that. Impossible to promote or to recommend for reward, almost
impossible to keep. Of course, if he had been caught young and put
through the mill, it might have been different. "It _might_" the Colonel
heavily underlined the possibility, but he came from Heaven knew where,
after a life spent Heaven knew how. "And he seemed to know it himself,"
the Colonel had said, thoughtfully rolling his port round in the glass.
"Whenever I wigged him, he offered to go; said he'd chuck his commission
and enlist; said he'd be happier in the ranks. But I was weak, I couldn't
bear to do it." After thus quoting his friend, the General added: "He was
weak, damned weak, and I told him so."

"Of course he ought to have got rid of him," said Alec. "Still, sir,
there's nothing, er, disgraceful."

"It seems hardly to have come to that," the General admitted reluctantly.

"It all rather makes me like him," Gertie affirmed courageously.

"I think that, on the whole, we may venture to know him in times of
peace," Mr. Naylor summed up.

"That's your look out," remarked the General. "I've warned you. You can
do as you like."

Delia Wall had sat silent through the story. Now she spoke up, and got
back to the real point:

"There's nothing in all that to show how he comes to be at Mr.
Saffron's."

The General shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, Saffron be hanged! He's not the
British Army," he said.

CHAPTER III

MR. SAFFRON AT HOME

To put it plainly, Sergeant Hooper--he had been a Sergeant for a brief
and precarious three weeks, but he used the title in civil life whenever
he safely could, and he could at Inkston--Sergeant Hooper was a
villainous-looking dog. Beaumaroy, fresh from the comely presences of Old
Place, unconscious of how the General had ripped up his character and
record, pleasantly nursing a little project concerning Dr. Mary Arkroyd,
had never been more forcibly struck with his protege's ill-favoredness
than when he arrived home on this same evening, and the Sergeant met him
at the door.

"By gad, Sergeant," he observed pleasantly, "I don't think anybody could
be such a rascal as you look. It's that faith that carries me through."

The Sergeant helped him off with his coat. "It's some people's
stock-in-trade," he remarked, "not to look a rascal like they really are,
sir." The "sir" stuck out of pure habit; it carried no real implication
of respect.

"Meaning me!" laughed Beaumaroy. "How's the old man to-night?"