s before Mr. Feversham
disappeared from Ramelton. You are so quick, Colonel Durrance. Ethne had
good news of Mr. Feversham this morning."

Durrance turned quickly towards her, and Mrs. Adair felt a pleasure at
his abrupt movement. She had provoked the display of some emotion, and
the display of emotion was preferable to his composure.

"Are you quite sure?" he asked.

"As sure as that you gave her the worst of news to-night," she replied.

But Durrance did not need the answer. Ethne had made another slip that
evening, and though unnoticed at the time, it came back to Durrance's
memory now. She had declared that Feversham still drew an allowance from
his father. "I heard it only to-day," she had said.

"Yes, Ethne heard news of Feversham to-day," he said slowly. "Did she
make a mistake five years ago? There was some wrong thing Harry
Feversham was supposed to have done. But was there really more
misunderstanding than wrong? Did she misjudge him? Has she to-day
learnt that she misjudged him?"

"I will tell you what I know. It is not very much. But I think it is
fair that you should know it."

"Wait a moment, please, Mrs. Adair," said Durrance, sharply. He had put
his questions rather to himself than to his companion, and he was not
sure that he wished her to answer them. He walked abruptly away from her
and leaned upon the balustrade with his face towards the garden.

It seemed to him rather treacherous to allow Mrs. Adair to disclose what
Ethne herself evidently intended to conceal. But he knew why Ethne
wished to conceal it. She wished him never to suspect that she retained
any love for Harry Feversham. On the other hand, however, he did not
falter from his own belief. Marriage between a man crippled like himself
and a woman active and vigorous like Ethne could never be right unless
both brought more than friendship. He turned back to Mrs. Adair.

"I am no casuist," he said. "But here disloyalty seems the truest
loyalty of all. Tell me what you know, Mrs. Adair. Something might be
done perhaps for Feversham. From Assouan or Suakin something might be
done. This news--this good news came, I suppose, this afternoon when I
was at home."

"No, this morning when you were here. It was brought by a Captain
Willoughby, who was once an officer in Mr. Feversham's regiment."

"He is now Deputy-Governor of Suakin," said Durrance. "I know the man.
For three years we were together in that town. Well?"

"He sailed down fr