mothy, "to consider what
is to be done."

"Could we stop him?" she cried eagerly, and then changed once more.
"No, no; I wouldn't if I could. He would never forgive me."

"Of course, we cannot stop him," said Sir Timothy. He raised his voice
as he was wont when he was angry. Canon Birch, in the drawing-room,
heard the loud threatening tones, and was thankful for the door which
shut him from Sir Timothy's presence. "He has laid his plans for
thwarting my known wishes too well. I do not know what might be said
if we stopped him. I--I won't have my name made a laughing-stock. I am
a Crewys, and the honour of the family lies in my hands. I can't give
the world a right to suspect a Crewys of cowardice, by preventing
his departure on active service. We have fought before--in a better
cause."

"We won't discuss the cause," said Lady Mary, gently. When Sir Timothy
began to shout, she always grew calm. "Then you will not telegraph to
my cousin Ferries?"

"Ferries ought to have written to _me_, and not taken the word of a
mere boy, like Peter," stormed Sir Timothy. "But the fact is, I never
flattered Ferries as he expected; it is not my way to natter any one;
and consequently he took a dislike to me. He must have known what my
views are. I am sure he did it on purpose."

"It was natural he should believe Peter, and I don't think he knows
you well enough to dislike you," said Lady Mary, simply. "He has only
seen you twice, Timothy."

"That was evidently sufficient," said Sir Timothy, meaning to be
ironical, and unaware that he was stating a plain fact. "I shall
certainly not telegraph to tell him that my son has lied to him, well
as Peter deserves that I should do so."

"Oh, don't, don't; you are so hard!" she said piteously. "If you'd
only listened to him when he implored you to let him go, we could have
made his last days at home all they should be. He's been hiding in
London, poor Peter; getting his outfit by stealth, ashamed, whilst
other boys are being _feted_ and praised by their people, proud of
earning so early their right to be considered men. And--and he's
only a boy. And he said himself, all's fair in love and war. Indeed,
Timothy, it is an exceptional case."

"Mary, your weakness is painful, and your idolatry of Peter will bring
its own punishment. The part of his deception that should pain you
most is the want of heart he has displayed," said Sir Timothy,
bitterly.

"And doesn't it?" she said, with a path