"Sit down again, my dear child--sit down!" she cried cordially, at the same time establishing herself close to the table. "I hear you're doing wonderful work for all these dear people--Belgians and the dear Tommies and every one--and I felt I simply _had_ to come in and hear all about it. Also, I want to propound a tiny little scheme of my own which I think will appeal to you. Or have you heard about it already from that precious boy John, with whom, I may tell you, I'm simply _madly_ in love? I'm always threatening to elope with him!" "I'm afraid," said Char, disregarding her visitor's pleasantry, "that I can really hardly undertake anything more. We are very much understaffed as it is, and the War Office is always--" "I can turn the _whole_ War Office round my little finger, my dear," declared Mrs. Willoughby. "There's the dearest lad there, a sort of under-secretary, who's absolutely devoted to me, and tells me all sorts of official tit-bits before any one else hears a word about them. I can get anything I want through him, so you needn't worry about the War Office. In fact, to tell you rather a shocking little secret, I can get what I want out of most of these big official places--just a little tiny manipulation of the wires, you know. [_Cherchez la femme_--though I oughtn't to say such things to a girl like you, ought I?"] Char looked at Mrs. Willoughby's large, heavily powdered face, at her enormous top-heavy hat and over-ample figure, and said nothing. But no silence, however subtly charged with uncomplimentary meanings, could stem Mrs. Willoughby's piercing eloquence. "This is what I want to do, and I'm told at the camp here that it would be simply invaluable. I want to get up a Canteen for the troops here, and for all those dear things on leave." "There are several Y.M.C.A. Huts already." "My dear! I know it. But I want to do this all on my little own, and have quite different rules and regulations. My Lewis, who's been in the Army for over fifteen years, poor angel, tells me that they all--from the Colonel downwards--think it would be the greatest boon on earth, to have a _lady_ at the head of things, you know." "My time is too much taken up; it would be quite out of the question," said Char simply. "Darling child! _Do_ you suppose I meant you--a ridiculously young thing like you? Of course, it would have to be a married woman, with a certain regimental position, so to speak. And my Lewis is second in command, as you know, so that naturally his wife.... You see, the Colonel's wife is an absolute dear, but an invalid--more or less, and no more _savoir faire_ than a kitten. A perfect little provincial, between ourselves. Whereas, of course, I know this sort of job inside out and upside down--literally, my dear. The _hours_ I've toiled in town!" "But I'm afraid in that case you oughtn't to leave--"