Her two comrades stared. They were becoming more and more puzzled, by this feminine thing that did not shape as they expected it to shape. “I don’t see anything to laugh at.” Eve did. “But she ought to belong to us!” “You seem to find it very funny. I don’t see anything funny about a woman being a political pimp for the men, and a rotten sentimentalist.” “I should never have called Mrs. Canterton a sentimentalist.” “Of course, you know her!” “A little.” “Well, she’s marked down here with three asterisks. That means trouble for her. Of course, she’s married.” “Yes.” “And dotes on her husband and children, and all that.” Eve grew serious. “No, that’s the strange part of it. She and her husband don’t run in double harness. And she’s a fool with her own child.” “But that’s absurd. I suppose her husband has treated her badly, as most of them do.” “Oh, I don’t think so.” “In nine cases out of ten it’s the man’s fault.” “Perhaps this is the tenth.” “Oh, rot! There’s a man somewhere. There must be someone else besides her husband, or she wouldn’t be talking for the men.” “I don’t think so. If you knew Mrs. Canterton, you might understand.” Yet she doubted whether they would have understood, for busybodies and extremists generally detest each other, especially when they are arguing from opposite sides of the table. Eve wanted to be alone, to think things out, to face this new crisis that had opened before her so suddenly. It was the more dangerous and problematical since the strong current of her impulses flowed steadily towards Fernhill. She went to bed early, leaving Joan Gaunt and Lizzie Straker writing letters. When the door had closed on Eve, they put down their pens and looked at each other. “Something funny.” “What’s happened to her?” Lizzie Straker giggled. “She’s met someone, a man, I suppose. That’s how it struck me.” Joan looked grim. “Don’t giggle like that. She has been puzzling me for a long time. Once or twice I have almost suspected her of laughing at us.” This sobered Lizzie Straker. “What! I should like to see her laugh at me! I’ve learnt jiu-jitsu. I’d suppress her!” “The question is, is she to be trusted? I’m not so sure that our Horsham friend wasn’t right.” “Well, don’t tell her too much. And test her. Make her fire the next place. Then she’ll be compromised.” “That’s an idea!” “She has always hung back and let us do the work.” They looked at each other across the table. “All right. We had better go and scout by ourselves to-morrow.” “Galahad ought to be here by lunch time.” “We can make our arrangements. Leave after tea, hide in the woods, and do the job after dark.”