Elizabeth's Campaign

this female, and why ha

hool years, was allowed only on occasional and precarious footing. Here Pamela dabbed in photography, made triumphant piles of the socks and mittens she kept from her father's eye, read history, novels, and poetry,

e in the matter of Desmond's kit, and personal affairs generally. Forest was the only person she would allow to advise

up with a flus

ght be able to tell Alice and Margaret that h

cause she co

nd fifty,' sai

ck with a secretary. It means cash. There'll never be anything for you, Pam, and nothing for t

the garden,' said Pamela,

brother. 'Do you a lot of good, Pam.

e paid wages and could sp

heard father tell the Rector he'd s

radesmen,' said Pamela fiercely. 'Why

ent which had cost the mother her life-Desmond resembled her rather than his father. In both faces there was the same smiling youthfulness, combined-as indeed also in Pamela-with something that entirely banished any suggestion of insipidity-so

; I gave

iles stoppe

happy? That her chil

too queer for words. He would be jolly worried if he had to stay long at home, like Pamela. But then he wasn't going to be long at home. He was going off to his artillery camp in

our foot,' Pamela p

d it out while Pamela tried on a sock she

sighed Pamela. 'Are you sur

t angles. 'But you know, Pam, I can't take half the things you wan

you won't be goin

k it's very likely. They get their drafts fro

he Gieve waistcoat had been unpacked in her presence. It was true, of course, that she had a

?' said Desmond, nodding in

he's ove

esn't l

mond, sh

k here, Pam, I wish you'd try and like her. I shall have a dreadful

reary resignation. 'You know I'm not

other

s any good he'll marry her straight away. An

said Pamela

olly well mistaken,' said the boy with energy. 'Arthur's

the stress of some guarded memory. Pamela, looking

g yet. But he's moving heaven an

enough to do he'll be pretty s

the individuality and separateness of autumn after the levelling promiscuity of the summer. The scene was very English and peaceful; and

hat bother I got i

art-and threatened expulsion. The Squire's irritable pride had made him side ostentatiously with his son, and Pamela could only be miserable and expect the wors

m Cambridge and had me out for a walk, and jawed me, jawed "my tutor," jawed the Head, jawed everybody. Oh,

p shrinking from the news, which of course might come any day, that he was going to be married. She had known him from her childhood, had romped and sparred with him. He was the gayest, most charming companion; yet he carried with him, quite unconsciously, something that made it delightful to be s

alone at Mannering with an old governess, while her father was in London. The little wrinkled Frenchwoman watched her in silence, whenever she was allowed to see her. Then when on the second morning there came a telegram from Chetworth, and Pamela tore it open, flying with it before she read it to the secrecy of her own room, the

character, and sometimes disastrous. In her case it had worked well. And now the period of extravagant devotion was over, and the girl's mind and heart set free. She thought she had forgotten Arthur Chicksands, and was certain he must have forgotten

citement in her mind about him. The idea of being prevented from seeing him was absurd-intolerable. She was already

tworth, and were wrangling and chaffing over the details

tiffened

me

emerton

ou ver

h his best Eton manners to find a chair for the ne

him, which he dodged, and E

aid, turning a face just touched with laug

t's it about?' And he gave Pamela's right foot a nudge with his left by way of conveying

rvants,' said Elizabeth. 'I can'

hat?' said Des

s house!' exclaimed Elizabeth, with sudden energy. 'You ought to be f

mela, startled. 'I told fa

's Forest that's been preaching to them. He and Cook have been

ave it,' said P

Elizabeth's apologetic reply. 'You

le the rest of you starve. Easy enough for me to say as I'm off-a

less day for the household, minus the Squire, and not be found out; how to restrict the bread and porridge allowance, while apparently outrunning it-knotty problems! in

