the iron signal staff. Fix love on that, and you have a lighthouse, and your
ship comes safe to harbour!"
" I may now apologize," remarked Cyril, as they seated themselves at the
table, "for leaving you the other night to dine at Miss Badger's. I had given
my word to her, and nothing but physical inability would have stopped me
from going. I didn't want to go, any more than I wanted to drown myself; and
that is a great compliment to you, for she is one of the two nicest women in
London; but I would have faced a thousand deaths to get there." [53]
"It is right to be so stern about a trifle?"
"Keeping one's word is no trifle. False in one, false in all. Can't you see
how simple it makes life for me, never to have to worry about a decision,
always to be able to refer everything to a simple standard, my Will? And can't
you see how simple it makes life for you, to know that if I once say a thing,
I'll do it?"
"Yes. I do see. But, oh, Cyril, what agony I passed through that evening!"
"That was ignorance," said Simon Iff, "the cause of all suffering. You
failed to read him, to be assured that, just as he was keeping his word to Miss
Badger about the dinner, he would keep his to you about the telephone."
"Now, tell me about the Battle. I see that I am in the thick of the fight; but I
haven't got a ghost of a notion why!"
"I'm sorry, dear child, but this Knowledge is unsuited to your exalted
grade," he answered playfully. "We must get up to it slowly by telling you
exactly what we want to do, and why. Then you will see why others should
try to thwart us. And I deeply regret to have to inform you that our road lies
through somewhat hilly country. You will have to listen to a lecture on the
Fourth Dimension."
"Whatever in the world is that?"
"I think we had better talk of simpler matters until hunch is over."
They began to discuss their private affairs. There was no reason at all why
Lisa should not take up her residence with Cyril from that moment. She had
merely to telephone her maid to pack, and come along. She offered to do so
when Simon Iff said that he thought they ought to leave Paris without a day's
delay. But he said: "I don't think it quite fair on the girl. It's a battle, and no
call for her to [54] fight. Besides" — he turned to Cyril — "she would
probably be obsessed in twenty-four hours."
I shouldn't be surprised to learn that they were after her already. Let's try!
Call her, Lisa, and say you'll not be back to-night; tell her to wait further