ndow above St. James's Park; he
remembered hearing the tattoo from the parade-ground of Wellington
Barracks--and a telegram had come.

Durrance made up another picture in his mind. Harry Feversham at the
table reading and re-reading his telegram, Trench and Willoughby waiting
silently, perhaps expectantly, and himself paying no heed, but staring
out from the bright room into the quiet and cool of the park.

"Castleton was dining with a big man from the War Office that night,"
Durrance said, and a little movement at his side warned him that he was
getting hot in his search. He sat for a while longer talking about the
prospects of the Soudan, and then rose up from his chair.

"Well, I can rely on you, Willoughby, to help Feversham if ever you find
him. Draw on me for money."

"I will do my best," said Willoughby. "You are going? I could have won a
bet off you this afternoon."

"How?"

"You said that you did not let your cigars go out. This one's stone
cold."

"I forgot about it; I was thinking of Feversham. Good-bye."

He took a cab and drove away from the club door. Willoughby was glad to
see the last of him, but he was fairly satisfied with his own exhibition
of diplomacy. It would have been strange, after all, he thought, if he
had not been able to hoodwink poor old Durrance; and he returned to the
smoking-room and refreshed himself with a whiskey and potass.

Durrance, however, had not been hoodwinked. The last perplexing question
had been answered for him that afternoon. He remembered now that no
mention had been made at the dinner which could identify the sender of
the telegram. Feversham had read it without a word, and without a word
had crumpled it up and tossed it into the fire. But to-day Willoughby
had told him that it had come from Castleton, and Castleton had been
dining with a high official of the War Office. The particular act of
cowardice which had brought the three white feathers to Ramelton was
easy to discern. Almost the next day Feversham had told Durrance in the
Row that he had resigned his commission, and Durrance knew that he had
not resigned it when the telegram came. That telegram could have brought
only one piece of news, that Feversham's regiment was ordered on active
service. The more Durrance reflected, the more certain he felt that he
had at last hit upon the truth. Nothing could be more natural than that
Castleton should telegraph his good news in confidence to his friends.
Durran