nswered, with a
swift softening of face and voice. "I won't start being autocratic
till I get you back again. Only--sit down at once, please. You don't
look fit to stand."

He obeyed with unconcealed willingness, at the same time handing her a
note.

"It is from Mrs Desmond. She is expecting you over there this
afternoon."

Honor looked mutinous.

"But I want to stay with you. I shall see plenty of Evelyn later."

"Still, I think we must spare her an hour to-day. The little woman's
keen to see you, and I'd like Desmond to feel that we appreciate his
prompt kindness. He'll be down at the Lines all the afternoon. It's
our day for tent-pegging. You might ride down with Mrs Desmond, and
bring me news of what my men are doing. I'm mad at not being able to
be there myself."

She deserted her breakfast, and knelt down beside him.

"Dear man! Of course I'll go and find out all about it from Captain
Desmond. I needn't stay long to do that."

"No. You can say you want to get back to me. Desmond will understand."

"He's rather a fine fellow, isn't he?"

"One of the best I know. The last man who ought to be hampered by a
woman."

"I might take that as a dismissal! How about yourself!"

"Ah, that's quite another matter." And he laid a hand upon the soft
abundance of her hair. "Mine is only a two years' contract. And, in
any case, _I_ would never allow myself to be handicapped by a
woman--not even by you. But I don't feel so certain about Desmond."

"Poor little Evelyn! Do you mean, ... is there any question of her
really hampering him, ... seriously?"

Meredith hesitated. A half-smile hovered in his tired eyes.

"As I'm strongly against the whole affair, and have hardly forgiven
him yet for marrying at all, it is fairer for me to say nothing about
her one way or the other. You must judge for yourself."

CHAPTER II.

I WANT TO BE FIRST.

"A breath of light, a pulse of tender fire,
Too dear for doubt, too driftless for desire."
--SWINBURNE.

Sixteen months earlier, Evelyn Dacre--having come out to India with a
party of tourist friends--had chanced to spend Christmas week at
Lahore: a week which brings half the Punjab together for purposes of
festivity and sport. Here, by some mysterious process, which no
science will ever be able to fathom or explain, she had cast an
instantaneous and unaccountable spell over a man of rare singleness of
purpose, who