ake about it, for I've always hated the breed.
If I've violated my principles in order to meet her wishes, I think you
ought to meet them too. You wouldn't like to marry a small tradesman or
a working man, would you?"

"I'm not going to marry anybody," cried Phyllis. She was only a pink
and white, very ordinary little girl. I have no idealisations or
illusions concerning Phyllis. But she had a little fine steel of
character running through her. It flashed on Gedge.

"I don't want to marry anybody," she declared. "But I'd sooner marry a
bricklayer who was fighting for his country than a fine gentleman like
Mr. Holmes who wasn't. I'd sooner die," she cried passionately.

"Then go and die and be damned to you!" snarled Gedge, planting himself
noisily in his chair. "I've no use for khaki-struck drivelling idiots.
I've no use for patriots. Bah! Damn patriots! The upper classes are out
for all they can get, and they befool the poor imbecile working man
with all their highfalutin phrases to get it for them at the cost of
his blood. I've no use for them, I tell you. And I've no use either for
undutiful daughters. I've no use for young women who blow hot and cold.
Haven't I seen you with the fellow? Do you think I'm a blind dodderer?
Do you think I haven't kept an eye on you? Haven't I seen you blowing
as hot as you please? And now because he refuses to be a blinking idiot
and have his guts blown out in this war of fools and knaves and
capitalists, you blast him like a three-farthing iceberg."

Everything in her that was tender, maidenly, English, shrank lacerated.
But the steel held her. She put both her hands on the table and bent
over towards him.

"But, father, except that he's a gentleman, you haven't told me why you
want me to marry Mr. Holmes."

He fidgeted with his fingers. "Haven't you a spark of affection for me
left?"

She said dutifully, "Yes, father."

"I want you to marry him. I've set my heart on it. It has been the one
bright hope in my life for months. Can't you marry him because you love
me?"

"One generally marries because one loves the man one's going to marry,"
said Phyllis.

"But you do love him," cried Gedge. "Either you're just a wanton little
hussy or you must care for the fellow."

"I don't. I hate him. And I don't want to have anything more to do with
him." The tears came. "He's a pro-German and I won't have anything to
do with pro-Germans."

She fled precipitately from the office into