heavily underlined the possibility, but he came from Heaven knew where,
after a life spent Heaven knew how. "And he seemed to know it himself,"
the Colonel had said, thoughtfully rolling his port round in the glass.
"Whenever I wigged him, he offered to go; said he'd chuck his commission
and enlist; said he'd be happier in the ranks. But I was weak, I couldn't
bear to do it." After thus quoting his friend, the General added: "He was
weak, damned weak, and I told him so."

"Of course he ought to have got rid of him," said Alec. "Still, sir,
there's nothing, er, disgraceful."

"It seems hardly to have come to that," the General admitted reluctantly.

"It all rather makes me like him," Gertie affirmed courageously.

"I think that, on the whole, we may venture to know him in times of
peace," Mr. Naylor summed up.

"That's your look out," remarked the General. "I've warned you. You can
do as you like."

Delia Wall had sat silent through the story. Now she spoke up, and got
back to the real point:

"There's nothing in all that to show how he comes to be at Mr.
Saffron's."

The General shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, Saffron be hanged! He's not the
British Army," he said.