--or concession--or sympathy! I was indeed a fool
to take any trouble to please you!'

Elizabeth was silent. They surveyed each other. 'No agitation!' said
Elizabeth's inner mind; 'keep cool!'

At last she withdrew her own eyes from the angry tension of
his--dropped them to the table where her right hand was
mechanically drawing nonsense figures on her blotting-paper.

'Did you really yourself take down that barricade?' she said gently.

'I did! And it was an infernal piece of work!'

'I'm awfully glad!' Her voice was very soft.

'I daresay you are. It suits your principles, and your ideas, of
course--not mine! And now, having driven me to it--having publicly
discredited and disgraced me--you can still sit there and talk of
throwing up your work.'

The growing passion in the irascible gentleman towering above her
warned her that it was time to bring the scene to an end.

'I am glad,' she repeated steadily, 'very glad--especially--for Mr.
Desmond.'

'Oh, Desmond!' the Squire threw out impatiently, beginning again to
walk up and down.

'He would have minded so dreadfully,' she said, still in a lower
key. 'It was really him I was thinking of. Of course I had no right
to interfere with your affairs--'

The Squire turned, the tyrant in him reviving fast.

'Well, you did interfere--and to some purpose! Now then--yes or
no--is your notice withdrawn?'

Elizabeth hesitated.

'I would willingly stay with you,' she said, 'if--'

'If what?'

She looked up with a sudden flash of laughter.

'If we can really get on!'

'Name your terms!' He returned, frowning and excited, to the
neighbourhood of the Roman emperor.

'Oh no--I have no terms,' she said hurriedly. 'Only--if you
ask me to help you with the land, I should want to obey the
Government--and--and do the best for the war.'

'Condition No. 1,' said the Squire grimly, checking it off. 'Go on!'

'And--I should--perhaps--beg you to let Pamela do some V.A.D. work,
if she wants to.'

'Pamela is your affair!' said the Squire impatiently. 'If you stay
here, you are her chaperon, and, for the present, head of the
household.'

'Only just for the present--till Pamela can do it!' put in Elizabeth
hastily. 'But she's nineteen--she ought to take a part.'

'Well, don't bother me about that. You are responsible. I wash my
hands of her. Anything else?'

It did not do to think of Pamela's feelings, should she ever become
aware of how she was being handed over. B