powder. If Alec had found George worthless to him, no consideration for
Lucy would have prevented him from sacrificing him.'

'If that were so why didn't he say it outright?'

'Do you think it would have made things any better? The British public
is sentimental; they will not understand that in warfare it is necessary
sometimes to be inhuman. And how would it have served him with Lucy if
he had confessed that he had used George callously as a pawn in his game
that must be sacrificed to win some greater advantage?'

'It's all very horrible,' shuddered Julia.

'And so far as the public goes, events have shown that he was right to
keep silence. The agitation against him died down for want of matter,
and though he is vaguely discredited, nothing is proved definitely
against him. Public opinion is very fickle, and already people are
beginning to forget, and as they forget they will think they have
misjudged him. When it is announced that he has given his services to
the King of the Belgians, ten to one there will be a reaction in his
favour.'

They got up from luncheon, and coffee was served to them. They lit their
cigarettes. For some time they were silent.

'Lucy wants to see him before he goes,' said Julia suddenly.

Dick looked at her and gave an impatient shrug of the shoulders.

'I suppose she wants to indulge a truly feminine passion for making
scenes. She's made Alec quite wretched enough already.'

'Don't be unkind to her, Dick,' said Julia, tears welling up in her
bright eyes. 'You don't know how desperately unhappy she is. My heart
bled to see her this morning.'

'Darling, I'll do whatever you want me to,' he said, leaning over her.

Julia's sense of the ridiculous was always next door to her sense of the
pathetic.

'I don't know why you should kiss me because Lucy's utterly miserable,'
she said, with a little laugh.

And then, gravely, as she nestled in his encircling arm:

'Will you try and manage it? She hesitates to write to him.'

'I'm not sure if I had not better leave you to impart the pleasing
information yourself,' he replied. 'I've asked Alec to come here this
afternoon.'

'You're a selfish beast,' she answered. 'But in that case you must leave
me alone with him, because I shall probably weep gallons of tears, and
you'll only snigger at me.'

'Bless your little heart! Let us put handkerchiefs in every conceivable
place.'

'On occasions like this I carry a bagful about with me.'