nd that that mutiny
would be attended with partial success, that a portion of the garrison,
at any rate, will escape, and that Miss Hannay will be traveling down
the country, perhaps to Cawnpore, in your charge, while I in some way
shall be with you, perhaps acting as guide."

"It may possibly be so," the Doctor agreed. "It is at any rate very
curious. I wonder whether Miss Hannay recognized herself in the
disguise."

"I should hope not, Doctor; if it all comes true there will be enough
for her to bear without looking forward to that. I should be glad if the
detachment were ordered back to Cawnpore."

"Well, I should not have thought that, Bathurst."

"I know what you mean, Doctor, but it is for that reason I wish they
were gone. I believe now that you insisted on my coming down to spend
those three days with you at Cawnpore specially that I might meet her."

"That is so, Bathurst. I like her so much that I should be very sorry
to see her throw herself away upon some empty headed fool. I like her
greatly, and I was convinced that you were just the man to make her
happy, and as I knew that you had good prospects in England, I thought
it would be a capital match for her, although you are but a young
civilian; and I own that of late I have thought things were going on
very well."

"Perhaps it might have been so, Doctor, had it not been for this coming
trouble, which, if our fears are realized, will entirely put an end even
to the possibility of what you are talking about. I shall be shown to
be a coward, and I shall do my best to put myself in the way of being
killed. I should not like to blow my brains out, but if the worst comes
to the worst I will do that rather than go on living after I have again
disgraced myself."

"You look at it too seriously, Bathurst."

"Not a bit of it, Doctor, and you know it."

"But if the Sepoys rise, Bathurst, why should they harm their officers?
They may be discontented, they may have a grievance against the
Government, they may refuse to obey orders and may disband; but why on
earth should they attack men who have always been kind to them, whom
they have followed in battle, and against whom they have not as much as
a shadow of complaint?"

"I hope it may be so most sincerely," Bathurst said; "but one never
can say. I can hardly bring myself to believe that they will attack
the officers, much less injure women and children. Still, I have a most
uneasy foreboding of evil."

"Y