ertaining to the person of the Monarch who, as it were in
despite of his Government, had done more for the true cause of peace
than any other in Europe, remained inviolate in the hearts of the
people.

For the rest, the Proclamation was a brief, simple statement of the
facts, with an equally simple but very heart-stirring appeal to every
subject of the Crown to concentrate his whole energies, under proper
guidance, upon the task of repelling "this dastardly and entirely
unprovoked attack upon our beloved country."

I heard many deeply significant and interesting comments from the circle
of men and women who were reading this copy of the Proclamation. The
remarks of two men I repeat here because in both cases they were typical
and representative. The first remark was from a man dressed as a navvy,
with a short clay pipe in his mouth. He said:

"Oh, yus; the King's all right; Gawd bless un! No one 'ld mind fightin'
for 'im. It's 'is blighted Gov'nment wot's all bloomin' wrong--blast
'em!"

The reply came from a young man evidently of sedentary occupation--a
shop-assistant or clerk:

"You're all right, too, old sport; but don't you forget the other
feller's proclamation. If you 'aven't got no uniform, your number's up
for lead pills, an' don't you forget it. A fair fight an' no favour's
all right; but I'm not on in this blooming execution act, thank you.
Edward R. I. will have to pass me, I can see."

"Well, 'e won't lose much, matey, when all's said. But you're English,
anyway; that seems a pity. Why don't yer run 'ome ter yer ma, eh?"

"Go it, old sport. You're a blue-blooded Tory; an Imperialist, aren't
you?"

"Not me, boy; I'm only an able-bodied man."

"What ho! Got a flag in your pocket, have you? You watch the Germans
don't catch you fer sausage meat."

And then I passed on, heading for Constance Grey's flat. I reflected
that I had done my share toward forming the opinions, the mental
attitude of that young clerk or shop-assistant. The type was familiar
enough. But I had had no part nor lot in the preservation of that
navvy's simple patriotism. Rather, by a good deal, had the tendency of
all I said and wrote been toward weakening the sturdy growth, and
causing it to be deprecated as a thing archaic, an obstacle in the way
of progress.

Progress! The expounding of Herr Mitmann of Stettin! That Monday was a
minor day of judgment for others beside myself.

XVIII

THE DEAR LOAF

A third of