The General recovered his temper suddenly. "That was in the old days, my dear," he said. "Ah, if I could really believe you were changed!" she sighed. "Anyhow," he said hastily, "here's this child sending away her food untasted." I thought this low of the General. "You mustn't take things to heart, my dear," said Miss Lucy kindly. "What you're eating has caused suffering to nothing that lives. There, I must go slow with you, I see. But after you've been a week in this house, my dear, you'll never see meat eaten again without a shudder. I've just brought out a new pamphlet, Hugh--'The Feeder on Flesh, or the Human Vampire'. The League tells me it is most successful." "I dare say," grunted the General. "But what is this I am eating now, Lucy? Some sort of truffle? It isn't half-bad." "We call it vegetarian beefsteak. It is a sort of toadstool which grows on rotting bark," said Miss Lucy, looking pleased. "Great Heaven! Lucy, do you want to poison us? Don't touch a bit of it, Hilda. I don't mind being dosed, Lucy, but when it comes to being poisoned it's another matter. I wish you'd tell us beforehand the constituents of your ... feeds." It is impossible to reproduce the contempt and loathing which the General managed to impress into the last word. Miss Lucy smiled placidly. I noticed after a time that when the General grew angry she became calm. "Ah, Hugh, Hugh," she said with an air of affectionate reproof, "if you'd only give up your horrible bloodthirsty diet how your temper would be the gainer, to be sure!" CHAPTER XX. FREDA'S MYSTERY. "Miss Lucy," said I next morning at breakfast, "do you know the way to Parson's Green?" "Parson's Green--let me see. It's somewhere beyond Chelsea, I think." "What do you want to know for, child?" asked the General. "I have a sister living there whom I wish very much to see." "Ah! you'd better go to-day then, for I've to spend a tiresome morning over business. We can meet again in the afternoon, and I'll take you to a theatre in the evening. Perhaps Lucy would come too." "Not I," said Miss Lucy, good-temperedly. "My theatre-going days are over. I wonder that you, with your convictions, Hugh, would be seen in such places." "I saw a play once," said the General simply, "called 'The Flag of England'. The hero was a very brave man and a good soldier. I thought that anyone must be the better for seeing it. Of course, I don't know much about theatres, Lucy, but I thought I'd like to show this young lady some gaieties. Perhaps you could advise me where to take her?" "I was going to offer to take her to the annual meeting of the Society for the Abolition of the British Army." "No societies please, Lucy," said the General a little gruffly.