re not," said Sutch, and Durrance nodded his head in complete
sympathy and comprehension.

"I understand. You care for it too much. You would have the full
knowledge of your loss presented to your eyes each moment."

They went into the house. Still Durrance did not refer to the object of
his visit. They dined together and sat over their wine alone. Still
Durrance did not speak. It fell to Lieutenant Sutch to recur to the
subject of Harry Feversham. A thought had been gaining strength in his
mind all that afternoon, and since Durrance would not lead up to its
utterance, he spoke it out himself.

"Harry Feversham must come back to England. He has done enough to redeem
his honour."

Harry Feversham's return might be a little awkward for Durrance, and
Lieutenant Sutch with that notion in his mind blurted out his sentences
awkwardly, but to his surprise Durrance answered him at once.

"I was waiting for you to say that. I wanted you to realise without any
suggestion of mine that Harry must return. It was with that object that
I came."

Lieutenant Sutch's relief was great. He had been prepared for an
objection, at the best he only expected a reluctant acquiescence, and in
the greatness of his relief he spoke again:--

"His return will not really trouble you or your wife, since Miss Eustace
has forgotten him."

Durrance shook his head.

"She has not forgotten him."

"But she kept silence, even after Willoughby had brought the feather
back. You told me so this afternoon. She said not a word to you. She
forbade Willoughby to tell you."

"She is very true, very loyal," returned Durrance. "She has pledged
herself to me, and nothing in the world, no promise of happiness, no
thought of Harry, would induce her to break her pledge. I know her. But
I know too that she only plighted herself to me out of pity, because I
was blind. I know that she has not forgotten Harry."

Lieutenant Sutch leaned back in his chair and smiled. He could have
laughed outright. He asked for no details, he did not doubt Durrance's
words. He was overwhelmed with pride in that Harry Feversham, in spite
of his disgrace and his long absence,--Harry Feversham, his favourite,
had retained this girl's love. No doubt she was very true, very loyal.
Sutch endowed her on the instant with all the good qualities possible to
a human being. The nobler she was, the greater was his pride that Harry
Feversham still retained her heart. Lieutenant Sutch fairly rev