, as if selling something to an esteemed
customer. He is rather stout, wears dark clothes, with a large
gold chain. Following him comes CHARLES SHELDER, a lawyer of
fifty, with a bald egg-shaped head, and gold pince-nez. He has
little side whiskers, a leathery, yellowish skin, a rather kind
but watchful and dubious face, and when he speaks seems to have
a plum in his mouth, which arises from the preponderance of his
shaven upper lip. Last of the deputation comes WILLIAM BANNING,
an energetic-looking, square-shouldered, self-made country-man,
between fifty and sixty, with grey moustaches, ruddy face, and
lively brown eyes.]

KATHERINE. How do you do, Mr. Home?

HOME. [Bowing rather extravagantly over her hand, as if to show his
independence of women's influence] Mrs. More! We hardly expected--
This is an honour.

WACE. How do you do, Ma'am?

KATHERINE. And you, Mr. Wace?

WACE. Thank you, Ma'am, well indeed!

SHELDER. How d'you do, Mrs. More?

KATHERINE. Very well, thank you, Mr. Shelder.

BANNING. [Speaking with a rather broad country accent] This is but
a poor occasion, Ma'am.

KATHERINE. Yes, Mr. Banning. Do sit down, gentlemen.

Seeing that they will not settle down while she is standing, she
sits at the table. They gradually take their seats. Each
member of the deputation in his own way is severely hanging back
from any mention of the subject in hand; and KATHERINE as intent
on drawing them to it.

KATHERINE. My husband will be here in two minutes. He's only over
at the House.

SHELDER. [Who is of higher standing and education than the others]
Charming position--this, Mrs. More! So near the--er--Centre of--
Gravity um?

KATHERINE. I read the account of your second meeting at Toulmin.

BANNING. It's bad, Mrs. More--bad. There's no disguising it. That
speech was moon-summer madness--Ah! it was! Take a lot of explaining
away. Why did you let him, now? Why did you? Not your views, I'm
sure!

[He looks at her, but for answer she only compresses her lips.]

BANNING. I tell you what hit me--what's hit the whole constituency--
and that's his knowing we were over the frontier, fighting already,
when he made it.

KATHERINE. What difference does it make if he did know?

HOME. Hitting below the belt--I should have thought--you'll pardon
me!

BANNING. Till war's begun, Mrs. More, you're e