As he was shutting the back door, he saw his wife
hurrying along across the quiet little back street.

"Hullo, Polly!" he cried, and she came quickly
across. "They are in great trouble at the Deanery,"
she observed, "at least, Miss Edith is in great trouble.
She has been crying all today. They say her face is
all swelled out -- that she looks an awful sight! Her
lover is going away to fight, and some one has told her
that Lord Kitchener says none of the lot now going
out will ever come back! There is even talk of their
being married before he starts. But as her trousseau
is not ready, my sister thinks it would be a very stupid
thing to do."

"Did the Dean get my letter?" he asked abruptly.

"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that. I gave it to Mr.
Dunstan, the butler. He says that the Dean opened it
and read it. And then what d'you think the silly old
thing said, Manfred?"

"You will have to get into the way of calling me
Alfred," he said calmly.

"Oh, bother!"

"Well, what did the reverend gentleman say?"

"Mr. Dunstan says that he just exclaimed, 'I'm
sorry the good fellow thinks it necessary to do that.'
So you needn't have troubled after all. All the way to
the Deanery I was saying to myself, 'Mrs. Head -- Polly
Head. Polly Head -- Mrs. Head.' And no, it's
no good pretending that I like it, for I just don't!"

"Then you'll just have to do the other thing," he said
roughly. Still, though he spoke so disagreeably, he
was yet in high good-humour. Two hours ago this
information concerning Miss Haworth's lover would
have been of the utmost interest to him, and even now

[[149]]

p148 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p149w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p150

v?