They fell to discussing ways and means; there might have to be a loan for Teddy’s outfit, if he did presently secure a commission.  And there were one or two other little matters....  Mr. Britling dismissed a ridiculous fancy that he was paying to send Teddy away to something that neither that young man nor Letty understood properly....

The next day Teddy vanished Londonward on his bicycle.  He was going to lodge in London in order to be near his training.  He was zealous.  Never before had Teddy been zealous.  Mrs. Teddy came to the Dower House for the correspondence, trying not to look self-conscious and important.

Two Mondays later a very bright-eyed, excited little boy came running to Mr. Britling, who was smoking after lunch in the rose garden.  “Daddy!” squealed the small boy.  “Teddy!  In khaki!”

The other junior Britling danced in front of the hero, who was walking beside Mrs. Britling and trying not to be too aggressively a soldierly figure.  He looked a very man in khaki and more of a boy than ever.  Mrs. Teddy came behind, quietly elated.

Mr. Britling had a recurrence of that same disagreeable fancy that these young people didn’t know exactly what they were going into.  He wished he was in khaki himself; then he fancied this compunction wouldn’t trouble him quite so much.

The afternoon with them deepened his conviction that they really didn’t in the slightest degree understand.  Life had been so good to them hitherto, that even the idea of Teddy’s going off to the war seemed a sort of fun to them.  It was just a thing he was doing, a serious, seriously amusing, and very creditable thing.  It involved his dressing up in these unusual clothes, and receiving salutes in the street....  They discussed every possible aspect of his military outlook with the zest of children, who recount the merits of a new game.  They were putting Teddy through his stages at a tremendous pace.  In quite a little time he thought he would be given the chance of a commission.

“They want subalterns badly.  Already they’ve taken nearly a third of our people,” he said, and added with the wistfulness of one who glances at inaccessible delights:  “one or two may get out to the front quite soon.”

He spoke as a young actor might speak of a star part.  And with a touch of the quality of one who longs to travel in strange lands....  One must be patient.  Things come at last....

“If I’m killed she gets eighty pounds a year,” Teddy explained among many other particulars.

He smiled—­the smile of a confident immortal at this amusing idea.

“He’s my little annuity,” said Letty, also smiling, “dead or alive.”

“We’ll miss Teddy in all sorts of ways,” said Mr. Britling.

“It’s only for the duration of the war,” said Teddy.  “And Letty’s very intelligent.  I’ve done my best to chasten the evil in her.”

“If you think you’re going to get back your job after the war,” said Letty, “you’re very much mistaken.  I’m going to raise the standard.”