Review of Reviews, IjlljOS. 



In the Days of the Qomet. 



525 



neath that cool, meteoric glare, preposterous and 

 appalling, the measureless evil of that word — 

 " WAR !" 



II. 



I awoke in that state of equanimity that so often 

 follows an emotional drenching. 



It was late, and my mother was beside my bed. 

 She had some breakfast for me on a battered tray. 



■' Don't get up yet, dear,' she said. " You've been 

 sleeping. It was three o'clock when you got home 

 last night. You must have been tired out. Your 

 poor face," she went on, " was as white as a sheet, 

 and your eyes shining. It frightened me to let you 

 in. And you stumbled on the stairs." 



My eye went quietly to my coat pocket, where 

 something still bulged. She probably had not 

 noticed. " I went to Checkshill," I said. " You 

 know — perhaps — ■ — ?" 



•' I got a letter last evening, dear." She bent 

 near me to put the tray upon my knees, and she 

 kissed my hair softly. For a moment we both re- 

 mained still, resting on that, her cheek just touching 

 my head. 



I took the tray from her to end the pause. 



■' Don't touch my clothes, mummy,'' I said sharp- 

 ly, as she moved toward them. '■ I'm still equal to 

 a clothes brush." 



And then, as she turned away, I astonished her 

 by saying : " You, dear mother, you 1 A little — I 

 understand. Only — now — dear mother ; oh, let me 

 be ! Let me be !" 



And, with the docility of a good servant, she 

 went from me. Dear heart of submission that the 

 world and I had used so ill ! 



It seemed to me that morning that I could never 

 give way to a gust of passion again. A sorrowful 

 firmness of mind possessed me. My purpose seemed 

 now as inflexible as iron : there was neither love 

 nor hate nor fear left in me — only I pitied my mother 

 greatly for all that was still to come. I ate my 

 breakfast slowly, and .thought where I could find 

 out about Shaphambury, and how I might hope to 

 get there. I had not five shillings in the world. 



I dressed methodically, choosing the least fraved 

 of my collars, and shaving much more carefullv 

 than was my wont ; then I went down to the public 

 library to consult a map. 



Shaphambury was on the coast of Essex, a long 

 and complicated journev from Claston. I went to 



the railway station and made some memoranda from 

 the time-tables. The porters I asked were not very 

 clear about Shaphambury, but the booking-office 

 clerk was hopeful, and we puzzled out all I wanted 

 to know. Then I came out into the coaly street 

 again. At the least I ought to have two pounds. 



I went back to the public library and into the 

 newspaper room to think over this problem. 



A fact intruded itself upon me. People seemed 

 in an altogether exceptional stir about the morning 

 journals. There was something unusual in the air 

 of the room; more people and more talking than 

 usual, and for a moment I was puzzled. Then I 

 bethought me, " This war with Germany, of course 1" 

 A naval battle was supposed to be in progress in 

 the North Sea. Let them ! I returned to the con- 

 sideration of mv own affairs. 



Par'.oad ? 



Could I go and make it up with him, and then 

 borrow ? I weighed the chances of that. Then I 

 thought of selling or pawning something, but that 

 seemed difficult. My winter overcoat had not cost 

 a pound when it was new ; my watch was not likely 

 to fetch many shillings. Still, both these things 

 might be factors. I thought with a certain repug- 

 nance of the little store my mother was probably 

 making for the rent. She was very secretive about 

 that, and it was locked in an old tea caddy in her 

 bedroom. I knew it would be almost impossible 

 to get any of that money from her willingly, and, 

 though I told myself that in this issue of passion 

 and death no detail mattered, I could not get rid 

 of tormenting scruples whenever I thought of that 

 tea caddy. 'Was there no other course ? Perhaps, 

 after every other source had been tapped, I might 

 supplement with a few shillings frankly begged from 

 her. " These others," I said to myself, thinking 

 without passion for once of the sons of the Secure, 

 " would find it difficult to run their romances on a 

 pawnshop basis. However, we must manage it." 



I felt the day was passing on, but I did not get 

 excited about that. " Slow is swiftest," Parload 

 used to say, and I meant to get everything thought 

 out completely, to take a long aim and then to act 

 as a bullet flies. 



I hesitated at a pawnshop on my way home to 

 my midday meal, but I determined not to pledge 

 my watch until I could bring my overcoat also. 



I ate silently, revolving plans. 



( To he continued.) 



