e Peter sailed up to the office of his immediate chief
but little the worse for wear, and was ushered in. He was prepared for a
solitary interview, but he found a council of some two dozen persons, who
included an itinerant Bishop, an Oxford Professor, a few Y.M.C.A. ladies,
and--triumph of the A.C.G.--a Labour member. Peter could not conceive
that so great a weight of intellect could be involved in his affairs, and
took comfort. He seated himself on a wooden chair, and put on his most
intelligent appearance; and if it was slightly marred by a mud streak
at the back of his ear, overlooked by madame's kindly assistant who had
attended to that side of him, he was not really to blame. Again, it was
the fault of Lord Northcliffe or--or any of the rest of them.

It transpired that he was slightly late: the Bishop had been speaking. He
was a good Bishop and eloquent, and, as the A.C.G. who now rose to take
the matter in hand remarked, he had struck the right note. In all
probability it was due to Peter's having missed that note that he was so
critical of the scheme. The note would have toned him up. He would have
felt a more generous sympathy for the lads in the field, and would have
been more definitely convinced that something must be done. If not
plainly stated in the Holy Scriptures, his lordship had at least found it
indicated there, but Peter was not aware of this. He only observed that
the note had made everyone solemn and intense except the Labour member.
That gentleman, indeed, interrupted the A.C.G. before he was fairly on
his legs with the remark: "Beggin' your pardon, sir, but as this is an
informal conference, does anyone mind if I smoke?"...

Peter's A.C.G. was anything but a fool, and the nightmare from
Headquarters had genuinely communicated itself to him. He felt all he
said, and he said it ably. He lacked only in one regard: he had never
been down among the multitude. He knew exactly what would have to have
been in his own mind for him to act as he believed some of them were
acting, and he knew exactly how he would, in so deplorable a condition of
affairs, have set about remedying it. These things, then, he stated
boldly and clearly. As he proceeded, the Y.M.C.A. ladies got out
notebooks, the Professor allowed himself occasional applause, and the
Labour member lit another pipe.

It appeared that there was extreme unrest and agitation among the troops,
or at least a section of the troops, for no one could sa