"After all it's nothing to what we owe our friend there and the politicians," he said brightly, and made towards his victim, with an almost mincing motion. Since the declaration of war his solitary relief from intolerable anxieties had been baiting the junior member for the Borough. He left him no peace, hanging like a gadfly on his flank. At the club, in the street, on committees at the Town-hall there rose up to haunt the young man this inexorable spectre with the death's head, the courteous voice, and the glittering smile. "Ah, Bessemere!" he said gently. "Here still!--I heard you had enlisted, you and Smith." The other broke away and, seeing Ernie close by, shook hands with him. The move was unfortunately countered by Joe Burt. "You've shook 'ands with Mr. Caspar five times since I've been here," he remarked tartly. "Can't you give somebody else a turn now?" Just then, mercifully, Mr. Trupp rolled up, coughing. Summer or winter made no difference to the great man's cold, which was always with him, and lovingly cherished; but he liked to mark the change between the two seasons by exchanging the long woollen muffler of winter for a silken wrapper in which he swaddled his neck in the summer months. "Good luck, Ernie," he said in his brief way, his eyes shrewd and sweet behind his pince-nez. "Keep an eye to Ruth, won't you, sir?" said Ernie in his most confidential manner. "We'll do our best," replied the other hoarsely. "Here's Mr. Pigott. Quite a jingo these days." "Who isn't?" the old school-master answered with an attempt at the familiar truculence. "Well, you look like it, Ern." He added almost with admiration. "Quite a changed man." Then the Colonel joined the little group. "Coming along sir?" asked Ernie keenly. "No luck," replied the other gloomily. "Too old at sixty... What about that brother of yours?" Ern's face darkened. "Ah, I ain't seen him," he said. "There he is by the bookstall," muttered Mr. Pigott. "Envying the men who are going to fight his battles! I know him." Alf, indeed, who had clearly recovered from the first shock of war, was very much to the fore, modest, fervent, the unassuming patriot. Now he approached his brother with a mixture of wariness and manly frankness. "Will you shake 'ands, Ernest?" he asked. "I will _not_," said Ern. "It was you who done the dirty on our Lal." "Never!" cried Alf and came a step closer. "I'll tell you who it were." He nodded stealthily in the direction of Joe. "That's the chap that's out to spoil your home. Wrecker I call him. I tell you what, Ern," he whispered. "I'll watch out against him for you while you are away so you don't suffer." "I thank you," said Ern, unmoved. Just then Joe came up, took him by the arm, and bustled him off to the departure platform. "You'll be late else, ma lad," said the engineer. CHAPTER XXXV IN THE EVENING The Archdeacon and his sidesman walked back to Old Town from the station together.