g them,
heard his voice: "For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in
sickness and in health, till death do you part." And the moonlight on
the Church seemed to shift and quiver-some pigeons perhaps had been
disturbed up there. Then instead of that wedding vision, she saw
Monsieur Barra, sitting on his chair, gazing at the floor, and Chica
nursing her doll. "All mad, mademoiselle, a little mad. Millions of men
with white souls, but all a little tiny bit mad, you know." Then Leila's
face came before her, with that look in her eyes. She felt again the hot
clasp of Fort's fingers on her wrist, and walked on, rubbing it with the
other hand. She turned into Regent Street. The wide curve of the
Quadrant swept into a sky of unreal blue, and the orange-shaded lamps
merely added to the unreality. 'Love and Chinese lanterns! I should
like some coffee,' she thought suddenly. She was quite close to the
place where Lavendie had taken her. Should she go in there? Why not?
She must go somewhere. She turned into the revolving cage of glass. But
no sooner was she imprisoned there than in a flash Lavendie's face of
disgust; and the red-lipped women, the green stuff that smelled of
peppermint came back, filling her with a rush of dismay. She made the
full circle in the revolving cage; and came out into the street again
with a laugh. A tall young man in khaki stood there: "Hallo!" he said.
"Come in and dance!" She started, recoiled from him and began to walk
away as fast as ever she could. She passed a woman whose eyes seemed to
scorch her. A woman like a swift vision of ruin with those eyes, and
thickly powdered cheeks, and loose red mouth. Noel shuddered and fled
along, feeling that her only safety lay in speed. But she could not walk
about all night. There would be no train for Kestrel till the
morning--and did she really want to go there, and eat her heart out?
Suddenly she thought of George. Why should she not go down to him? He
would know what was best for her to do. At the foot of the steps below
the Waterloo Column she stood still. All was quiet there and empty, the
great buildings whitened, the trees blurred and blue; and sweeter air was
coming across their flowering tops. The queer "fey" moony sensation was
still with her; so that she felt small and light, as if she could have
floated through a ring. Faint rims of light showed round the windows of
the Admiralty. The war! However lovely the night,