the third day of the war, which no one, in England
at least, yet thought of as the Great War.

Mrs. Otway was restless, quite unlike herself. She
wondered, uneasily, why she felt so depressed. Friday
was the day when she always paid her few household
books, but today, as it was still Bank Holiday, the
books had not come in. Instead, she had had three
letters, marked in each case "Private," from humble
folk in the town, asking her most urgently to pay at
once the small sum she owed to each of them. In
every case the writer expressed the intention of calling
in person for the money. It was partly to try and
get the cash with which to pay these accounts that
Rose had gone out with a cheque. It was so odd,
so disagreeable, to find oneself without the power of
getting any ready money. Such a thing had never
happened to Mrs. Otway before! It would be really
very disagreeable if Rose, after all, failed to cash that
cheque.

Then it suddenly occurred to her that James
Hayley might bring her down some money tomorrow.
Nothing would be easier, or so she supposed, than for
_him_ to get it. She went over to her writing-table by
the window and hurriedly wrote a note. Then she
made out a cheque for twenty pounds.

Oh yes, it would be quite easy for James, who was
in a Government office, to get her the money!

Mrs. Otway, like most English people, had a limitless
belief in the powers of any one connected with
the Government. Twenty pounds? It was a good
deal of money. She had never had so much cash in
the house before. But what was happening now
had taught her a lesson. The Dean had said that all

[[88]]

p087 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p088w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p089

v?