And it was at this point in his deliberations that a sentence vibrated across his memory. It was so clear that it might almost have been spoken in his ear: "If you loved such a life you'd just do it. . . . And you'd succeed." Vane folded Margaret's letter, and put it in his pocket. If she really loved the thought of such a life she would just do it. . . . And she would succeed. As far as he was concerned there would be nothing more to say about it; she had a perfect right to decide for herself. She left him free--that he knew; he could still carry out his hunting box programme in full. Only he would have to play the part alone--or with someone else. . . . Someone else. Abruptly he rose from his chair, and found himself face to face with Lady Patterdale. . . . "Good morning, Captain Vane," she remarked affably. "'Ad a good night?" "Splendid, thank you, Lady Patterdale." "Ain't the news splendid? Marshal Foch seems to be fair making the 'Uns 'um." Vane laughed. "Yes, they seem to be sitting up and taking notice, don't they?" "Sir John is marking it all up in the 'All on the map, with flags," continued the worthy old woman. "I can't make 'ead or tail of it all myself--but my 'usband likes to 'ave everything up to date. 'E can't form any real opinion on the strategy, he says, unless he knows where everybody is." Vane preserved a discreet silence. "But as I tells 'im," rambled on Lady Patterdale, "it doesn't seem to me to be of much account where the poor fellows are. You may move a pin from 'ere to there, and feel all pleased and joyful about it--but you wouldn't feel so 'appy if you was the pin." Vane laughed outright. "You've got a way of putting things, Lady Patterdale, which hits the nail on the head each time." "Ah! you may laugh, Captain Vane. You may think I'm a silly old woman who doesn't know what she's talking about. But I've got eyes in my 'ead; and I'm not quite a fool. I've seen young men go out to France laughing and cheerful; and I've seen 'em come back. They laugh just as much--perhaps a bit more; they seem just as cheerful--but if you love 'em as I do you come to something which wasn't never there before. They've been one of the pins. Lots of us 'ave been one of the pins, Captain Vane; though we ain't been to France you can lose other things besides your life in this world." She nodded her head at him solemnly and waddled on, while Vane stood for a moment looking after her. Assuredly this common old woman possessed in her some spark of the understanding which is almost Divine. . . . And Vane, with a quick flash of insight, saw the proud planting of the pin on Rumfold Hall--a strategic advance, but the casualty list had never been published. . . . He strolled along the veranda and into the hall. Sir John with a very small audience--mostly newcomers--around him was holding forth on the new developments in France and Vane paused for a moment to listen.