The Tribunal languished in idleness for lack of claimants for exemption.  Exempted men, with the enthusiastic backing of employers, lost the sense of their indispensability and joined the colours.  An energetic lady who had met the Serbian Minister in London conceived the happy idea of organising a Serbian Flag Day in Wellingsford, and reaped a prodigious harvest.  We were all tremendously patriotic, living under Boyce’s reflected glory.

At first I had deprecated the proposal, fearing lest Boyce might not find it acceptable.  The reputation he had sought at the cannon’s mouth was a bubble of a different kind from that which the good townsfolk were eager to celebrate.  Vanity had no part in it.  For what the outer world thought of his exploits he did not care a penny.  He was past caring.  His soul alone, for its own sore needs, had driven him to the search.  Before his own soul and not before his fellow countrymen, had he craved to parade as a recipient of the Victoria Cross.  His own soul, as I knew, not being satisfied, he would shrink from obtaining popular applause under false pretences.  No unhappy man ever took sterner measure of himself.  Of all this no one but myself had the faintest idea.  In explaining my opinion I had to leave out all essentials.  I could only hint that a sensitive man like Colonel Boyce might be averse from exhibiting in public his physical disabilities; that he had always shown himself a modest soldier with a dislike of self-advertisement; that he would prefer to seek immediate refuge in the quietude of his home.  But they would not listen to me.  Colonel Boyce, they said, would be too patriotic to refuse the town’s recognition.  It was part of the game which he, as a brave soldier, no matter how modest, could not fail to play.  He would recognise that such public honourings of valour had widespread effect among the population.  In face of such arguments I had to withdraw my opposition; otherwise it might have appeared that I was actuated by petty personal motives.  God knows I only desired to save Boyce from undergoing a difficult ordeal.  For the same reasons I could not refuse to serve on the Reception Committee which was immediately formed under the chairmanship of the Mayor.

Preliminaries having been discussed, the Mayor and the Town Clerk waited on Boyce in Belton Square, and returned with the triumphant tidings that they had succeeded in their mission.

“I can’t make out what you were running your head against, Duncan,” said Sir Anthony.  “Of course, as you say, he’s a modest chap and dislikes publicity.  So do we all.  But I quickly talked him out of that objection.  I talked him out of all sorts of objections before he could raise them.  At last what do you think he said?”

“I should have told you to go to blazes and not worry me.”

“He didn’t.  He said—­now I like the chap for it, it was so simple and honest—­he said:  ’If I were alone in the world I wouldn’t have it, for I don’t like it.  But I’ll accept on one condition.  My poor old mother has had rather a thin time and she’s going to have a thinner.  She never gets a look in.  Make it as far as possible her show, and I’ll do what you like.’  What do you think of that?”