More.  What?  When d’you sail?

Hubert.  At once.

More.  Poor Helen!

Hubert.  Not married a year; pretty bad luck! [More touches his arm in sympathy] Well!  We’ve got to put feelings in our pockets.  Look here, Stephen—­don’t make that speech!  Think of Katherine—­with the Dad at the War Office, and me going out, and Ralph and old George out there already!  You can’t trust your tongue when you’re hot about a thing.

More.  I must speak, Hubert.

Hubert.  No, no!  Bottle yourself up for to-night.  The next few hours ’ll see it begin. [More turns from him] If you don’t care whether you mess up your own career—­don’t tear Katherine in two!

More.  You’re not shirking your duty because of your wife.

Hubert.  Well!  You’re riding for a fall, and a godless mucker it’ll be.  This’ll be no picnic.  We shall get some nasty knocks out there.  Wait and see the feeling here when we’ve had a force or two cut up in those mountains.  It’s awful country.  Those fellows have got modern arms, and are jolly good fighters.  Do drop it, Stephen!

More.  Must risk something, sometimes, Hubert—­even in my profession!

     [As he speaks, Katherine comes in.]

Hubert.  But it’s hopeless, my dear chap—­absolutely.

     [More turns to the window, Hubert to his sister—­then with a
     gesture towards more, as though to leave the matter to her, he
     goes out.]

Katherine.  Stephen!  Are you really going to speak? [He nods] I ask you not.

More.  You know my feeling.

Katherine.  But it’s our own country.  We can’t stand apart from it.  You won’t stop anything—­only make people hate you.  I can’t bear that.

More.  I tell you, Kit, some one must raise a voice.  Two or three reverses—­certain to come—­and the whole country will go wild.  And one more little nation will cease to live.

Katherine.  If you believe in your country, you must believe that the more land and power she has, the better for the world.

More.  Is that your faith?

Katherine.  Yes.

More.  I respect it; I even understand it; but—­I can’t hold it.

Katherine.  But, Stephen, your speech will be a rallying cry to all the cranks, and every one who has a spite against the country.  They’ll make you their figurehead. [More smiles] They will.  Your chance of the Cabinet will go—­you may even have to resign your seat.

More.  Dogs will bark.  These things soon blow over.

Katherine.  No, no!  If you once begin a thing, you always go on; and what earthly good?

More.  History won’t say:  “And this they did without a single protest from their public men!”