clusive use.

Lunch, liberated by what amounted to certainty that the man was not
killed, ran riot; almost all its factors taking a little more, thank
you! It was brought up on its haunches by being suddenly made aware that
Sir Coupland--having had something to eat--had spoken. He had to repeat
his words to reach the far end of the long table.

"Yes--I said ... only of course if you make such a row you can't
hear.... I said that this gentleman cannot be said to have recovered
consciousness"--here he paused for a mistaken exclamation of
disappointment to get nipped in the bud, and then continued--"yet a
while. However, I am glad to say I--both of us, Dr. Nash and myself, I
should say--were completely mistaken about the case. It has turned out
contrary to every expectation that...." Nobody noticed that a pause here
was due to Lady Gwen having made "No!" with her lips, and looked a
protest at the speaker. He went on:--"Well ... in short ... I would have
sworn the man was dead ... and he isn't! That's all I have to say about
it at present. It might be over-sanguine to say he is alive--meaning
that he will succeed in keeping so--but he is certainly not _dead_."
Miss Dickenson lodged her claim to a mild form of omniscience by saying
with presence of mind:--"Exactly!" but without presumption, so that only
her near neighbours heard her. Self-respect called for no more.

Had the insensible man spoken?--the Earl asked pertinently. Oh dear, no!
Nothing so satisfactory as that, so far. The vitality was almost _nil_.
The Earl retired on his question to listen to what a Peninsular veteran
was saying to Gwen. This ancient warrior was one who talked but little,
and then only to two sorts, old men like himself, with old memories of
India and the Napoleonic wars, and young women like Gwen. As this was
his way, it did not seem strange that he should address her all but
exclusively, with only a chance side-word now and then to his host, for
mere courtesy.

"When I was in Madras in eighteen-two--no--eighteen-three," he said, "I
was in the Nineteenth Dragoons under Maxwell--he was killed, you
know--in that affair with the Mahrattas...."

"I know. I've read about the Battle of Assaye, and how General Wellesley
had two horses shot under him...."

"That was it. Scindia, you know--that affair! They had some very good
artillery for those days, and our men had to charge up to the guns. I
was cut down in Maxwell's cavalry charge, and went nea