Homing by Elswyth Thane

ditto had taken up their quarters in the house, and she went upstairs to make them welcome . She found them much as she had expected—well-dressed, personable girls, tired to death, a little on the defensive in these strange surroundings, anxious to please, and perhaps somewhat awed at sight of her. As usual there was one among the lot that stood out.
    “I never thought anything nice could come of this war,” said the secretary whose name was Anne Phillips. “But living in a house like this one will make up for a lot.”
    Virginia, who loved the house so passionately herself, at once warmed to the girl.
    “Come downstairs and have a look round before the blackout,” she suggested. “You’re to have the small drawing room for your own use. Don’t feel that you have to coop up in your bedrooms all the time.”
    “ Two drawing rooms in the house?” Anne exclaimed, impressed.
    “Well—card room, music room, back parlour—whatever you want to call it. There’s a piano in it, and a radio of course. It’s on the left at the foot of the stairs. Come along, I’ll show you.”
    Claudia Merton, who shared the bedroom with Anne, said she’d rather get settled in first, thanks, and Anne followed Virginia downstairs, walking lightly, trailing one hand down thepolished banister. She was a frail blonde with enormous eyes and a generous mouth. Her silk-clad ankles looked breakable, like a deer’s. Virginia wondered if she had ever had quite enough to eat, but her voice was well-placed and unself-conscious her vowels were unself-conscious and correct.
    “I’ve always dreamed of a house like this,” Anne was saying as they reached the lower hall. “And to think it took Hitler to get me inside one!”
    “I’m sure he never meant to oblige you,” Virginia said.
    “And wouldn’t he be furious if he knew!” They laughed together, and Anne admired the little parlour set aside for their use, and then paused on the bottom step on her way back to finish unpacking. “I hope you won’t mind Claudia’s bad manners,” she said unhappily. “Her boy’s been called up, and she’s taking it very hard. It makes her seem cross.”
    “And how about your boy?” Virginia asked kindly.
    “I’m lucky. I haven’t got one.”
    She skipped away up the stairs, with a graceful little wave from the top. What a nice child, Virginia thought, and forgot all about her.
    Not until evening did the Prime Minister announce to a troubled, unruly House that there had been no reply from Hitler and that no further conference could take place while the invasion of Poland continued. Although there was still no formal declaration of war by Great Britain and France, a time limit was now implied. The House was to assemble tomorrow for its first Sunday session in modern times.
    The prolonged agony of delay and seeming indecision caused only exasperation when the late News was read by the BBC.
    “What are they doing !”cried Virginia, switching off the radio and rumpling her hair with the same impatient hand.
    “It seems as though they don’t know what to do,” Mab said, longing for Jeff’s opinion, which was only as far away as the telephone one could not use.
    “They know well enough. We shall be a laughing-stock if this goes on. I’ve got to talk to Bracken!”
    “It’s like the crocodile’s clock,” Mab remarked thoughtfully, and Virginia sent her an inquiring look. “In Peter Pan ,” Mab explained. “You hear it ticking. You know it’s coming. Finally you only want to get it over with.”
    The telephone rang, and they both rushed to it. It was Dinah, low-voiced and hurried, slipping in one little three minutes fromLondon. A cable had come to say that Evadne and Stephen were sailing today. On an American boat, so Virginia needn’t worry, Hitler wouldn’t touch that.
    “How do we know he won’t?” asked Virginia grimly. “Tell us more, we’re starving for news.”
    “We don’t know any more here,” Dinah said wearily.