that Doctor Mary smells a rat, though she is, at present, far from
guessing the color of the animal!"

The words sounded scornful; they were spoken for the Sergeant as well as
for himself. He was looking amused and kindly, even rather tenderly
amused; as though liking and pity were the emotions which most actively
survived his first private conversation with Doctor Mary, in spite of
that mishap of the combination knife-and-fork.




CHAPTER VI

ODD STORY OF CAPTAIN DUGGLE


Christmas Day of 1918 was a merry feast, and nowhere merrier than at Old
Place. There was a house-party and, for dinner on the day itself, a local
contingent as well: Miss Wall, the Irechesters, Mr. Penrose, and Doctor
Mary. Mr. Beaumaroy also had been invited by Mrs. Naylor; she considered
him an interesting man and felt pity for the obvious _ennui_ of his
situation; but he had not felt able to leave his old friend. Doctor
Mary's Paying Guest was of the house-party, not merely a dinner guest.
She was asked over to spend three days and went, accompanied by Jeanne,
who by this time was crying much less; crying was no longer the cue; her
mistress, and not merely stern Doctor Mary, had plainly shown her that.
Gertie Naylor had invited Cynthia to help her in entertaining the
subalterns, though Gertie was really quite equal to that task herself;
there were only three of them, and if a pretty girl is not equal to three