‘The train’s late.  He’ll be here directly,’ said Pamela confidently; ‘and I say—­don’t you hurt Alice’s feelings, old man.’

‘Don’t you preach, Pam!’ said the boy, laughing.  And a few minutes afterwards Pamela, passing the open door of the drawing-room, heard him handsomely thanking his elder sisters.  He ran into her as he emerged with his arms full of scarves, mittens, and the famous jersey which had taken Alice Gaddesden a year to knit.

’Stuff ’em in somewhere, Pam!’ he said in her ear.  ’They can go up to London anyway.’  And having shovelled them all off on to her, he raced along the passage to the library in search of Elizabeth.

‘I say, Miss Bremerton, I want a book or two.’

Elizabeth looked up smiling from her table.  She was already of the same mind as everybody outside and inside Mannering—­that Desmond did you a kindness when he asked you to do him one.

‘What kind of a book?’

’Oh, I’ve got some novels, and some Nat Goulds, and Pamela’s given me some war-books.  Don’t know if I shall read ’em!—­Well, I’d like a small Horace, if you can find one.  “My tutor” was an awfully good hand at Horace.  He really did make me like the old chap!  And have you got such a thing as a Greek Anthology that wouldn’t take up much room?’

Elizabeth went to the shelves to look.  Desmond as the possessor of literary tastes was a novelty to her.  But, after all, she understood that he had been a half in the Sixth at Eton, before his cadet training began.  She found him two small pocket editions, and the boy thanked her gratefully.  He began to turn over the Anthology, as though searching for something.

‘Can I help you to find anything?’ she asked him.

‘No—­it’s something I remember,’ he said absently, and presently hit upon it, with a look of pleasure.

‘They did know a thing or two, didn’t they?  That’s fine anyway?’ He handed her the book.  ’But I forget some of the words.  Do you mind giving me a construe?’ he said humbly.

Elizabeth translated, feeling rather choky.

’"On the Spartans at Thermopylae.

‘"Him—­“’

‘That’s Xerxes, of course,’ put in Desmond.

’"Him, who changed the paths of earth and sea, who sailed upon the mainland, and walked upon the deep—­him did Spartan valour hold back, with just three hundred spears.  Shame on you, mountains and seas!"’

‘Well, that’s all right, isn’t it?’ said the boy simply, looking up.  ‘Couldn’t put it better if you tried, could you?’ Then he said, hesitating a little as he turned down the leaf, and put the book in his pocket, ’Five of the fellows who were in the Sixth with me this time last year are dead by now.  It makes you think a bit, doesn’t it?—­Hullo, there is father!’

He turned joyously, his young figure finely caught in the light of Elizabeth’s lamp against the background of the Nike.

’Well, father you have been a time!  I thought you’d forgotten altogether I was off to-night.’