ne, when she replied, was meant to
convey some slight annoyance at the question.

"About three months."

Captain Granet kicked a pebble away from the path in front of him with
his sound foot.

"I should think he must be a very good surgeon," he remarked in a
measured tone. "Looks as though he had lots of nerve, and that sort of
thing. To tell you the truth, though, he rather frightens me. I don't
think that he has much sympathy with my type."

She became a little more indulgent and smiled faintly as she looked at
him.

"I wonder what your type is?" she asked reflectively.

"Fairly obvious, I am afraid," he confessed, with a sigh. "I love my
soldiering, of course, and I am ashamed to think how keen I have been
on games, and should be still if I had the chance. Outside that I don't
read much, I am not musical, and I am very much predisposed to let
the future look after itself. There are thousands just like me," he
continued thoughtfully. "We don't do any particular harm in the world
but I don't suppose we do much good."

"Don't be silly," she protested. "For one thing, it is splendid to be a
capable soldier. You are just what the country wants to-day. But apart
from that I am quite sure that you have brains."

"Have I?" he murmured. "Perhaps it's the incentive I lack."

They were silent for a few moments. Then they began to talk more
lightly. They discussed dogs and horses, their mutual friends, and their
engagements for the next few days. They did not once refer to Thomson.
Presently Geraldine paused to speak to some friends. Granet leaned upon
his stick in the background and watched her. She was wearing a plain
tailor made suit and a becoming little hat, from underneath which little
wisps of golden hair had somehow detached themselves in a fascinating
disorder. There was a delicate pink colour in her cheeks, the movements
and lines of her body were all splendidly free and graceful. As she
talked to her friends her eyes for the moment seemed to have lost their
seriousness. Her youth had reasserted itself--her youth and splendid
physical health. He watched her eagerly, and some shadow seemed to pass
from his own face--the shadow of his suffering or his pain. He, too,
seemed to grow younger. The simplest and yet the most wonderful joy in
life was thrilling him. At last she bade farewell to her friends and
came smiling towards him.

"I am so sorry to have kept you all this time!" she exclaimed. "Lady
Anne has j