly, "must submit to the consequences." - -"I grant you that, as a general proposition. I'm with you there, heart -and soul. I can't, for a single moment, argue that you're wrong. But -supposing--I only say supposing, mark you!--supposing this poor woman -had a certain sum, either in cash or notes, ready at hand--" - -"I've got nearly thirty pounds," I announced. - -They conferred apart, and I, gripping my hands, waited anxiously for -the decision. The two talked in bass undertones, with one for, one -against. "There can be no hard and fast rule in these affairs; each -case has to be decided on its own merits." And the answer was, "I've -no wish to appear obstinate, but if it ever came out, you know as well -as I do, that we should be ruined." Gradually the opposition seemed to -weaken. - -"Ma'am," announced the visitor who was on the side of clemency, "we -have decided to accept your offer." - -"Thank God!" I exclaimed. - -"Your gratitude should be expressed to us. Fortunately for you, you -are dealing with two of perhaps the most kind-hearted men in the whole -force. Sergeant, pack up all this silver ready to take away, whilst I -count the notes. And tell the chaps outside that they needn't wait." - -It was indeed a relief to me to see the two prepare to go. They found -the green baize bag heavy, and I suggested they should allow me to -fetch a cab; they declined, and before going, gave me a lecture on -the necessity, in dealing with strangers, of exercising care and even -suspicion. I remarked that I could give the bank a warning not to pay -the cheque when tendered, and they hinted, in duet, that I might -consider myself a favourite of fortune. - -It has often been said that women suffer from their defect of -garrulity; something happened which proved that, in the other sex, -consequences ensue. For, as they were impressing upon me the great good -luck which had come my way, there came a sharp knock at the door. They -tried to stop me, but I had opened it before either could get at my -wrist. My friend the sergeant stood there. - -"Seeing a light," he remarked cheerfully, "I thought I'd call to tell -you that the something I heard about you wasn't really about you -at all, but about a party with a different name altogether. Hullo, -Albert!" he said to one of the men. - -"Evening, sergeant." Respectfully. "Coldish for the time of the year." - -"You know these two gentlemen, I expect," I remarked. - -"Ought to," answered the sergeant. "What's in your bag, Albert? -Anything special?" - -"It isn't our bag, sergeant. It belongs to this lady here. It's her -property." - -The other man, apparently, dissented from this procedure, for taking -the bag in both hands, he swirled it around, just missing me, and -hitting the sergeant. The two rushed out. I snatched a police whistle -from a hook, and blew it. The sergeant, recovering in a few moments -from the blow that had dazed him, hurried through the doorway, and with -a speed amazing in a man of his proportions, ran after a tram-car that -was turning opposite the Church; the green bag, hauled up the stairs, -was on the point of disappearing from sight. - - * * * * * - -There is no use in pretending that I came out well from the incident, -or that my respect for my own business-like capacity did not suffer. -The professor had to give evidence, and his two sisters remarked -audibly, at the Police Court hearing, "We can never trust Basil again." -In the corridor I found him endeavouring to persuade them that a -crime had undoubtedly been committed, and whether it took place at -St. John's Park or at London Street was a point of small moment. The -Treasury notes found on the prisoners were, after the sentence at the -Old Bailey, returned to me. One of the men, not represented by counsel, -cross-examined me in a cheeky way, and a newspaper headed the account -of this with the title "Dignity and Impudence." The Judge made some -remarks intended to be humorous, and dutifully smiled at by the jury, -in which he recommended Miss Weston to obtain the aid of a husband who -would help her in looking after the establishment. - -There was reason to feel indebted to my friends in the trying period of -waiting for the case to come on. William Richards took a day's holiday, -and, looking quite smart in his new railway uniform, became my faithful -attendant; Millwood paced up and down the large hall with us; Edward -hastened to the court in his dinner hour and took me out and gave -me a meal. Glancing back, it seems ridiculous that a self-possessed -woman like myself, with no excuse for nervousness on the grounds of -youth, should have felt so much terrified at being called upon to act -a small part in a court of law; I suppose the experience is always -trying to folk who lead quiet lives, and suddenly find themselves in -the limelight. At any rate, I am speaking the truth when I say that I -had no desire to go through a similar ordeal again, and I determined to -use every care in avoiding another collision with the law. And this, -perhaps, was the result the law, by use of pomp and elaboration, and of -imposing and terrifying methods, intended to effect. - -At Greenwich, the Judge's facetious suggestion was taken up by -young Edward, and commented upon by him with considerable relish. -Mr. Hillier, and the two girls, observing that I was not amused, -gave him a private warning to make no further allusions to the -Quartermaster-Sergeant. - - * * * * * - -I was careful to send out no newspapers to France that gave a report -of the case, but Cartwright, in one of his pencilled letters mentioned -that he had heard of it. "If ever you are in any legal trouble, go -to my brother at the enclosed address." It was the first time he had -spoken of this relative. The old people at Lewisham had not referred -to this son; conversation when I called there was restricted to the -soldier. Particulars of greater importance in the letter had a place -on the last sheet. "I have been feeling out of sorts, and they tell -me I need a change and a rest. But I do not want to come home until -the job is ended. Fritz has got to be downed." Whilst I was receiving -correspondence and sending it with scarcely a single mishap, my dear -Katherine found that her communications and parcels to Mesopotamia were -subjected to erratic treatment; now and again a steamer taking the -mails was torpedoed in the Mediterranean, and this accounted for some -of them, but not for all. Lieutenant Langford, on one occasion, cabled -to her: "Are you writing?" and it cost about two pounds to reply, -stating that she had been sending to him each week since he left. -To me, in a moment of confidence induced by her anxiety, Katherine -communicated a secret. - -"And aren't you as pleased, my love, as ever you can be?" - -"In a way, yes," she answered perplexedly. "But it means I shall have -to leave the bank." - -"Only for a time." - -"They'll say I ought to have been straightforward with them. They'll be -annoyed. They can be very stern when they like." - -"Important folk, no doubt," I remarked, "but it isn't for them to give -permission for dear, beautiful babies to come into the world. And don't -forget when the time comes, that although your poor mother is gone, I -shall be here." - -"Shouldn't like to be facing it, Aunt Weston, without you." - -My Quartermaster-Sergeant walked into the shop at London Street one -wet day when Greenwich was looking something short of its brightest, -and neighbouring tradesmen had called to give me their private and -business anxieties. He said, "Hullo, Mary, my girl!" and kissed me, -and, at once, other people's troubles vanished from my thoughts and -for all I knew sunshine might have taken the place of rain. He was -slightly thinner, and he had one or two lines on his forehead that I -had not before noticed; it struck me there was a touch of grey about -his moustache. Also his manner seemed quieter. - -"No," he said, when I had sketched out plans for the evening. "Rather -not, if it's all the same to you, go to a theatre, and, unless you're -keen on it, we won't go up to town and have dinner. I'd prefer to just -sit here on this sofa, and gaze at Miss Weston." - -"That won't be very amusing for you." - -"Seem to have got out of the habit of laughing. Takes a bit of an -effort, in these days, for me to smile. But I don't want anything -better than to hear you talk, and chat to you, and find you -contradicting me. And," as I placed a cushion under his head, "how's -the nephew, and how are the people in Gloucester Place, and how's -everybody?" - -He admitted, later, that he paid but a small compliment to me by -falling asleep as I was chatting to him. "Where's my manners?" he asked -self-reproachfully. Before this, I had put a screen near the sofa, -and if anyone came in the shop, warned them to speak quietly. I set -the kettle on the fire in the back room, induced a passing lad to buy -for me a two-ounce packet of the Quartermaster-Sergeant's favourite -tobacco. His pipe rolled out of his pocket as he turned in his sleep, -and I filled it, placed it ready for him, with matches at hand. - -I proposed to tell him of my fears regarding Muriel Hillier and -my nephew, and to mention that Herbert was shortly coming up -on the retarded leave. I thought of explaining that Muriel had -changed but that it was not clear the change was permanent. My -Quartermaster-Sergeant had just awoke, and was once more blaming -himself for inattention to the rules of etiquette, when William -Richards appeared at the doorway. - -"Bit of a railway accident, Mary Weston," he announced, shortly. "Your -nephew, the officer chap, is I am sorry to say in it!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - -It was the way of things in the long months of the war that in addition -to news from abroad, one was called upon to receive information -concerning events at home, and when it happened that both were of a -serious and alarming nature, one was almost knocked down by the double -blow. One generally managed to get up again before ten was counted, but -for the moment, the effect was staggering. I could have wished for no -better companions than Cartwright and William Richards, and they proved -the more useful when my brother-in-law Millwood arrived, a broken -and a tearful man, unable to offer any suggestion or to join in the -conference which, once I had recovered, took place; he went into the -back room, and gripping the top of his head with both hands moaned and -wailed. All the cheeriness which he was able, at public meetings, to -communicate to his audience, had gone. I opened the door with the idea -of giving a word of sympathy. - -"Go away, Mary," he said. "Please go away. I want to be alone." - -The accident, it seemed, had occurred near to London, and injured -passengers were brought on to the terminus and conveyed to hospitals; -William Richards was able to give me the name of the institution to -which Herbert had been taken and the title of the ward. "I asked the -question you are now putting to me," said William, in his stolid way, -"and the answer was 'Both mental and physical.'" Richards had to leave -in order to resume his duties, but he urged me to count upon him for -any assistance required, and advised the Quartermaster-Sergeant to go -back to France at the earliest possible moment. "No offence meant," he -added, at the doorway, "but I've knowed her," with a jerk of the head -in my direction, "a sight longer than what you have. And if I could -only get appointed to a nice station down in the country--". He decided -not to complete the sentence, or to describe, in full, his plans. - -Cartwright, aroused from contemplation of his own state of health -by some one else's disaster, offered to carry out any orders I had -to give. I felt unable, at the moment, to go to town and endure the -risks of ascertaining worse news, and did not care to leave Millwood; -Cartwright put on his thick overcoat, and set out with no delay. In -the back room, I found my brother-in-law searching the contents of the -bookshelf. - -"Want a prayer book," he said, in a muffled voice, "or a bible. Or a -'ymn book. Anything of the sort'd do." - -I ran in next door, where the proprietor was a chapel man; his wife -would not permit me to take a copy of ordinary size, but forced upon -me a family bible, under the impression, I fancy, that size and weight -would increase helpfulness. The considerable volume I took to Millwood; -he asked me to guide him to comforting passages, and this, after -some effort of memory, I was able to do. Called back to the shop, I -could hear--as a visitor begged me, on the grounds that she was dead -nuts on crime, to give a full and particular account of the silver -incident--could hear him reciting verses aloud in tones that became -strong and determined. - -"Funny thing," he remarked, later. "Such a lot of us don't give a -thought to religion unless something 'appens that we've got no control -over. Then we begin to take notice of a 'igher power. You remember the -story of the sailor in the Liverpool docks?" The fact that Millwood was -telling an anecdote proved that he was regaining composure. "Chap falls -from top of mast, and cries out, 'Oh, Lord, pray 'elp me!' 'Alf way -down he catches 'old of a rope, and swings into safety. 