right
side . . . by accident," he added grimly. "I suppose one of these has
gone to the Strawberry Bank. I must send Zyarulla off at once to get
my traps together. It means starting first thing."

She looked at him in surprise.

"Yes. But not you, surely. You're hardly fit for duty yet."

"Nonsense. Barring my arm, I'm fit for anything. And if we're in for
cholera, I don't see myself leaving Dick to handle the Battery without
me."

"You're bound to ask Dr O'Malley's permission, though."

"Yes, worse luck. But I fancy I shall square him. At the same
time--it's hard lines----"

He broke off short. The thing did not bear speaking of.

"It _is_ bitterly hard lines, for you both," Honor answered, looking
away from him. But she knew the best men of her service too well to
suggest that, without straining a point, he might honestly be declared
unfit for duty.

"At least it will be a comfort to her having _you_ here," he went on
mechanically, because the thing had to be said somehow. "I'll leave a
note, of course, but I'd be grateful if you'd take it for me some time
in the morning. She may not understand how impossible it is for a man
to hold back--on any pretext, at a time like this, and I know I can
trust _you_ to make things clear to her. You're more than half a
soldier yourself."

"So I ought to be!" Honor answered, inexpressibly touched by his
confidence in her. "And of course I would go to her if I were here.
But to-morrow I shall be on my way back to Dera with you both."

"Dera!--But that would be madness. Do you suppose Desmond would ever
hear of such a thing?"

"I haven't supposed anything about it yet," she answered, smiling. "I
only know that I can't let him go down into--all that, alone. Now I
must say good-night, and go to him. We'll make all arrangements for
the journey," she added, as they shook hands, "and Zyarulla will do the
packing for you. So be sure and get some sleep when you have seen Dr
O'Malley."

His face hardened.

"I only know one way to make sure of that," he said, avoiding her eyes.

"Oh, no, no; not that way, please."

"I imagine it'll be that or none," he answered almost roughly, as he
turned away, and with a sigh Honor followed her husband into the
dining-room.

He sat with his back to her, elbows planted on the writing-table, his
head between his hands. But at her approach he looked up, and with a
sharp contraction of heart she saw that tears stood in