"Yes, I'll speak to Angelica."
"Don't you think it would be better to talk first to Mary?"
Before replying, he thought over this carefully. "Perhaps it would be better. Will you tell her that I'd like to see her immediately?"
She nodded and went out quickly, and it seemed to him that the door had barely closed before it opened again, and Mary came in with a brave step and a manner of unnatural alertness and buoyancy.
"David, do you really think we are going to have war?" It was an awkward evasion, but she had not learned either to evade or equivocate gracefully.
"I think we are about to break off diplomatic relations——"
"And that means war, doesn't it?"
"Who knows?" He made a gesture of impatience. "You are trying to climb up on the knees of the gods."
"I want to go," she replied breathlessly, "whether we have war or not, I want to go to France. Will you help me?"
"Of course I will help you."