wer.
There, after the first indescribable moments, some kindly spirit
touched him. He became whole. But he had ceased to be a boy. Alone
upon the tower he prayed for his friend, prayed fervently that it might
be well with him, now and for ever-- Amen.

When he returned to the Manor, however, peace seemed to forsake him.
The horrible gap, ever-widening, between himself and Desmond, might
indeed be bridged by prayer, but not by the shouts of boys and the
turmoil of a Public School.

During the rest of the term he worked furiously. Desmond was now on
the high seas, whither John followed him at night and on Sundays.
Warde, guessing, perhaps, what was passing in John's heart, talked much
of Desmond, always hopefully. From Warde, John learned that Charles
Desmond had tried to dissuade his favourite son from becoming a soldier.

"He wanted him to go into Parliament," said Warde.

John nodded.

"It was a disappointment. Yes; a great disappointment. Harry would
have made a debater. Yes; yes; a nimble wit, an engaging manner, and
the gift of the gab. And the father would have had him under his own
eye."

"But he wanted to go to South Africa from the beginning."

"You wanted to go," said Warde; "your uncle told me so. It was a
greater thing for you, John, to stand aside."

And then John put a question. "Do you think that Harry ought to have
stood aside too?"

Warde, however, unwilling to commit himself, spoke of Harry's ardour
and patriotism. But at the end he let fall a straw which indicated the
true current of his thoughts--

"Mr. Desmond is very lonely."

John swooped on this.

"Then you think, you do think, that Harry should have stayed behind?"

"Perhaps. One hesitates to accuse the boy of anything more than
thoughtlessness."

"If he wished to serve his country," began John, warmly.

Warde smiled. "Yes, yes," he assented. "Let us believe that, John;
but there has been too much cheap excitement."

Dark days followed. Who will ever forget Stormberg and Magersfontein?
A pall seemed to hang over the kingdom. Ladysmith remained in the grip
of the invader; the Boers were not yet driven out of Natal. Meantime
Caesar had reached Sir Redvers Buller. A letter to his father,
describing the few incidents of the voyage out, and his arrival in
South Africa, was sent on to John and received by him on the 1st of
February. "John will understand," said Caesar, in a postscript, "that
I have little time