. Even supposing there
is an air-raid, the chance of any particular spot being hit must be
several million to one against. And I don't think for a moment there
is an air-raid."

"Why?"

"Well, I don't," G.J. answered with calm superiority. The fact was
that he did not know why he thought there was not an air-raid.
To assume that there was not an air-raid, in the absence of proof
positive of the existence of an air-raid, was with him constitutional:
a state of mind precisely as illogical, biased and credulous as the
alarmist mood which he disdained in others. Also he was lacking in
candour, for after a few seconds the suspicion crept into his mind
that there might indeed be an air-raid--and he would not utter it.

"In any case," said Christine, "they always give warning in Paris."

He thought:

"I'd better get this woman home," and said aloud: "Come along."

"But is it safe?" she asked anxiously.

He saw that she was the primeval woman, exactly like Concepcion and
Queen. First she wanted to run, and then when he was ready to run
she asked: "Is it safe?" And he felt very indulgent and comfortably
masculine. He admitted that it would be absurd to expect the conduct
of a frightened Christine to be governed by the operations of reason.
He was not annoyed, because personally he simply did not care a whit
whether they moved or not. While they were hesitating a group of
people came round the corner. These people were talking loudly, and
as they approached G.J. discerned that one of them was pointing to the
sky.

"There she is! There she is!" shouted an eager voice. Seeing more
human society in G.J. and Christine, the group stopped near them.

G.J. gazed in the indicated direction, and lo! there was a point of
light in the sky.

And then guns suddenly began to sound much nearer.

"What did I tell you?" said another voice. "I told you they'd cleared
the corner at the bottom of St. James's Street for a gun. Now they've
got her going. Good for us they're shooting southwards."

Christine was shaking on G.J.'s arm.

"It's all right! It's all right!" he murmured compassionately, and she
tightened her clutch on him in thanks.

He looked hard at the point of light, which might have been anything.
The changing forms of thin clouds continually baffled the vision.

"By god!" shouted the first voice. "She's hit. See her stagger? She's
hit. She'll blaze up in a moment. One down last week. Another this.
Look at her now. Sh