r how he did it. He wasn't responsible in any
case. But I had to act to keep him out of hot water. I took him back to
my quarters. Dacre was away that night and I had him to myself. I kept
my temper with him at first--till he showed fight and tried to kick me.
Then I let him have it. I gave him a licking--such a licking as he never
got at school. It sobered him quite effectually, poor little beggar." An
odd note of tenderness crept through the grimness of Monck's speech.
"But I didn't stop then. He had to have his lesson and he had it. When I
had done with him, there was no kick left in him. He was as limp as a
wet rag. But he was quite sober. And to the best of my belief he has
never been anything else from that day to this. Of course it was all
highly irregular, but it saved a worse row in the end." Monck's faint
smile appeared. "He realized that. In fact he was game enough to thank
me for it in the morning, and apologized like a gentleman for giving so
much trouble."

"Oh, I'm glad he did that!" Stella said, with shining eyes. "And that
was the beginning of your friendship?"

"Well, I had always liked him," Monck admitted. "But he didn't like me
for a long time after. That thrashing stuck in his mind. It was a pretty
stiff one certainly. He was always very polite to me, but he avoided me
like the plague. I think he was ashamed. I left him alone till one day
he got ill, and then I went round to see if I could do anything. He was
pretty bad, and I stayed with him. We got friendly afterwards."

"After you had saved his life," Stella said.

Monck laughed. "That sort of thing doesn't count in India. If it comes
to that, you saved mine. No, we came to an understanding, and we've
managed to hit it ever since."

Stella got to her feet. "Were you very brutal to him, Everard?"

He reached a brown hand to her as she stood. "Of course I was. He
deserved it too. If a man makes a beast of himself he need never look
for mercy from me."

She looked at him dubiously. "And if a woman makes you angry--" she
said.

He got to his feet and put his arm about her shoulders. "But I don't
treat women like that," he said, "not even--my wife. I have quite
another sort of treatment for her. It's curious that you should credit
me with such a vindictive temperament. I don't know what I have done to
deserve it."

She leaned her head against him. "My darling, forgive me! It is just my
horrid, suspicious nature."

He pressed her to him.