Lord of the World

affair that evening at home, leaning back in h

are had been too fierce; but a messenger had come to his wife with the news t

"He must have come ready, for his repeater was found lo

he had read of the man

y," said Oliver. "I did what I could: you saw

my dear?" said the old lady

em, mother, but the

eaned f

stupid of me; but-but I wi

er. He knew this t

t if they had not," she said. T

hoot just the

instant towards his mother, bu

d with a curiou

an Jesus and all His saints put together." He was aware that the knit

eant to do it anyho

e was a Catholic?"

him; and then he just

o

ing more

He was well d

the next room, answering the telegrams that poured in every moment. Caldecott, the Prime Minister, Maxwell, Snowford and a dozen others had wired instantly their congratulations, and from every part of England streamed in message after message. It was an immense stroke for the Communists; their spokesman had been assaul

sailant.... Indignation of the countr

but he had been too late. He had seen the starting eyes roll up in the crimson face, and the horrid grin come and go as the hands had clutched and torn

ently and went out, st

him, laying a

tired to ta

ned hi

t, my darling

think will be

to that astonishing view. Everywhere now lights were glowing, a sea of mellow mo

t sometimes, as you know. Well, I do not think I shall be again. I have been afraid sometimes that we were losing all

el

the crisis. I don't want to exaggerate; it is only a scratch-but it was so deliberate, and-

s shone wit

" she said. "Ar

hrist! what do I care

affair w

d irritable, and made a gr

. "If they would not be such heavy fools: t

, Ol

l is Humanity, Life, Truth at last, and the death

dent, flushed face, the enthusiasm in his blue eyes; and the knowledge of his p

so proud of y

and so they sat in silence while the sky darkened yet more, and the click of the writer in

tirred p

ng just now, sweethear

s Ch

ting for a moment

nod

.... Mabel, do you thin

id the girl lightly. "Of cou

think-it woul

ook he

s just a little sentiment.... Oliver, I don't t

ars it ever

ver goes out. Besides, she hates it. Af

lay back again, l

ts? She can't get it out of her head, even after fift

es

running the whole thing now. The Empire is sending him everywhere-

at up b

hat very

is are winning; but for how long is another

Eur

ble. I hear we are to meet the Pow

arm, m

ll. It will have to

me som

ast can be persuaded to hold its hand now, it will never be likely to raise it again. It wi

el

The whole human race will be at war, and either East or West will be simp

ly certain that the

em simultaneously to East and Wes

, if tales were true, entire towns would be destroyed with a single shell. The new conditions were unimaginable. Military experts prophesied extravagantly, contradicting one another on vital points; the whole procedure of war was a matter of theory; there were no precedents with which to compare it

ch; trade went on; European stocks were not appreciably lower than usual; men still built houses, married wives, begat sons and daughters, did their business and went to the theatre, for the mere reason that there was no good in anything else. They could neither save nor precipitate the situation; it was on too large a scale. Oc