he must accept
his fate like a man. Four months before that time, Ethel Dent had
stabbed him almost to the death. Now, with delicate precision, she
had struck him full across the face. The touch had hurt him far more
than the deeper wound had done; but, at least, she should never be
aware of it. To his mind, she had forfeited all right to the
knowledge.

He dressed with careful precision. More than once he was forced to
sit down for a moment; more than once his fingers refused to do his
bidding and his hands dropped inertly at his side. However, Carew
found him waiting, hat in hand, and together they drove away to the
Citadel.

Already, when they reached the door, the reception was nearing its
highest tide. The rooms were bright with uniforms and with trailing
gowns, gay with the hum of voices; and the lilt of a waltz came
softly to them from across the distance. As they halted on the
threshold, Weldon lifted his eyes and suddenly found them resting
full upon Ethel Dent. The girl was quite at the farther end of the
long room, the central figure of a little throng, and wholly
unconscious of their presence. Her back was towards Weldon. He could
only see the sweep of her shimmering gown, the heavy coils of yellow
hair and the curve of one rounding cheek; yet, even in that partial
view, he felt himself astounded at her vitality. It flashed until it
dazzled him, and the dazzle hurt. He bowed to the governor and
turned away into another room, striving, as he went, to account for
the sudden depression which had fallen upon him. He had not expected
to find Ethel Dent moping alone in a corner; neither had he looked
for a radiant alertness such as he had never seen in her before.
During the long weeks of his illness, his mental picture of her had
been colored by the sadness of their last meeting. Now the picture
was torn aside and a new one thrust into its place, and the new one
seemed garish to his weary nerves.

"Weldon! Have you risen from the grave?"

He turned sharply, to find himself face to face with the captain of
his former troop.

"Merely from hospital," he answered. "I have been lying up for
repairs."

The other man nodded.

"I know; and thereby adding to the glamour which surrounds a man
elect for the V. C. Are you all right again?"

Weldon's voice hardened to match the strain he was putting upon his
control.

"Absolutely. I am sailing for home, next week."

"And taking a farewell view of the place, b