‘I remember! I thought it was a thunderstorm. Dering told me he heard nothing.’ ‘Dering?’ ‘Our gardener, you know.’ His voice becomes husky. ‘Haven’t I been talking with him, Ellen?’ ‘It is a long time since we had a gardener, John.’ ‘Is it? So it is! A war! That is why there is no more cricket on the green.’ ‘They have all gone to the war, John.’ ‘That’s it; even the little shavers.’ He whispers, ‘Why isn’t Billy boy fighting, Ellen?’ ‘Oh, John!’ ‘Is Billy boy dead?’ She nods. ‘Was he killed in action? Tell me, tell me!’ She nods again. ‘Good for Billy boy. I knew Billy boy was all right. Don’t cry, Ellen. I’ll take care of you. All’s well with Billy boy.’ ‘Yes, I know, John.’ He hesitates before speaking again. ‘Ellen, who is the soldier? He comes here. He is a captain.’ ‘He is a very gallant man, John. It is he who was married to Barbara to-day.’ Bitterly, ‘She has soon forgotten.’ His wife shakes her brave head. ‘She hasn’t forgotten, dear. And it’s nearly three years now since Billy died.’ ‘So long! We have a medal he got, haven’t we?’ ‘No, John; he died before he could win any medals.’ The Colonel moves about, ‘Karl will be sorry. They were very fond of each other, those two boys, Ellen.’ ‘Karl fought against us, John. He died in the same engagement. They may even have killed each other.’ ‘They hadn’t known, Ellen.’ She says with thin lips, ‘I daresay they knew.’ ‘Billy boy and Karl!’ She tells him some more gossip. ‘John, I had Barbara married from here because she has no people of her own. I think Billy would have liked it.’ ‘That was the thing to do, Ellen. Nice of you. I remember everything now. It’s Dering she has married. He was once my gardener!’ ‘The world is all being re-made, dear. He is worthy of her.’ He lets this pass. He has remembered something almost as surprising. ‘Ellen, is Barbara a nurse?’ ‘Yes, John, and one of the staidest and most serene. Who would have thought it of the merry madcap of other days! They are coming here, John, to say good-bye to you. They have only a few days’ leave. She is in France, too, you know. She was married in her nurse’s uniform.’ ‘Was she? She told me to-day that--no, it couldn’t have been to-day.’ ‘You have been fancying you saw them, I suppose.’ She grows tremulous again. ‘You will be nice to them, John, won’t you, and wish them luck? They have their trials before them.’ He says eagerly, ‘Tell me what to do, Ellen.’ ‘Don’t say anything about Billy boy, John.’ ‘No no, let’s pretend.’ ‘And I wouldn’t talk about the garden, John; just in case he is a little touchy about that.’ The Colonel is beginning to fancy himself as a tactician. ‘Not a word!’