eatening, sad eyes,
the old, yellow-faced man with a limp, and the little man who came out
last, lost in his imaginary beasts--looked at the car furtively as they
went their ways. And Stanley thought: 'English peasant! Poor devil!
Who is he? What is he? Who'd miss him if he did die out? What's the
use of all this fuss about him? He's done for! Glad I've nothing to do
with him at Becket, anyway! "Back to the land!" "Independent peasantry!"
Not much! Shan't say that to Clara, though; knock the bottom out of her
week-ends!' And to his chauffeur he muttered:

"Get on, Batter!"

So, through the peace of that country, all laid down in grass, through
the dignity and loveliness of trees and meadows, this May evening, with
the birds singing under a sky surcharged with warmth and color, he sped
home to dinner.

CHAPTER XX

But next morning, turning on his back as it came dawn, Stanley thought,
with the curious intensity which in those small hours so soon becomes
fear: 'By Jove! I don't trust that woman a yard! I shall wire for
Felix!' And the longer he lay on his back, the more the conviction bored
a hole in him. There was a kind of fever in the air nowadays, that women
seemed to catch, as children caught the measles. What did it all mean?
England used to be a place to live in. One would have thought an old
country like this would have got through its infantile diseases!
Hysteria! No one gave in to that. Still, one must look out! Arson was
about the limit! And Stanley had a vision, suddenly, of his plough-works
in flames. Why not? The ploughs were not for the English market. Who
knew whether these laboring fellows mightn't take that as a grievance, if
trouble began to spread? This somewhat far-fetched notion, having
started to burrow, threw up a really horrid mole-hill on Stanley. And it
was only the habit, in the human mind, of saying suddenly to fears: Stop!
I'm tired of you! that sent him to sleep about half past four.

He did not, however, neglect to wire to Felix:

"If at all possible, come down again at once; awkward business at
Joyfields."

Nor, on the charitable pretext of employing two old fellows past ordinary
work, did he omit to treble his night-watchman. . .

On Wednesday, the day of which he had seen the dawn rise, Felix had
already been startled, on returning from his constitutional, to discover
his niece and nephew in the act of departure. All the explanation
vouchsafed had b