“Evan dear, Evan,” Susie remonstrated. “What are you talking about? Mrs. Trotter will think you a great bear if you use such strong language about poor old Professor Vachell’s little flirtation. You’d really think he meant it, wouldn’t you?” she smiled round the table and was going to change the conversation when Evan rose.
“I am sorry,” he said, “but I should have to finish what I was going to say if I remained, and perhaps I have no right—which of us has when it comes to throwing stones?” He went to the door.
“Evan——!” pleaded Evangeline almost angrily, but he was gone.
“Poor fellow!” said Susie, “I expect he feels the heat” (or the cold—I forget what the weather was at the time). “You know,” she turned to Captain Trotter, “I don’t believe any of you have quite got over that dreadful war yet. I met a poor boy only yesterday who was quite sure that Moses had appeared to him in a vision and announced the Day of Judgment.”
“That’s what Moses is rather in the habit of doing,” said Cyril, grateful to her for once, though the occasion had been unintentional. “You know, Trotter, seriously, you ought to stop those boys gambling at the mess like that. There’s some of them don’t know the difference between a Hebrew and a bank account.”
The Trotters went home early after dinner. Evan had gone for a walk and not returned, and David Varens and Teresa were arguing in a corner about something, so Evangeline slipped off to her father’s room and there wept profusely while he smoked. When she was re-established and had accepted a cigarette, Cyril began to talk.
“I’ve seen more of that sort of thing than you’d suppose,” he said, “but I’m sorry it should come your way, Chips; you, of all people.”
“Oh, I don’t much mind, thanks,” she answered, blowing her nose once more with a final blast, the last roll of thunder before sunshine reappears. “Only when it is in public.”
“Do you get much of it in private?” asked her father.
“Oh, yes,” she sighed. “Father, what do you think it is? He must be so miserable if he thinks everybody wicked when they are having fun. I would give up everything or do anything to see him happy, but it seems impossible.”