Katherine.  I read the account of your second meeting at Toulmin.

Banning.  It’s bad, Mrs. More—­bad.  There’s no disguising it.  That speech was moon-summer madness—­Ah! it was!  Take a lot of explaining away.  Why did you let him, now?  Why did you?  Not your views, I’m sure!

     [He looks at her, but for answer she only compresses her lips.]

Banning.  I tell you what hit me—­what’s hit the whole constituency—­ and that’s his knowing we were over the frontier, fighting already, when he made it.

Katherine.  What difference does it make if he did know?

Home.  Hitting below the belt—­I should have thought—­you’ll pardon me!

Banning.  Till war’s begun, Mrs. More, you’re entitled to say what you like, no doubt—­but after!  That’s going against your country.  Ah! his speech was strong, you know—­his speech was strong.

Katherine.  He had made up his mind to speak.  It was just an accident the news coming then.

     [A silence.]

Banning.  Well, that’s true, I suppose.  What we really want is to make sure he won’t break out again.

Home.  Very high-minded, his views of course—­but, some consideration for the common herd.  You’ll pardon me!

Shelder.  We’ve come with the friendliest feelings, Mrs. More—­but, you know, it won’t do, this sort of thing!

Wace.  We shall be able to smooth him down.  Oh! surely.

Banning.  We’d be best perhaps not to mention about his knowing that fighting had begun.

     [As he speaks, more enters through the French windows.  They all
     rise.]

More.  Good-morning, gentlemen.

     [He comes down to the table, but does not offer to shake hands.]

Banning.  Well, Mr. More?  You’ve made a woeful mistake, sir; I tell you to your face.

More.  As everybody else does, Banning.  Sit down again, please.

     [They gradually resume their seats, and more sits in KATHERINE’s
     chair.  She alone remains standing leaning against the corner of
     the bay window, watching their faces.]

Banning.  You’ve seen the morning’s telegrams?  I tell you, Mr. More—­another reverse like that, and the flood will sweep you clean away.  And I’ll not blame it.  It’s only flesh and blood.

More, Allow for the flesh and blood in me, too, please.  When I spoke the other night it was not without a certain feeling here. [He touches his heart.]

Banning.  But your attitude’s so sudden—­you’d not been going that length when you were down with us in May.

More.  Do me the justice to remember that even then I was against our policy.  It cost me three weeks’ hard struggle to make up my mind to that speech.  One comes slowly to these things, Banning.