red.
His leave application will be approved for any period, to take effect on
his completion of duties assigned, in London. Special cipher orders will
be sent to him this A.M. Deliver them and furnish him the code No. 2.
No copies to be retained. Furnish Major Hardwicke with a captain and
ten picked men to escort the property received by General Abercromby to
Calcutta. Invoices to you to be signed by him. Property to be sent
down in sealed pay-chests, with your seal and Major Hardwicke's. Report
compliance, and telegraph in cipher No. 2 Hardwicke's departure for
Calcutta. Special transportation has been ordered."

"There, my boy, you have your orders!" an hour later said General
Willoughby when Major Hardwicke reported. "I am glad to have the
whole thing off my hands. Here is the double-ciphered code. You are to
translate for yourself, and, remember, then destroy your translation.
Remember, also, one single whisper of your destination, and you are
a ruined man! Evidently the Viceroy is bent on trapping old Hugh
Johnstone. Damn him, for a sneaking civilian! I never trusted him!" And
the old General rolled away for his family tiffin. "I'll see you when
you have translated the private orders. Thank God, the Viceroy keeps me
out of this dirty muddle! You see, I have no power over Johnstone--he
is a blasted civilian." Two hours later, the grateful old General found
Hardwicke pacing up and down impatiently. "I ought only to tell Murray,"
he murmured, "if I could! He is going home to be married, and I am to
stand up with him."

"Just the thing!" gayly cried Willoughby. "Murray's captaincy is in the
Gazette of to-day's mail. I will order him down with you, in command
of the guard, and, at Calcutta, the Viceroy will release you from your
promise, so as to let him know that you can meet him in London. His
Excellency evidently wants to hoodwink all the gossips here, and, above
all, to blind old Johnstone. Now, Harry, I feel like a brute to let you
go without a poor send-off, but, by Heaven, the whole Willoughby clan
will follow you in London, and pay off a part of our debt for that
'run-under fire' with my wounded boy. Name anything you want. Do you
want any help to watch Johnstone?" The old General was eager.

"Ah! I fear that I must attend to him, alone!" sadly said Major
Hardwicke, whose heart was racked, for a fair, dear face now afar must
soon be clouded with sorrow and those dear eyes weep a father's shame.

"Call, day a