'Don't trouble, -Lord,' he says, 'I've done it meself!'" - -We talked quietly after this of Herbert's accident, and of the steps -to be taken. I suggested that the lad, so soon as he was free of the -hospital, should be brought to my rooms at Gloucester Place; replying -to Millwood I had to admit that, with the calls of the business on my -time, it would not be possible for me to nurse him, but I felt sure the -services of a capable woman could be obtained. To make certain of this, -I went along to the Post Office and rang up the doctor who had become -a recent customer, and had proved friendly and helpful. His answer -was definite. "No chance of securing a nurse for a long job. Everyone -busy, and overworked. The patient had better remain in the hospital. -Extremely sorry unable to assist. Brighter luck next time. Good-bye!" - -At Gloucester Place that evening, the news was received with concern. -Mr. Hillier said that no one would hear of the accident with more -regret than John. John had been looking forward to a meeting with -Herbert so soon as the tour was over; he had some idea of taking -Herbert away to Cornwall, where the pair could enjoy a holiday -together. Muriel came in as the others were guessing at the extent -and nature of the injuries; Edward spoke of concussion of the brain, -and, as an authority on railway procedure, suggested that if any -immediate compensation were offered, it should not be accepted, but -the matter instead placed in the hands of a solicitor. Legal folk, he -said, managed to get more out of a company than an ordinary individual -obtained. - -"Has something happened?" asked Muriel. I explained. "If you want any -one to look after him," she said quickly, "when he comes here, let me -do it." - -"But, my dear," I protested. "Means such a sacrifice for you to make." - -"It is time," she said, "that I did a little in that way. I shouldn't -be so good as a qualified nurse, but I'd do everything I was told to -do. We'll consider it settled. Unless," she added, "unless he objects." - -"You are the one person in the world that he would like to have for -company." She contracted her forehead slightly, and I could see that -my impetuous remark had not included the quality of tactfulness. "I -should have said you are one of the few persons." Muriel accepted the -correction with a nod. - -The particulars brought by Cartwright suggested that the hospital would -be ready to give Herbert permission to leave so soon as he could be -removed with safety, and I heard from Miss Katherine that her sister -had given notice to headquarters of an intention to resign. Katherine -thought it a risky procedure, but admitted that the demand for women's -work existed and was likely to continue; the talk of compulsory service -by men seemed likely to result in definite action. Katherine, in -speaking of the war and the call for more recruits, mentioned that she -could not decide whether she wished her little one to be a boy, or a -girl, and I pointed out to her that, in these matters, wishing was of -small avail. - -Cartwright gave up his hours to attendance at the hospital; he had -always, he said, felt a partiality for the lad, since Birdcage Walk -days, and although at times Herbert could not speak to him, the -Quartermaster-Sergeant sat by his bed and waited to see whether -conversation, in small doses, was required. It was Cartwright who, -when the day for transfer came, took charge of all the arrangements; -for once in my life I was willing to abstain from exercising control. -When the ambulance drew up in Gloucester Place, and the invalid chair -was brought out with my dear nephew upon it, he glanced wearily at -me, without sign of recognition, and I knew his convalescence was -going to be no short job. Captain Winterton and his wife looked on -sympathetically; the old lady whispered to her husband and, coming -forward, he begged, in his courteous way, that I would consider the -ground floor at my disposal. Cartwright and the driver of the ambulance -said the stairs were not difficult and could be managed. I thanked -the Wintertons and assured them the top floor had been chosen by the -doctor; no other invention would have arrested their hospitality. -At the last landing stood Muriel in a neat print costume and blue -over-all; her features had become tanned by out-door work and I felt -that Herbert might well be excused for failing to identify her. He -opened his eyes as the chair stopped. - -"Yes," he said, gratefully trying to put out his hand to her. "You! -You!" - -I have never been able to make up my mind whether, if Herbert had -arrived safely and without the intervention of the railway accident, -Muriel would have shewn any extraordinary regard for him; there -is, at the back of my mind, an impression that with her thoughts -concentrated on work, and with the memory of disastrous experiences -in earlier days, she had decided to contemplate the other sex with -aloofness. (Afterwards she told us one or two incidents connected with -impressionable season-ticket holders that seemed to confirm this view.) -The clear and certain thing was that she entered upon her new duties -with a serenity that would have been impossible for her in Chislehurst -times, that she shewed also a touch of authority, accepting suggestions -from nobody but the doctor, and allowing none of us to enter the room -and chat with Herbert unless we first obtained permission from her. -Cartwright was inclined to rebel. Cartwright said he had met nurses out -in France who, at the start, had to be argued with firmly, and this -over, proved sweet enough and reasonable; I warned him that a procedure -effective with some might fail where Muriel was concerned, and advised -that he should imitate my example, and abstain from interference. - -"That isn't usual with me," he declared, "and I'll swear it's a bit -exceptional with you. I often find myself wondering what sort of -discussions and arguments and family words you and me will have when -we're married." - -"Don't you bother your head about that," I counselled. "It takes two to -make a wedding, and I haven't by any means come to a decision yet." - -"But why then do you let me kiss you?" - -"Because I like it," I said. "Take a book, and go out and sit down in -the Park, and get yourself fit and well as soon as ever you can. We -shan't have this war finished if many of you hang around here at home. -Besides, the neighbours in London Street are beginning to talk." - -"I don't suppose they ever belonged to the deafs and dumbs, and -I'll guarantee there's few people in Greenwich who care less what's -chattered about them than you do. As a matter of fact, I'm going to run -up to town to see my brother. I want to get him to draw up a will for -me." - -"You ought to have done that long ago." - -"Possibly," he said. "But long ago I hadn't anything to leave, and long -ago I didn't know anyone special I wanted to leave it to. I'll trouble -you, Mary Weston, for a fond embrace." - -The Quartermaster-Sergeant, soon after this, was detailed for duty -at Seaford, where he had to look after the convalescent men who were -preparing to return to the front. I did not tell him, and did not -inform anybody, how greatly I missed him. - -Herbert's progress was slow, but there came a time when he was able, -with Muriel's assistance, to walk about the gardens of Gloucester -Place, and I noticed that their conversation was often animated, that -they called each other by Christian names. Then there came news of -cruel treatment of (amongst others) a chum of Herbert's, now in a -German lager not so well managed as the one in which John had been -detained, and Herbert worked himself up to a state of excitement over -the methods that had been practised, and his own inability to help in -taking revenge. The doctor summoned a specialist from Wimpole Street, -and Muriel told me privately of her fears that she might find herself -replaced by someone owning greater qualifications. The specialist gave -orders regarding treatment, asked no questions concerning Muriel, -approved her careful manner of taking notes. Herbert was not to be left -alone at night, and I offered my services. - -"Are you his sister?" inquired the man from Wimpole Street. I explained -the relationship. "Heavens!" he cried. "Incredible! Bless my soul! How -difficult it is, in these days, to guess a woman's age." - -"Thanks for the compliment, sir." - -"It isn't a compliment," he retorted. "I'm hinting at the facts. If -anybody asked me, I should say you were in love." - -"Nobody is likely to ask you," I remarked, "and you needn't pledge your -word to a statement of that kind." - -Millwood came back from some platform engagements, and Muriel described -to me the scene of his meeting with Herbert; she mentioned that she -would have felt more touched by it, but for the common and ordinary -accent used by Herbert's father. It occurred to me there was still a -trace of haughtiness to be found in the girl, and that this needed -to be erased before she could be reckoned good enough for my nephew. -Millwood bought and presented to her, as acknowledgment of her -attention, a brooch the like of which I had never seen before, and, -with luck, will not see again; she was on the point of declining it, -but a glance from me induced her to change the intention. - -"You can either wear it," said Millwood, impressively, "on 'igh days, -and Bank 'olidays, or you can put it by, and keep it in stock, so to -speak, as family heirloom, to be 'anded down to your children, and -their children's children after them." Muriel said she would take the -second alternative, and that she was ever so much obliged. "Tell you -what I did," he went on, emphasising the importance of the occasion, -"I didn't consult me own taste; I tried to imagine what your selection -would be, and d'rectly moment I set eyes on this, I knew I wasn't going -far wrong!" - -It was, I suppose, the sleeping upright in a chair at night that made -my dreams more than ever twisted and perturbed; it may have been -Cartwright's talk about his will that accounted for his presence in -these imaginings. The number of times the Quartermaster-Sergeant was -blown up by mines, or sniped by the enemy was past counting; it often -proved an intense relief when Herbert awoke, and his call aroused me. -Occasionally, when sleep was tardy in coming to him, Herbert spoke of -his mother and his own early days, and the money I had spent on his -education, and a dozen other subjects; he rarely alluded to Muriel, and -when he did so, only in an incidental way. From which, I assumed that -they had made terms with each other, and that peace was near. It seemed -to me now that this was perhaps the best thing that could happen. - -I should have done well to keep in mind the nursing instinct. In my -own case, with the maids at Chislehurst, it had often happened that a -particularly tiresome girl fell ill, and, at once, all my annoyance -with her ceased, and I tended her as though she were my dearest friend. -I have known mistresses who got rid of servants because they were so -healthy as to prove wholly uninteresting. It is a virtue or a defect -with women. And certainly it proved, in case of Muriel, that so soon -as my nephew gave signs of recovery--I was glad for his sake, and not -regretful for my own, for the want of proper rest was beginning to -tell upon me, and I had no desire to escape the kind of flattery that -the Wimpole Street gentleman had offered--so soon as this occurred, -Muriel went up to the City, obtained employment in a forwarding office -in Gracechurch Street at twenty-five shillings a week (the head -clerk had been a season-ticket holder who shewed deference in her -ticket-collector days), came back and reported the circumstance. This -readiness for work in war time was no help to sentimental match-makers -like myself. I took Herbert to task. - -"I'm sorry, aunt," he said. - -"You have oceans of pluck in other ways." - -"Possibly, possibly. But it requires a special sort of courage to speak -in that way to any one who is so far above--" He made an upward gesture -with his hand. - -"On any well regulated set of scales," I declared, warmly, "your -qualities would considerably outbalance hers. As a fact, she is even -now not nearly good enough for you." - -"You expect life to resemble a _Family Herald_ story," he said, smiling. - -"Life might often do worse." - -"With every male patient marrying every nurse, and living happily -ever afterwards. There wouldn't be enough nurses, my dear aunt, to go -around. And because Muriel has been so good as to attend to me during -my illness is a reason why my admiration should increase, but it gives -no excuse for assuming that she is bound to become my wife." - -"Then, I suppose, we must hunt about for someone else likely to suit -your lordship." - -"A waste of time," he assured me. "I shall never think of caring for -anyone else. And to have been in her company all these weeks is a -privilege I did not deserve, and shall never forget." - -"Boy," I cried, "you're talking like a blessed Crusader." - -An army medical officer came to see him one day, and announced that -Herbert was not yet fit to return to duty. Herbert took him down to the -riverside, by the Naval College, and argued with him for an hour by -the clock, and they came back to Gloucester Place, where the medical -officer said that Lieutenant Millwood's health had so much improved -that he would rejoin his company the following morning. I knew quite -well that Herbert would have been less eager to go away from Greenwich -if his lady had not now been catching the eight-twenty train every -morning to Cannon Street. It had always interested me to watch folk who -are in love, and this, perhaps, was due to the circumstance that until -the Quartermaster-Sergeant came on the scene, I had few experiences of -my own to engage attention. And being accustomed to pull wires and see -the figures obey, I was a trifle moody in bidding the lad farewell. - -"No more railway accidents, please," I directed. "I did think this one -might have been of some use, but I was mistaken. And I'm disappointed." - -"Had a letter from the railway company this morning," he said. "They -seem to make a very fair offer." - -"Give it to me. You mustn't accept the proposal until I have considered -it." - -"If you were in command of the British army, aunt--" - -"I like everything to be done right." - -At the earliest opportunity, when Millwood was able to look after -the shop for a couple of hours--he had a bible of his own now, and -read it with all the interest of one to whom its contents were new, -declaiming passages aloud and committing them to memory--I ran up to -town and saw Cartwright's brother. He was an abridged edition of the -Quartermaster-Sergeant, only about five feet five high, and small -featured; in the way of short men he took an assertive manner, and -there was scarcely any opinion I offered during the early part of the -interview that did not receive immediate contradiction. Perhaps he -accentuated this attitude because, at the start, he said, "Oh yes, Miss -Weston. The lady to whom my soldier brother wants to leave his money!" -It was a time, you will remember, when we all bragged of relatives in -the army; the little solicitor was not exempt, and one could see that -he blamed himself for disclosing information concerning the will. I -said promptly that I had no need of the Quartermaster-Sergeant's money, -that I had enough of my own, that he would have done better to look -after his