spot which particularly took his fancy, he would halt there for
two or three days, and would send what in those day was called
"a telegraphic despatch" from the nearest town. In response to
the despatch he would receive from his servant in Mount Street
a package containing all the letters which had been accumulating
during the fortnight or three weeks since he last telegraphed.
One day in April, when he opened the customary package, he found
in it a letter from Arthur Grey.

"The General has just told us that peace is practically settled.
If this proves true, you will not get another letter from me. I
presume we shall be sent home directly, and I shall make straight
for London and Mount Street, where I expect I shall find you. Dear
old chap, I can guess what you have been going through; but it
looks as if we should meet again in this world after all."

What this letter meant to Philip Vaughan they only know who have
been through a similar experience; and words are powerless to express
it

* * * * *

After the first bewilderment of joy had subsided, Philip began
to study the practical bearings of the letter. By a comparison of
the date within and the post-mark outside, the letter appeared to
have been a long time on the way, and another delay had occurred
since it had arrived at Mount Street. It was possible that peace
might have been actually concluded. News in those days took long
to travel through Scottish glens, and Vaughan had never looked at
a paper since he left England. It was conceivable that the Guards