nger in Rosamund.

Her anger wrapped him in pain such as he had never felt till now.

The house seemed full of menace. In the little room the atmosphere was
changed. He looked round it and his eyes rested on the Hermes. He went
up to it and stood before it.

Instantly he felt again the exquisite calm of Elis. The face of the
Hermes made the thought of war seem horrible and ridiculous. Men had
learnt so much when Praxiteles created his Hermes, and they knew so
little now. The enigma of their violence was as great as the enigma of
the celestial calm which the old Greeks had perpetuated to be forever
the joy and the rest of humanity. And he, Dion, was going to take an
active part in violence. The unchanging serenity of the Hermes, which
brought all Elis before him, with its green sights and its wonderful
sounds, of the drowsy insects in the sunshine, of the sheep-bells, and
of the pines whose voices hold within them all the eternal secrets,
increased the intensity of his misery. He realized how unstable are the
foundations of human happiness, and his house of life seemed crumbling
about him.

Presently he went downstairs to his room and wrote letters to his mother
and to Bruce Evelin, telling them what he had done.

When he had directed and stamped these letters he thought of Beattie
and Guy. Beattie knew. What was it which had led her so instantly to
a knowledge denied to Rosamund? Rosamund had evidently not noticed any
difference in him when he came in that evening. But, to be sure, Robin
had been there.

Robin had been there.

Dion sat before the writing-table for a long while doing nothing. Then
a clock struck. He had only half an hour to spare before dinner would be
ready. Quickly he wrote a few words to Beattie:

"MY DEAR BEATTIE,--You were right. I have volunteered for active service
and shall soon be off to South Africa. I don't know yet exactly when we
shall start, but I expect they'll hurry us off as quickly as they can.
Men are wanted out there badly. Lots of fellows are coming forward.
I'll tell you more when I see you again. Messages to Guy.--Yours
affectionately,

"DION"

It was not an eloquent letter, but Beattie would understand. Beattie was
not a great talker but she was a great understander. He went out to put
the three letters into the pillar-box. Then he hurried upstairs to his
dressing-room. For the first time in his life he almost dreaded spending
an evening alone with Rosamund.

He