"I suppose," said Queenie, with furious calm, "you want me to divorce

him?"

"Divorce him? Why on earth should you? Just because I looked after him

at night? I _had_ to. There wasn't anybody else. And he was afraid to

sleep alone. He is still. But he's all right as long as he knows I'm

there."

"You expect me to believe that's all there is in it?"

"No, I don't, considering what your mind's like."

"Oh yes, when people do dirty things it's always other people's dirty

minds. Do you imagine I'm a fool, Anne?"

"You're an awful fool if you think Colin's my lover."

"I think it, and I say it."

"If you think it you're a fool. If you say it you're a liar. A damned

liar."

"And is Colin's mother a liar, too?"

"Yes, but not a damned one. It would serve you jolly well right,

Queenie, if he _was_ my lover, after the way you left him to me."

"I didn't leave him to you. I left him to his mother."

"Anyhow, you left him."

"I couldn't help it. _You_ were not wanted at the front and I was. I

couldn't leave hundreds of wounded soldiers just for Colin."

"_I_ had to. He was in an awful state. I've looked after him day and

night; I've got him almost well now, and I think the least you can do is

to keep quiet and let him alone."

"I shall do nothing of the sort. I shall divorce him as soon as the

war's over."

"It isn't over yet. And I don't advise you to try. No decent barrister

would touch your case, it's so rotten."

"Not half so rotten as you'll look when it's in all the papers."

"You can't frighten me that way."

"Can't I? I suppose you'll say you were looking, poor darling, if you do

bring your silly old action. Only please don't do it till he's quite

well, or he'll be ill again...I think that's tea going in. Will you go

down?"

They went down. Tea was laid in the big bare hall. The small round oak

table brought them close together. Anne waited on Queenie with every

appearance of polite attention. Queenie ate and drank in long, fierce

silences; for her hunger was even more imperious than her pride.

"I don't _want_ to eat your food," she said at last. "I'm only doing it

because I'm starving. I dined with Colin's mother last night. It was the

first dinner I've eaten since I went to the war."

"You needn't feel unhappy about it," said Anne. "It's Eliot's house and

Jerrold's food. How's Cutler?"

"Much the same as when you saw him." Queenie answered quietly, but her

face was red.

"And that Johnnie--what was his name?--who took my place?"




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