tation that could never be coupled with the
name of Meredith."

Honor looked up at that with a characteristic tilt of her chin, and
Mrs Conolly's face softened to a smile.

"Am I counselling cruelly hard things, dear?" she asked tenderly.

"No, indeed. If you were soft and sympathetic, I should go away at
once. You have shown me quite clearly what is required of me. It will
not be--easy. But one can do no less than go through with it--in
silence."

Mrs Conolly sat looking at the girl for a few seconds. Then:

"My dear, I am very proud of you," she said with quiet sincerity. "I
can see that you have drawn freely on a Strength beyond your own. Just
take victory for granted; and do your simple human duty to a sick man
who is in great need of you, and whose fortune or misfortune is a
matter of real concern to many others besides those near and dear to
him. I know I am not exaggerating when I say that if any serious harm
came to Captain Desmond it would be a calamity felt not only by his
regiment, but by more than half the Frontier Force. He has the 'genius
to be loved,' that is perhaps the highest form of genius----"

"I know--I know. Don't talk about him, please."

"Ah! but that is part of your hard programme, Honor. You must learn to
talk of him, and to let others talk of him. Only you must banish him
altogether _out of your own thoughts_. You see the difference?"

"Yes; I see the difference."

"The essence of danger lies there, and too few people recognise it. I
believe that half the emotional catastrophes of life might be traced
back to want of self-control in the region of thought. The world's
real conquerors are those who 'hold in quietness their land of the
spirit'; and you have the power to be one of them if you choose."

"I do choose," Honor answered in a low level voice, looking straight
before her.

"Then the thing is as good as done." She rose on the words, and drew
Honor to her feet. "There; I think I have said hard things enough for
one day."

Honor looked very straightly into the elder woman's strong plain face.

"I know you don't expect me to thank you," she said; "we understand
each other too well for that. And we will never speak of this again,
please. It is dead and buried from to-day."

"Of course. That is why I have spoken rather fully this morning. But
be sure you will be constantly in my thoughts, and--in my prayers."

Then she took possession of the girl, holding her closely for a l