Through that mist, she was aware of Frank vigorously shaking hands
with Desmond, scolding and blessing him in one breath. "Ah, Theo, man,
you're a shocking bad lot!" was her sisterly greeting. "Never clear
out o' one frying-pan till you're into the next! Thank the Powers Miss
Meredith was handy." And swinging round on her heel she accosted the
girl herself. "No mistaking the stock _you_ come of, Honor, me dear!"

Submerged in blushes, Honor could scarce command her voice. "But
really--I only----"

"You only hit the bull's eye like a man, Miss Meredith," Captain
Olliver took her up promptly. "The Major never told us he was adding a
crack shot to the regiment!" And he swept her a bow that reduced her
to silence.

More overwhelming than all were the few direct words from Colonel
Buchanan himself; a tall, hard-featured Scot, so entirely absorbed in
his profession that he never, save of dire necessity, set foot in a
lady's drawing-room.

Paul Wyndham introduced him, and moved aside, leaving them together.
For an instant he treated the girl to the quiet scrutiny of clear blue
eyes, unpleasantly penetrating. He had scarcely looked at her till
now. Still unreconciled to Desmond's marriage, he had resented the
introduction of a third woman into the regiment; and he found himself
momentarily bewildered by her beauty.

"I ought to be better acquainted with you, Miss Meredith," he said a
little stiffly, sincerity struggling through natural reticence, like a
light through a fog. "I'm no lady's man, as you probably know, but I
had to come and thank you to-night. Desmond's quite my finest
officer--no disrespect to your brother; he knows it as well as I
do----"

"Here you are, Colonel!" Geoff Olliver thrust a long tumbler into his
senior's hand. "We're going to let off steam by drinking Miss
Meredith's health before we go back."

Honor looked round hastily, in hopes of effecting an escape, and was
confronted by Desmond's eyes looking straight into her own. He lifted
his glass with a smile of the frankest friendliness; and the rest
followed his example.

"Miss Meredith, your very good health."

The words went round the room in a deep disjointed murmur; and Frank
Olliver, stepping impulsively forward, held out her glass to the girl.

"Here's to your health and good luck, with all my heart, Honor, ...
the Honor o' the regiment!" she added, with a flash of her white
teeth.

Uproarious shouts greeted the spontaneous sally.