s nothing much he could do. And I thought him a bit
rough. Nervousness, I fancy. You see the dog did not like being handled
by a stranger, and made it rather hot for him once or twice. I could
not let him be worried, poor old man, and so Julius March, and Winter,
and I, took turn and turn about with him."

"Where did he die?"

"In the Gun-Room, on the tiger-skin."--Honoria did not look round. Her
voice grew perceptibly husky. "Chifney and I sat up with him that last
night."

"You and Chifney?" Lady Calmady exclaimed, almost in protest.

"Yes. Of course the men would have been as kind as kind could be. Only
I had a feeling you would be glad to know I was there, later, when we
told you. You see Chifney's as good as any vet, and I had to have
somebody. The dog was rather queer. I did not quite know how to manage
him alone."

Lady Calmady put out her hand. Honoria took it silently, and fell to
stroking it once more. It was a declaration of peace, she felt, on the
part of the obstinate well-beloved--possibly a declaration of something
over and above peace.

"Winter saw to our creature comforts," the young lady continued. "Oh,
we weren't starved, I promise you! And Chifney was excellent company."

She hesitated a moment.

"He told me endless yarns about horses--about Doncaster and Newmarket,
and Goodwood. I was greatly flattered at being regarded sufficiently of
the equestrian order to hear all that.--And he told me stories about
Richard, when he was quite a little boy--and about his father also."

Honoria had a conviction the tears were running down Lady Calmady's
cheeks, but she would not look round. She only stroked the hand she
held softly, and talked on.

"They were fine," she said, "some of those stories. I am glad to have
heard them. They went home to me. When all is said and done, there is
nothing like breeding and pluck, and the courtesy which goes along with
them. But after midnight Camp grew very restless. He had his blanket in
the big armchair--you know the one I mean--as usual. But he wouldn't
stay there. We had to lift him down. You see his hindquarters were
paralysed, and he couldn't help himself much. It was pathetic. I can't
forget the asking look in his half-blind eyes. But we couldn't make out
what he wanted. At last he dragged himself as far as the door, and we
set it open and watched him, poor, dear beast. He got across the lobby
to the bottom of the little staircase----"

The speaker's brea