nk we
had him in hiding."

"Charles!" exclaimed Mr. Marchdale opening his mouth and staring,
"O--Egad they--they didn't find him, of course!"

"No, and I pray God they never will, wherever he may be."

"Have you seen or heard from him since he rode for Scotland?" enquired
Mr. Marchdale. "Because I----"

"More tea, Mr. Marchdale?" demanded Lady Belinda. Mr. Marchdale's
feeble refusals were overruled and he was treated beside to a long
exordium on the beneficent qualities of the herb, the while he gulped
down the beverage to the Viscount's no small satisfaction. As for the
Major, he was looking at Betty and she at him, and the Viscount's quick
glance happening to rove their way and noting the look in the Major's
eyes and the answering flush on her smooth cheek the Viscount's own
eyes opened very wide, he pursed his lips in a soundless whistle and
thereafter studiously glanced another way.

"Major d'Arcy sir," said Mr. Marchdale, gulping his tea and blinking,
"I am come with an embassage to you, Tripp and the rest of us present
their service and beg you'll join us at cards this evening--nothing
big, a guinea or so----"

"Aye, go, nunky," nodded the Viscount, "I'm going over to try some new
songs with Betty." Here Mr. Marchdale sighed heavily.

All too soon for the Major the ladies arose to take their departure.

"We are hoping, dear Major," said Lady Belinda, "that you will come in
to supper one evening soon, you and Pancras----"

"With Colonel Cleeve, if he chance to be here still," added Betty.

The gentlemen bowed, the ladies curtseyed, and descended the terrace
steps all stately dignity and gracious ease.

Left alone the Major stood awhile to enjoy the beauty of the sunset-sky
and to sigh over the past hour; then slowly went into the house.

In the study he found Sergeant Zebedee who stood tentatively beside the
desk.

"I was thinking, sir," said he, "that seeing the company is gone we
might contrive to get through your chapter on Salient Angles at last!"

"A happy thought, Zeb--by all means."

So they sat down together then and there and the Sergeant took up the
manuscript. It was then that the Major spied the fallen rosebud and
glancing at the Sergeant stooped and picked it up almost furtively
though all the Sergeant's attention was focussed, like his eyes, upon
the foolscap in his hand; so, leaning back in his chair the Major
raised the bud to reverent lips watching Sergeant Zebedee the while,