The Little Warrior

a gleaming eye-glass he inspected the revolting object whic

voice had a

ir

t's

ed egg

his eyes with

n old aunt of mine,"

room, his shoulders against the mantelpiece, his calves pressing the club-fender. It was a cheerful oasis in a chill and foggy world, a typi

d Freddie solemnly,

s,

poached egg, you are all right. If not, no

, s

palm of his hand to

rtedly last night. I was possibly a little blotto. Not whiffled, p

You were v

ashed ba

table, and poured him

your right, sir," sai

ly well stick!" Freddie retired to the fireplace and sipped delicately. "A

, I think yo

vities-he's never met Ronny-but he gave it a miss. Quite right! A chap in his position has responsibilities. Member of Parliament and all that.

endeavor

Sometimes I wish I had some sweet girl to watch over me and ... No, I do

ng up,

s and what not. I want him to make a good breakfast. He's got to meet his mo

eed,

shook

ss tone if you knew her! Well, you'll see

s,

nd give us something pretty ripe. Soup, fish, all that sort of thing. She knows. An

meeting Miss Mariner f

e first time on this or any stage! We must a

the door, carrying the rejected egg, and stepped aside to allow a tal

ng, Pa

er would instinctively pick out of a crowd as worthy of note. His only defect was that his heavy eyebrows gave him at times an expression which was a little forbidding. Women, however, had never been repel

Freddie?" a

smiled

was willing, but the jolly old flesh would have none of it. To

said

m well. Some person unknown has put a threshing-machine inside the old bean and subst

have overdone

tyn's birthday,"

Derek, "I wouldn't go about advertising th

him with repulsion mingled with envy. When he began to eat, the spectac

beast of

y in the morning a bank of fog had rolled up off the river, and was deepening from pearly white to a

!" sai

's train wi

ting trains in any case, without having to

hing pretty tolerably ratty, if she has one of those slow journeys." He pottered back to the fireplace, an

ver, I suppose. By the way, you got t

e outskirts. If it's all the same to you, ol

as now making himself a blot on Freddie's

reddie! Why on earth are

subsequent events had strengthened it. Derek had done the most amazing things since leaving school. He had had a brilliant career at Oxford, and now, in the House of Commons, was already looked upon by the leaders of his party as one to be watched and encouraged. He played polo superlatively well, and was a fine shot. But of all his gifts and qualities

n your place and had to meet your mater after telling her that I was engaged to

said Dere

id! Always has, ever since the first time I went to stay at your place when I was a kid. I can still remember catching her eye the morning I happened by pure chance to bung an

man, will you? I w

was requested with

. "More toast, Parker," he added, as that admirable servitor

ted his c

like Jill when she

is lovely. Why, dash it, Jill and I were children together. Sported side by side on the green, and what not. I remember Jill, when she was twelve, turning the garden-hose on me and knocking about seventy-five per cent off the market value of my best Sunday suit. That sort of thing forms a bond, you know, and I've alwa

times. I

oy took thirty quid off him at picquet as clean as a whistle. And Jimmy Monroe, who's on the Stock Exchange, says he's frightfully busy these times buying margins or whatever it is chappies do down in the City. Margins. That's the word. Jimmy made me buy some myself on a thing called Amalgamated Dy

all mention him at the first opportu

Oh, well, that m

he toast, and Derek r

, "at first, meeting mother. But everythi

ed to be undergoing some internal struggle, for he gulped once or twice. "That first five minutes!" he said, and pa

e al

tation. W

on ear

ng. Nothing like collecting a gang, you know. Moments when a feller needs a fr

olicited offer of assistance hurt his dignity. He showed a touch of the petulance which came now and then

d of you," he

was acutely conscio

the Rookes! For, honestly, old man, between ourselves, I don't mind admitting that th

ood of you,

oy Scout, and this is my a

up from

can't form a sort of debating society to di

d in the offing, shoving in

nse

would simp

imposs

t as you say, of course. But there's nothin