Australians. "The war'll end when
everybody is drowned in mud."

The orchestra began playing the _Madelon_ and everyone roared out the
marching song that, worn threadbare as it was, still had a roistering
verve to it that caught people's blood.

People had gone back for the last act. The two Australians, the
Englishman, and the two Americans still stood talking.

"Mind you, I'm not what you'd call susceptible. I'm not soft. I got over
all that long ago." The Englishman was addressing the company in
general. "But the poor beggar said 'Thank you.'"

"What's he saying?" asked a woman, plucking at Martin's arm.

"He's telling about a German atrocity."

"Oh, the dirty Germans! What things they've done!" the woman answered
mechanically.

Somehow, during the entr'acte, the Australians had collected another
woman; and a strange fat woman with lips painted very small, and very
large bulging eyes, had attached herself to Martin. He suffered her
because every time he looked at her she burst out laughing.

The bar was closing. They had a drink of champagne all round that made
the fat woman give little shrieks of delight. They drifted towards the
door, and stood, a formless, irresolute group, in the dark street in
front of the theatre.

Randolph came up to Martin.

"Look. We're goin'. I wonder if I ought to leave my money with you ..."

"I doubt if I'm a safe person to-night ..."

"All right. I'll take it along. Look ... let's meet for breakfast."

"At the _Cafe de la Paix_."

"All right. If she is nice I'll bring her."

"She looks charming."

Tom Randolph pressed Martin's hand and was off. There was a sound of a
kiss in the darkness.

"I say, I've got to have something to eat," said the Englishman. "I
didn't have a bit of dinner. I say--mangai, mangai." He made gestures of
putting things into his mouth in the direction of the fat woman.

The three women put their heads together. One of them knew a place, but
it was a dreadful place. Really, they mustn't think that ... She only
knew it because when she was very young a man had taken her there who
wanted to seduce her.

At that everyone laughed and the voices of the women rose shrill.

"All right, don't talk; let's go there," said one of the Australians.
"We'll attend to the seducing."

A thick woman, a tall comb in the back of her high-piled black hair, and
an immovable face with jaw muscled like a prize-fighter's, served them
with cold chicken and ham an