ing irritably insane, and the youth was
deeply frightened.

The soldier had a sweetheart, a girl from the mountains, independent and
primitive. The two walked together, rather silently. He went with
her, not to talk, but to have his arm round her, and for the physical
contact. This eased him, made it easier for him to ignore the Captain;
for he could rest with her held fast against his chest. And she, in some
unspoken fashion, was there for him. They loved each other.

The Captain perceived it, and was mad with irritation. He kept the young
man engaged all the evenings long, and took pleasure in the dark look
that came on his face. Occasionally, the eyes of the two men met, those
of the younger sullen and dark, doggedly unalterable, those of the elder
sneering with restless contempt.

The officer tried hard not to admit the passion that had got hold of
him. He would not know that his feeling for his orderly was anything
but that of a man incensed by his stupid, perverse servant. So, keeping
quite justified and conventional in his consciousness, he let the other
thing run on. His nerves, however, were suffering. At last he slung the
end of a belt in his servant's face. When he saw the youth start back,
the pain-tears in his eyes and the blood on his mouth, he had felt at
once a thrill of deep pleasure and of shame.

But this, he acknowledged to himself, was a thing he had never done
before. The fellow was too exasperating. His own nerves must be going to
pieces. He went away for some days with a woman.

It was a mockery of pleasure. He simply did not want the woman. But he
stayed on for his time. At the end of it, he came back in an agony of
irritation, torment, and misery. He rode all the evening, then came
straight in to supper. His orderly was out. The officer sat with his
long, fine hands lying on the table, perfectly still, and all his blood
seemed to be corroding.

At last his servant entered. He watched the strong, easy young figure,
the fine eyebrows, the thick black hair. In a week's time the youth
had got back his old well-being. The hands of the officer twitched and
seemed to be full of mad flame.

The young man stood at attention, unmoving, shut on.

The meal went in silence. But the orderly seemed eager. He made a
clatter with the dishes.

"Are you in a hurry?" asked the officer, watching the intent, warm face
of his servant. The other did not reply.

"Will you answer my question?" said the Cap-t