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CHAPTER 5
On that cold and misty evening, which all the newspapers had agreed was to ‘make history,’ the Charwells sat in the drawing-room at Condaford round the portable wireless, a present from Fleur. Would the voice breathe o’er Eden, or would it be the striking of Fate’s clock? Not one of those five but was solemnly convinced that the future of Great Britain hung in the balance; convinced, too, that their conviction was detached from class or party. Patriotism divorced from thought of vested interest governed, as they supposed, their mood. And if they made a mistake in so thinking, quite a number of other Britons were making it too. Across Di
“Time, Di
Di
The music stopped, and the voice spoke:
“This is the first election result: Hornsey… Conservative, no change.”
The General added: “H’m!” and the music began again.
Aunt Em, looking at the portable, said: “Coax it, Di
“It always has that, Auntie.”
“Blore does something to ours with a pe
“Middlesex, darling.”
“Oh! yes! I was thinkin’ of Southsea. There he goes again.”
“These are some more election results… Conservative, gain from Labour… Conservative, no change… Conservative, gain from Labour.”
The General added: “Ha!” and the music began again.
“What nice large majorities!” said Lady Mont: “Gratifyin’!”
Clare got off the sofa and squatted on a footstool against her mother’s knees. The General had dropped The Times. The ‘voice’ spoke again:
“… Liberal National, gain from Labour… Conservative, no change… Conservative, gain from Labour.”
Again and again the music spurted up and died away; and the voice spoke.
Clare’s face grew more and more vivid, and above her Lady Charwell’s pale and gentle face wore one long smile. From time to time the General said: “By George!” and “This is something like!”
And Di
On and on and on the voice breathed o’er Eden.
“Crushin’,” said Lady Mont: “I’m gettin’ sleepy.”
“Go to bed, Auntie. I’ll put a slip under your door when I come up.”
Lady Charwell, too, got up. When they were gone, Clare went back to the sofa and seemed to fall asleep. The General sat on, hypnotised by the chant of victory. Di
“Dad, it’s two o’clock. It’ll be like this all the time now. Clare’s asleep.”
“I’m not,” said Clare.
“You ought to be. I’ll let Foch out for his run, and we’ll all go up.”
The General rose.
“Enough’s as good as a feast. I suppose we’d better.”
Di
She shivered and shut the door.
At breakfast the next morning she said to Clare:
“Shall we strike while the iron’s hot, and go and see Mr. Dornford?”
“Why?”
“In case he wants a secretary, now he’s in.”
“Oh! Is he in?”
“Very much so.”
Di
“The word ‘national’ is wi
Hearing that the new Member would be at his headquarters all the morning, the sisters started about eleven o’clock. There was so much coming and going round the doors that they did not like to enter.
“I do hate asking for things,” said Clare.
Di
“Wait here and I’ll just go in and congratulate him. I might have a chance of putting in a word. He’s seen you, of course.”
“Oh! yes, he’s seen me all right.”
Eustace Dornford, K.C., new member elect, was sitting in a room that seemed all open doors, ru
“Excuse me a moment, Mi