he sound of
wheels. This capacity for sustained ardour is a very rare quality in
love that has attained its object, and the woman who does not
succeed--unwittingly enough--in extinguishing it within the first few
years of marriage is rarer still.

The sound he waited for came at length; and he sprang out of his chair.
But in hurrying through the drawing-room, towards the hall, another
sound arrested him; the unmistakable clink of the tonga bar.

"A tonga? Why, who the deuce . . ." he ejaculated mentally. "It can't
be . . . ."

But at this point he fairly ran into the arms of a woman, in alpaca
dust-cloak and shikarri helmet; a woman who clutched his left arm with
both hands: and before he could collect his scattered senses, Quita's
voice was in his ears.

"Oh, Captain Desmond . . tell me . . is he . . . ?"

"He is out of all danger now, . . if he can be kept quiet," Desmond
answered, stifling his own amazement in view of her white face and
shaking lips.

"Thank God. Oh, thank God!" The words were a mere flutter of breath;
and with the sudden relief from long tension all her courage went to
pieces. A dry sob broke in her throat. Her lids dropped; and she fell
limply against him.

"You poor, dear, plucky woman," he murmured, putting an arm round her,
and gently removing the heavy helmet; while she lay motionless; her
head on his shoulder; no vestige of colour in lips or cheeks.

Desmond began to think she must have fainted outright: and while he
held her thus, meditating a cautious removal of his burden to the sofa,
steps in the hall were followed by the appearance of Honor in the
doorway: a radiant Honor, aglow with the good news that had brought her
straight back to him, like a homing bird. Her small gasp of surprise
melted into a smile of amused understanding, as Theo telegraphed
wireless messages to her over the golden brown head that was
trespassing, flagrantly and confidingly, on her own exclusive property.
The whole thing was so exactly like Quita: so daring; so preposterous;
so entirely forgivable! And Honor's hospitable brain at once began
scouring the bungalow for some corner where she might stow this
unexpected addition to her elastic household.

"She must have left Dalhousie directly she got my first wire," Desmond
said under his breath. "Get some brandy, while I put her down."

But his first movement roused Quita from semi-unconsciousness. She
lifted her head with a startled sound; and