days you've been fairly loyal sons of the Church.
Aren't you going to use her before to-morrow? To-night's a more
literal Vigil than that voyage. Can't I--aren't you going to use
me?"

It was the old Monty of the _Rangoon_ speaking.

"We'd thought about it," answered Doe, reddening.

"I so want," murmured Monty, "to be of use to all the fellows who
are going over the top to-morrow. But they don't understand. They
don't think of me as a priest with something to do for them that
nobody else can do. They think I've done my job when I've had a
hymn-singing service, and preached to them.... And all the time I
want to absolve them. I want to send them into the fight--white."

No word came from us to break a long pause. We had become again
those listening people of _Rangoon_ nights.

"But _you_ understand," he recommenced. "And, if you'll come to your
Confession, I'll at least have done something for somebody before
this scrap. Rupert, you can thank Heaven you don't feel as I
do--that you've nothing positive to do to-morrow--that you're not
pulling your weight. I shall just skulk about, like a dog worrying
the heels of an attack."

"Rot!" said Doe. "You've done wonders for the men."

"No, I haven't, except for those who come to their Mass and
Confession. I've held no services a layman couldn't hold, and done
nothing for the sick a hospital orderly couldn't do. And I want to
be their priest."

"Well, we'll both come to-night."

Monty ceased frowning at the sea, and smilingly turned towards us.

"You may think," he said, "that I've been of some help to you; but
you can never know of what help you two have been to me."

"Oh, rot!" said Doe, tossing a pencil into the air.

Sec.5

It was about ten o'clock when I came away from Monty's home in the
Eski Line, where I had made my Confession. I retain an impression of
myself, as I walked homeward through the darkness, moving along the
summits above Y Ravine. I was listening to the nervous night-firing
of the Turk, who was apprehensive of something in the morning, and
hearing in my mind Monty's last words: "Forget those things which
are behind, and press towards the mark of your high calling."

Walking along the Peninsula at night being always a gloomy matter, I
was glad to arrive at the dug-out, where Doe was already under his
blankets. I lay down and spent a long time battling with my mind to
prevent it keeping me awake by too active thinking. For, if only I
could