Pamela, in her most resolute tone

Elizabeth. 'Oh, I'm so glad you

oud he said, 'Forest's a regular Turk in the se

d a bit, and said she "was used to her vittles and her mother would be dreadfully put out." "'Mother!' says I, 'haven't you got a young man!' And then I give her a real talking to about the war. 'You back your young man,' I said, 'and there's only one way as females can do it-barring t

knew he was the real boss here. Father thinks he is, bu

ose. 'I naturally couldn't do anything without you, but so

ing to do about dinner-late dinne

h beamed

week, except for very occasional

break out now and then at dinner,

d Miss Bremerton, as she opened the doo

rother and sister l

gave his

she's a g

Pamela pompously, and r

rranged. And they made indeed a marvellous addition to the Mannering library and its collections. At the end of the room stood now a huge archaic Nikê, with outstretched peplum and soaring wings. To her left was the small figure, archaic also, of a charioteer, from the excavations at Delphi, amazingly full of life in spite of hieratic and tradi

ly an outrageous temper. For she gathered that the summons had something to do with the decree of the County War Agricultural Committee that fifty acres, at least, of Mannering Park were to be given back to the plough,

a standstill till he came back, she slipped an unfinished letter out of her noteboo

lled the Lanchester Mail, which attacks the Government, the Army-as far as it dare-and "secret diplomacy." It comes out about once a week with a black page, because the Censor has been sitting on it. Desmond Mannering-that's the gunner-son who came on leave a week ago and is just going off to an

ely useful now! I can see my way a little where he can't see it at all. He glories in the fact that he was never any good at arithmetic or figures of any kind, and never looked at either after "Smalls." The estate of course used to be looked after in the good old-fashioned way by the family lawyers. But a few years ago the Squire quarrelled with these gentlemen, recovered all his papers, which no doubt went back to King Alfred, and resolved to deal with things himself. There is an office here, and a small attorney from Fallerton comes ove

farmers by force, because he won't do it himself, and ploughing up the park. I believe the steam tractor comes next week. The Squire ha

an individualist gone mad-an egotistical, hot-tempered man, with all the ideas of the old régime, who thinks he can fight the world. I am o

-seems to know every Greek author by heart-and a most delicate and unerring taste. I thought I should find a mere dabbler-an amateur. And it takes all I know to do the d

training; the girl extremely pretty and distinguished, and so far inclined to think me an intruder and a nuisance. How to get round her I

m perpetually. Forest takes it calmly, seems even in a queer way to be attached to his queer master. But he never misses a drill for anybody or any weather, and when he's out, the under-housemaid "buttles" for him like a lamb. Th

s. Strang-are coming to-morrow to see their brother before he goes into camp.

pattered with blood and mire.' He had gone out pale, he returned crimson, rubbing his hands and in great excitement. A

ttering, and all his thick hair on his small peaked head st

ing, as she quietly pushed her letter a

s-no, the Inspector fello

did you

wyers are already preparing a case for the High Court. Well-eh!-what?'-the speaker

er the Greek book in front of her

uire, in a raised voice. Her silence suggested to him afresh all t

to him with a che

stand what "it" mean

always want to catch you out; they never see things simply and broadl

rides up to the Nikê, at the further end of the room, and back

ying to catch you out,' Elizabe

won't have it!' cried th

beth laugh

in the War Trade Department I alway

ανεχεσθαι!' said the Squire. Then he threw hims

usement which she tried in vain to suppress, and he wa

on of food production. It isn't! It's a question of liberty-versus bonda

aid he would rather have England

general I've no use for bishops. Now you understand, I hop

ettle it at once, under th

that this is the worst land they could possibly choose. I'm offering them something else that they don't want. Meanwhile the

Bremerton, with a charming air of presentin

us of

e new law-rather

ective turn up and down-'I've no particular wish just now for the county gaol. It would be an infernal nui

ary's face which called him to order at once, though he was n

e drew hi

rangements, I suppo

the master of the

everything according to his directions. M

the East

Elizabeth began,

quire cuttingly. 'Do not troubl

uire rang the bell. But before Forest could answer it, there

me yesterday there were five or six coveys in his big field alone. Of course everybody's been poaching for all they're worth. But th

ly hesitating, but wi

Desmond, 'I've o

physical beauty and perfection of him. The great Victory at the end of

mind,' said the

h, twined his arm in that of h

ter all you've gone through. Have you got my letters, and those gauze things I sent you for the hot weather? They tell me here they're right. But how's one

appetite for work. In spite of his oddities, Mr. Mannering is a most stimulating critic and companion. My work is interesting, and I find myself steeped once more in the most fascinating, the most wonderful of all literatures! What remains unsatisfied in me is the passion which you know I have always had for setting things straight-o

e's going. Pamela will be more difficult. However, I shall do my best. As I have alr

though the weather now is like July. To judge from her photographs, she is fair, rather pretty, stout and lethargic. Whereas Margaret is as thin almost as her f

u like to be gossipped to; and I am just a little lonely he

ZABE