o?"

Warde, however, unwilling to commit himself, spoke of Harry's ardour and
patriotism. But at the end he let fall a straw which indicated the true
current of his thoughts--

"Mr. Desmond is very lonely."

John swooped on this.

"Then you think, you _do_ think, that Harry should have stayed behind?"

"Perhaps. One hesitates to accuse the boy of anything more than
thoughtlessness."

"If he wished to serve his country," began John, warmly.

Warde smiled. "Yes, yes," he assented. "Let us believe that, John; but
there has been too much cheap excitement."

Dark days followed. Who will ever forget Stormberg and Magersfontein? A
pall seemed to hang over the kingdom. Ladysmith remained in the grip of
the invader; the Boers were not yet driven out of Natal. Meantime Caesar
had reached Sir Redvers Buller. A letter to his father, describing the
few incidents of the voyage out, and his arrival in South Africa, was
sent on to John and received by him on the 1st of February. "John will
understand," said Caesar, in a postscript, "that I have little time for
writing." But John did not understand. He wrote regularly to Desmond; no
answer came in return.

* * * * *

At the end of the Christmas holidays John returned to Harrow. He was now
Head of his House, and very nearly Head of the School. The weeks went by
slowly. Soon, he and a few others would travel to Oxford for their
examination; there would be the strenuous excitement of competition, and
the final announcement of success or failure. To all this John told
himself that he was lukewarm. Nothing seemed to matter since he had lost
sight of Caesar's face, since the train whirled his friend out of his
life. But he worked hard, so hard that the Head Master bade him beware
of a breakdown.

* * * * *

The hour of triumph came. John had gratified his own and Warde's
ambition; he was a Scholar of Christ Church. And this well-earned
success seemed to draw something in his heart. The congratulations, the
warm hand-clasps, the generous joy of schoolfellows not as fortunate,
restored his moral circulation. A whole holiday was granted in honour of
his success at Oxford. He told himself that now he would take things
easy and enjoy himself. The clouds in South Africa were lifting,
everybody said the glorious end was in sight. And so far Desmond had
escaped wounds and sickness. He had received a commission in
Beauregard