"Will you let me lead you?"
"If you will be so good."
So hand in hand they went toward Aunt Manning who stood in the doorway waiting. If Anita had thrilled before how much more did she with her hand clasped in her lover's. She wished the way were longer. She wondered if he could feel the throbbing of her pulses, the beating of her heart. But all this tumult was hidden from Aunt Manning, who was looking interestedly at the young man as he held out his hand while Anita said: "This is my aunt, Mrs. Manning, Mr. Wirt. She has been very much interested in our account of our American hero."
"Oh, don't call me a hero," cried Terrence. "I'm just like any other Tommy who happened to get hit."
"But you needn't have been," spoke up Aunt Manning. "You hadn't any cause to fight unless you wanted to, while we had."
"But I wanted to." He smiled.
"So we see," returned Aunt Manning. "I don't happen to represent any special organization and I am here entirely upon my own account, but I want to give you one English woman's thanks for what you have done."
"The thanks are worth a great deal, coming to me from such a source," returned Terrence, with a courtly bow.
"When you get better you must come to see us at Primrose Cottage," continued Aunt Manning. "Mr. Kirkby can bring you over; he would like to. We have a nice dog and a cat."
"Two dogs," corrected Anita.