ignorant of this fact, was talking big in the bar
of the "Queen's Arms" opposite the Men's Club of the Eton Mission.

Gertie was enjoying herself just now, on the whole. It is true that she
had received some chastisement yesterday from the Major; but she had the
kind of nature that preferred almost any sensation to none. And, indeed,
the situation was full of emotion. It was extraordinarily pleasant to
her to occupy such a position between two men--and, above all, two
"gentlemen." Her attitude towards the Major was of the most simple and
primitive kind; he was her man, who bullied her, despised her, dragged
her about the country, and she never for one instant forgot that he had
once been an officer in the army. Even his blows (which, to tell the
truth, were not very frequent, and were always administered in a
judicial kind of way) bore with them a certain stamp of brilliance; she
possessed a very pathetic capacity for snobbishness. Frank, on the other
side, was no less exciting. She regarded him as a good young man, almost
romantic, indeed, in his goodness--a kind of Sir Galahad; and he,
whatever his motive (and she was sometimes terribly puzzled about his
motives), at any rate, stood in a sort of rivalry to the Major; and it
was she who was the cause of contention. She loved to feel herself
pulled this way and that by two such figures, to be quarreled over by
such very strong and opposite types. It was a vague sensation to her,
but very vivid and attractive; and although just now she believed
herself to be thoroughly miserable, I have no doubt whatever that she
was enjoying it all immensely. She was very feminine indeed, and the
little scene of last night had brought matters to an almost exquisite
point. She was crying a little now, gently, to herself.

* * * * *

The door opened. Frank came in, put down his cap, and took his seat on
the bench by the fire.

"All out?" he asked.

Gertie nodded, and made a little broken sound.

"Very good," said Frank. "Then I'm going to talk to you."

Gertie wiped away a few more tears, and settled herself down for a
little morbid pleasure. It was delightful to her to be found crying over
the fire. Frank, at any rate, would appreciate that.

"Now," said Frank, "you've got the choice once more, and I'm going to
put it plainly. If you don't do what I want this time, I shall have to
see whether somebody else can't persuade you."

She glanced up, a