‘But what else is it?’
Maud said:
‘Murder. Massacre.’
And the cook and Ada nodded their heads.
The funny old cook with her grey plait of hair sat up very straight
in her chair.
She said:
‘I could find it in my heart to be a second Charlotte Corday.’
I was surprised at her, and I could not remember what Charlotte
Corday had done.
She shook her fist and said:
‘That Emperor William.’
And I thought again:
‘How funny it all is.’
And then I thought:
‘It is wrong to think it funny.’
And we sat there till the firing died away.
There was silence for a while and then ‘All Clear’ sirens were
sounded.
Maud drew a deep breath and stood up.
Walter passed his hands across his forehead.
He said:
‘At last. Now we can go to bed.’
And I thought:
‘It is over now. That was an air raid.’
And then I thought:
‘George is dead; and Guy and Hugo are out there, where it goes
on all the time.’
And I shivered and felt cold.
Walter said:
‘I wonder how Mother stood it.’
And Maud said:
‘She ought not to be alone.’