l.

"Papa, have you read this? Do you see what they say?"

"Eh, what, my dear?" Sir Arthur groped for his glasses, and settled
them on his nose. "Oh, that nonsense of Lennox's, I see--most improper
interference; like his--er--er--usual impudence to meddle in our
affairs."

"But the things he says about Mr Charteris, papa--that he ought to be
court-martialled!"

"Well, my dear, you need not be frightened. Old Harry Lennox ain't
commanding in Granthistan."

"But it's just as bad if he only deserved to be court-martialled, and
we know he doesn't. As if Mr Gerrard would ever have joined him if he
had been merely trying to bring himself into notoriety at the expense
of disobeying orders!"

"There's no doubt that he moved without orders, my dear girl. And if
you ask me, I have a shrewd idea that he was in no hurry to open his
orders when they reached him, lest they should direct him to retire.
Ought to be broke, the young scamp! But hang me if I wouldn't have
done the same in his place!"

"Oh, papa, I am so glad you feel like that! You are writing to him?
Do you know, I was going to ask you to let me put in a note, that he
might see there was one person on his side."

"Oho, you sly little puss!" cried Sir Arthur, highly amused. Honour
looked offended, and her father shifted his ground rapidly. "No, no,
Honour, I couldn't think of it--without consulting your mother, at any
rate. But I tell you what I will do--add a postscript that my family
send their kind regards to him and Gerrard. Mustn't leave poor Gerrard
quite out in the cold, but I think they'll understand that--eh?"

"There is nothing to understand," said Honour, departing with dignity.

"So it's Charteris!" said Sir Arthur to himself. "Somehow I had an
idea it was the other. I'm almost sorry. He will take it hard, poor
chap!"

CHAPTER XX.

A DAY OF VICTORY.

Sitting in Charteris's tent, in their shirt-sleeves, the two
inconvenient young men whose inconsiderate action was casting British
India into turmoil talked over their prospects. The remainder of the
Habshiabad force had beaten off the detachment opposed to it, and
rejoined Gerrard and the guns, and Chand Singh and the Agpur army had
continued their precipitate flight. On the evening of the battle, the
long-delayed despatches from Ranjitgarh caught up Charteris at last,
ordering him to retire forthwith into Darwan, since it would be
impossible during the hot weather to move