n other respects to be a brave man," the Doctor said uncompromisingly.
"Since then you have by your manner driven him away from you. You have
flirted--well, you may not call it flirting," he broke off in answer
to a gesture of denial, "but it was the same thing--with a man who is
undoubtedly a gallant soldier--a very paladin, if you like--but who,
in spite of his handsome face and pleasant manner, is no more to be
compared with Bathurst in point of moral qualities or mental ability
than light to dark, and this after I had like an old fool gone out of my
way to warn you. You have disappointed me altogether, Isobel Hannay."

Isobel stood motionless before him, with downcast eyes.

"Well, there, my dear," the Doctor went on hurriedly, as he saw a tear
glisten in her eyelashes; "don't let us say anything more about it. In
the first place, it is no affair of mine; and in the second place, your
point of view was that most women would take at a time like this; only,
you know, I expected you would not have done just as other women would.
We cannot afford to quarrel now, for there is no doubt that, although we
may put a good face on the matter, our position is one of grave peril,
and it is of no use troubling over trifles. Now run away, and get a few
hours' sleep if you can. You will want all your strength before we are
through with this business."

While the Doctor had been talking to Isobel, the men had gathered below
in a sort of informal council, the subject being Bathurst's conduct on
the roof.

"I would not have believed it if I had not seen it," Captain Rintoul
said. "The man was absolutely helpless with fright; I never saw such an
exhibition; and then his fainting afterwards and having to be carried
away was disgusting; in fact, it is worse than that."

There was a general murmur of assent.

"It is disgraceful," one of the civilians said; "I am ashamed that the
man should belong to our service; the idea of a fellow being helpless by
fright when there are women and children to be defended--it is downright
revolting."

"Well, he did go and stick himself up in front," Wilson said; "you
should remember that. He may have been in a blue funk, I don't say he
wasn't; still, you know, he didn't go away and try to hide himself, but
he stuck himself up in front for them to fire at. I think we ought to
take that into consideration."

"Dr. Wade says Bathurst put himself there to try and accustom himself to
fire," Captain For