e a charm in those days when
love, and pain, and death had been mere words to them:

"Carden," he called, "Carden, '_it's a quarter to seven, there goes the
bell_!'"

And when there came no answer he turned and buried his head on his arms.

So he sat and kept his vigil with never a thought to the outcome of it
all. Servants there must be somewhere, he knew, but time enough to
explain things when they appeared; time enough to face the world with
the terrible tale; time--oh! a whole long life in which to regret. And
he ached with a great longing to look upon the girl he loved; he longed
passionately to be able to tell her everything before he must tell
others; he threw out his arms in a vain hope that perhaps he could
reach her, and drawing her to him put his head down upon her knees and
tell her of his love for his friend, which had almost equalled his love
for her; his one moment of doubt when a vile hand had linked their
names together; his happiness when the friend he had doubted had lashed
him with words, and told him bluntly to try again.

Then he sat up and turned and looked out into the desert and got to his
feet, but his hand did not go to his hip pocket as he watched something
which came running fleetly through the shadows.

Iouaa and Touaa, the dogs of Billi, were racing home to tell their
master of a surprising adventure which had befallen them, ever so far
out in the desert, where they had gone for an evening stroll before
taking up their posts as sentries outside his tent for the night.

And if only He had not shaken his head when they asked him to go with
them--and He had had his riding-boots on and all---He would have seen
for Himself that there was every excuse in the world for them being out
so late at night.

What matter if they were a disgrace to look upon, with their shaggy
hair matted with sand, and what looked suspiciously like blood? What
if one of Touaa's ears hung limp and Iouaa's tail hung down? The
lioness was dead, and they were coming just as hard as they could pelt
to ask Him to come and see.

They knew exactly what He would say and do when they rushed upon Him.
He would hold up His hand and say, "You disgraceful-looking pair of
disreputable tikes"--He always did--and pull them to Him--Touaa first,
because she was a lady--and would run His hands over them to feel for
bumps, and turn back their ears and lips and look at the pads of their
feet, and give them a good cuff, and lead