e him ashamed to watch the boy's
humiliation. His own nature was so honest, his loyalty so unbending,
that the sight of viciousness affected him with a physical repulsion,
and he turned away from it as he would have done from the sight of some
hideous ulcer. The doctor surmised that his presence too was undesired.
Murmuring that he had no time to lose if he wanted to get his patients
ready for a night march, he followed Walker out of the tent. George
breathed more freely when he was alone with Alec.

'I'm sorry I did that silly thing just now,' he said. 'I'm glad I didn't
hit you.'

'It doesn't matter at all,' smiled Alec. 'I'd forgotten all about it.'

'I lost my head. I didn't know what I was doing.'

'You need not trouble about that. In Africa even the strongest of us are
apt to lose our balance.'

Alec filled his pipe again, and lighting it, blew heavy clouds of smoke
into the damp air. His voice was softer when he spoke.

'Did you ever know that before we came away I asked Lucy to marry me?'

George did not answer. He stifled a sob, for the recollection of Lucy,
the centre of his love and the mainspring of all that was decent in him,
transfixed his heart with pain.

'She asked me to bring you here in the hope that you'd,'--Alec had some
difficulty in expressing himself--'do something that would make people
forget what happened to your father. She's very proud of her family. She
feels that your good name is--besmirched, and she wanted you to give it
a new lustre. I think that is the object she has most at heart in the
world. It is as great as her love for you. The plan hasn't been much of
a success, has it?'

'She ought to have known that I wasn't suited for this sort of life,'
answered George, bitterly.

'I saw very soon that you were weak and irresolute, but I thought I
could put some backbone into you. I hoped for her sake to make
something of you after all. Your intentions seemed good enough, but you
never had the strength to carry them out.' Alec had been watching the
smoke that rose from his pipe, but now he looked at George. 'I'm sorry
if I seem to be preaching at you.'

'Oh, do you think I care what anyone says to me now?'

Alec went on very gravely, but not unkindly.

'Then I found you were drinking. I told you that no man could stand
liquor in this country, and you gave me your word of honour that you
wouldn't touch it again.'

'Yes, I broke it. I couldn't help myself. The temptation was t