An Unofficial rose

'Now, Pe

'Well, well, my friends, I must go too, said Douglas Swa

Swa

Pe

'That's a dangerous weapon! said Douglas Swa

Pe

A

'Yes, said Pe

'Why, yes, of course, said A

Felix Meecham gave it to Steve. Felix got it during the war sometime. And Miranda was very keen on it and kept asking Steve to give it to her, but he never would. Then when — we couldn't find it, though Miranda looked endlessly.

'Oh, I'll give it to Miranda! said Pe

'No, no, certainly not! said A

The door closed behind him, and Douglas Swa

'I thought it was a horrible thing, that dagger, said A

'The young are not touched by this, said Douglas Swa

'No, I suppose not, said A

'Of course one should, said Hugh.

'I'm not so sure, said Swa

'Are you suggesting that we should love Hitler? said Hugh. He felt irritated with Swa

'Not exactly, said Swa

'I can't agree, said Hugh. 'It's a matter of practical politics. You speak as if we were in fact all saints. As the world runs, evil soon makes tools out of those who don't hate it. Hatred is our best protection.

' Would you like some coffee, Douglas, before you go? said A

A

Douglas Swa

The kitchen door burst open and swung back to strike the wall with a noise like a pistol shot and Randall entered. Douglas Swa

Randall, seeing Swa

Randall was unshaven and in shirt sleeves. His shirt ballooned out over his trousers in the front, giving him a false paunch which made him look more than usually like an actor. His face was flushed. He advanced to the table and stared at A

Hugh said, 'Sit down, Randall, and stop looking like Banquo's ghost. At such a moment he feared his son.

Randall said to A

A

'He came over to see you, said Randall, 'as you bloody well know.

Not that I care a fuck.

'Sit down, Randall, said Hugh, 'and don't shout!

'I'm not shouting, said Randall, 'and I'm NOT DRUNK, in case it should occur to anyone to suggest it I'

'You are drunk, said A

«Why did you give all Steve's things to Pe

'I didn't give all Steve's things to Pe

'We mustn't call you a liar, must we? said Randall. 'Miranda saw Pe

'Well, why not? said A

'It didn't occur to you that Miranda might mind, that I might mind?

'If you'd been about I might have asked you, said A

'You could have asked Miranda.

'Look here, said A