e pigeons
perhaps had been disturbed up there. Then instead of that wedding
vision, she saw Monsieur Barra, sitting on his chair, gazing at the
floor, and Chica nursing her doll. "All mad, mademoiselle, a little mad.
Millions of men with white souls, but all a little tiny bit mad, you
know." Then Leila's face came before her, with that look in her eyes.
She felt again the hot clasp of Fort's fingers on her wrist, and walked
on, rubbing it with the other hand. She turned into Regent Street. The
wide curve of the Quadrant swept into a sky of unreal blue, and the
orange-shaded lamps merely added to the unreality. 'Love and Chinese
lanterns! I should like some coffee,' she thought suddenly. She was
quite close to the place where Lavendie had taken her. Should she go
in there? Why not? She must go somewhere. She turned into the revolving
cage of glass. But no sooner was she imprisoned there than in a flash
Lavendie's face of disgust; and the red-lipped women, the green stuff
that smelled of peppermint came back, filling her with a rush of dismay.
She made the full circle in the revolving cage; and came out into
the street again with a laugh. A tall young man in khaki stood there:
"Hallo!" he said. "Come in and dance!" She started, recoiled from him
and began to walk away as fast as ever she could. She passed a woman
whose eyes seemed to scorch her. A woman like a swift vision of ruin
with those eyes, and thickly powdered cheeks, and loose red mouth. Noel
shuddered and fled along, feeling that her only safety lay in speed. But
she could not walk about all night. There would be no train for Kestrel
till the morning--and did she really want to go there, and eat her heart
out? Suddenly she thought of George. Why should she not go down to him?
He would know what was best for her to do. At the foot of the steps
below the Waterloo Column she stood still. All was quiet there and
empty, the great buildings whitened, the trees blurred and blue; and
sweeter air was coming across their flowering tops. The queer "fey"
moony sensation was still with her; so that she felt small and light,
as if she could have floated through a ring. Faint rims of light showed
round the windows of the Admiralty. The war! However lovely the night,
however sweet the lilac smelt-that never stopped! She turned away and
passed out under the arch, making for the station. The train of the
wounded had just come in, and she stood in the cheering crowd watching
the am