hands and held them.

"My poor girl!" he said.

She smiled at him. Pity from an outsider did not penetrate to the depths
of her. "Thank you for coming," she said.

He coughed and cleared his throat. "I hope it isn't an intrusion," he
said.

"But of course not!" she made answer. "How could it be? Won't you sit
down?"

He led her to a chair; but he did not sit down himself. He stood before
her with something of the air of a man making a confession.

"Mrs. Monck," he said, "I think I ought to tell you that it was by my
advice that your husband resigned his commission."

Her brows drew together a little as if at a momentary dart of pain. "Has
he resigned it?" she said.

"Yes. Didn't he tell you?" He frowned. "Haven't you seen him? Don't you
know where he is?"

She shook her head. "I can only think of my baby just now," she said.

He swung round abruptly upon his heel and paced the room. "Oh yes, of
course. I know that. Ralston told me. I am very sorry for you, Mrs.
Monck,--very, very sorry."

"Thank you," she said.

He continued to tramp to and fro. "You haven't much to thank me for. I
had to think of the Regiment; but I considered the step very carefully
before I took it. He had rendered invaluable service--especially over
this Khanmulla trial. He would have been decorated for it if--" he
pulled up with a jerk--"if things had been different. I know Sir
Reginald Bassett thought very highly of him, was prepared to give him an
appointment on his personal staff. And no doubt eventually he would have
climbed to the top of the tree. But--this affair has destroyed him." He
paused a moment, but he did not look at her. "He has had every chance,"
he said then. "I kept an open mind. I wouldn't condemn him unheard
until--well until he refused flatly to speak on his own behalf. I went
over to Khanmulla and talked to him--talked half the night. I couldn't
move him. And if a man won't take the trouble to defend his own honour,
it isn't worth--that!" He snapped his fingers with a bitter gesture;
then abruptly wheeled and came back to her. "I didn't come here to
distress you," he said, looking down at her again. "I know your cup is
full already. And it's a thankless task to persuade any woman that her
husband is unworthy of her, besides being an impertinence. But what I
must say to you is this. There is nothing left to wait for, and it would
be sheer madness to stay on any longer. The Rajah has been deeply
incriminated and