parents. "They," remarked Cartwright's brother, "are under my -charge." We came to the subject of the railway company's offer. - -"Oh, no," he said, promptly, "your nephew is not going to agree to -that. These folk never expect their first offer to be taken. This -is a matter which will require correspondence and discussion, and -consultations, and so forth, and so on." - -"We don't want to run into too much expense for your so forth and so -on." - -"You will be troubled with no bill of costs in this matter," he said. -"Any friend of my brother's has a special claim upon me." - -I apologised, and we became more friendly. He told me his parents had -made great sacrifices in regard to his preparation for the law, and -that George had willingly agreed to this. He admitted there had been -a period when one did not take much trouble to speak of a brother who -had enlisted in the army; he remembered arguing the matter with George -very seriously, and for some years they were not on speaking or writing -terms; the war had promptly brought them together. I spoke of other -conjuring tricks performed by the same medium. Of my nephew Herbert, -stopped in his educational career. Of the Hilliers, and in particular -of Muriel. - -"But that ought not to be a difficult task," said the little man, -across the table. "To bring those two together, I mean." - -"It ought not to be difficult," I agreed, "but I can give you my word -that it is." - -"He is very much in love with her?" - -"That's right." - -"And she cares for no one else?" - -"So far as I know." - -"Have you," he asked, "considered the usefulness of exciting jealousy?" - -It is fair to say that he did, in the result, persuade the railway -people to increase the compensation by about fifty per cent., -that he declined to take a penny for his work, and that his -suggestion concerning Muriel appeared, when I had given full time to -consideration, one which deserved a fair trial. The chance came when -a stout widow of Maze Hill, a lady customer who collected articles -of brass, spoke to me of her intense sympathy for lonely men in -the army; she had four on her list with whom she was in frequent -postal communication, and wanted more. "My heart goes out to them," -she declared, emotionally. She was grateful for the full address -of Lieutenant Millwood, of whom I spoke as from hearsay, and she -subsequently shewed me a brief but very courteous note received from -that young officer. "They're always shy at first," remarked the Maze -Hill widow, acutely. "But I know just how to write to them. The great -thing is to cheer them up, make them realise that someone cares for -them, and send them plenty of cigarettes." In one of his notes to -me, Herbert alluded to the kindness he was receiving from a Mrs. -Kenningham. I spoke of this incident at Gloucester Place, and Muriel -said she considered that some women with nothing else to do were making -themselves foolish and intolerably fussy in pressing their attentions -upon army men. - - * * * * * - -Katherine left the bank, and stayed at home for a few weeks. The post -from Mesopotamia was still imperfect, and it was all I could do to keep -her hopeful and happy. Her baby came one morning at twenty-five past -six, and I sent a cable to Lieutenant Langford that seemed to puzzle -the attendant in the Post Office. It said, - - "Beautiful boy!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - -The arrival of the baby boy at Gloucester Place made an extraordinary -difference in many ways. Katherine might well have protested -against being deprived of some of her rights; instead she looked on -good-temperedly and with an obvious pride in the interest created by -her son; her own talk was mainly of the bank, and the possibility -that the authorities might allow her to return so soon as she was -sufficiently restored to health. It depended, she told me, on the -quality of girls newly engaged there since her departure; a highly -placed official named Cummings would have a voice in the matter. - -"Cummings is a bachelor," she went on, "and he won't be very amiably -disposed in my case. When a bachelor reaches the age of fifty he is -inclined to take what he calls the common sense view. And common sense -will be all against me." - -"What is his first name?" I asked casually. - -"Timothy," she replied, "but the scandalous circumstance is not -generally known. He hopes that people assume it is Thomas." - -Mr. Hillier, advanced in position at Woolwich, and able, at times, to -return home at an early hour, came now at a trot from the station, -and his first inquiry as he ascended the staircase always concerned -the infant; Edward gave up his occasional evenings at the theatre to -return home, chat to Katherine, and, by permission of nurse, find -himself allowed to hold the baby for a few minutes; old Mrs. Winterton -discovered amongst her treasures, mid Victorian toys such as ivory -rings, china dolls with black painted hair, and a wooden horse of -barrel shape with circular stripes, The greatest change to be noticed -was in Muriel. Muriel, in the presence of Master Langford, threw off -all the masks that she wore at various times--aloofness, indifference, -studied composure, sedateness--and, as Edward said, gave herself -away completely when the baby was in sight. She talked to him in the -mysterious language that the very young are supposed to understand, she -was deferential towards nurse in order that she might be allowed to -share nurse's duties; to be permitted to glance at him, the last thing, -as he slept, was counted by her a remarkable privilege. Muriel assured -me that the slightest whimper from his cot during the night, aroused -her instantly. - -"At office," she mentioned, with good humour, "I seem to have been -making him the one topic of my conversation. At any rate, a round robin -was presented to me to-day signed by all the girls in my room, and -pointing out that I am not the only aunt in the world. I suppose it -is true, but I wrote in reply that few aunts had such a brilliant and -exceptional nephew." - -"I felt just the same," I commented, "when Herbert arrived. For a time -people used to say that it cost half a crown to speak to me." - -Muriel was silent for a few moments. "I must write to Herbert," she -said. - -When nurse left, we formed a syndicate, and my earliest grievance -against the shop was caused by the discovery that some one would have -to be engaged to look after the baby; I was free only in the early -hours and the late hours, and those were periods when the other members -happened to be ready to give their services. Katherine herself could -have remained at home, and she had a desire to do so, but she admitted -to me that loneliness meant grim imaginings of disaster near the -Persian Gulf, and I recognised that work, and nothing else but work, -was necessary to her. So I had to look around for some responsible -woman--not a slip of a girl, and not so advanced in age as Mrs. -Winterton, who had offered to help--and the task of finding one proved -difficult; there were occupations so well paid at the time that few -wanted to engage in domestic tasks. (I declined Mrs. Winterton's -suggestion with a gentleness not, I fear, usual to me; I had an idea -that the old Captain was beginning to shew signs of breaking up, and if -this happened, I knew her hands would be full.) I did, at last, find -a nurse who produced a guardedly-worded testimonial from her latest -employer. - -"I'm all right," she said, candidly, "so long as no one gets in my way. -Once that happens, I fly straight off into a rare old fit of temper." - -The engagement was made subject to the decision of the bank people. -Katherine wrote, and the reply directed her to call the following -Monday morning; she rehearsed the interview more than once, and -declared her belief that Cummings would prove the one barrier. On the -Sunday, I took the trouble to write to Mr. Cummings a letter, beginning -My dearest Tim, and expressing the fear that he no longer remembered -me, but saying that the note was intended to assure him that, in spite -of the long lapse of time, he was never absent from my thoughts, and -that I remained, now and always, his ever affectionate Daisy. It is not -clear whether my action could be defended on moral grounds, but I did -ascertain from Katherine that she found the recipient of the letter in -a dreamy, slightly absent-minded and quite reasonable state, and that -he handsomely granted her appeal. - -"But," he said, gazing hard at the inkstand, "any repetition of the -error will, of course--er--Good morning!" - - * * * * * - -It was enough to make a woman feel important to note how swiftly -members of her sex filled the vacancies caused by the departure of men. -Mr. Hillier spoke of munition factories at Erith and other places, -where thousands of girls were employed. At Woolwich, the canteens were -run by women. It had long since given no astonishment to see a lady -driving a motor-car; they seemed to do it more easily, less fussily -than did their predecessors. I heard of waitresses in West End clubs, -and of girl letter-sorters in the district Post Offices; I saw, when -business took me to London, high booted, short skirted alert young -women taking 'bus fares; from the kerbs came soprano voices calling -the evening newspapers; lifts in the big shops were managed by smartly -uniformed girls, and one observed them doing outside establishments the -work hitherto performed by commissionaires. Some of my lady customers -were deeply perturbed and shocked. - -"It don't do to think what poor old Queen Victoria would have said," -declared one, mournfully. "Thank Heaven, she wasn't spared to see this -day. If she had been, it would have been the death of her. She'd never -have survived it, dear soul. It's a mercy she was taken off when she -was. Providence knows best." - -The great argument with these good folk was that the occupations were -unwomanly; they did not trouble to consider who else there was to do -the work, and I always discovered they were the first to complain -of any slight inconvenience to them created by the war, and full of -indignation against some individuals whom they called the authorities. -The authorities ought to have done this, the authorities should have -done that; it was especially charged against the authorities that they -were lacking in fore-sight, and deficient in the valuable quality of -common sense. The most strenuous critics happened, by a coincidence, to -be those who never contrived to remember whether my early closing day -was Wednesday or Thursday. - -I allowed conversation to go on in the shop, partly because one had -all the natural curiosity to pick up any bits of news that were flying -about, mainly because it was worth while that the place should offer -an appearance of traffic. I have often seen people stop, attracted -by the window, crease their features over some of the contents with -a look of perplexity, and then, if the shop were empty, decide upon -postponement and move away; if customers were inside, and there -seemed a likelihood of an article of furniture being on the point of -changing hands, then the shop was entered without delay. I hit upon -the notion--it is improbable that I was the first to think of it--of -placing some desirable arm-chair or attractive cabinet well in the -foreground, and on it a ticket with the word "SOLD." The dodge rarely -failed. Grapes that are out of reach invariably look the sweetest. - -"Now could you manage, Miss Weston," it would be said, coaxingly, -"to just write a nice little note to your customer, and say you're -extremely sorry to find a mistake has been made? And send this round to -my house on a hand-cart at once, and it will be there in time to be a -surprise for my husband when he comes home!" - -These were, of course, the exceptions. Plenty of my ladies were shrewd -women doing good work with the various societies and associations that -had been started in the borough, and I was rarely tired of hearing -about their experiences, and always ready, I hope, to put my name -down on their subscription lists. London grows kinder year by year, -but there never was a period when amiability was so generally shown; -perhaps there had never been a time when it was so much required. The -need did not consist in money, but in friendliness. There were some who -stood in urgent want of this. - -A woman with her two children waited near to my door one day, gazing at -the tram-cars in a bewildered manner. I went out, and asked if I could -be of any assistance. - -"I do feel such a looney," she admitted, cheerfully. "To tell you the -truth, ma'am, I've never been out of Greenwich before, and now I've -got to find my way to a railway station up in London. My man's coming -home on leave, and he expects me and the kids to meet him. And we want -to meet him, because if we don't he may come across other friends, -and--Well, you know what soldier chaps are, don't you?" - -I read the pencilled note she held in her hand. Millwood was upstairs, -resting his voice. I put on my hat and coat in the back room, and -called out a direction to him. - -"I'll pilot you up there," I said, "and look after you until your -husband arrives!" - -The children were excited on the journey, wondering what Dad would look -like, and what Dad would bring for them, and how long Dad would be able -to remain at home, and how many Germans Dad had accounted for, and -whether--the great question--whether he would take them to a picture -palace. The woman herself was almost off her head with delight at the -prospect of seeing her husband again. I remember she carried a small -hand-bag with an unreliable catch; it contained all his letters and -post cards, and I should think I rescued it from the floor twenty times. - -"Without your help, ma'am," she declared gratefully at the London -station, "I sh'd no more had been able to get here than nothing at all." - -The boat train was due in ten minutes; we waited in the crowd near -the barrier, the youngsters dancing about expectantly, and too much -engaged to test the automatic machines. The tallest of us in the crowd -presently saw the engine approaching, and we made the announcement; the -crowd surged to and fro, chuckling and delighted. - -"I shall scarcely know him, I expect," said my agitated companion, -"after all these months." - -Mud-covered soldiers began to alight from the train ere it