told me."

She sat down in her favourite position on the arm of his chair, her arm
about his neck. Her eyes were shining. Carey looked up at her.

"Well?" he said. "Has he plucked up courage at last to ask for what he
wants?"

"Yes; he actually has." There was a purr of content in Gwen's voice.
"And it's quite all right, Reggie. Mummy has said 'yes,' as I knew she
would, directly I told her about Major Coningsby finding his wife again.
All she said to that was: 'Dear me! How annoying for poor Major
Coningsby!' I thought it was horrid of her to say that, but I didn't say
so, for I wanted it all to come quite casually. And after that I wrote
to Charlie, and he told the Admiral. And he came straight over only
this morning and asked her. He's been telling me all about it, and he's
so awfully happy! He says he was a big fool not to ask her long ago in
the summer. For what do you think she said, Reggie, when he told her
that he'd been wanting to marry her for ever so long, but couldn't be
quite sure how she felt about it? Why, she said, with that funny little
laugh of hers--you know her way--'My dear Admiral, I was only waiting
to be asked.' The dear old man nearly cried when he told me. And I
kissed him. And he and Charlie are coming over to dine this evening. So
we can all be happy together."

Gwen paused to breathe, and to give her cousin an ardent hug.

"You've been a perfect dear about it," she ended with enthusiasm. "It
would never have happened but for you, and--and Mademoiselle Treves. Do
you think she hated going back to that man very badly?"

"I think she did," said Carey.

He was looking, not at Gwen, but straight at the window in front of him.
There were deep lines about his eyes, as if he had not slept of late.

"But she needn't have stayed," urged Gwen.

He did not answer. In his pocket there lay a slip of paper containing a
few brief lines in a woman's hand.

"I have taken up my burden again, and, God helping me, I will carry it
now to the end. You know what it means to me, but I shall always thank
you in my heart, because in the hour of my utter weakness you were
strong.--NAOMI CONINGSBY."

The splendid courage that underlay those few words had not hidden from
the man the cost of her sacrifice. She had gone voluntarily back into
the bandage that once had crushed her to the earth. And he--and he
only--knew what it meant to her.

He was brought back to his surroundings by the pressure of Gwen's ar