s met and in that glance exchanged
between them barriers were broken down, curtains turned aside--they
would never be strangers again.

"Mother isn't well." Adela said quite firmly. "Hasn't been well for a
long time--we've all known it. She has felt this war and--and other
things very much. She will feel my going on to the same committee as
Mrs. Bronson--she will certainly feel it. But I think it's my duty to do
so. After all, on an occasion like this family feeling must give way
before national ones." Why did not the walls and foundations of No. 104
Portland Place rock and quiver before the horrid sacrilege of such
words? John, himself, almost expected them to do so and yet he was of
his sister's opinion.

"I think you are perfectly right, Adela," he said.

"Oh! I'm so glad that you do. I don't want to worry mother, just now.
I'm frankly rather nervous about telling her--but it must be done."

"It's odd, Adela," said John, leaning back in his chair and crossing
his fat legs. "But something real like this war, a ghastly day with boys
shouting horrors at you followed by another ghastly day with more boys
shouting more horrors, it does shake one's life up. I've been very
cowardly, Adela, about a number of things. I see that now. I've never
really wanted to see it before. It makes one uncomfortable."

"I don't think one ought to give way," said Adela with a slight return
to her gritty manner, "to one's feelings too much. But certainly one is
beginning to see things differently, which is a dangerous thing for
people of our age, John."

"Yes," said John, "I suppose it is." He paused and then brought
out--"There's Francis, Adela. We've all been very wrong about
Francis. I've felt it for a long time, but hadn't the courage....
He's been behaving very well all this time--One oughtn't to hold
aloof--altogether----"

"Mother refuses to have his name mentioned----"

"We must take into account," John said very slowly and now without
meeting his sister's eye--"that mother is not so well--scarcely so sure
in her judgment----"

He broke off. There was a long pause and they looked away from one
another, as though they had been guilty conspirators. Norris came in to
take the tea away.

"Has Lady Seddon gone?"

"Yes, my lady. She was with Her Grace a very short time----"

Adela turned impatiently to John. "So like Rachel. She might at least
have come to say good-bye to us."

When Norris had gone John got up and walked a