iously selfish
and domineering--all that has now been swept away, and he is ready for
any self-sacrifice--even to allowing me to visit my family in Scotland."

"Will you go?"

Mrs. Meek's work dropped in her lap while she gave herself up to
thought. "No," she said at length. "I have lost touch with my people.
Though they love me dearly, and I them, I don't feel as if I could leave
my husband alone now that he is so broken and sad. We share the same
bereavement, and need each other now more than ever before. Besides, he
hardly realises how dependent he is upon me. I have done so much for him
all these years that he will be utterly stranded without me. It would be
cruel."

Honor smiled at her affectionately, thinking it was very sweet--this
spirit of love and forgiveness springing to life after years of habitual
submission. A truly feminine quality, upon which the masculine nature
has never failed to draw, and which would continue as long as women
remained womanly for the salvation of men.

While at Sombari, Honor heard news of Captain Dalton's doings in the
District. His fame as a surgeon had spread far and wide with various
results on the ignorant and enlightened. In the case of the former, he
inspired more fear than respect, and Mr. Meek could tell of mischievous
rumours afloat which he had done his best to dispel so far as his
influence went. One of the tales in circulation was that Captain Dalton
was an agent of the Government sent to cripple the youths of the
District and otherwise render them helpless in the event of a
revolution.

"And when is such an event likely to happen?" the Padre had asked.

Who can tell?--Weren't there mutterings and discontent in big
towns?--All who travelled and went to the cities came back with news of
great things to come if all that the people demanded was not granted by
the _Sarcar_.

"What are the people demanding?" Mr. Meek persisted in knowing.

That was best known to the highly educated. What did the poor
agriculturist know of what was good for the country? He was like sheep
led to the pasture by those in authority. But when the _Sarcar_ sent
among the sheep a butcher with no stomach for the suffering of the
helpless ones, it was time to protest and to see to it that he was
recalled or driven away. Some were for even more lawless methods of
ridding the countryside of this monster who disembowelled the sick and
suffering, severed limbs, and robbed people of their rights.