'I wish I was old enough to fight. And I wish father was stronger.... Do you think I shall ever fight in this war?' 'Good heavens, dear! I hope it isn't going to last seven years more.' 'I wish it would,' said Archie ferociously. 'Mother!' 'Yes, darling?' 'But what's the matter with father? He seems quite well.' 'Oh, he isn't very well. He suffers from nerves.' 'Nerves! What's nerves?' 'I think, darling, it's time for us to start. Where's your coat?' She drove him to the station. Most of the way he was very silent As she put him in the train he said. 'Mother, give my love to Aylmer.' 'All right, dear.' He then said: 'Mother, I wish Aylmer was my father.' 'Oh, Archie! You mustn't say that.' * * * * * But she never forgot the boy's remark. It had a stronger influence on her action later than anything else. She knew Archie had always had a great hero-worship for Aylmer. But that he should actually prefer him to Bruce! She didn't tell Aylmer that for a long time afterwards. * * * * * Before returning to the front Teddy had become so violently devoted to Miss Clay that she was quite glad to see him go. She received his attentions with calm and cool friendliness, but gave him not the smallest encouragement. She was three years older, but looked younger than her age, while Teddy looked much older, more like twenty-two. So that when on the one or two occasions during his ten days' leave they went out together, they didn't seem at all an ill-assorted couple. And whenever Aylmer saw the two together, it created the greatest irritation in him. He hardly knew which vexed him more--Dulcie for being attractive to the boy, or the boy for being charmed by Dulcie. It was absurd--out of place. It displeased him. A day or two after Teddy's departure Dulcie went to see Lady Conroy, who immediately declared that Dulcie was extraordinarily like a charming girl she had met at Boulogne. Dulcie convinced her that she was the same girl. 'Oh, how perfectly charming!' said Lady Conroy. 'What a coincidence! _Too_ wonderful! Well, my dear, I can see at a glance that you're the very person I want. Your duties will be very, _very_ light. Oh, how light they will be! There's really hardly anything to do! I merely want you to be a sort of walking memorandum for me,' Lady Conroy went on, smiling. 'Just to recollect what day it is, and what's the date, and what time my appointments are, and do my telephoning for me, and write my letters, and take the dog out for a walk, and _sometimes_ just hear my little girls practise, and keep my papers in order. Oh, one can hardly say exactly--you know the sort of thing. Oh yes! and do the flowers,' said Lady Conroy, glancing round the room. 'I always forget my flowers, and I won't let Marie do them, and so there they are--dead in the vases! And I do like a few live flowers about, I must say,' she added pathetically.