other men who have had their moment of funk, but, as the matter
never came under the official eyes, they have made good since--ended up
as V.C.'s, some of 'em. Facts are often very foolish things, to my mind.
Motives, and circumstances, even conditions of physical health, are
bound to play as big a part as facts, if you're going to administer
pure justice. But the army can't consider the super-administration of
justice"--smiling. "Discipline must be maintained and examples made.
Only--sometimes--it's damn bad luck on the example."

It was an unusually long speech for Miles to have been guilty of, and
Audrey stood looking at him in some surprise.

"Miles, you're rather a dear, you know. I believe you're almost as
strongly on Garth's side as Jane Crab."

"Is Jane?" And Herrick smiled. "She's a good old sport then. Anyhow,
I don't propose to add my quota to the bill Trent's got to pay, poor
devil!"

Audrey's face softened as she turned to go.

"One can't help feeling pitifully sorry for him," she admitted. "To have
had Sara--and then to have lost her!"

There was a whimsical light in Herrick's eyes as he answered her.

"But, at least," he said, "he _has_ had her, if only for a few days."

Audrey paused with her hand upon the latch of the door.

"I imagine Garth--asked for what he wanted!" she observed, and vanished
precipitately through the doorway.

"Audrey!" Miles started up, but, by the time he reached the house door,
she was already disappearing through the gateway into the road and
beyond pursuit.

"She must have _run_!" he commented ruefully to himself as he returned
to the sitting-room.

This discovery seemed to afford him food for reflection. For a long time
he sat very quietly in his chair, apparently arguing out with himself
some knotty point.

Nor had his thoughts, at the moment, any connection with the recent
discussion of Garth Trent's affairs. It was only after the Lavender Lady
had returned, a little pink about the eyelids, that the recollection of
the original object of Mrs. Maynard's visit recurred to him.

Simultaneously, his brows drew together in a sudden concentration of
thought, and an inarticulate exclamation escaped him.

Miss Livinia looked up from the delicate piece of cobwebby lace she was
finishing.

"What did you say, dear?" she asked absently.

"I didn't say anything," he smiled back at her. "I was thinking rather
hard, that's all, and just remembered something I had forgo