any good then saying 'Oh, I didn't know,' 'Oh, I
didn't mean to!'" He mimicked with savage irony
her frightened accents. And then, as she had burst
into tears, he had ordered her up here, out of his
sight.

Yes, Manfred had an awful temper, and since
Wednesday evening he hadn't given her one kind word
or look. In fact, during the last few days Polly had
felt as if she must run away from him. Not to do
anything wicked, you understand -- good gracious, no!
She had had enough of men.

And now, resentfully, she asked herself why Manfred
bothered so much about this war. After all, he
had taken out his certificate; he was an Englishman
now. She told herself that it was all the Dean's fault.
Stupid, interfering old gentleman -- that's what the
Dean was! Manfred had gone up to the Deanery last
Wednesday, and the Dean told him it was his duty
to look after the Germans in Witanbury -- as if Germans
couldn't look after themselves. Of course they
could! They were far cleverer at that sort of thing
than English people were. Polly could have told the
Dean that.

As to business -- business had been just as brisk, or
very nearly as brisk, during the last few days as ever
before, and that though they had only been able to
keep the shop, so to speak, half open. It was clear
this silly war wasn't going to make any difference to
_them._

At first she had tried to make allowances; no doubt
Manfred did feel unhappy about his son, Fritz, who
was now on his way to fight the Russians. But he
had hardly mentioned Fritz after the first minute. In-

[[132]]

p131 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p132w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p133

v?