agically in its significance
in the presence of this man.

Bull found it no less difficult. He had striven to make things easy for
her. He had no second thought. And now he realised the thing he had
done. His words had only served to fling an irrevocable challenge, and
thus, finally and definitely, made the longed-for approach between them
impossible.

He drew a deep breath.

"Yes. I sail on the _Empress_."

"And you are glad--of course?"

Bull laughed.

"Some ways."

"You mean--?"

"Why, I shouldn't be sailing if things weren't going my way," he said.
Then he turned about and his movement was an invitation. "But let's quit
it," he said. "Let's forget--for the moment. You don't know what this
meeting has meant to me. I wanted to see you, if only to say 'good-bye.'
I thought I wasn't going to."

They moved down the promenade together.

Nancy did her best. They talked of everything but the impending war, and
the meaning of it. But the barrier had grown out of all proportion. And
a great unease tugged at the heart of each. At length, as they came back
towards the hotel, Nancy felt it impossible to go on. And with downright
truth she said so.

"It must be 'good-bye'--now," she said. "This is all unreal. It must be
so. We're at war. We shall be at each other's throats presently. Well, I
just can't pretend. I don't want to think about it. I hate to remember
it. But it's there in my mind the whole time; and it worries so I don't
know the things I'm saying. It's best to say 'good-bye' and 'bon voyage'
right here. And whatever the future has for us I just mean that."

She held out her hand. It was bare, and soft, and warm, as the man took
possession of it.

"I feel that way, too," he said. "But--" he broke off and shook his
head. "No. It's no use. You've the right notion of this. Until this
war's fought out there is nothing else for it. You'll go right back to
your camp and I'll go to mine. And we'll both work out how we can best
beat the other. But let's make a compact. We'll do the thing we know to
hurt the other side the most we can. If need be we'll neither show the
other mercy. And we'll promise each to take our med'cine as it comes,
and cut out the personal hate and resentment it's likely to try and
inspire. We'll be fighting machines without soul or feeling till peace
comes. Then we'll be just as we are now--friends. Can you do it? I can."

For all the feeling of the moment Nancy laughed.

"It sounds