, Sir Thomas sent me a line, also a newspaper containing a report
of the inquest. Have you?'

He shook his head. 'We wrote immediately after we left, and Lady
Bolivick has written to mother, but--nothing more.'

'Of course you got particulars about Springfield. It seems he left a
sealed packet. Did it contain a letter for you?'

'No, nothing. I often wonder who he wrote to. Do you know anything?'

'Nothing. But I propose going to Bolivick to-morrow; perhaps they'll
tell me.'

'To-morrow! I say, old man, have you heard from her?'

I nodded. 'No, her letter contained nothing that would interest you,'
I continued as I noted the look of inquiry in his eyes. 'Why don't you
go with me? It would seem quite natural, seeing you are off to the
front so soon.'

He hesitated a second, and then shook his head. 'No, Luscombe,' he
said, 'she'll send for me if she wants me.'

'That's not the way to win a girl. How can she send for you?'

'I seem to have lost confidence since my memory came back,' he replied.
'When I told her I loved her, although I didn't seem to have the ghost
of a chance, I felt confident, serene. Now I'm sure of nothing.'

'Nothing?' I queried. 'Do you mean to say that--that your faith in God
and that kind of thing is gone?'

'No, no,' he replied quickly. 'That remains. It's the foundation of
everything, everything. But God doesn't do things in the way we
expect, and when we expect. After all, our life here is only a
fragment, and God has plenty of time. He's never in a hurry. It's all
right, old man. She'll be mine some time. If not in this world, in
another.'

'If I loved a girl, I'd move heaven and earth to get her in this life.'

'Yes, don't fear that I'm not going to do my bit; but I've had a little
time for thinking, and I've had to adjust myself to--to my new
conditions.'

'With what results? How do things strike you now?'

'What things? The war?'

'Yes, that among others. Have you the same views you had? After our
peregrinations through London, you were not optimistic, I remember.
You seemed to regard England as in a bad way. You said we were not fit
for victory. What are your views now?'

He was silent a few seconds before replying.

'I expect I was a bit of a fool,' he said presently. 'I'm afraid my
outlook was narrow and silly. You see, I had no experience to go on.
I had no standards.'

'No standards?' I repeated. 'You mean, then, that you've given