soul with gossip."

"There's no gossip at all about it," she replied serenely. "It's all
sordid and romantic fact. The two men hold long discussions together at
Gedge's house, Gedge talking anti-patriotism and Randall talking rot
which he calls philosophy. You can hear them, can't you? Their
meeting-ground is the absurdity of Randall joining the army."

"And Phyllis?"

"She is a loyal little soul and as miserable as can be. She's
deplorably in love with Randall. She has told me so. And because she's
in love with a man whom she knows to be a slacker she's eaten up with
shame. Now she won't speak to him To avoid meeting him she lives
entirely at the hospital--a paying probationer."

"That must be since the last Committee Meeting," I said.

"Yes."

"And Daniel Gedge pays a guinea a week?"

"He doesn't," said Betty. "I do."

I accepted the information with a motion of the head. She went on after
a minute or so. "I have always been fond of the child"--there were only
three or four years difference between them!--"and so I want to protect
her. The time may come when she'll need protection. She has told me
things--not now--but long ago--which frightened her. She came to me for
advice. Since then I've kept an eye on her--as far as I could. Her
coming into the hospital helps me considerably."

"When you say 'things which frightened her,' do you mean in connection
with her father?"

Again the dark look in Betty's eyes.

"Yes," she said. "He's an evil, dangerous man."

That was all I could get out of her. If she had meant me to know the
character of Gedge's turpitude, she would have told me of her own
accord. But in our talk at the hospital she had hinted at
blackmail--and blackmailers are evil, dangerous men.

I went to see Sir Anthony about it. Beyond calling him a damned
scoundrel, a term which he applied to all pro-Germans, pacifists and
half the Cabinet, he did not concern himself about Gedge. Young Randall
Holmes's intimacy with the scoundrel seemed to him a matter of far
greater importance. He strode up and down his library, choleric and
gesticulating.

"A gentleman and a scholar to hob-nob with a traitorous beast like
that! I know that he writes for a filthy weekly paper. Somebody sent me
a copy a few days ago. It's rot--but not actually poisonous like that
he must hear from Gedge. That's the reason, I suppose, he's not in the
King's uniform. I've had my eye on him for some time. That's why I've
not aske