But her mood was sore; and, self-controlled
as she was, her pulse raced.
Here, however, she was welcome, she was needed; she could distract
and soothe a bitterness of soul best measured by the Squire's most
unusual taciturnity. No railing at the Government or the war,
not a fling even at the 'd----d pedant, Chicksands!' or 'The
Bubbly-jocks,' as he liked to call the members of the County War
Committee. Elizabeth put a text of Aristophanes--the _Pax_--into his
hands, and drew her table near to him, waiting his pleasure. There
was a lamp behind him which fell on her broad, white brow, her
waiting eyes and hand, and all the friendly intelligence of her
face. The Squire began haltingly, lost his place, almost threw the
book away; but she cheered him on, admired this phrase, delicately
amended that, till the latent passion had gripped him, and he was
soon in full swing, revelling in all the jests and topicalities of
the play, where the strikers and pacifists, the profiteers, the
soldiers and munition workers of two thousand odd years ago, fight
and toil, prate and wrangle and scheme, as eager and as alive as
their descendants of to-day.
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