ought face to face with Sir
Mark--"

"Mark--no _Sir_," cried Jerry hotly.

"Silence, man. You will be brought face to face with the officer you
accuse. Meanwhile, you do not leave the barracks. You are under
arrest."

"No, sir; pray, sir--Colonel, don't say that. Let me go and see him,"
cried Jerry, with the tears now streaming down his cheeks. "Mr Lacey,
sir, say a word for me to the colonel. I must go to Sir Richard. If
you shut me up--I can't help it, even if you shoot me for it--I shall
desert."

"Silence, sir!"

"I beg pardon, sir," said Lacey; "the man is over-excited. I will be
answerable for him, if you will let him come with me."

The colonel nodded his consent.

"What he says is true," continued Lacey, flushing now. "It must be.
There have been so many things to prove that Smithson--"

"S'Richard, sir," cried Jerry.

"Well, that the young man we are going to see is a gentleman. I believe
it all, Colonel; for, to my sorrow, I know Mark Frayne is little better
than a sharper and a cheat."

"Mind what you are saying, Mr Lacey," cried the colonel sternly.

"I can prove my words, sir," said Lacey firmly.

"Go on, and see what is the matter," said the colonel. "Gentlemen, will
you excuse me? Major, will you come to my quarters? I should like a
word."

Lacey, the doctor, and Jerry went off at once, and ten minutes later
they were at the bedside of Richard Frayne, who was slowly recovering
after the young doctor's bandaging, and was talking wildly, but with
sufficient coherence about the scene among the hops to let his hearers
grasp the fact that this was no attempt at suicide, but a would-be
murderer's deed.

The colonel and major left the barracks some time later, and were driven
up to the quarters of the colonel of the 310th, who looked surprised at
the visit, but said _en passant_--

"I have just heard that your missing bandsman has been found. Suicide,
I suppose?"

"Or attempted murder!" said the colonel gravely. "We have come about
that."

He related what had taken place, and the colonel of the 310th smiled.

"I have heard of romances," he said quietly. "Excuse me."

He touched the bell, and, upon a servant appearing, said--

"Go to Sir Mark Frayne's quarters, and ask him, with my compliments, to
be good enough to step here. _Audi alteram partem_, gentlemen. You
have an impostor in your band."

"We shall see."

Five minutes later the servant returned.

"Well?"