John noticed my surprise at the news of his mother’s remarriage and smiled rather ruefully
. 'Rotten little bounder too!’ he said savagely. 'I can tell you, Hastings, it’s making li
ke jolly difficult for us. As for Evie--you remember Evie?’'No.’'Oh, I suppose she was aft
er your time. She’s the mater’s factotum, companion, Jack of all trades! A great sport--ol
dEvie! Not precisely young and beautiful, but as game as they make them.’ 'You were going
to say-’'Oh, this fellow! He turned up from nowhere, on the pretext of being a second cou
sin or something of Evie’s, though she didn’t seem particularly keen to acknowledge the re
lationship. The fellow is an absolute outsider, anyone can see that. He’s going a great bl
ack beard, and wears patent leather boots inall weathers! But the mater cottoned to him at
once, took him on as secretary--you know how she’s always running a hundred societies?’I
nodded. 'Well, of course, the war has turned the hundreds into thousands. No doubt the fel
low was very useful to her. But you could have knocked us all down with a feather when, th
ree months ago, she suddenly announced that she and Alfred were engaged! The fellow must b
e at least twenty years younger than she is! It’s simply bare-faced fortune hunting; but t
here you are--she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.’'It must be a difficult situ
ation for you all.’'Difficult! It’s damnable!’Thus it came about that, three days later, I
descended from the train at Styles St Mary, an absurd little station, with no apparent re
ason for existence, perched up in the midst of green fields and country lanes. John Cavend
ish was waiting on the platform, and piloted me out to the car.'Got a drop or two of petro
l still, you see,’ he remarked. 'Mainly owing to the mater’s activities.’The village of St
yles St Mary was situated about two miles from the little station, and Styles Court lay a
mile the other side of it. It was a still, warm day in early July. As one looked out over
the flat Ess-ex country, lying so green and peaceful under the afternoon sun, it seemed al
most impossible to believe that, not so very far away, a great war was running its appoint
ed course. I feltI had suddenly strayed into another world. As we turned in at the lodge g
ates, John said:'I’m afraid you’ll find it very quiet down here, Hastings.’'My dear fellow
, that’s just what I want.’'Oh, it’s pleasant enough if you want to lead the idle life. I
drill with the volunteers twice a week, and lend a hand at the farms. My wife works regula
rly "on the land".She is up at five every morning to milk and keeps at it steadily until l
unch-time. It’s a jolly good life taking it all round--if it weren’t for that fellow Alfre
d Inglethorp!’He checked the car suddenly, and glanced at his watch. 'I wonder if we’ve ti
me to pick up Cynthia. No, she’ll have started from the hospital by now.’'Cynthia! That’s
not your wife?’