that any harm has come to you." The diplomatic suggestion had the
desired effect; and they rode leisurely back to the bungalow, under a
moon no longer robbed of its radiance.

Few words passed between them as they went; but on arriving at the
squat, blue gate-posts Wyndham drew rein and spoke.

"Good-night, dear old chap. Take a stiff 'peg' the minute you get in.
I'm in need of one myself."

"Sorry if I gave you a bit of a shock, old man," Desmond answered
smiling, and rode at a foot's pace toward the house.

"Here I am, Ladybird!" he announced, on entering the drawing-room; and
Evelyn, springing from the depths of his chair, made an eager movement
towards him.

But at sight of his bandaged arm and damp dishevelled appearance she
halted with lips apart. A curious coldness crept into her eyes and
entirely banished the young look from her face.

"Theo--you're hurt--you've broken something."

"Well, and if I have?" he answered laughing. "It's a mere nothing.
Only a collar-bone."

"Your collar-bone isn't nothing. And I can't _bear_ to see you all
hideous and bandaged up like that. I knew something would happen! I
was sure it would!"

The light of good-humour faded from his eyes.

"Well, well, if you knew it all beforehand, no need to make so many
words about it now. Let me sit down. It's been stifling work and--I'm
tired."

He sank into the chair and closed his eyes, his face grown suddenly
weary. His wife drew near to him slowly, with more of pained curiosity
than of solicitude in her face, and laid a half-reluctant hand on the
arm of his chair.

"Does it hurt, Theo?" she asked softly.

"Nothing to bother about. Mackay will be here soon."

"Won't you tell us how it happened?"

"There's not much to tell, Ladybird. Rajinder Singh's charger kicked
me while I was cutting his head-rope--that's all. The good old chap
was quite upset because I wouldn't let him do it himself."

"Well, I think you _ought_ to have let him. It wouldn't have mattered
half so much if _he_----"

"That's enough, Evelyn!" the man broke out in a flash of genuine
anger. "If you're only going to say things of that sort, you may as
well hold your tongue."

And once again he closed his eyes, as if in self-defence against
further argument or upbraiding.

His wife stood watching him with a puzzled frown, while Honor, a
keenly interested observer, wondered what would happen next.

Her sympathy, as always, inclined to the man's point of