It’s entirely too possessive.”

“Well, dear child, don’t worry about that. There may not be any party. Not if he goes to war and is called soon. But of course you would have to go if there is a party. You are one of his oldest friends, and you are already invited.”

“What do you mean, there may not be any party? Of course there’ll be a party.”

“Why, Victor told me he wasn’t sure, but he might have to go away sooner than he expected. He had a letter this morning hinting that he might be called very soon.” Mrs. Kingsley was watching her daughter closely. How would this news affect her child? But Lisle did not wince, did not turn pale, did not even look disturbed.

“Of course, Mother, that would be entirely possible, I had thought of that, and almost dared to hope that that might be a way of escape from that party, but it seems so selfish to want it just for my own comfort, when I know Victor is looking forward to it, and I know it means so much to his mother. But you know, Mother, there isn’t a chance that even that possibility would stop that party. Why, Victor’s mother has been looking forward to that party and counting on it for years, and she’ll find some way to pull it off in spite of the government. You’ll see. I’ve heard her talk so many times, and she’s simply fed it to Victor all through the years. You’d almost think it was some kind of coronation day. And he’s begun to act as if he felt that way about it himself. He has, Mother. It just made me ashamed for him when he began to talk the other day.”

“But Lisle! Child! Don’t speak so bitterly! I can’t think how you can turn against your old friend this way. Victor is not to blame. That party is a sort of symbol of his young manhood. Perhaps his mother has been foolish about it. She’s rather fond of social customs and old family traditions. But you ought not to turn against your old friend for that.”

“Oh, I haven’t turned against him, Mother, only it makes me so tired to hear them talk. Why, they are making a lot more of that party than they are of Victor’s going off to war.”

“Well, dear, perhaps it’s something to help ease the pain of their parting. You know Mrs. Vandingham has always been so very close to her son.”

“Yes, I know,” said Lisle. “But that’s no excuse for her making a perfect sissy out of him.”

“Oh, my dear! What a state of mind you are in! You never thought that of Victor before, I’m sure.”

“No … perhaps not!” said the girl with a troubled sigh. “Though I’m not sure but it was in the back of my mind all the time, and sometimes it would come up and worry me.”

“Oh, my dear! Why didn’t you tell me? Perhaps we could have done something about it.”

“What could we have done? Besides, I wasn’t altogether sure about anything.”

“Well, at least we could have talked it over and sifted your feeling down to facts. And yes, perhaps we could have done something really practical about it. Victor always used to be amenable to reason. Perhaps he has had no one to talk things over with him. You know his mother is very conservative and dislikes to bring personal matters out into the open.