e replied.

"In a way I suppose I was," she said musingly. "You see they all mean
something," indicating the paraders with a nod of her head, "tragedy,
comedy, farce, sometimes all three. If you only stop to think about
life, it all seems so hopeless. I feel sometimes that I could run away
from it all."

"That in the Middle Ages would have been diagnosed as the monastic
spirit," said Elton. "It arose, and no doubt continues in most cases
to arise from a sluggish liver."

"How dreadful!" laughed Patricia. "The inference is obvious."

"The world's greatest achievements and greatest tragedies could no
doubt be traced directly to rebellious livers: Waterloo and 'Hamlet'
are instances."

"Are you serious?" enquired Patricia. She was never quite certain of
Elton.

"In a way I suppose I am," he replied. "If I were a pathologist I
should write a book upon _The Influence of Disease upon the Destinies
of the World_. The supreme monarch is the microbe. The Germans have
shown that they recognise this."

"Ugh!" Patricia shuddered.

"Of course you have to make some personal sacrifice in the matter of
self-respect first," continued Elton, "but after that the rest becomes
easy."

"I suppose that is what a German victory would mean," said Patricia.

"Yes; we should give up lead and nickel and T.N.T., and invent germ
distributors. Essen would become a great centre of germ-culture,
and----"

"Oh! please let us talk about something else," cried Patricia. "It's
horrible!"

"Well!" said Elton with a smile, "shall we continue our talk over
lunch, if you have no engagement?"

"Lady Peggy asked me----" began Patricia.

"They're away in Somerset," said Elton, "so now I claim you as my
victim. It is your destiny to save me from my own thoughts."

"And yours to save me from roast pork and apple sauce," said Patricia,
rising. As they walked towards Hyde Park Corner she explained the
Galvin House cuisine.

They lunched at the Ritz and, to her surprise Patricia found herself
eating with enjoyment, a thing she had not done for weeks past. She
decided that it must be a revulsion of feeling after the menace of
roast pork. Elton was a good talker, with a large experience of life
and a considerable fund of general information.

"I should like to travel," said Patricia as she sipped her coffee in
the lounge.

"Why?" Elton held a match to her cigarette.

"Oh! I suppose because it is enjoyable," replied Patricia;