“Father,” said Dean suddenly, “I want to give you warning right now. If it ever comes that Canada is in need of men, I am not going to hold back. I could not do it and stay in the country. I am an American, heart, body and soul, but I would count myself meaner than a polecat if I declined to line up with that bunch of Canadians.”
“Think well, my boy,” said his father. “Think well. I have only one son, but I will never stand between you and your duty or your honour. Now we go to lunch. Where shall we go?”
“With me, at the University Club, all of you,” said Raeder.
“No, with me,” said Mr. Wakeham. “I will put up the fatted calf, for this my son is home again. Eh, my boy?”
During the lunch hour try as they would they could not get away from the war. Dean was so completely obsessed with the subject that he could not divert his mind to anything else for any length of time.
“I cannot help it,” he said at length. “All my switches run the same way.”
They had almost finished when Professor Schaefer came into the dining hall, spied them and hastened over to them.
“Here's this German beast,” said Dean.
“Steady, Dean. We do business with him,” said his father.
“All right, Father,” replied the boy.