't do it. It isn't a personal risk you're
running, or a personal secret you're sharing with others. It may sound
absurd under the present circumstances, I know, but--"

Granet laughed lightly. His arm fell upon the young sailor's shoulder.

"Perhaps Thomson's right, Conyers," he intervened. "You keep your
old scheme at the back of your head. We'll know all about it when the
history of the war's written. There's always the thousand to one chance,
you know. I might get brain fever in a German hospital and begin to
babble. Tear it up, old fellow."

There was a moment's silence. Geraldine turned to Thomson.

"Hugh," she protested, "don't you think you're carrying principle almost
too far? It's so fearfully interesting for us when Ralph's at sea, and
we wait day by day for news from him, to understand a little what he's
doing."

"I think you're a horrid nuisance, Major Thomson," Olive grumbled. "We'd
just reached the exciting part."

"I am sorry," Thomson said, "but I think, Ralph, you had better do what
Captain Granet suggested."

The young man shrugged his shoulders, his face was a little sulky. He
took the plan up and tore it into pieces.

"If you weren't my prospective brother-in-law, you know, Thomson," he
exclaimed, "I should call your interference damned cheek! After all, you
know, you're only a civilian, and you can't be expected to understand
these things."

Thomson was silent for a moment. He read in the others' faces their
sympathy with the young sailor's complaint. He moved towards the door.

"I am sorry," he said simply. "Good night, everybody!"

They all wished him good-night--nobody stirred. He walked slowing into
the front hall, waited for a moment and then accepted his coat and hat
from a servant. Lady Conyers waved to him from the staircase.

"Where's Geraldine?" she asked.

Thomson turned away.

"They are all in the smoking-room, Lady Conyers," he said. "Good night!"

CHAPTER VIII

In a way, their meeting the next morning was fortuitous enough, yet it
had also its significance for both of them. Geraldine's greeting was
almost studiously formal.

"You are not going to scold me for my memory, are you?" Captain Granet
asked, looking down at her with a faintly humorous uplifting of the
eyebrows. "I must have exercise, you know."

"I don't even remember telling you that I came into the Park in the
mornings," Geraldine replied.

"You didn't--that is to say you didn't mention the Park