"'A serious matter,' says he. 'If you'd been sent up to chase Hun planes you might have got the D.S.O. for this. But you see what it means now?'
"'What?' I asked.
"'Well! This being an act outside the course of your duty,' he said, 'it may mean the Victoria Cross!'"
Golden Awdas gasped. "Then, think of it, Bird-boy! You'll only have traded my ribbon," she exclaimed, "for that wonderful other! Now wasn't that a prize——"
But the wide and distant stare had gone now from her airman's eyes. These had returned to her; his sweet American who had journeyed across a world before he had found her, his love whom he had loved enough to leave, knowing that it might be for ever.... His blue eyes were locked into hers again for a moment with his lover's look that now sent a wave of pink fire flaming into her face and down her throat. Against that perfect throat he buried eyes and lips.
"'Think?' I needn't think of anything else now, Girl," he whispered. "You're my prize!"
That was Jack Awdas's story of his share in the raid.
The evening papers announced:
"Bombs were dropped in several districts, but no material damage was caused. A woman and two children were slightly injured.