up and down with a text of the _Persae_ in his
hand.

'"This vase," he dictated, "may be compared with one signed by
Xenophantos, in the Paris collection, the subject of which is the
Persian king, hunting. Here we have a Persian king, identified by
his dress, apparently receiving a message from his army. We may
illustrate it by the passage in the _Persae_ of AEschylus, where
Atossa receives from a messenger the account of the battle of
Salamis--a passage which contains the famous lines describing the
Greek onslaught on the Persian fleet:

'"'Then might you hear a mighty shout arise--

'"'Go, ye sons of Hellas!--free your fathers, free your children and
your wives, the temples of your gods, and the tombs of your
ancestors. For now is all at stake!...'

'"We may recall also the final summing-up by the [Greek: aggelos] of
the Persian defeat--

'"'_Never, on a single day, was there so great a slaying of men._'"'

Elizabeth took down the words, first in Greek and then in English.
They rang in her ears, long after she had transcribed them. The
Squire moved up and down in silence, absorbed apparently in the play
which he went on reading.

Outside the light was failing. It was close on six o'clock, and
summer time had not yet begun.

Suddenly the Squire raised his head.

'That, I think, was the telephone?'

Elizabeth rose--

'May I go? It is probably Captain Dell.'

She hurried away to her office-room, where the call-bell was
insistently ringing.

'Yes--who is that?'

'A telegram please--for Mr. Mannering--from London.'

'Wait a moment--I will tell Mr. Mannering.'

But as she turned to go back to the library she saw the Squire had
followed her, and was standing at the door. He came forward at once
and took up the receiver.

Elizabeth watched him with a fast beating pulse. He heard the
message, took out a pencil and wrote it down on a piece of paper
lying near, put up the receiver, and turned to her.

'It is from Aubrey. "Desmond is severely wounded. Please come at
once. Permission will be given to you and Pamela to go to France. I
hope to go with you. Will meet you King's Cross 8.40. Aubrey."'

He steadied himself a moment by a hand on Elizabeth's table. She
went up to him, and took his other hand, which closed an instant on
hers.

'I thought so,' he said, under his breath. 'I knew it.... Telephone,
please, to Fallerton for the taxi, while I go and speak to Forest.'

She gave the order and then ha