to get on a line of veracity.
The General says "of course," also. "Your mother, my dear, was Mrs.
Graythorpe when I knew her at Umballa and on the boat." Both these
veterans call Sally "my dear," and she doesn't resent it.

But her message is really given, and she ought to get back. She
succeeds in finally overruling Major Roper's scheme of coming out into
the fog, which has contrived to get blacker still during this
conversation; but has more trouble with the other old soldier. She
only overcomes that victor in so many battle-fields by representing
that if he does see her safe to Ball Street _she_ will be miserable if
she doesn't see _him_ safe back to the club. "And then," she adds, "we
shall go on till doomsday. Besides, I _am_ young and sharp!" At which
the old General laughs, and says isn't _he_? Ask his granddaughters!
Sally says no, he isn't, and she can't have him run over to please
anybody. However, he will come out to see her off, though Old Jack must
do as he's told, and stop indoors. He watches the little figure vanish
in the fog, with a sense of the merry eyebrows in the pretty shoulders,
like the number of a cab fixed on behind.

* * * * *

When General Pellew had seen Sally out, to the great relief of Gibbon
of the various reds in the lobby, he returned and drew a chair for
himself beside Major Roper, who still sat, wrestling with the fog,
where he had left him.

"What a dear child!... Oh yes; she'll be all right. Take better care
of herself than I should of her. She would only have been looking after
me, to see that I didn't get run over." He glanced round and dropped
his voice, leaning forward to the Major. "She must never be told."

"You're right, Pelloo! Dam mistake of mine to say! I'm a dam
mutton-headed old gobblestick! No better!" We give up trying to
indicate the Major's painful interruptions and struggles. Of course,
he might have saved himself a good deal by saying no more than was
necessary. General Pellew was much more concise and to the purpose.

"_Never_ be told. I see one thing. Her mother has told her little or
nothing of the separation."

"No! Dam bad business! Keep it snug's the word."

"You saw she had no idea of the name. It _was_ Palliser, wasn't it?"

"Unless it was Verschoyle." Major Roper only says this to convince
himself that he might have forgotten the name--a sort of washy
palliation of his Harrisson invention. It brings him within a
m