The Colonel led the way back to the mess-room, now deserted. "I shall
not keep you long," he said, as Monck shut the door and moved forward.
"But I must ask of you an explanation of the fact which came to light
this evening." He paused a moment, but Monck spoke no word, and he
continued with growing coldness. "Rather more than a year ago you
refused a Government mission, for which your services were urgently
required, on the plea of pressing business at Home. You had Home
leave--at a time when we were under-officered--to carry this business
through. Now, Captain Monck, will you be good enough to tell me how and
where you spent that leave? Whatever you say I shall treat as
confidential."

He still spoke formally, but the usual rather pompous kindliness of his
face had given place to a look of acute anxiety.

Monck stood at the table, gazing straight before him. "You have a
perfect right to ask, sir," he said, after a moment. "But I am not in a
position to answer."

"In other words, you refuse to answer?" The Colonel's voice had a rasp
in it, but that also held more of anxiety than anger.

Monck turned and directly faced him. "I am compelled to refuse," he
said.

There was a brief silence. Colonel Mansfield was looking at him as if he
would read him through and through. But no stone mask could have been
more impenetrable than Monck's face as he stood stiffly waiting.

When the Colonel spoke again it was wholly without emotion. His tones
fell cold and measured. "You obtained that leave upon false pretences?
You had no urgent business?"

Monck answered him with machine-like accuracy. "Yes, sir, I deceived
you. But my business was urgent nevertheless. That is my only excuse."

"Was it in connection with some Secret Service requirement?" The
Colonel's tone was strictly judicial now; he had banished all feeling
from face and manner.

And again, like a machine, Monck made his curt reply. "No, sir."

"There was nothing official about it?"

"Nothing."

"I am to conclude then--" again the rasp was in the Colonel's voice, but
it sounded harsher now--"that the business upon which you absented
yourself was strictly private and personal?"

"It was, sir."

The commanding officer's brows contracted heavily. "Am I also to
conclude that it was something of a dishonourable nature?" he asked.

Monck made a scarcely perceptible movement. It was as if the point had
somehow pierced his armour. But he covered it instantly