per] It's a secret!

[As she passes with NURSE out into the hall, her voice is heard
saying, "Do tell me all about the war."]

HUBERT. [Smothering emotion under a blunt manner] We sail on
Friday, Kit. Be good to Helen, old girl.

KATHERINE. Oh! I wish----! Why--can't--women--fight?

HUBERT. Yes, it's bad for you, with Stephen taking it like this.
But he'll come round now it's once begun.

KATHERINE shakes her head, then goes suddenly up to him, and
throws her arms round his neck. It is as if all the feeling
pent up in her were finding vent in this hug.

The door from the hall is opened, and SIR JOHN'S voice is heard
outside: "All right, I'll find her."

KATHERINE. Father!

[SIR JOHN comes in.]

SIR JOHN. Stephen get my note? I sent it over the moment I got to
the War Office.

KATHERINE. I expect so. [Seeing the torn note on the table] Yes.

SIR JOHN. They're shouting the news now. Thank God, I stopped that
crazy speech of his in time.

KATHERINE. Have you stopped it?

SIR JOHN. What! He wouldn't be such a sublime donkey?

KATHERINE. I think that is just what he might be. [Going to the
window] We shall know soon.

[SIR JOHN, after staring at her, goes up to HUBERT.]

SIR JOHN. Keep a good heart, my boy. The country's first. [They
exchange a hand-squeeze.]

KATHERINE backs away from the window. STEEL has appeared there
from the terrace, breathless from running.

STEEL. Mr. More back?

KATHERINE. No. Has he spoken?

STEEL. Yes.

KATHERINE. Against?

STEEL. Yes.

SIR JOHN. What? After!

SIR, JOHN stands rigid, then turns and marches straight out into
the hall. At a sign from KATHERINE, HUBERT follows him.

KATHERINE. Yes, Mr. Steel?

STEEL. [Still breathless and agitated] We were here--he slipped
away from me somehow. He must have gone straight down to the House.
I ran over, but when I got in under the Gallery he was speaking
already. They expected something--I never heard it so still there.
He gripped them from the first word--deadly--every syllable. It got
some of those fellows. But all the time, under the silence you could
feel a--sort of--of--current going round. And then Sherratt--I think
it was--began it, and you saw the anger rising in them; but he kept
them down--his quietness! The feeling! I've never seen anything
like it there.

Then there was a whisper all over the Hous