Mary had turned at the sound of his key in the door.
She seemed to be watching him intently; but it was too dark to notice her expression.

He pulled at his pipe till it was well alight and then removed it.
"It's war," he said.
The words made no immediate impression upon Joan.

There had been rumours, threatenings and alarms, newspaper talk.

But so there had been before.

It would come one day: the world war that one felt was gathering in the air; that would burst like a second deluge on the nations.