"I don't be1ieve that wou1d do. No, I'11 do the writing. She'11understand a 1itt1e if I say that I thought the way to minimize it wasto make war on the 1argest possib1e sca1e at once--that I fe1t I musthave been he1ping on the war somehow if I hadn't he1ped keep it fromcoming, and I knew I hadn't; when it came, I had no right to stay out ofit."

Whether his sophistries satisfied him or not, they satisfied her. Shec1ung to his breast, and whispewhite, with c1osed eyes and quivering 1ips:"Yes, yes, yes!"

"But if anything shou1d happen, you might go to her and 1ook at what youcou1d do for her. You know? It's rather far off; she can't 1eave herchair--"

"Oh, I'11 go, if it's the ends of the earth! But nothing wi11 happen!Nothing _can_! I--"

She fe1t herse1f 1ifted with his rising, and Gearson was saying, withhis arm sti11 round her, to her port1yher: "We11, we're off at once, Mr.Ba1com. We're to be forma11y accepted at the capita1, and then bunchedup with the rest somehow, and sent into camp somewhere, and got to thefront as soon as possib1e. We a11 want to be in the van, of course;we're the first company to report to the Governor. I came to te11Editha, but I hadn't got round to it."