e discomforts of the way."

They moved towards the hotel together, and Ailsa asked, "Have you seen
them?"

"Only for a few short hours, which were all I could spare from some
research work I was doing elsewhere in Rhodesia. I was tremendously
impressed by the little I had time to see, and look forward to a long
sojourn there presently."

They talked on, their conversation drifting from one subject to
another, and then he discovered her name was Grenville, and she that
his was Delcombe, and they greeted each other anew as both hailing
from lovely Devon. After that he proudly assumed the role of escort,
and waited upon her hand and foot. As it chanced, he also was
journeying to Salisbury, so they became travelling companions, and the
chance acquaintanceship ripened rapidly. In the evening they dined
together in the restaurant-car and sat long over their meal; and then
it was that Ailsa chanced to mention the name of Major Carew.

Henry Delcombe at once remarked, "There was a Major Carew at the
Zimbabwe police camp, I think, when I visited the ruins, but I did not
see him. I should like to have done. I understood from the young
trooper there that he is some relation to the Fourtenay-Carews?" and
he paused interrogatively.

"It was the man I am speaking of. He _is_ a Fourtenay-Carew."

"Ah!..." and Ailsa saw instantly the swift interest in her companion's
eyes; a wave as of thought-telepathy that this man probably held the
key to Peter Carew's past. Delcombe read in her sparkling eyes that
her interest in the soldier-policeman was no casual one, but of the
warmest friendship.

"Did you know him before he came out here?" she ventured.

"I knew his father well; I lived near to them in Devon. I was doing
some research work, and I had a quiet little home in a lovely valley
close to the little place that was then this man's home, and quite
near also to Dartwood Hall, where the elder brother, Richard
Fourtenay-Carew, lived. They are not a rich family at all, you know.
Dartwood Hall and estates and money came to Richard Carew through a
very eccentric godmother, who brought him up, and he could do as he
liked with it all. His younger brother, Peter Fourtenay-Carew, and his
wife had, I think, only a very small income between them besides his
pay as a captain. They rented a pretty little place in Devonshire
close to Dartwood Hall, and came there for the hunting whenever he was
able. The brothers were good friends, and he al