. You know perfectly well--"

"But I wanted to make sure! And then you went to school. Did you have
a bad time at first among the other girls?"

"No. I'm afraid the other girls had a bad time with me. I was very
uppish and British, and insisted on getting my own way. Did _you_ have
a bad time?"

"Yes, I did," he said simply. "Small boys have a pretty stiff time of
it during their first term, and my time happened to be stiffer than
most. I may be as miserable again. I hope I never may be! But I'm
pretty sure it's impossible to be _more_ miserable than I was at nine
years old, bullied on every side, breaking my heart with home sickness,
and too proud to show a sign."

"Poor little lad!" sighed Claire softly, and for a long minute the two
pairs of eyes met, and exchanged a message. "But afterwards? It grew
better after that?"

"Oh, yes. I learnt to stand up for myself, and moved up in the school,
and began to bully on my own... Did you make many real friends in your
school days?"

"No real lasting friends. They were French girls, you see, and there
was the difference of race, and religion, to divide us as we grew up.
And we were birds of passage, mother and I; always moving about."

"You felt the need of companionship?"

"No. I had mother, and we were like girls together." The twin dimples
showed in a mischievous smile. "You seem very anxious to hear that I
was lonely!"

"Well!" said Erskine, and hesitated as though he found it impossible to
deny the accusation. "I wanted to feel that you could sympathise with
me! I've been more or less lonely all my life, but I have always felt
that a time would come when it would be all right--when I'd meet some
one who'd understand. I was great chums with my father, but he died
when I was twelve, and my school chum went off to China, and comes home
for a few months every three years, when it has usually happened that
I've been abroad. There are nice enough fellows in the regiment, but I
suppose I'm not quick at making friends--"

Strive as she would Claire could not resist a twinkle of amusement,
their eyes met, and both went off into a peal of laughter.

"Oh, well, there are exceptions! That's different. I felt that I knew
you at once, without any preliminary stages. It must always be like
that when people really fit." And then after a short pause he added in
boyish, ingenuous tones, "Did you feel that you knew me?"

"I--I think I did!" Claire