nd. The birds, it seemed, had all
fallen to sleep. The hedges, he thought, were closer about him. It was
very hot here, with no breeze and no comforting sound of the sea. "I
wonder whether he really does come," he thought. "It must be horrid
to see him--coming quite close." And the thought of the Fool also
frightened him. The Fool with his tongue out and his shaking legs, like
the idiot who lived near the Cathedral at home. At the thought of this
Jeremy suddenly took to his legs and ran, covering the top of his jug
with his hand; then, when he came out on to the strip of grass that
crossed the top of the beach, he stopped, suddenly ashamed of himself.
Scarlet Admirals! Scarlet Admirals! How could there be Scarlet Admirals
in a world that also contained so blazing a sun, so blue a sea, and the
gorgeous realities of the Le Page family. He arrived at the luncheon
party hot and proud and smiling, so cheerful and stolid and agreeable
that even Mrs. Le Page was compelled to say, "Really, Mrs. Cole, that's
a very nice little boy of yours. Come here, little Jeremy, and talk
to me!" How deeply he hated being called "little Jeremy" only Mary and
Helen knew. Their eyes flew to his face to see how he would take it. He
took it very well. He sat down beside Mrs. Le Page, who very gracefully
and languidly sipped at her glass of milk.

"How old are you, Jeremy dear?" she asked him.

"Eight," he answered, wriggling.

"What a nice age! And one day you'll go to school?"

"In September."

"And what will you be when you're a man?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'll be a soldier, perhaps."

"Oh, I'm sure you wouldn't like to be a soldier and kill people."

"Yes, I would. There's lots of people I'd like to kill."

Mrs. Le Page drew her skirts back a little.

"How horrible! I'm sure your mother wouldn't like to hear that."

But Mr. Cole had caught the last words of the dialogue and interrupted
with:

"But what could be finer, Mrs. Le Page, than the defence of one's
country? Would you have our young lads grow up faint-hearted and fail
their Motherland when she calls? What can be finer, I say, than to die
for Queen and country? Would not every mother have her son shed his
blood for liberty and freedom?... No, Jeremy, not another. You've had
quite enough. It would indeed be a disheartening sight if we elders
were to watch our sons and grandchildren turning their swords into
ploughshares--"

He was interrupted by a shrill cry from Mrs. Le Pa