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THE WINDOW 356

But what had happened?

Someone had blundered.

Starting from her musing she gave meaning towords which she had held meaningless in her mindfor a long stretch of time. 'Someone had blun-dered'—Fixing her short-sighted eyes upon her hus-band, who was now bearing down upon her, shegazed steadily until his closeness revealed to her(the jingle mated itself in her head) that somethinghad happened, someone had blundered. But shecould not for the life of her think what.

He shivered; he quivered. All his vanity, all hissatisfaction in his own splendour, riding fell as athunderbolt, fierce as a hawk at the head of his menthrough the valley of death, had been shattered,destroyed. Stormed at by shot and shell, boldly werode and well, flashed through the valley of death,volleyed and thundered—straight into Lily Briscoeand William Bankes. He quivered; he shivered.

Not for the world would she have spoken to him,realizing, from the familiar signs, his eyes averted,and some curious gathering together of his person, asif he wrapped himself about and needed privacy intowhich to regain his equilibrium, that he was outragedand anguished. She stroked James's head; shetransferred to him what she felt for her husband, and,as she watched him chalk yellow the white dress shirtof a gentleman in the Army and Navy Stores cata-logue, thought what a delight it would be to hershould he turn out a great artist; and why should henot? He had a splendid forehead. Then, looking