"This little hand will indeed be comforting," said George, taking it and pressing it playfully. "My dear Eileen, I understand your reasons and I honour you for them. In these days of changed and unsettled conditions--" "He's off," thought Bundle desperately. "--when family life is at a premium--all the old standards falling!--it becomes our class to set an example--to show that we, at least, are unaffected by modern conditions. They call us the Die Hards--I am proud of the term--I repeat I am proud of the term! There are things that _should_ die hard--dignity, beauty, modesty, the sanctity of family life, filial respect--who dies if these shall live? As I was saying, my dear Eileen, I envy you the privileges of your youth. Youth! What a wonderful thing! What a wonderful word! And we do not appreciate it until we grow to--er--maturer years. I confess, my dear child, that I have in the past been disappointed by your levity. I see now it was but the careless and charming levity of a child. I perceive now the serious and earnest beauty of your mind. You will allow me, I hope, to help you with your reading?" "Oh, thank you," said Bundle faintly. "And you must never be afraid of me again. I was shocked when Lady Caterham told me that you stood in awe of me. I can assure you that I am a very humdrum sort of person." The spectacle of George being modest struck Bundle spellbound. George continued. "Never be shy with me, dear child. And do not be afraid of boring me. It will be a great delight to me to--if I may say so--form your budding mind. I will be your political mentor. We have never needed young women of talent and charm in the Party more than we need them to-day. You may well be destined to follow in the footsteps of your aunt, Lady Caterham." This awful prospect knocked Bundle out completely. She could only stare helplessly at George. This did not discourage him--on the contrary. His main objection to women was that they talked too much. It was seldom that he found what he considered a really good listener. He smiled benignantly at Bundle. "The butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. A wonderful picture. I have a very interesting work on political economy. I will look it out now, and you can take it to Chimneys with you. When you have finished it, I will discuss it with you. Do not hesitate to write to me if any point puzzles you. I have many public duties, but by unsparing work I can always make time for the affairs of my friends. I will look for the book." He strode away. Bundle gazed after him with a dazed expression. She was roused by the unexpected advent of Bill. "Look here," said Bill, "what the hell was Codders holding your hand for?" "It wasn't my hand," said Bundle wildly. "It was my budding mind." "Don't be an ass, Bundle." "Sorry, Bill, but I'm a little worried. Do you remember saying that Jimmy ran a grave risk coming down here?"