Hillyard sprang up from his chair, but Stella held up her hand to check
him, and turned her face still further away. Hillyard resumed his seat
uncomfortably.

"You may meet your friend Harry Luttrell in the Sudan," she explained.
"He is stationed somewhere in that country--where exactly I would give a
great deal to know."

They sat without speaking for a little while, Stella once more turning
to the fire. Hillyard watching her wistful face and the droop of her
shoulders understood at last the truth of Hardiman's description. The
mask was lain aside. Here indeed was a Lady of Sorrows.

Stella Croyle was silent until she was quite sure that she had once more
the mastery of her voice. It was important to her that her next words
should not be forgotten. But even so she did not dare to speak above a
whisper.

"I want you to do me a favour. If you should meet Harry, I should like
him to have news of me. I should like him also--oh, not so often--but
just every now and then to write me a little line."

There were tears glistening on her dark eyelashes. Hillyard fell into a
sort of panic as he reflected upon his own vaunting talk. Compared with
this woman's poignant distress, all the vicissitudes of his life seemed
now quite trivial and small. Here were tears falling and Hillyard was
unused to tears. Nor had he ever heard so poignant a longing in any
human voice as that on which Stella's prayer to him was breathed. He was
ashamed. He was also a little envious of Harry Luttrell. He was also a