stopped; -cries of identification went up from people near to us. - -"That's my Jim," she exclaimed. And, contradicting herself, "No, it -ain't. Same height though. This must be him, coming along now. No," -disappointedly. "That ain't him, neither!" - -The men and their friends went off, chattering; the crowd diminished -and the features of those who remained shewed anxiety. - -"Anyone here called Mrs. Barford?" inquired a deep voice. - -"That's me," whispered my companion. "You go and see what he wants, -miss. I'm too nervous. I'm all of a tremble." I went forward. - -"If you are Mrs. Barford," said the Corporal, speaking to me formally -and deliberately, "I regret to have to inform you that your husband -fell down, and died he did, just as we was about to get in the train at -Bailleul. Heart attack probably. I need not say how sorry I am to be -the bearer of bad news." He went off with his wife and son. - -I had to take the sad group home to Greenwich, and to give all the -comfort and sympathy I could provide. And wished, with all my heart and -soul, that I had been better fitted for the task. - - * * * * * - -It was not long ere the new nurse and myself stepped inside the ring. -If she had been an angel from Heaven (which she was not) I should -probably have found some excuse for challenging her; she admitted, -when it was all over, that she found Gloucester Place too quiet for a -person of her disposition, and that she was, when the first discussion -occurred, spoiling for a fight. I had received a visit from William -Richards that afternoon, and a letter from my nephew contained an -enclosure, to which I had been looking forward, from Mrs. Kenningham. -William called to tell me he was married-- - -"And this I very well know, Mary Weston, means a rumpus so far as me -and you are concerned!" - ---Married to a lady hitherto engaged at a railway refreshment counter, -and, as I remarked when he shewed me her photograph on the back of a -postcard, looking it to the life. I assured him there was no objection -so far as I knew, and that I trusted he would be happy; William could -not get rid of the idea that an apology and a full explanation were due -to me, and with some notion of tempering the blow, made an offer for a -bookcase that stood in the shop. Guessing at the motive, I gave many -reasons for declining this. The bookcase was not for sale. I myself -had taken a fancy to it. Two or three customers were making a bid. The -owner had gone abroad, and might return any day. Eventually, William -became so piteous that I insisted on making him a gift of the article. - -"Wish you hadn't taken it to heart like this, Mary," he mentioned in -going. "But I suppose gels are more sensitive than what we men are. -They brood over affairs of the kind, and make a grievance of 'em. -Only, don't forget this. You had your chance, and it's no one's fault -but your own that you didn't take advantage of it. I'll send for the -bookcase in a day or two, and thank you kindly." - -There was really nothing in this to worry about, but as I went, -after closing the shop, I did feel William might have made a better -selection, and I argued that the chances of his happiness were not -great. At the exit from Gloucester Place to Crooms' Hill I caught -sight of baby's nurse talking to the milkman. I waited until he began -to pull at one of her white cuffs, and then, wondering how grown-up -people could be so stupid, hurried on to the house. Baby was alone, -and crying; he stopped on seeing me and was as right as ninepence in -less than a minute. My lady arrived, and demanded to be told what I was -doing with her child. I gave an answer pretty quickly. One word led to -another, and when Muriel arrived the two of us were having a rare brisk -discussion, hammer and tongs, give and take, such as I had not had a -share in for some time past. Muriel stayed the argument, begged me to -go to my rooms, and settled down for her usual talk with the baby. When -she came up later, I was feeling penitent. - -"You are working too hard," she said, firmly, "and unless you go slowly -you'll be ill, Aunt Weston. It's beginning to get on your nerves. We -must see what can be done." - -"You don't imagine, my dear, that I'm the kind of woman who will put up -with any interference from other people?" - -"Sure it wouldn't be an easy task," she agreed, smiling. "What happened -to-day to put you out?" - -She listened to the William Richards incident without great concern. -But when I shewed her the letter that Mrs. Kenningham had written -to Herbert, and the note from him which requested me to call on the -lady, and tell her frankly that he was in no need of affectionate -communications, then Muriel exhibited an energy and a vehemence of -which I had not reckoned her capable. She was willing to accompany me -to Maze Hill, and to go without delay. This style of woman, she said, -forcibly, had to understand once for all that kindness must stop short -of ridiculous infatuation. - -We found in the drawing-room of Mrs. Kenningham's house a cabinet -photograph of my nephew; it was set in an expensive silver frame, and -I wondered how many applications the lady had made before obtaining -it. It was gratifying to me, as a wire puller, to notice that Muriel -had not yet managed to suppress her annoyance; she went across to -the pianoforte and, despite my warnings, extracted the photograph. -Underneath were two portraits of other soldiers whose loneliness had -apparently, at an earlier stage, obtained the lady's attention. - -"How do you do," said Mrs. Kenningham, entering breathlessly, "and I -hope you are not going to detain me, because one has so much to see to, -and such a quantity of letters to write, for at a period like this it -is everyone's duty--" - -"My name is Hillier," said Muriel, calmly. "I am engaged to Lieutenant -Millwood. He has received this preposterous communication from you." - -"Oh dear, oh dear," cried the lady, alarmedly, "I am so sorry. I've put -my foot in it this time, and that's a fact. Do hope you'll believe that -my intentions were good." - -"Possibly. But your procedure was intensely foolish. Don't let it -happen again." - -When we were out of the house--our departure watched by the penitent -Mrs. Kenningham--I asked the girl whether she had spoken the exact and -precise truth. - -"Aunt Weston," she answered, "I may have anticipated events slightly; -whatever crime there is in that can be charged against me. But I'm not -going to stand by and see any other woman snatch at him. Let me reply -to his letter." - -"Your news, my dear, will make him very happy." - -"Been trying all my life to find happiness for myself," she said, "and -I haven't succeeded. Maybe I shall be more fortunate in endeavouring to -give it to somebody else." - - * * * * * - -We had a great meeting of friends, shortly after this, at Gloucester -Place; so extensive that Mr. Hillier spoke of the drawbacks attendant -on living in a flat, and compared the advantages of a house away from -London. Singing was, by consent, barred. A gentleman belonging to -the music-hall profession had come to live next door, and his habit -of giving a birthday party every Sunday night was not without its -inconveniences; it is only fair to say that when I called on him at the -request of old Mrs. Winterton, he proved as amiable as anyone could be. - -"Had no idea," he declared, self reproachfully, "there was anything -like illness about, or else it wouldn't have happened. Say so, won't -you, ma'am, with my compliments. Assure them that, until they give the -word, hospitality is off. The old Captain's honestly ill, is he? Well, -I'm sorry, and I can't say more. I expect the war has been too much for -him. It affects a lot of people who try not to shew it. Here!" He took -me aside. "Between ourselves, I'd give anything for that suit he wears, -if ever he wants to get rid of it. I can assure you it would get me a -roar the very moment I went on." - -So that at our gathering we had no music, but there was plenty to talk -about, and my nephew Herbert and Muriel were, to my great delight, -on excellent terms--they had agreed, she told me, to wait until the -war was over--and John was home from his tour, giving imitations -of chairmen he had encountered, and obtaining the aid of Edward in -reckoning the profits; the total when announced by the lad was received -with applause. John's leg still gave trouble: he spoke of the old and -less exacting task of writing songs. Colonel Edgington was there to -play billiards with Mr. Hillier; I took coffee down to the room and -found the two disputing in a manner that reminded me of Chislehurst -days. The Colonel, I gathered, was arguing not for the first time -that he either possessed influence or knew someone who owned it, and -he desired it should be used on behalf of Mr. Hillier; the contention -of Mr. Hillier was that he had every reason to be thankful for the -position he now occupied. - -And there was Katherine and her jolly baby. I wish I could describe to -you how fond we all were of the little chap; how relieved I was to find -that his nurse had asked for the day off; what a joy it was to me to -watch him and to help his young mother in looking after him. Katherine -and nurse appeared to get along well enough with each other, but my -antagonism to the girl had in no sense diminished, and as I sat near -the window, looking across the gardens at The Circus, I tried to fix -the details of a plan for getting rid of her, and securing for myself a -greater control over the dear mite. (You will perhaps think that I was -always scheming to get my own way, and you are probably not far wrong.) - -"The work at the shop in London Street," I overheard Katherine say to -John, "is telling on her. Do wish she'd give it up." - -"Something must be done," said her brother. - -"Millwood ought to be able to help," she remarked. "He seems to be a -man of intelligence." - - * * * * * - -The great wonder to me was that my brother-in-law remained modest, -continued to take the same size in hats. Before the war, he had been -nothing more, so far as the public was concerned, than a minor local -politician, reckoning himself lucky if the _Mercury_ gave his name -amongst a number of others; occasionally it appeared on small bills -that were posted furtively, by enthusiasts in the cause, who knew how -to run a meeting on economical lines. Now and again, when the borough -elections came on, he was in the sunlight for a space, and anyone who -wanted to deal at that time in second-hand furniture, had no chance of -doing business. At a parliamentary election, he was what is called an -organiser. - -Now, it appeared that he was necessary to the success of recruiting -meetings, indispensable at all sorts of public occurrences that had -connection with the war. I found a card for a drawing-room reception to -meet Her Royal Highness the Princess Somebody of Something at a house -near Pall Mall; the card announced three speakers, and one of these -was H. Millwood, Esq. The date of the affair happened to be an early -closing afternoon, and I made up my mind to go to town and ascertain -how my brother-in-law comported himself in the presence of the higher -aristocracy. I had seen him amongst the Greenwich people, had heard of -his success with larger audiences elsewhere, but it appeared tolerably -certain that Millwood would make grievous blunders in Carlton House -Terrace. - -There was time to spare when I stepped out of the tram-car on the far -side of Westminster Bridge, and in St James's Park I found the lake -still empty; on Horse Guards Parade a band was playing, and recruiting -sergeants conducted sets of newly enlisted to the railway station; near -The Mall and just inside the railings, a row of buildings had been set -up for Admiralty work, and cars with staff officers, and navy men, -hurried to and fro. There was no forgetting here that a war was going -on. At the house mentioned on the invitation card, I hesitated. The -ladies going in appeared distinguished (I recognised some from their -portraits in the illustrated dailies), they were handsomely dressed, -and I feared I might be stopped in the hall and called upon to answer -searching questions. A dowdily-garbed woman came in at the carriage -way, and I followed her. The footman inside the doorway bowed as he -took her card. - -"Has the meeting started yet?" - -"Not yet, Your Grace," answered the footman. - -I was sufficiently flustered to put, in a parrot-like way, the same -question, and the man was well trained enough to give me the same kind -of answer. At the foot of the broad staircase, another polite attendant -asked us to ascend, and on the landing everyone was being announced to -and received by the lady of the house. - -"Miss Weston!" called the man. The lady of the house shook hands, -pleasantly, said it was exceedingly good of me to find time to come, -urged me to take a seat without delay. - -"There will be a crowd," she remarked, contentedly. In a side room, I -could see Millwood in his blue reefer suit chatting with a young woman -who seemed about twice his height. - -The ball room was, on one side, of irregular shape, and I managed to -discover a corner, where, from a gilded chair I could watch without -being seen. A small raised platform had been fixed; the windows looked -out on the Park and Government offices. About me, as the room filled -and the rows of chairs became occupied, the talk was of the war and its -progress, or the need for its progress. One could not help observing, -once more, that the appetite for rumours, fresh and seasonable and -tasty, was as keen in the west as in the south-east of London. - -The Chairman entered escorting H.R.H. (she was the tall young woman -with whom I had seen Millwood chatting). We stood up. H.R.H. placed -her bouquet of flowers on the table where there stood a silver tray, -and a glass jug (that I should have liked to buy) and tumblers. A -well-known actor-manager, a notable Judge, and Millwood followed. The -audience sat down, made itself comfortable, and assumed the look of -calm resignation that is appropriate when a flood of talk has to be -expected. The Chairman opened with compliments to H.R.H. and, declaring -that the speakers of the afternoon would save him the trouble of -explaining the proposals of the new Association, went on to describe -these in full detail. At the end of twenty minutes, he called upon -the Judge. The Judge said the Chairman had given all the information -that was necessary, and his own talk would therefore be simple and -brief; he took twenty-five minutes to repeat, in slightly varied -words, the speech of the Chairman. When the actor-manager advanced -to the edge of the small platform, we all bent forward eagerly and -hopefully; it seemed likely that here would be something to break -the steady and persistent dulness. The actor-manager, with fine -declamation and admirable gesture, started with an epigram that missed -fire; my own view was that, by an oversight, he offered it upside -down, and thus robbed it of pungency. Discouraged by this (and by the -circumstance that he could not make out his notes excepting by the -aid of spectacles, which he had decided not to wear) the actor-manager -contented himself by echoing the statements and arguments already made. - -"As you, my lord, have so truly remarked, and as my learned friend, if -I may so call him, has so admirably suggested--" - -I glanced about to discover a chance of getting away; an elderly lady -of great proportions in the next chair, was now well asleep, and to -arouse her would have produced a commotion. - -"Your Royal Highness," announced the Chairman. "I call upon Mr. -Millwood." - -My brother-in-law came forward, one hand in the pocket of his jacket. -He gave a rather awkward bow to H.R.H., nodded to the Chairman. - -"This is a deuce and all of a rummy affair!" he said. The sentence -seemed to box the ears of the jaded audience; everybody became alert; -the stout old lady next to me woke up. "When you come to think it over, -I mean. Before August, nineteen fourteen, you ladies and gentlemen -knew nothing about me and cared less, and what I thought of you isn't -worth mentioning. And here we are to-day, all friends. All chums. All -brothers and sisters. All regarding one another with a real and vurry -sincere affection. And why is it? Why, because we've been attacked, -without any warning, by a bully that wants to murder our men, women and -children, and whose aim it is to wipe us off the face of the earth." -Millwood jerked around suddenly, and spoke with deliberation. "He ain't -a-going to be allowed to do it!" The cheering came for the first time; -loud cheering, and long. "Out there, just now, on the 'Orse Guards -Parade, I spoke to a young chap who was going forward to the tent where -they're jotting down the names of recruits. He appeared not much more -than a boy, and I took the liberty of speaking to him. I says, 'My lad, -what induces you to leave your good mother, and go and join the army?' -And he says, 'It's just because I've got a good mother, that I'm going -to fight on her behalf,' he says." - -It is impossible for me to describe the way in which Millwood gripped -and held those people. Set down in writing, there would appear to be -little in his homely anecdotes, his ordinary illustrations, his touches -of domestic pathos. What I do assure you is that at one moment the folk -were laughing, and at the next they were in tears; the great virtue -of the speech seemed to me that it finished within ten minutes, and -I joined with the rest in making the ineffectual appeal of "Go on!" -Once or twice he had made adventures into the alliterative manner, and -these were his only errors. In the room downstairs where the visitors -took tea and coffee, and I had the opportunity of inspecting furniture, -everyone was asking for Mr. Millwood. The lady of the house regretted -he had somehow taken his departure, unobserved by her. - -That evening, when Millwood returned to London Street, I asked how he -had got on at the afternoon meeting. - -"Moderately fairly well," he replied. "Can't say more than that!" - - * * * * * - -Millwood and I came into collision, and each showed an irritability -over the incident not usual with either of us. My own idea is that my -brother-in-law's manner was responsible. He bounced into the shop one -morning when the rain was pelting down, and spattering up from the -pavement; he was in the habit of taking great credit to himself for -never carrying an umbrella, and on this occasion he was without an -overcoat. His first act, the swinging to and fro of his wet bowler hat, -caused me to speak sharply. - -"You needn't worry," he said. "I'm coming back here. I'm going to -take charge again. They tell me I've nearly wore out my welcome, so -far as the public is concerned--getting too refined in my manner, or -something--and my name will once more appear above the shop windows." - -"Have you been breaking the pledge?" I asked. - -"Unfortunately, no," he replied. "Otherwise I sh'd be in a better -temper than what I find myself. I've come 'ere, to have a straight talk -with you, I have, Mary Weston." - -"You'll probably get a straight talk in return. What do you mean by -this nonsense about coming back?" - -"When you took the shop over," he said, deliberately, "it was -understood I was free to return and take possession whenever I felt -disposed so to do." - -"Have you any proof of that?" - -"Got it in my inside pocket now. A letter, or note, or communication -in your own handwriting. Contents of the place to be valued by some -independent authority unless the figure could be agreed on between us." - -"I'd forgotten about that," I admitted. "But, in any case, it isn't -worth the paper it's written on." - -"How do you make that out?" - -"Go and consult a solicitor," I retorted, bluffing. "He'll tell you, in -half a jiffy, that you've no legal claim. Now be off, and don't bother -me with your nonsense any longer." - -"If there's going to be any consulting of solicitors," he declared, -"it's you that had best do it." - -When one is dealing with an obstinate, pig-headed man, serious argument -is of no use. I tried a more appealing way, but Millwood shook his -head, and said I was wasting my breath. I remarked that I knew a well -qualified and highly reasonable legal gentleman up in London who could -give wise advice on the subject, and Millwood, after some discussion, -went so far as to agree that he would accept Mr. Cartwright's decision. -Millwood wrote out a copy of the letter I had been foolish enough to -give to him some eighteen months or more earlier. - -"Be a sport," he warned me. "Shew him this, and tell him everything in -a truthful manner, and come back here, and tell me what he says. I'll -look after the shop until you return." - -My Quartermaster-Sergeant's brother was busy, and, in his office could -give me no more than five minutes: he placed a watch on the table to -make sure that this period was not exceeded. Before I had time to state -the case fully or to produce the copy of the note, he stopped me. - -"You must give up possession," he said, definitely, "at the end of the -current week. Good-bye! Thorough April weather, isn't it?" - -I could not help suspecting that my friends--little Mr. Cartwright -included--were just now associated in a design to control and guide my -career. - - * * * * * - -Something that looked like an opportunity for dealing with the -conspiracy against me came when young Pinnock, of a shop over the -way in London Street, went before the Tribunal. There were always -establishments to let in the thoroughfare, but I had fixed an eye on -Pinnock's because of its special build and expansive windows; I could -see there a business under my control that would be in opposition to -Millwood, in more senses than one. (I fancy there was some idea, at the -back of my head, that I was a piece of machinery which could not risk -the danger of stopping lest it should be reckoned of no use, and find -itself thrown upon the scrap heap.) - -Young Pinnock was of the very few who declared openly a resolve to -take no part in the war; he had a thousand and more arguments, and -the important one, which he repeated at his doorway, and occasionally -shouted across the street, was that the trouble on the continent of -Europe was not of his making. This we had guessed, but it did not -prevent us from saying that young Pinnock ought to take his share as -the rest were doing; that he constituted an undesirable example to -youths who were growing up, that the drill would make a man of him, -and perhaps induce some girl to offer her admiration. Pinnock found a -new contention, each day, to support his attitude, and when he caught -sight of my brother-in-law, rushed out to present it; Millwood was -always able to knock the suggestion over with no trouble, and the -youth returned to his shop to ponder, and to build up a fresh one. -He exhibited an air of great confidence one evening on producing the -statement that his mother had begged and prayed of him not to enlist, -declaring that his departure was likely to be followed immediately by -retirement to a bed which she would never leave. - -"Give me her address," said Millwood, curtly, "and I'll give the old -gel a look in." - -"I don't profess that I'm giving you her exact and actual words, Mr. -Millwood." - -"My lad," remarked my brother-in-law, "what reelly keeps you back is -not your mother, or any other relative. It's yourself. When the war is -over, you ought to have the Humane Society Medal." - -"What for, Mr. Millwood?" - -"For saving your own life. And don't worry me with the subject again. -If there had been many like you, we should have had the Germans here by -now. I've got no patience with your sort." - -"Wish somebody had," complained young Pinnock. "My difficulty is to get -people to listen to common sense." - -It proved that his mother was, in fact, anxious that he should go; it -happened that she was the only parent in her road at Charlton who had -not made some contribution to the services, and she declared that her -position was not to be envied. Pinnock tried, later, the plea that if -he joined up, the shop would close (Millwood said the world was not -likely to come to an end on account of this), that there were texts -in the Bible supporting his attitude (Millwood, as a new and careful -reader, was able to produce some war-like quotations from the Old -Testament), also that his principles would not allow him to take life, -(Millwood remarked that the possession of a rifle, and the sight of a -Prussian aiming a bomb, would modify these views.) Finally, and before -appearing at the Tribunal, young Pinnock announced his intention of -arguing that he had no right to set his own existence in danger. That, -he said, was the point. Life was entrusted to us as a high and sacred -charge, and any man who, wilfully and with his eyes open, exposed it to -peril was to all intents and purposes committing suicide and deserving -of the blame the law could give. Nothing but an unsound mind, argued -young Pinnock, and this he in no way claimed, excused the act. Indeed, -he described himself as a thinker; one who refrained from borrowing -views from other people, preferring to make his own. - -"And I'd like you to come along, Mr. Millwood, and hear me argue the -question in front of these gentlemen, because I've got the notion that -I shall be more successful with them than what I've been with you." - -"No special treat to me," said Millwood, "to see a chap make a fool of -hisself." - -"But I owe you something," urged the young man, "for inducing me to -give up arguments that wouldn't hold water. Thanks to you, I've got one -now that's absolutely without a flaw. Shouldn't wonder if my case gets -reported in the evening papers. I feel absolutely confident it'll make -a sensation." - -Millwood and I were not on too friendly terms at the moment, but he -told me, on his return from the court, all that had happened, and told -it in the dramatic way that a man of his type can adopt in describing -an incident which has affected the imagination deeply. Of young Pinnock -entering the room with a determined air--"He would have stuck his -chin out," said Millwood, "only that he hadn't got one!"--of being -directed to take a seat, and finding himself disconcerted by this; the -rehearsals apparently had always been taken in an upright position. -Of Pinnock recovering gradually powers of speech and gesture, and -proceeding to declaim his views on the sanctity of human life, and more -especially the duty of every man to preserve his own life, in a way -that made the members of the court--exhausted as they were by attending -to appeals on a variety of grounds, and sometimes on no grounds at -all--listen with care. Of the Chairman presently stopping the applicant -with the remark that the case had been put forward with conspicuous -ability; the Court would give its decision later in the day, and -announce then whether any exemption could be granted. - -Of young Pinnock leaving the room, and going out of the building in a -great state of exaltation, talking to folk he met, and--on the edge of -the pavement, still propounding his views--being run into by a small -boy on a scooter. Of poor Pinnock staggering under the unexpected -collision, and trying to recover himself, and not succeeding, and -falling into the roadway as a motor-car dashed along. - -The shop was closed on the day of the inquest, and remained closed, -but some feeling of superstition prevented me from making any effort -to secure it. The incident, small in comparison with the large events -which were happening, touched me. And I could understand and sympathise -with the remark that the mother made. - -"I should have felt a lot happier," she said, wistfully, "if my boy had -been killed on the field of battle!