Frank's return complicated matters still further. He came back to Restham having left the dons and tutors of his college in a state of extreme dissatisfaction with him, on account of the things he did and the things he left undone. Naturally he took Fay's part--as indeed I did: but he made no effort to assist me in my endeavour to placate Annabel as far as possible without interfering with the theatrical scheme. I do not wish to pretend to miseries to which I have no title: but I cannot help feeling that in this conflict between the twins and Annabel, it was I who suffered most. Subsequent history has taught us that in a war between two Powers the chief brunt falls upon the neutral states. Certainly it was so in my case. As poor Belgium has long been the cock-pit of Europe, so I became the cock-pit of Restham. A most unenviable position for either nations or individuals! I was never alone for a minute with Annabel without her beginning all over again about the pernicious influence of amateur theatricals--as opposed to the beneficent effect of foreign travel--upon the rising generation: I was never alone for a minute with Frank without his rubbing into me the various difficulties which my sister raised with regard to the impending performance in the village hall: and--which was worst of all--I was never alone with Fay without knocking my head and bruising my heart against an impalpable barrier which had suddenly been raised up between us; for the building of which barrier I blamed Frank. "You are behaving very foolishly, Reggie, and you will live to regret it," Annabel said, for about the two hundredth time: "I can't understand why you don't see the danger, as I see it." I did see it: that was what made me so profoundly wretched: but I did not see how it was to be averted by any act of mine. "I should simply put my foot down upon the whole thing, if I were you," she nagged on. "The putting down of one's foot is not such a simple process as it used to be," I retorted: "or else my feet are not of the putting down sort." "Papa could always put his foot down fast enough when he wanted to," argued Annabel. "I know he could: but, as I have just told you, I haven't inherited his particular make of feet." Annabel went on as if I had not spoken. "He always put his foot down when I was Fay's age, if I suggested doing anything that he didn't approve of." "But you were his daughter and Fay is my wife. That makes all the difference." "It didn't make any difference to him. He put his foot down just as much in dealing with poor Mamma as in dealing with me." "I know he did. And she died of it."