"If we win to-morrow I'll embroider you something, George."

"And if we lose?"

Mrs. Bellew raised her eyes, and involuntarily George moved so that his
mother could not see the sort of slow mesmerism that was in them.

"If we lose," she said, "I shall sink into the earth. We must win,
George."

He gave an uneasy little laugh, and glanced quickly at his mother. Mrs.
Pendyce had begun to draw her needle in and out with a half-startled
look on her face.

"That's a most haunting little song you sang, dear," she said.

Mrs. Bellew answered: "The words are so true, aren't they?"

George felt her eyes on him, and tried to look at her, but those
half-smiling, half-threatening eyes seemed to twist and turn him about
as his hands had twisted and turned about his mother's embroidery. Again
across Mrs. Pendyce's face flitted that half-startled look.

Suddenly General Pendyce's voice was heard saying very loud, "Stale?
Nonsense, Bee, nonsense! Why, damme, so it is!"

A hum of voices from the centre of the room covered up that outburst,
and Gerald, stepping to the hearth, threw another cedar log upon the
fire. The smoke came out in a puff.