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - -I assumed at the moment that it was annoyance with the contrariness -of events which made me feel out of sorts. It happened that no one -at Gloucester Place advised me to see a doctor, and if this counsel -had been given I should have rejected it at once; on my own account I -discovered my earliest customer, who occupied the first half-hour by -shewing me the contents of the house added since his original purchase -through me. This over, he gave attention to my case. - -"You have come nearly to the end of your resources," he said. - -"Nonsense!" I ejaculated. - -"Another month or two of the work you have been engaged upon, and you -would have proved outside and beyond any treatment from me." - -"Ridiculous!" - -"Your mind, for a considerable period, has had nothing resembling a -holiday or rest. You have gone from one task to another, without an -interval. You are not sleeping well, are you?" - -"I can do with less than most people." - -"In future, you will have to take more sleep than most people get. I -don't want to give you anything to make you sleep, but--" - -"Shouldn't take it, if you did!" - -"I understand you to say that you are now clear of the shop in London -Street." - -"By pure dodgery and sharp practise, I've been turned out of it. It's a -scandal that the law--" - -"Now, now!" he interrupted. "Don't let us become excited unless there -is good need for it. Has your brother-in-law paid you a fair sum?" - -"I'm not grumbling about that. As a matter of fact, he gave me what I -asked, without any haggling." - -He nodded approvingly. "If it had all been arranged by wise friends," -he said, "it could scarcely have happened better." - -"And do you too think, sir, that my people have been scheming and -planning--" - -"You mustn't get so flushed and emotional, Miss Weston," he ordered. "I -know nothing whatever about your people, or what they are doing. Just -you take matters quietly, and be thankful you can afford to do so. I'll -send some medicine along this evening. Call again, if you find you are -no better." - -I challenged Millwood later with being one of the members of a -conspiracy, and he smiled and said nothing. The suspicion would not -have galled me so much, I suppose, but for the circumstance that I -had always reckoned myself a stage manager directing other people, -and the positions were now reversed. I decided to say nothing of it -at Gloucester Place, where it seemed likely the chief movers in the -plot might be found, and this was the easier because Katherine's baby -occupied my attention; we went into the park together, and rested near -the trees, and I picked flowers that delighted the small person and -were treasured to be presented later to mamma. Also, at home, old Mrs. -Winterton was glad of my help and my advice. - -"The Captain talks of nothing now but the war, my dear," she explained, -"and I can't help wishing he had done so earlier, like most folk, -instead of bottling it up. But I am hoping we shall get peace almost -directly, and then he'll be comforted, and he will begin to mend, you -see." - -"Do you really imagine the war is nearly at an end?" - -"It can't last for ever," she argued. - -"But I see no signs of a finish. The Germans occupied Easter bank -holiday in trying to bombard Lowestoft; the Turks are holding us -out where Lieutenant Langford is; there's trouble in Dublin, and the -Zeppelins seem to come over when they like." - -"Yes, yes," said the old lady, "I know, I know. But I've always been -able to get anything I earnestly prayed for." - -"Perhaps you haven't made such a large request before." - -The Captain had aged greatly during the last month; without the help -of his elaborate collar and tie, and his frogged overcoat, he appeared -to have become limp, and if a cushion in his easy chair moved, he -slipped with it. His courteous manner towards his wife in no way -changed; he was grateful for any aid I could give, but it was clear -that he favoured her company, her assistance. The content they found in -each other's society made me think of my Quartermaster-Sergeant, and -I began to write often to Seaford, on the excuse that I now had time -to spare. Cartwright replied with a new spirit, declaring my letters -were as welcome as flowers in May, and admitting that some chaps were -more greatly favoured in the way of correspondence than himself; he -always looked out for the _Punch_ I sent weekly, but preferred the -briefest note to the most amusing journal. For myself, I can confess -that, at this time--when I had to be careful of my health, and to watch -my temper, and to keep cool, and not allow small incidents to disturb -me--I had reason to be grateful for his notes. If one arrived by the -first post, there was competition between Muriel, Katherine, and Edward -for the privilege of bringing it to me. Sometimes, Mr. Hillier was the -messenger. - -"Better than all the doctor's bottles, Aunt Weston," he said. - -Mr. Hillier was in exceptionally good spirits. It seemed there was a -prospect that he might be leaving the Arsenal, where the work, I am -sure, had become monotonous; the rest of us had often expressed the -hope that he would, some day, be induced to give it up. But this was -not resignation, but a chance of transfer, and I could not help a -slight feeling of jealousy on discovering that the credit was due to -Colonel Edgington, once a fidget of the highest standard, but now, by -reason of circumstances, a person of some authority and influence. The -appointment had to do with a munition factory to be opened shortly; a -well qualified person was required at the head. I confessed I itched -to be taking part in the affair: it appeared to me that the plan could -scarcely reach success without my help. This view was hinted to the -Colonel. - -"Don't you dare!" he cried, threateningly. "Let me catch you -interfering in any way whatsoever, and upon my soul, woman, I'll have -you shot. Or put away in an asylum. Or gagged. This is my fishing, and -I won't allow you, Weston, or any one else to poach. Understand that!" - -I happened to find some recompense in a kind of flying interview with -an auctioneer from Chislehurst. Him I encountered near to the park -gates that lead to Blackheath; he was entering and in jerking to me -a scrap of news concerning The Croft, he sprinted along the avenue -towards the river. I turned the perambulator, and to the astonishment -of Katherine's baby and of nurses, raced along after the hurried -auctioneer, putting eager questions, and obtaining fragmentary replies -thrown over the shoulder. At the Observatory I was forced to give up -the chase. When the baby had been induced to start on his morning's -sleep, I sat down and enjoyed a dream that, like most dreams, seemed -too good to come true. Finding a pencil and a sheet of note-paper, I -made some calculations. My friend, the police-sergeant, went by, in -ordinary clothes, and accompanied by his little girl. - -"Give him my love as well," he shouted, chaffingly. - -My existence, since I had been turned out of the shop, seemed to be -wanting in ingenious plans. The one now before me was so magnificent -that my pencil shook as it wrote the figures. - -At Gloucester Place, of an evening, we all pretended an indifference to -the prospects of Colonel Edgington's idea; sometimes we went so far as -to deride it, and I, in particular, referred to incidents of the past -which he had handled clumsily, pointed out that as a man grew old, so -confidence in himself increased, and his mental abilities diminished. I -think I suggested that the war would have been successfully terminated, -long ere now, if Headquarters had been served by younger and more -intelligent people. Secretly, we were hopeful that Mr. Hillier would -obtain the berth. I found his silk hats, that had long been enjoying a -rest cure, and polished them with a handkerchief. - - * * * * * - -Because I had given a small donation to the fund--it was difficult in -those days for even a thrifty woman to say "No" to the applications -that came--a ticket reached me inviting my presence to the dedication, -by a Lord Bishop, of war ambulances, one to be given to the British -Red Cross Society, one to the French Red Cross. The circumstance -that a speech of thanks was to be made by Colonel Edgington would -have discouraged me, but the affair was to take place on a Saturday -afternoon, a period when Katherine, home from the bank, expected to be -allowed to take exclusive charge of her son; I had to stand back and -to look forward to resuming control of the little person on the Monday -morning. Muriel advised me to go, and to bring back an account of the -proceedings: she declared that my imitation of Colonel Edgington was -always amongst my triumphs. - -Some one directed me wrongly, and I happened to be late in arriving -at the school playground where the ceremony was to take place, but -my old lad Peter, there in a position of authority with Boy Scouts, -caught sight of me and, leaving everything, conducted me to the raised -platform as the Russian National Anthem was being sung by the children. -Folk, noting the deferential manner adopted by Peter, assumed I was a -guest of importance; a steward discovered a vacant chair in the second -row and would take no notice of my signals indicating a preference for -a more retired place. I found myself immediately behind the Mayor who, -anxious I suppose, to shew that he identified everyone in his borough, -turned and shook hands warmly, introduced me by an unintelligible name -to the Bishop, who declared he had often heard of me, and was charmed -now to make my acquaintance. I listened to the youngsters giving the -last verse. - - "_God the all-wise! By the fire of their chastening, - Earth shall to freedom and truth be restored. - Through the thick darkness Thy kingdom is hastening, - Thou wilt give peace in Thy time, O Lord!_" - -As somebody offered a prayer, I thought of these words, looked back in -my mind, and realised--almost for the first time--how gentle the war -had been to me, in comparison with the treatment it had served out to -other people. - -The Mayor followed with a statement, and the Bishop rose. Colonel -Edgington, seated near, turned, and in turning glanced at me; the old -chap was too much absorbed in the importance of the affair and his own -share to recognise me, and from this moment, throughout the dedication -and the address, he occupied himself with his notes. I admit I was -touched by the fervour and patriotism of the Bishop's words. Maybe I -had not been fortunate in some of the clergymen encountered during my -life: here was one out of the ordinary. I joined in "Oh God our help in -ages past," feeling more earnest and impressed than I had ever done in -church. - -"You're not going," protested the Mayor. - -"I have an engagement," I answered readily. It struck me as I spoke -that it did not take one long to escape from religious influence, and -to slip back to ordinary habits. - -"But there's tea to come," he argued. "And I'm just going to call on -the next speaker." - -It was impossible to move ere Colonel Edgington rose, and I resigned -myself to the ordeal of hearing the voice of my opponent. The Mayor -whispered around that the speech was to last but five minutes, and this -was accepted as an encouraging piece of news. - -"--Pleasure and honour to accept," said the Colonel, with more than -his usual pomposity of manner, and barking the words so that some -were extraordinarily audible, and others indistinct. "Doing fine and -glorious humanitarian work--succour the wounded--taken a great part -myself in this work--industry not restricted to this--may mention -that near neighbour of yours, and dear friend of mine, name Hillier, -been this day appointed to---- working for the last year and more, -whole heartedly--now gained his reward--happiness shortly in informing -him----" - -Colonel Edgington read with care from his notes a quotation, and the -Mayor said in an undertone, "Time, Colonel, time!" Everybody stood up, -and I surprised and pained some of the guests by moving to the back of -the stand as they sang, - - "--_And ever give us cause, - To say with heart and voice, - God save the King!_" - -I arrived at Gloucester Place, breathless and panting; my hat at not -quite the correct angle, and my features crowded with excitement. The -girls came out to the landing and received me apprehensively. - -"You're bringing bad news, Aunt Weston." - -"I'm bringing," I declared, "the best news you could possibly imagine!" - -The baby was instructed in the art of clapping hands, and Edward, on -arriving, threw off his air of maturity until he was reminded that -old Captain Winterton, below, might be disturbed. We went to the -balcony, and watched for Mr. Hillier. He generally came by the Royal -Hill entrance, but now and again he walked through the Park and across -Croom's Hill. - -"We'll draw lots," I suggested, "and see who is to be the one to tell -him." - -"But," said Muriel, "didn't you say that Colonel Edgington was coming -on to do that?" - -"He ought to have the privilege," agreed her sister and brother. - -"Have your own way," I said, reluctantly. "It isn't my custom to allow -myself to be hampered by tact, but perhaps you're right." - -So when Mr. Hillier came, we had to suppress our enthusiasm, and I -think we were all a trifle hysterical, excepting the baby. For once in -my life, I answered Colonel Edgington's knock with genuine satisfaction. - -"Weston," he announced, "I am the bearer of important tidings." - -"Concerning me?" - -"Concerning your master, foolish woman." I gave an ejaculation of -surprise. "Ah!" he said acutely, "I thought the day would come when I -should be able to startle you!" - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - -It seemed to me that I should have to go to work cautiously in -regard to the new scheme in my mind concerning The Croft. A policy -of carefulness had grown up at Gloucester Place; for some time past -accounts had been kept, accounts that had to balance or the expert -young folk applied themselves to the figures, and ascertained the -reason why. Mr. Hillier, as I knew, had been saving money since the -loss of his wife (she, dear soul, never was able to acquire the useful -trick) and once a man begins to hoard it is difficult to induce him -to embark upon anything like adventure or risk. Also, I could not be -sure to what extent their affection for the rooms in Gloucester Place -might weigh; it was certain that the struggles and triumphs associated -in their minds with Greenwich would count whenever a suggestion was -offered of removal. Once, a casual reference had been made to the -house in Tressillian Road, Brockley, where we had lived before going -to Chislehurst; this idea appeared to be lacking in boldness. There -was Katherine's little chap to be considered. We had the Park at hand, -but I was fearful that as he grew up he might be playing with other -children and--Well, I suppose, we people who have once lived in large -houses remain snobs to the rest of our days. - -I managed to find the auctioneer at his office in a comparatively -leisurely mood, but he was a hustling sort of man, constantly looking -at his watch and with the affectation of being over-crowded with -engagements that deceives only the partially demented. He