, sir," Gerrard ventured to
say, emboldened by the speaker's evident, though unexpressed,
dissatisfaction with the arrangement. James Antony looked at him
severely from under bushy brows. His loyalty to his more brilliant
brother never permitted him the luxury of criticising his decisions in
public, and he had gone farther than he intended in allowing his
feelings to appear.

"The escort will be sufficient, of course. Charley Cowper goes in
command--has special leave for the purpose. They start next week."

"Then I shall have to hurry back to Darwan," said Charteris.

"Just as well you should be on the spot," agreed James Antony. "You go
to Habshiabad, I suppose, Gerrard?"

"I suppose so, sir."

"Precious little enthusiasm over the prospect, I see. Well, it is a
come-down for the acting-Resident of Agpur."

"That was entirely a thing out of the usual run, sir." Gerrard roused
himself in self-defence. "I was warned not to expect to continue on
that footing, and I didn't for a moment."

"I can find you plenty of work here, if you prefer it. Ah, I see," he
laughed. "The woman is spoiling Eden, as usual. Get married, get
married, and you'll think no more about her."

"Thank you for your advice, sir. Your own experience?" asked Charteris.

James Antony looked first furious, then almost contrite, and finally
gave way to a huge burst of laughter. "Curious how one falls in with
other people's way of talking, when one knows it is absolutely false!"
he said. "No, it is not my experience, and you know it, you young dog.
I married my wife because I couldn't do without her, and it has been
the same story from that day to this. That's my experience, and you
can't do better than follow it."

"But then one of us would have to put the other out of the way--eh,
Hal?" said Charteris dolefully, as Mr James departed, his great
shoulders still heaving with laughter.

* * * * * *

When Mr Nisbet and Captain Cowper left Ranjitgarh the following week,
Gerrard went part of the way with them. They travelled by water, their
respective escorts marching by land, and he would have a day or two to
wait at one of the riverside towns until his men came up. The hot
weather would soon begin, and the river was low, so that the progress
of the boats was agreeably diversified by frequent groundings, now on
the shore and now on a sandbank, and the heat and the glare of the
water furnished an excuse