as Jenny was there, but the door had hardly closed on
her before he had turned round on _her_, Polly, in furious anger.

"Blab! Blab! Blab!" he had snapped out. "You'll end by hanging me before
you've done! It won't be any good then saying 'Oh, I didn't know,' 'Oh,
I didn't mean to!'" He mimicked with savage irony her frightened
accents. And then, as she had burst into tears, he had ordered her up
here, out of his sight.

Yes, Manfred had an awful temper, and since Wednesday evening he hadn't
given her one kind word or look. In fact, during the last few days Polly
had felt as if she must run away from him. Not to do anything wicked,
you understand--good gracious, no! She had had enough of men.

And now, resentfully, she asked herself why Manfred bothered so much
about this war. After all, he had taken out his certificate; he was an
Englishman now. She told herself that it was all the Dean's fault.
Stupid, interfering old gentleman--that's what the Dean was! Manfred had
gone up to the Deanery last Wednesday, and the Dean told him it was his
duty to look after the Germans in Witanbury--as if Germans couldn't look
after themselves. Of course they could! They were far cleverer at that
sort of thing than English people were. Polly could have told the Dean
that.

As to business--business had been just as brisk, or very nearly as
brisk, during the last few days as ever before, and that though they had
only been able to keep the shop, so to speak, half open. It was clear
this silly war wasn't going to make any difference to _them_.

At first she had tried to make allowances; no doubt Manfred did feel
unhappy about his son, Fritz, who was now on his way to fight the
Russians. But he had hardly mentioned Fritz after the first minute.
Instead of that, he had only exclaimed, at frequent intervals, that
this war would ruin them. He really did believe it, too, for he had even
said it in his sleep.

Why, they were made of money. Polly had the best of reasons for knowing
_that_. They didn't owe a penny to anybody, excepting to the builder.
And no one could have acted better than that builder had done. He had
hurried round the very first thing on Wednesday to tell them not to
worry. In fact, even Manfred, who seldom had a good word for anybody,
agreed that Mr. Smith had behaved very handsomely.

People were now beginning to walk across the Market Place, and rather
more were going to evening service in the Cathedral than usual.