broke off -more than once during our interview to ring people up on the telephone, -and to impress me with the vastness of his business, and the importance -of his dealings. The Croft, he admitted, was still unlet, but how long -it would remain in this state of emptiness, he could not attempt to -guarantee. Several folk were endeavouring to obtain it, and the matter -was one of rent, and of rent only. - -"You're wrong," he declared, when I mentioned that large houses were -not now in great demand. "Absolutely off the main line. Never made -a bigger mistake in the whole course of your existence. Try to put -that idea out of your head, my dear madam, as soon as ever you can. -By-the-bye, I like to know who I am dealing with. Give me your name, -and your full address." - -I furnished him with the London Street address. It was no part of my -scheme to give him the chance of calling at Gloucester Place, and -blurting out information there. - -"Good!" he said briskly. "I take it you are a lady of some property." - -"You are safe in assuming that." - -"My method," he went on, "is to be perfectly frank and straightforward. -What I mean is, as frank and straightforward as business will permit. -Now I don't mind telling you that I have two strong offers for the -house, and at any moment one of these may decide to clinch the bargain." - -"Your several, then, comes down to a couple." - -"I'm telling you now," declared the auctioneer, solemnly, "the gospel -truth. I can't disclose names, but if you are inclined to doubt my -word, I can show you a part of communications I have received from -these two parties." - -I was willing to believe his statement on this point. - -"Very well, then! You will understand, Miss Weston, that there is a -reserve rental set, and my duty is--we can't afford to be sentimental, -you know, in our profession--my duty is to get as near to that as I -possibly can. Now, on this slip of paper I am writing the figures of -the highest bid that has been made up to the present." He threw the -note across the table. I crossed out the sum, and wrote an increased -amount. "Right you are!" he said. "Come back here the day after -to-morrow, and I may have something further to tell you." - -Looking back, I really cannot be sure how far I intended to go in the -transaction. It was, I knew, impossible for me to realise some of my -investments and put the money down even for one year's rent; certainly -I could not make myself responsible for taking up a lease; I fancy the -idea was to carry on the preliminaries to a certain stage, and then -go to Mr. Hillier and urge him to take the matter over. Meanwhile, -in order to save myself from the risk of being caught in a net, I -told Millwood to say, supposing anyone called at the shop, that I had -gone. Nothing more; just that. Perhaps one had better not discuss the -fairness of the proceedings. I wanted to see my people back at their -old home, and I did not intend to be too particular about the means. - -The haggling went on. I had to go to the auctioneer's office more than -half a dozen times. I climbed the hill from Chislehurst station and -went under the water tower so often that I became tired of seeing the -Bickley arms engraven there. Then old Captain Winterton took a turn for -the worse, and his wife began to fail; I gave all spare time to the -ground floor. To my question, Mrs. Winterton answered that they had no -relatives. At times, both rallied slightly, and I was able to assure -them they would not finish their innings until they scored a hundred. - -"I would like to live on for a few years," confessed the old lady. "I -want to see that dear baby boy grow up." - - * * * * * - -Few incidents occurred in the neighbourhood that were not in some way -or other communicated to me; for some reason, the striking case of -Corporal Bateman of Royal Hill remained, declining to be evicted from -my thoughts. Bateman represented to me, for a period, a type of the -British soldier, and behaviour of the British soldier where matters -of the heart were concerned. My Quartermaster-Sergeant had not, in -all probability, encountered or heard of Bateman, and he little knew -how much his home prospects were affected by the deportment of the -Corporal. (Now, it seems to me that no excuse can be found for the way -in which I allowed it to influence me; at the time, no excuse appeared -necessary.) - -Corporal Bateman had been what Greenwich called half engaged to his -cousin; the two quarrelled over his enlistment (the cousin thought he -should have first mentioned it to her) and when he left for France -his mother only saw him off. Mrs. Bateman was one of the few elderly -people unable to read or write; the joke in Royal Hill was that, to -conceal this defect, she pointedly and markedly bought each evening a -newspaper, and seated on a wooden chair at her doorway, affected to -peruse it carefully, with ejaculations such as, - -"Gracious me, what a war this is to be sure!" - -And, - -"You'd never think they'd have the face to do such things!" - -And, - -"Lay my boy is in the thick of it, although I don't see his name -nowheres." By oversight, she sometimes gave these remarks to the -advertisement page. - -Corporal Bateman, after months in France, came home on leave, anxious -to see again his old mother of whom he was genuinely fond, and all the -more desirous because he had received no word from her. At the door, he -loosened his equipment, and knocked. The cousin, appearing, straightway -threw herself with some impetuosity into his arms. - -"Oh Daniel," she cried, emotionally. "Home at last. Thank Heaven for -this happy moment!" - -Corporal Bateman disengaged himself, and looked around in a dazed -manner. Glanced at the brass figures on the door. - -"The number's all right," he said, perplexedly, "and the 'ouse looks -correct, but I don't know you. Who are you, and what are you doing -'ere?" - -"I'm your cousin," she replied. "Your cousin Phoebe, that you used to -be so fond of." - -"Haven't quite got rid of the effects of the gassing," he said, tipping -back his cap, and rubbing at the top of his head. "I'd better have a -stroll in the Park." - -"You'll do nothing of the kind," declared the young woman. "Come inside -at once, and wait till your mother comes home from the market." - -"Have I got a mother?" asked Corporal Bateman, simply. "What's she -like? Where's father?" - -"I can't answer that last question, Daniel dear, because he drew his -final breath years ago. Don't you remember the new suit you had for the -funeral?" - -"I don't remember nothing," he said, hopelessly. "Me mind's a blank." - -He was anxious to stay outside the house until someone else arrived, -but the cousin, an authoritative person, conducted him through the -passage. On observing that he did not know where to find the row of -hat pegs, she burst into tears; he regarded her with an increased -aloofness, and asked the way to the best room. There she announced a -desire to sit near to him, and to hold his hand, and to talk about -old times; he remarked, in a confused mumbling way, that he made it a -principle never to carry on with female strangers. - -"Have you had your tea?" she inquired. - -"I don't know," replied Corporal Bateman, absently. "If I have, I've -forgot all about it. I forget about everything. Don't bother me, else I -shall get worse." - -She was in the kitchen preparing the meal, when Mrs. Bateman let -herself in at the front door with a latch-key. The girl listened. "Good -afternoon, ma'am," said the returned soldier. "Have you called to see -mother? Because, if so, she's out!" - -The two women consulted agitatedly later, endeavouring to find a plan -for arousing the dormant intellect of the visitor. They counted it a -hopeful sign that he remembered the name of the nearest public-house; -Mrs. Bateman expressed the hope that a good supper would brighten him. -As a result of their deliberations, the girl went softly into the -room, where Corporal Bateman was now dozing, and gave him a modest and -cousinly kiss; he awoke at once, and declared he would provide her with -a coloured eye if she dared to do this again. - -"A liberty," he said, aggrievedly. "That's what I call it. If it -happens again, I go straight out of the house. You understand!" - -Mrs. Bateman said she had read of such cases in the newspapers, and -believed that at times a sudden shock had a remedial effect. The girl -remarked that she knew what was in her aunt's mind, but hesitated to -take the desperate step of making the announcement in question: she -feared the stunning blow might send poor Daniel completely off his -head, and then the blame would be hers, and the remorse hers, until the -very end of life. - -"He'll have to know one day," urged Mrs. Bateman. The girl shuddered. - -"Let's put it off as long as we can," she begged. "Him coming home like -this seems already like a judgment on me." - -They found him looking through the family album in a casual, -uninterested way; a year ago portrait of himself and his cousin, taken -together, caused him to put the question, "Who are these two supposed -to be?" He gave permission to his mother to take the nearest chair; the -cousin, he said, was to sit at the opposite end of the room. As the -pages were turned, Mrs. Bateman offered comments and explanations; he -shook his head to intimate that he could neither confirm or deny the -particulars. - -"That's your uncle, my boy. The father of Phoebe, over there. He's -took in his merchant service uniform. Quite a seafaring family, the -whole lot of 'em. Excepting, of course, Phoebe, and she's made up for -it by--" The girl at the other end of the room coughed; Mrs. Bateman -accepted the warning. Corporal Bateman turned another page. - -"Who's this good-looking sailor chap?" he inquired. "That," said Mrs. -Bateman promptly, "is Phoebe's husband." The cough came too late this -time. "Oh, my boy," she cried, self-reproachfully, "I 'ave been and -told you something, and no mistake. The truth is, his ship was in dock -for repairs, three weeks ago, and he came 'ome here, he did, and he -married Phoebe, and you mustn't take on about it, my son, because what -is to be will be, and everything's ordered for the best, and--Oh, don't -do anything cruel to her!" - -Corporal Bateman had risen and crossed the room. He took his cousin by -the elbows, and gave her a sounding kiss. - -"Hearty congrats, Phoebe, old girl," he said, in his normal manner. -"It's a load off my mind. What I was afraid of was that you'd be -wanting to make it all up with me again. How about us three trotting -along to the first 'ouse at the Empire, up near the Broadway?" - - * * * * * - -The ingenuity shewn by Corporal Bateman caused me to gain the -impression that the British Army, excellent in most ways, could in -matters of sentiment, not be trusted implicitly. The moment was -unfortunately chosen for my Quartermaster-Sergeant's blunder. - - * * * * * - -A square envelope came from Cartwright, and opening it, I found it -addressed to "My dear Lily." Of course I ought not to have read on, -but there are situations where etiquette cannot be strictly observed. -It was an affectionate but not an extravagant note; the memory came to -me of the statement of an officer, made early in the war, who censoring -letters out at the front, discovered six from one youth, all in -identical and loving terms, but with the Christian names of the girls -different in each case. I could picture my dear Lily without trouble. A -young girl, good looking, and probably occupied in some business that -left her with more time than I had to exchange communications with -a soldier friend at Seaford. I boiled with annoyance to think there -was someone to whom George Cartwright was writing in these terms; I -scorched with irritation to recognise that she was reading the letter -intended for me. Towards the end there was reference to a wedding. - -"It's the first time I trusted a man," I cried to baby, "and, my word, -it shall be the last." The baby seemed under the impression that I was -endeavouring to be humorous. "If he'd been kept out in France, he'd -have been safe enough." - -It has probably been written about already, and in any case I am not -going to write about it here; I mean the trial a woman of my age -endures when she discovers that her romance has gone. For a while, I -lost interest in the matter of the Chislehurst house. - -I had to run, with all my might, one afternoon to the doctor's house to -beg him to come and see the old people on the ground floor; Katherine's -little baby had been given to the care of a motherly servant next door. -The doctor was on the point of leaving the house with his wife in his -small two-seated car, and I threw the Gloucester Place key to him, -gave directions, and started to walk back at a good pace. I noticed -that, just inside the Park railings, a long soldier was lying prone on -the grass. I took the view--it was just after half-past two--that he -had been rather too busily engaged during the brief time of opening -permitted to licensed premises. