"Yes," the little lady answered. "Only he's brought his troubles on his own head."
The Colonel drew up in haste.
"Hullo," he said, and began to read a newspaper placard, for which class of literature he had a consuming passion.
CHAPTER XXVI
THE AVALANCHE MOVES
The placard, seen by the Colonel, announced the opening of a new scene in the Irish tragedy.
The King had summoned a Conference at Buckingham Palace in order if possible to find a solution of the difficulty. When the Conference met the King opened it in person and, speaking as a man weighed down by anxiety, told the members that for weeks he had watched with deep misgivings the trend of events in Ireland. "To-day the cry of Civil War is on the lips of the most responsible of my people," he said; and had added, so Mr. Trupp told the Colonel, in words not reported in the Press, that the European situation was so ominous as imperatively to demand a solution of our domestic differences in order that the nation might present a solid front to the world.
"And I bet he knows," ended the old surgeon, as he said good-bye on the steps of the Manor-house.
"I bet he does," replied the Colonel. "Thank God there's one man in the country who's above party politics." He climbed thoughtfully on to the top of the bus outside the Star, and, as it chanced, found himself sitting beside Ernie, who was deep in his paper and began to talk.
"They ain't got it all their own way, then," he said, grimly. "I see the Irish Guards turned out and lined the rails and cheered Redmond as he came down Birdcage Walk back from the Conference."