y." Young men, ay, and older men too, had a way
of becoming "silly" about Rose Otway. And up to now she had disliked it
very much. But this afternoon she was touched rather than displeased.

"I care very much," she said quietly. She knew the battle was won, and
it was very collectedly that she added the words, "Now, I have your
promise, Jervis? You're not to do anything foolish----" Then she saw she
had made a mistake. "No, no!" she cried hastily; "I don't mean that--I
don't mean that a man who becomes a soldier in time of war is doing
anything foolish! But I do think that you ought to wait just a few
days. Everything is different now." For the first time she felt that
everything was indeed different in England--in this new strange England
which was at war. It was odd that Jervis Blake should have brought that
knowledge home to her.

"Very well," he said slowly. "I'll wait. I can't wait a whole week, but
I'll wait till after Sunday."

"The Robeys are going to the seaside on Monday, aren't they?" She was
speaking now quite composedly, quite like herself.

"Yes, and they kindly asked me to stay on till then."

He got up. "Well," he said, looking down at her--and she couldn't help
telling herself what a big, manly fellow he looked, and what a fine
soldier he would make--"well, Rose, so it isn't good-bye, after all?"

"No, I'm glad to say it isn't." She gave him a frank, kindly smile.
"Surely you'll stay and have some tea?"

"No, thank you. Jack Robey is feeling a little above himself to-day. You
see it's the fourth day of the holidays. I think I'll just go straight
back, and take him out for a walk. I rather want to think over things."

As he made his way across the lawn and through the house, feeling
somehow that the whole world had changed for the better, though he could
not have told you exactly why, Jervis Blake met Mrs. Otway.

"Won't you stay and have some tea?" she asked, but she said it in a very
different voice from that Rose had used--Rose had meant what she said.

"Thanks very much, but I've got to get back. I promised Mrs. Robey I'd
be in to tea; the boys are back from school, you know."

"Oh, yes, of course! I suppose they are. Well, you must come in some
other day before you leave Witanbury."

She hurried through into the garden.

"I hope Jervis Blake hasn't been here very long, darling," she said
fondly. "Of course I know he's your friend, and that you've always liked
him. But I'm afraid he wou