“We shall,” said the Colonel emphatically. “I feel it in my bones. Germany is very wide awake. She’s been crouching for a spring any time this several years, and here are England, France, and Russia tied up with internal troubles. It’s her day without a doubt. Take my advice and make your preparations, my friend. When it comes it’ll come all in a heap. I only wish we were readier for it, and I wish to God they’d have the common-sense to put Kitchener in charge of the Army. He’s the man for the job, and what earthly use is he in Egypt when Germany may be at our throats any day? Asquith can’t be expected to understand all the ins and outs of the machine.” “Yes, it’s too much to expect of him. And as to Kitchener, I quite agree. He’s the right man for the job.” “Exchange upset? Money tight?” “Slump all round. Consols down one and a half. Bank rate three still, but expected to jump any day. In fact things are about as sick as they can be.” “We’re in for a very bad time, I’m afraid,” said the Colonel gravely. And the shadow of the future lay upon them all. When, presently, the Colonel got up to go, Mrs Dare and Con went with him to the front door, and Con went on down the path with him. “May I speak to you about Alma, Colonel?” Con began, before they reached the gate. “Yes, my boy, you may. But I know what you want to say.” “You’ve seen it, sir? You know how we feel then. And you don’t object?” “On the contrary, my boy. I’m very glad you have both chosen so wisely.” “That’s mighty good of you, sir. I would have spoken to you before but I wanted to see my way a little more clearly. And now I can. Sir James Jamieson of Harley Street,--he’s the biggest man we have in mental diseases, you know,--well, he saw some scraps of mine in the ‘Lancet’ and asked me to call on him. He’s a fine man, and he wants me to go to him as soon as my courses are finished,--Munich and Paris and the rest. He’s getting on in years, you see, and he was good enough to say that, from what he had heard of me, he believed I was the man to carry on his work when his time came to go. It’s immense, you know.” “Capital! I always knew you’d go far, Con. My only fear was lest the--er--atmosphere of your special line should in time affect your own mind and spirits. But so far it seems to have had no ill effect. Your spirits are above par, and I’ve just had an excellent proof of your judgment,”--at which Con laughed joyously. “When you’re really keen on a thing it doesn’t upset you, no matter how unpleasant it may be. And this work is anything but unpleasant to me. It’s packed with interest. There’s so much we don’t know yet. And there’s heaps of quaint humour in it, if you look out for it.” “Well, keep yourself fit, my boy, and I don’t think your brain will suffer. _Mens sana_, you know.”