ed till some papers
were signed before he had Westerling's attention. Then Westerling picked
up Bouchard's note and shook his head sadly.

"Poor Bouchard! You can see for yourself," and he handed the note to
Bellini. "I should have realized earlier that it was a case for the
doctor and not for reprimand. Mad! Poor Bouchard! He hadn't the ability
or the resiliency of mind for his task, as I hope you have, colonel."

"I hope so, sir," replied Bellini.

"I've no doubt you have," said Westerling. "You are my choice!"

XXXIX

A CHANGE OF PLAN

That day and the next Westerling had no time fix strolling in the
garden. His only exercise was a few periods of pacing on the veranda.
Turcas, as tirelessly industrious as ever, developed an increasingly
quiet insistence to leave the responsibility of decisions about
everything of importance to a chief who was becoming increasingly
arbitrary. The attack on Engadir being the jewel of Westerling's own
planning, he was disinclined to risk success by delegating authority,
which also meant sharing the glory of victory.

Bouchard's note, though officially dismissed as a matter of pathology,
would not accept dismissal privately. In flashes of distinctness it
recurred to him between reports of the progress of preparations and
directions as to dispositions. At dusk of the second day, when all the
guns and troops had their places for the final movement under cover of
darkness and he rose from his desk, the thing that had edged its way
into a crowded mind took possession of the premises that strategy and
tactics had vacated. It passed under the same analysis as his work. His
overweening pride, so sensitive to the suspicion of a conviction that he
had been fooled, put his relations with Marta in logical review.

He had fallen in love in the midst of war. This fact was something that
his egoism must resent. Any woman who had struck such a response in him
as she had must have great depths. Had she depths that he had not
fathomed? He recalled her sudden change of attitude toward war, her
conversion to the cause of the Grays, and her charm in this as in all
their relations.

Was it conceivable that the change was not due to a personal feeling for
him? Was her charm a charm with a purpose? Had he, the chief of staff,
been beguiled into making a woman his confidant in military secrets?
Just what had he told her? He could not recollect anything definite and
recollection was the more d