“Don’t you see? If there’s going to be war over there she might get stuck and not be able to get home for years----” “Oh--years! It’ll all be over in a month. Wars now-a-days don’t run into time. It’s too expensive, my child.” “Well, anyway, old Lo will be a good deal better safe at home than in the thick of it. And I guess that’s what Ray and the Colonel think.” “I’d no idea they’d got that far. Of course I knew he was sweet on her. You could see that when that von Helse chap was here, and old Ray used to look as if he’d like to chew him up.” “I knew all about it.” “Of course. Girls always talk about these things.” “She never said a word. But I knew all the same.” “Kind of instinct, I suppose.” Here the elders came out of the drawing-room, preceded, as the door opened, by the Colonel’s emphatic pronouncement, “--Inevitable, my dear sir. We cannot possibly escape being drawn in. Their plans are certain to be based on getting in through Belgium and Luxembourg. We’ve been prepared for that for many years past. And if they touch Belgium the fat’s in the fire, for we’re bound to stop it--if we can. If some of us had had our way we’d be in a better position to do it than we are. Anyhow we’ll have to do our best. We’d have done better if you others had had less faith in German bunkum. Noel, my boy,” as Noel saluted, “We shall probably want you before we’re through.” “You think it’ll be a tough business, sir?” “Tough? It’ll be hell, my boy, before the slate’s all clean again. And that won’t be till the Kaiser and all his gang are wiped off it for ever.” “I thought it would be all over in a month or two.” “A year or two may be more like it. Germany is one big fighting-machine, and till it’s smashed there’ll be no peace in the world.” “Think they’ll get over here, sir?” chirped Honor expectantly. “They’ll try, if we leave them a chance. Thank God,--and Winston Churchill--we’re ready for them there. That man’s looked ahead and he’s probably saved England.” “Good old Winston!” “If you’re off, Dare, I’ll walk along with you. I must call at the Bank. It won’t do for Ray to run out of funds over there. Good-bye, Mrs Dare! Bring you good news in a day or two. Ta-ta, Honor!” “You’ll let me stand my share----” began Mr Dare, as they walked along together. “Tut, man! You’ll need all your spare cash before we’re through and I’ve plenty lying idle.” “You really think it may be a long business?” “I don’t see how it can be anything else. Have you had no warnings of its coming from any of your correspondents?” “We told you of Lois’s letter. We’ve had nothing more than that--except delay in goods coming through--and in remittances.” “Exactly! Railways too busy carrying men and horses; and business men preferring to keep their money in their own hands. I tell you they’ve been working up to this for years, only waiting for the psychological moment.”