silly
Anti-suffragism disappeared. They both talked by the hour together
of their respective husbands and their outstanding virtues and
charming weaknesses. The Armstrong children took to calling her Aunt
Linda--Michael and Petworth, after all, were brothers-in-arms and
friends from youth. Lady Rossiter was delighted, and lavished
presents on them, till Honoria reminded her it was war-time and
extravagance in all things was reprehensible, even in British-made
toys.

They discussed the Vote, soon to be theirs, and how it should be
exercised. From that--by some instinct--Honoria passed on to a talk
about Vivien Warren ... a selective talk. She said nothing about
David Williams, but enlarged on Vivie's absolute "straightness,"
especially towards other women; her business capacities, her
restoration of her mother to the ranks of the respectable; till at
last it seemed as though the burning down of racing stables was a
meritorious act ... "ridding England of an evil that good might
come." And there was poor Vivie, locked up in Brussels, if indeed
she were still living.

Linda felt shocked at her own treachery to the Woman's Cause in
having betrayed that poor, well-meaning Miss Warren to the police.
Never could she confess this to Lady Armstrong (Sir Petworth had
just been knighted for a great success in battle), tell her about
the fragment of letter she had forwarded anonymously to Scotland
Yard. Perhaps she might some day tell Michael, when he returned. In
any case she would say at the next opportunity that as soon as Miss
Warren reappeared in England, he might ask her to the house as often
as he liked--even to stay with them if she were in want of a home.

She said as much to Michael when he came back in September, 1917, to
make some further investigations into bone grafting. He seemed
genuinely pleased at her broad-mindedness, and said it would indeed
be delightful when the War was over--and it _surely_ must be over
soon--now Mr. Lloyd George and Clemenceau and President Wilson had
taken it in hand--it would indeed be delightful to form a circle of
close friends who had all been interested in the Woman's Movement.
As to Vivie ... if she were not dead ... he should advise her to go
in for Parliament.

He had had no news of her since ever so long; what was worse, he
had now very great misgivings about Bertie Adams. During the autumn
of 1916 he had disappeared in the direction of La Bassee. There were
stories of his h