They all four came clattering into the hall at Oakdene one afternoon, after a splodgy round of the links, damp and bedraggled and thirsting for tea. Auntie Mitt had it served in next to no time, and between little sips at her own cup sat busily knitting and listening to their wonderful flow of spirits, which found vent in a jargon that was still utterly unintelligible to her, in spite of the amount of it to which in her time she had listened. But by the time they had finished their third cups they had fought the battle all through again, had explained away all their failures to the entire satisfaction of those chiefly concerned, had replumed themselves on their more outstanding successes, and then, as the boys lit their cigarettes with sighs of satisfaction, their minds came down again to mundane affairs. “Where’s Uncle Tony, Auntie Mitt?” asked Victoria. “Sir Anthony is just coming up the drive, my dear,” said Auntie Mitt, with a glance out of the window. “He went down to the village to see if there was any news,” and Uncle Tony came in, paper in hand. “Ah-ha!” said he, “Mudlarks!...” “And as merry, sir,” said Gregor. “Damp but undaunted”.... “Dirty but not dispirited,” said Honor briskly. “Defeated but defiant,” said Vic. “Your turn, No.” “Oh, dash!” said Noel, who was not over-good at that kind of mental gymnastics. “My copyright!--since Victoria-who-should-by-rights-have-been-Balaclava won’t allow me to say damn,” said the Colonel. “Of course I won’t,--with Auntie Mitt, sitting there listening with all her ears----” “I heard it not infrequently before you were thought of, my dear,” said Auntie Mitt, with her little bird-like uplook and smile. “It was, I think, much more commonly used even in the best society than it is now. I believe even the Duke himself”.... “Ah--he needed me to keep him in order. I wonder you didn’t do it yourself, Auntie Mitt.” “Oh,--my dear!” “Any news, sir?” asked Gregor. “Bank-rate 8 per cent----” “Deuter-on-omy!” “And the Stock Exchange closed till further notice.” “Gee-willikins! Things are shaping badly then, sir!” “Very badly, I fear. Russia and Germany are practically at war, though no formal declaration has yet been made, I believe.” “And how do we stand now, sir?” asked Noel eagerly. “On the brink, my boy. Sir Edward Grey is still working his hardest for peace. But, personally, I should say the chances are of the smallest.” “I wonder where Lois and Ray have managed to get to,” said Honor anxiously. “You trust Ray, my dear. They’ll be all right. I just called in to reassure your mother. I knew her first thought would be for them when she heard the news.” “But surely we ought to have heard from them before this----”