sounded the Last Post. With a
small shudder Evelyn shrank closer to her husband, resting her head
against his chair; and Desmond lay watching her in silent wonderment
at the tangle of moods and graces which, for lack of a truer word,
must needs be called her character. He wondered also how much might
have been averted if she had come to him thus yesterday instead of
to-day. Impossible to guess. He could only wrench his thoughts away
from the forbidden subject; and try to beat down the strong new
yearning that possessed him, by occasionally stroking his wife's hair.

It is when we most crave for bread that life has this ironical trick
of presenting us with a stone.

* * * * *

Honor, in the meanwhile, had reached Mrs Conolly's bungalow. She
found her in the drawing-room arranging flower-vases, and equipped for
her morning ride.

"Honor? You? How delightful!" Then catching a clearer view of the
girl's face: "My dear--what is it?"

Honor smiled.

"I am afraid you were going out," she said, evading the question.

"Certainly I was; but I am not going now. It is evident that you want
me."

"Yes--I want you."

Mrs Jim called out an order to the waiting _sais_; and followed Honor,
who had gone over to the mantelpiece, and buried her face in the cool
fragrance of a cluster of Gloire de Dijons.

Mrs Conolly took her gently by the arm.

"I can't have you looking like that, my child," she said. "Your eyes
are like saucers, with indigo shadows under them. Did you sleep a wink
last night?"

"Not many winks; that's why I am here."

"I see. You must be cruelly anxious about Captain Desmond, as we all
are; but I _will not_ believe that the worst can happen."

"No--oh no!" Honor spoke as if she were beating off an enemy. "But the
trouble that kept me awake was--Evelyn."

"Ah! Is the strain going to be too much for her? Come to the sofa,
dear, and tell me the whole difficulty."

Honor hesitated. She had her own reasons for wishing to avoid Mrs
Conolly's too sympathetic scrutiny.

"You sit down," she said. "I feel too restless. I would rather speak
first." And with a hint of inward perplexity Mrs Conolly obeyed.

"It's like this," Honor began, resting an arm on the mantelpiece and
not looking directly at her friend, "Dr Mackay has asked me to take
entire charge of Theo for the present. He spoke rather strongly,--rather
cruelly, about not leaving him in Evelyn's hands. I think he wante