urting you. But you must lie quiet."

"Very well, I will. I want to know about Richard Cleave--about my
colonel."

Her dark eyes met the sea-blue ones fully. "He is under arrest," she
said. "General Jackson has preferred charges against him."

"Charges of what?"

"Of disobedience to orders--of sacrificing the regiment--of--of
retreating at last when he should not have done so and leaving his men
to perish--of--of--. I have seen a copy of the charge. _Whereas the said
colonel of the 65th did shamefully_--"

Her voice broke. "Oh, if I were God--"

There was a moment's silence--silence here in the corner by the stair,
though none beyond in the painful, moaning ward. A bird sailed across
the strip of blue sky; the stalk of phlox on the soldier's narrow bed
lay withering in the light. Allan spoke. "General Jackson is very stern
with failure. He may believe that charge. I don't see how he can; but if
he made it he believes it. But you--you don't believe it?--"

"Believe it?" she said. "No more than God believes it! The question is
now, how to help Richard."

"Have you heard from him?"

She took from her dress a folded leaf torn from a pocket-book. "You are
his friend. You may read it. Wait, I will hold it." She laid it before
him, holding it in her slight, fine, strong fingers.

He read. _Judith: You will hear of the fate of the 65th. How it happened
I do not yet understand. It is like death on my heart. You will hear,
too, of my own trouble. As to me, believe only that I could sit beside
you and talk to-day as we talked awhile ago, in the sunset. Richard._

She refolded the paper and put it back. "The evidence will clear him,"
said Allan. "It must. The very doubt is absurd."

Her face lightened. "General Jackson will see that he was hasty--unjust.
I can understand such anger at first, but later, when he
reflects--Richard will be declared innocent--"

"Yes. An honourable acquittal. It will surely be so."

"I am glad I came. You have always known him and been his friend."

"Let me tell you the kind of things I know of Richard Cleave. No, it
doesn't hurt me to talk."

"I can stay a little longer. Yes, tell me."

Allan spoke at some length, in his frank, quiet voice. She sat beside
him, with her cheek on her hand, the blue sky and old house roofs above
her. When he ceased her eyes were full of tears. She would not let them
fall. "If I began to cry I should never stop," she said, and smiled them
away. Present