Revived, she shrugged her little shoulders.

"Have I deserved one?"

The voice said, with unmistakable displeasure in it:

"Thoroughly. Why were not the last three paragraphs of the weekly 'Social
Jottings' column submitted to me yesterday with the rest?"

She heard herself titter imbecilely. Then a voice, which she could hardly
believe her own, said, with a pitiable effort to be gay and natural:

"Weren't they? Perhaps you overlooked them?"

"You know I did not overlook them."

This was the cold, incisive, cutting, rasping voice which Bingo was wont
to describe as razors and files. Her ears burned like fire, and her
bright, birdlike eyes were round and scared. She gasped:

"Oh ... do you really----"

"I want the truth, please, without quibbling." The voice was harsh and
cold, and inexorably compelling. "Why were those paragraphs not shown to
me?"

She winked away her tears.

"Because I was sure you'd blue-pencil them out of existence. And a genuine
bit of news is such a roc's egg in these times of scarcity."

"Genuine!"

There was incredulity in the tone.

"Upon my honour as the wife of a British Dragoon."

He said crisply:

"Precipitate publication, even of authentic information, is likely to be
resented by the persons concerned."

She remembered, with a sinking at the heart, that one person concerned had
already objected.

"Both of them authorised the insertion."

"And the official consent to it was obtained by a trick."

She whispered, her heart in the heels of her Louis Quinze shoes:

"Please--please don't call it that!"

"How can I call it anything else? Besides, has it occurred to you that,
should any copies of to-day's issue get through these lines, the
Foltlebarres will be thrown into a state of volcanic eruption?"

"If the Foltlebarres aren't absolute beetles they'll jump for joy. How
could their boy possibly do better?"

"I don't see how myself."

"Ah, if you're going to back up Toby, the day is as good as won."

"You're very kind to say so."

The red was dying out of Lady Hannah's ear-tips. That "You're very kind"
had a gratified sound. The most rigorous and implacable of men can be
buttered, she thought, if the emollient be dexterously applied. And a
bright spark of naughty triumph snapped in each of her birdlike black
eyes.

"Thanks." He was speaking again. "Apologies for keeping you. You're up to
your eyes in Hospital work, I don't doubt."

"There is enough to keep o