or reviews. Civilian
ladies--whose husbands had no uniform to be copied--called it fast, or
at least 'spirited,' (Gerrard had heard Mrs James Antony animadverting
upon it only that morning,) but the severe lines of the coat suited
Honour well in combination with the long trailing skirt and the broad
hat with its drooping feather. As he rode up to the pair, and noted
the serious face and the firm lines of the mouth, it struck Gerrard as
curiously ironical that to a girl of this type should have fallen such
a prolonged period of indecision as Honour had undergone between the
claims of Charteris and himself. The thought was still in his mind
when she glanced round and saw him, and the change in her face was like
the waking into life of a statue. The lines softened, the eyes
dropped, and a wave of crimson flooded forehead and cheeks. Sir Arthur
shouted a hearty welcome to Gerrard, commanded him to dinner that
evening, to meet his eldest son, who was on the Headquarters Staff, and
turned judiciously to speak to some one else. Honour's eyes were on
her horse's mane, Gerrard's were devouring her face, but for the moment
both of them were tongue-tied. Honour recovered herself first, and
spoke with a desperate effort.

"And--and how is Major Charteris?" she asked, and Gerrard's revived
hope died on the spot. He could not understand afterwards why he did
not fall from his horse. What he answered he never knew, but it seemed
that he had laughed aloud, for Sir Arthur turned quickly and looked at
him. A certain severity, disappointment, puzzled inquiry, were in the
glance, but Gerrard had wrenched his horse round and was riding away,
leaving the General still looking after him. He rode headlong back to
the Residency, and with the impulse of a wounded creature seeking
concealment, made straight for his own quarters in the inner courtyard.
On the verandah he paused abruptly, for Charteris was sitting there
reading a tattered number of _Bell's Life_. He tried to speak, but no
words would come, and Charteris looked up and saw him.

"Why, Hal!" he cried. Gerrard brushed past him hastily.

"I've seen her. It's you, Bob," he jerked out, and threw himself on
his cot. Charteris had sprung from his chair, but turned back on the
verandah step.

"Hal, old boy, I'm uncommon sorry. You do believe it, don't you?"

"I do. And you know you are the only man----"

Charteris's hand was on his shoulder a moment as the words failed