hers. And in silence she raised it
to her lips.

They remained so for a while, he still partly turned from her, his
perplexed and narrowing gaze fixed on the window, she pressing his
clenched hand to her lips, thoughtful and silent.

"Before Austin comes," he said at length, "let's get the thing over--and
buried--as long as it will stay buried."

"Yes, dear."

"Well, then--then--" but his throat closed tight with the effort.

"Alixe is here," she said gently; "did you know it?"

He nodded.

"You know, of course, that she's married Jack Ruthven?"

He nodded again.

"Are you on leave, Phil, or have you really resigned?"

"Resigned."

"I knew it," she sighed.

He said: "As I did not defend the suit I couldn't remain in the service.
There's too much said about us, anyway--about us who are appointed from
civil life. And then--to have _that_ happen!"

"Phil?"

"What?"

"Will you answer me one thing?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"Do you still care for--her?"

"I am sorry for her."

After a painful silence his sister said: "Could you tell me how it
began, Phil?"

"How it began? I don't know that, either. When Bannard's command took
the field I went with the scouts. Alixe remained in Manila. Ruthven was
there for Fane, Harmon & Co. That's how it began, I suppose; and it's a
rotten climate for morals; and that's how it began."

"Only that?"

"We had had differences. It's been one misunderstanding after another.
If you mean was I mixed up with another woman--no! She knew that."

"She was very young, Phil."

He nodded: "I don't blame her."

"Couldn't anything have been done?"

"If it could, neither she nor I did it--or knew how to do it, I suppose.
It went wrong from the beginning; it was founded on froth--she had been
engaged to Harmon, and she threw him over for 'Boots' Lansing. Then I
came along--Boots behaved like a thoroughbred--that is all there is to
it--inexperience, romance, trouble--a quick beginning, a quick parting,
and two more fools to give the lie to civilization, and justify the West
Pointers in their opinions of civil appointees."

"Try not to be so bitter, Phil; did you know she was going before she
left Manila?"

"I hadn't the remotest idea of the affair. I thought that we were trying
to learn something about life and about each other. . . . Then that
climax came."

He turned and stared out of the window, dropping his sister's hand. "She
couldn't stand me, she couldn't stand the