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught -sight of the stripes on his arm. I found the nearest gate, and raced -back. - -"Cartwright," I cried, forgetting my grievance against him. "What's -wrong, dear man? Pull yourself together. It's Mary Weston who's talking -to you." - -"Goo' Lord," exclaimed the Quartermaster-Sergeant, amazedly. "And here -I've been mourning for you because I thought you'd gone to Heaven." - -"It's not so bad as all that," I said. He jumped up, caught me in his -arms, and kissed me until four children stopped to look on. - -"Nearly all the worries in this life," he declared, "are about matters -that don't exist. And I'm not a chap, in a general way, to go hunting -around for trouble, but the information that reached me didn't somehow -appear to give me much of a loop-hole." - -"You army men get nervy." - -"It wasn't that," he contradicted. "I got a relative of mine to call at -London Street to inquire about you. There the answer was that you had -gone, and my relation assumed it meant you had kicked the bucket." - -I remembered then about the letter. "The news must have come as a -relief to you," I said, coldly. - -"Mary Weston, explain yourself." - -"It isn't me that needs any explaining. It's somebody else, who'll find -a bit of a difficulty in that respect. No doubt a soldier imagines it -a great lark to carry on with three or four girls, and correspond with -them; it's only when he gets a bit careless over envelopes--" - -The Quartermaster-Sergeant looked serious. "Pride of Greenwich," he -said, appealingly, "and Queen of Kent, I ask you, as a personal favour -not to talk about that bloomer to anyone else but me. If it once -reached Seaford, there's active minds there that would give it a touch -of exaggeration, and the story would last for three years, or the -duration of the war. Be a chum, and keep it to yourself." He held my -arm; I shook him away. - -"Out of mere curiosity," I said, "and for no other reason, I'd rather -like to know what view your friend Lily took of the situation." - -"Got frightfully excited about it." - -"Don't blame her." - -"Took a journey across country, at once, with the idea of finding you, -and bringing you your letter." - -"If I'd known where she lived, I'd have discovered her," I assured him. -"And the conversation that would have taken place might have made your -ear tingle." - -"She's a sensible girl," went on the Quartermaster-Sergeant, "although -she is my cousin, and, in spite of the fact that she's up to her eyes -in needlework, and getting ready to marry my solicitor brother, she -gave up the best part of a day in the attempt to make an exchange with -you. What I blame her for is getting a wrong impression from your -brother-in-law at London Street, and upsetting me to an extent that I -leave you to imagine. It'll make a difference to the present I give -her." - -"Cartwright," I said, "ever since the affair happened, I foresaw as -clearly as anything that you'd provide some emergency exit that you -could slip through. I don't mind admitting your story does credit to -your invention. It's a deal cleverer than I expected it to be. I regard -it as a good piece of work, nicely put together, very well dove-tailed. -Only drawback is that I don't believe it." - -"You can look me in the eyes, and say that?" he demanded. - -"I'll say it all over again if you like." - -"Once is ample," declared the Quartermaster-Sergeant, resolutely. "I'll -leave you now. And understand this, Mary Weston. I'm going out of your -life, and so help my goodness"--he raised one hand impressively--"I -don't come back to it unless you go on your knees, on your bended -knees, to me." He strode away down the hill, taking no notice of the -retort I made. It was intended to be effective, and later, I thought of -several others that were even more stinging and determined. But it is -of no use aiming words when a target does not exist. - -To my relief, the doctor's car was outside the house in Gloucester -Place, with the doctor's wife glancing at her watch, and clicking her -tongue to indicate impatience. "Do hurry him up," she begged. "He takes -such a frightful amount of time over his patients, unless they are on -the panel." - -I first called next door where Katherine's son was becoming slightly -bored with the extravagant attentions paid to him. At our house, the -doctor came out of the Wintertons' rooms as I turned the duplicate key. - -"What has delayed you?" he demanded, curtly. "Sweethearting, I suppose." - -"Quite the opposite." - -"These old people are too ill to be left alone. If you can't see to -them, we must find a nurse." - -"I'm free now," I said. - - * * * * * - -It was a good deal like having three babies to look after instead of -one, and, at any rate the occupation saved me from brooding over the -finish of my engagement with Cartwright. I half hoped a letter would -come from Seaford apologising for swift words and impetuous action, -and I went so far as to draft an amiable reply, but the necessity for -sending this did not arise. On the first Sunday I could manage to leave -Gloucester Place, I hurried to Chislehurst, and ascertained the private -address of the auctioneer. He answered the ring, and protested in a -voluble way against interference with his one day of rest. His nose -to the grindstone throughout the week, he declared, and here he was -disturbed for the third time on the afternoon that he felt entitled -to claim as exempt from the worries of business. I made as though to -leave, but this procedure also failed to meet with his favour. - -"Come in," he ordered, recklessly. "I'm a born slave, I suppose, -and folk have got the idea that they're all entitled to act as my -overseers." He flung open the door of the front room. "Uncle Tom's -Cabin," he declared, "is nothing to it." - -I glanced around. One of the chairs had a ticket, "Lot 240," still -attached. - -"I never saw Uncle Tom's Cabin," I remarked, "but if it was anything -like this, the people had grounds for complaining." - -"Most of the articles of furniture were bargains." - -"No," I said. "Never were bargains, never will be bargains. It's all a -muddle. Wonder to me is that you can live with it. I should go crazy if -I were put amongst shoddy stuff of this kind." - -"Tell me," he begged, "what you consider is wrong with the room." - -There was little left when I had complied with his request, and he -became increasingly submissive as I went on with the task. In going -through the crowded mantelpiece I came across two cards that were -seemingly intended to be placed out of sight. A kindly action is -supposed to be its own reward, but here was something in the nature of -a definite prize. - -"My wife separated from me," he remarked, dolefully, "because she said -I was not gifted with taste, and I argued that I was. Perhaps she was -right. It's very good of you to take so much trouble." - -"Don't mention it. I called about that house and property--" - -"Afraid you're too late," said the auctioneer, resuming his quick -business-like air. "The matter is not absolutely settled, but it is on -the point of being settled. Two people, besides yourself, are making -offers--perhaps I told you--and as I've seen nothing of you for some -time, I assumed you had given up any desire to compete." - -"I have!" - -"Good gracious!" he cried. "But why?" - -"Because Mr. Hillier, who has been calling on you, is an acquaintance -of mine." - -"Come, come!" he urged. "Friendship is all very well, but it needn't be -carried to extreme lengths. Besides, he is only one." - -"And your other caller, Colonel Edgington, I have known for many a -year." - -"That puts the lid on it," he cried, lapsing into slang. "This has -absolutely torn it. I can only hope the two gentlemen are strangers to -each other." - -"Life-long friends." - -"But," he pleaded, "you're not going to disclose the fact to them that -each has been--" - -"A woman," I said, rising to go, "can't possibly keep a secret." - -I waited on Colonel Edgington, and took him back to Greenwich. From the -time the bells rang for evening service, until the hour when people -came back from church, he and Mr. Hillier and I threshed the matter -out; the Colonel was indignant at the thought that anyone but himself -should have hit on the notion of securing The Croft for the Hilliers, -and particularly vehement concerning what he called my unwarrantable -interference. At this Mr. Hillier took my side, and defended me, and -when, to pacify the other, I pointed out that Colonel Edgington was -the best friend the family ever had, Mr. Hillier suddenly burst into a -roar that lasted minutes. It was the first time I had heard him do this -since the war started. - -"But for Aunt Weston," he said, wiping his eyes, "but for her, we two, -Edgington, might have gone on bidding against each other for all time. -I had determined, you see, to go back to The Croft." - -"For my part, Hillier," said the Colonel resolutely, "I never let go of -an idea, once I get well hold of it." - -"Each of you will write now," I directed, "with-drawing your offer. No -one but ourselves, apparently, wants the house, and in a week or two, -Katherine--Mrs. Langford--will take it at a reasonable figure." - -Colonel Edgington went across to the fire-place, adjusted his belt, -glared at me, and turned to Mr. Hillier. - -"Old friend," he said, "if there is anything in the flat in the nature -of a beverage, I should like to give myself the pleasure of drinking -this extraordinary woman's health!" - - * * * * * - -It was August again, and the Bank Holiday, a circumstance that jogged -the memory, forcing one to think of the opening of the war two years -before. (The banks were not closed, and few people took holiday, -because we were still in the thick of the fighting, with good news from -the British Headquarters, an excellent report from the Suez Canal, a -splendid telegram from Petrograd.) The Croft looked just as it did -then, and the countryside, which I once pictured as being over-run by -the enemy, was peaceful, but for intermittent booming of guns that -were being tested at Woolwich. The stationmaster told me cheap tickets -had not yet been re-introduced, and I snatched at the excuse for not -going down to Seaford, and there finding my Quartermaster-Sergeant, -and, somehow or other, offering an apology to him; a card had reached -me in July announcing the wedding of Walter Cartwright of Lincoln's -Inn Fields to Lily Cartwright of Haywards Heath, and the last traces -of suspicion had been forced to vanish. I might have written a long -and explanatory letter, and I did try to do so, but the essays made -appeared either too cringing or too haughty, and I persuaded myself -that the first step ought to come from him. - -Muriel had a week of leave from Gracechurch Street, and my nephew -Herbert was staying at the cottage I had taken in Lower Camden, not -ten minutes from The Croft; they were out together for the afternoon, -with a tea basket for chaperone. Katherine no longer went to the City. -She gave up the work reluctantly, but when the money came to her from -the dear old Wintertons of Gloucester Place, I persuaded her, and Mr. -Hillier assured her, there was no longer any excuse for attendance -at the bank; I pointed out that she ought to make way there for some -girl who was in need of the salary. So Katherine became the tenant in -name, and in fact, of The Croft, and I went in and out of the house, -and gave her a word of advice when there happened to be any difficulty -with maids. "Why on earth," I overheard one of the servants say, -"doesn't Mattie look about, and find a chap, and have the banns put up? -She isn't too old, and there's plenty of tradesmen around here ready -to wink at her, if she didn't give 'em the frozen face." When one is -alluded to as Mattie, the adjective of Meddlesome is understood. - -Katherine, and the baby, and I on the first Monday in August had tea on -the lawn, and I carried the little fellow about, and picked daisies, -and made them into a chain. A note had come from Katherine's husband; -she read parts of it aloud to me, and I assured her it could not be -long ere he came back, and she counted up once more the number of -months he had been away. It occurred to me, in thinking of the space -occupied by the war, that the one occasion I had felt annoyed with poor -Lord Kitchener was when, quite at the beginning, he prophesied the war -would last three years. - -"I suppose, Aunt Weston," she said, "you are like Muriel. You intend to -do nothing until peace comes. I mean in regard to getting married. Your -Quartermaster-Sergeant. The one in the Guards. The tall, broad--" - -"Oh," I remarked, indifferently, "that's all off. Didn't I mention it -before? Yes, we found that we couldn't agree, and we decided it was of -no use going on." - -"But this is such a pity," she cried, anxiously. "Can't something be -done? Surely, if there's been a misunderstanding it ought not to be a -difficult matter to put it right." - -"We're both of us obstinate, my dear, and I suppose we'd got too much -accustomed to having our own way to be willing to give in to each -other. He was in the habit of ordering people about, and I'd got hold -of the trick of expecting everyone to obey me, and--and--" - -Here, at a moment when I was talking cheerfully and light-heartedly, -what must I do but break down. The maid, coming out to take away the -tea-things, looked at me sympathetically, and, at my request, ran back -to the house to find a handkerchief; Katherine patted my hand, and -directed the boy to upbraid me, mainly by gesture, calling attention to -an incident of the day before when he had been hurt by a naughty safety -pin, and refrained from tears. He was told to urge me to be a soldier, -and laugh it off. Mr. Hillier called from the workshop, asking me -whether I had seen anything of a small screw-driver; the handkerchief -came in time to enable me to offer, in replying, a composed and -ordinary appearance. Edward and John arrived from some practice with -convalescent soldiers near the West Kent Cricket Club ground, where the -first had been playing, and the second--never more any games of the -kind for him!--looked on. I slipped away to the tradesmen's gate, to -avoid meeting them. - -I had locked the front door of my small house in Lower Camden because, -as it was a sort of a holiday, strangers might be about. The back -looked up at the railway, and I always found it interesting to watch -troop trains racing along the down lines with bunches of cheery faces -at every window; it was less exhilarating to see the Red Cross trains -going to London. There had come a long spell of hot weather, and in -opening my gate I noticed that signs of melted tar had been brought -from the roadway to the sill. With an exclamation of annoyance at the -carelessness of folk, I opened the door, found a damp cloth, and -returning, knelt on the mat to repair the damage. Absorbed in the task, -I did not glance up when footsteps came. - -"Fair maiden," said a deep voice. "Pray rise, and accept the pardon -that is willingly granted." - -"Cartwright!" - -"Your own soldier laddie," he remarked, genially, "and none other. -Called on the old people at Lewisham, and came on here, and been -bombarding the door, I have, like a reg'lar Jack Johnson, and -absolutely determined not to go back without seeing you. And now, Mary -Weston, that you've apologised on your knees in the manner I some time -since suggested, what about me coming in and having a glance round this -nobby little domicile that you're getting ready against the time we -finish off the war, and I retire from the British army?" - -"Give those clumsy boots of yours a good scrape first!" 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