y. This time it seemed he had something to
say.

Her heart stirred perceptibly as she opened it and read:--

"DEAREST GIRL,--

"I'm afraid my letters have been very poor things. Part of the
reason you know and understand--as far as any one can. I'm still
dazed. Everything's out of perspective. I suppose I shall take it
in some day.

"But there's another reason--connected with _him_. Perhaps you can
guess. I've been puzzled all along about you two. And now I _know_.
I wonder--does that hurt you? It hurts me horribly. I need hardly
say _he_ didn't give you away. It was things you said--and Mrs
Ranyard. Anyhow, that last evening, I insisted on having the truth.
But I couldn't write about it sooner--for fear of saying things I'd
regret afterwards.

"Rose--what _possessed_ you? A man worth fifty of me! Of course, I
know loving doesn't go by merit. But to keep him on tenterhooks,
eating his heart out with jealousy, while you frankly encouraged
me--you _know_ you did. And I--never dreaming; only puzzled at the
way he sheered off after the first. Between us, we made his last
month of life a torment, though he never let me guess it. I don't
know how to forgive myself. And, to be honest, it's no easy job
forgiving you. If that makes you angry, if you think me a prig, I
can't help it. If _you'd_ heard him--all those hours of
delirium--you might understand.

"When he wasn't raving, he had only one thought--mustn't blame
_you_, or hurt you, on account of him. I'm trying not to. But if I
know you at all, _that_ will hurt more than anything _I_ could say.
And it's only right I should tell it you.

"My dearest Girl, you can't think how difficult--how strange it
feels writing to you like this. I meant to wait till I came up. But
I couldn't write naturally, and I was afraid you mightn't
understand.

"I'm coming, after all, sooner than I thought, for my fool of a
body has given out, and Collins won't let me hang on, though _I_
feel the work just keeps me going. It must be Kohat first, because
of Paul. Now things are calming down, he is getting away to be
married. The quietest possible affair, of course; but he's keen I
should be best man in place of Lance. And I needn't say how I value
the compliment.

"No more trouble here or Amritsar, tha