out--precisely. Your secret policy is the logical conclusion of
your present policy. I deduced it; that's all. Anybody could have done
the same. Does that satisfy you? (They won't love me any better for
making them look fools!)"

"Thank you," said Miss Gilchrist. "We only wanted to be sure."

The dinner-bell rang as Dorothy was defining her position.

"I'll work for you; I'll speak for you; I'll write for you; I'll fight
for you. I'll make hay of every Government meeting, if I can get in
without lying and sneaking for it. I'll go to prison for you, if I can
choose my own crime. But I won't give up my liberty of speech and
thought and action. I won't pledge myself to obey your orders. I won't
pledge myself not to criticize policy I disapprove of. I won't come on
your Committee, and I won't join your Union. Is that clear and
precise enough?"

Somebody clapped and somebody said, "Hear, Hear!" And somebody said, "Go
it, Dorothy!"

It was Anthony and Frances and Captain Drayton, who paused outside the
door on their way to the dining-room, and listened, basely.

* * * * *

They were all going now. Dorothy stood at the door, holding it open for
them, glad that it was all over.

Only Phyllis Desmond, the art-student, lingered. Dorothy reminded her
that they had met at her aunt Vera Harrison's house.

The art-student smiled. "I wondered when you were going to remember."

"I did, but they all called you Desmond. That's what put me out."

"Everybody calls me Desmond. You had a brother or something with you,
hadn't you?"

"I might have had two. Which? Michael's got green eyes and yellow hair.
Nicky's got blue eyes and black hair."

"It was Nicky--nice name--then."

Desmond's beauty stirred in its sleep. The film of air was lifted from
her black eyes.

"I'm dining with Mrs. Harrison to-night," she said.

"You'll be late then."

"It doesn't matter. Lawrence Stephen's never there till after eight. She
won't dine without him."

Dorothy stiffened. She did not like that furtive betrayal of Vera and
Lawrence Stephen.

"I wish you'd come and see me at my rooms in Chelsea. And bring your
brother. Not the green and yellow one. The blue and black one."

Dorothy took the card on which Desmond had scribbled an address. But she
did not mean to go and see her. She wasn't sure that she liked Desmond.

* * * * *

Rosalind stayed on to dine with Dorothy's famil