"No, not five minutes away."

Before Ted had proceeded a couple of hundred yards, he beheld the object of his search riding towards home, her thoughts uplifted far above the humble wayfarer whom she was about to pass without recognition.

"Evening, Miss Woodburn!" said Ted.

Ethel gave a start and reined in her horse.

"Why, Ted, I didn't know you'd arrived."

"Just come. Affectionate brother intimated that, as he had no room for thinking of anyone but you, I disturbed him."

"So you were coming to see me? You are looking well, Ted. I half expected to see a decrepit invalid with crutches and bandages."

"I'm all right now. Should have come though to see you married if I'd had to be brought on a doolie."

He assisted the girl to dismount, and, giving the horse in charge of the sais, they entered the house.

"I am glad you look so well," repeated Miss Woodburn. "Paterson kept us posted up as to your state so long as he remained at Lucknow. We had an anxious time for a week or two."

"You heard about Tynan, I suppose? He proved a brick in the end, did he not?"

"Yes, I was glad when I read Alec's account of how he died. That is--you know what I mean?"

Ted nodded.

"Had you not seen him since that night at Lahore?" Ethel continued.

"Never once until that moment. I've not been able to find out anything about him either. He must have enrolled in the Volunteers, under an assumed name, of course."

Colonel Woodburn, looking his old self again, was genuinely pleased to welcome the boy. For half an hour he drew him out on the subject of the Lucknow campaign, and then Ethel claimed her brother-in-law again.

"Come and see my presents, Ted," she ordered.

"With pleasure--oh, by the way, I've brought my little contribution.

Hope you'll like it."

She gave a little scream of delight as he handed her an open box.

"Oh, how beautiful! How lovely! Ted, you shouldn't have given me anything like this. It's much too good."

"It's not half good enough."

"Look at this necklet, father! Is it not exquisite?"

Colonel Woodburn examined the present, and gave a whistle of amazement.

"Ted, my boy, wherever did you get this?" he asked. "It's worth hundreds or I'm no judge. Diamonds and rubies of this size! And what workmanship!"

"It's from Lucknow, colonel. Loot, I'm afraid."

"Loot?" The colonel looked more serious, as he asked the question.

"I'm not certain--only circumstantial evidence. You see, there was a lot of looting when we entered Lucknow, and the Sikhs and Jung Bahadur's Gurkhas got nearly everything. Jung's men took several thousand carts filled with loot back to Nepal. A day or two before I was wounded I happened to save the life of one of Jung's Gurkhas who was being set upon by a crowd. He seemed to be an officer of good standing, and he was very grateful, and when I spoke to him in Magar-Kura, he was just delighted. When I was well enough I found that this parcel had been handed to me, and this necklace was inside, and not a word of explanation. So I guess they came from him, but couldn't make sure as he'd gone. It was probably one of many things he'd picked up in the palace, but I don't know that for certain. They were allowed to loot for a little while to repay their services, so it's come by perfectly honestly, Ethel. I offered it to the general of our column for him to send to the common stock, but he sent back word that it was mine, right enough. So it's quite right, isn't it, Colonel Woodburn? Mayn't she accept it with a clear conscience?"

"Certainly, except that it's much too costly a present to accept, Ted."

"It is indeed, old boy. I'm very, very grateful, and it's very generous of you, but you must keep it. You'd be sorry in a year or two, and you'd blame me for taking it."

Ted began to grow angry. "If you won't take it, Ethel," he sullenly declared, "I'll throw it on the fire. I mean it."

"But, Ted, you'll be married some day, and think how you would like your wife to have this--and she _ought_ to have it. Then you would think it mean of me to have taken it."

He laughed scornfully.

"Marry? Me? I'm not going to get married! I don't want anyone to have it but you; I meant it for you as soon as I saw it."

A way of escape occurred to the girl.

"Let us strike a bargain, old boy. If I accept it now, will you allow me to present it to your wife on the day you get married?"

Again Ted laughed, this time with light heart.

"I agree to that--it amounts to the same thing."

"Do you approve of the arrangement, father?"

"Trust a woman to find some way out," said the colonel. "I think the arrangement a good one. Honour satisfied on both sides."

"Now, Ted, I can thank you properly--especially for your thought on first seeing the necklet. But come and see the rest of the 'loot', as your unprincipled and shameless brother calls it."

"He calls it that, does he? Good judge, Jim."

"Yes, his first daily enquiry is, 'Any more loot to-day?' After being satisfied on that point he condescends to enquire after me."

"I shouldn't have thought he was ever 'satisfied on that point'."

Ethel Woodburn laughed merrily.

"Quite true, he's not. He invariably grunts, 'Is that all to-day?' and tells me that I ought to have laid myself out to be particularly nice to everyone for the past fortnight."

"Greedy brute, isn't he? But I say, Ethel, isn't he content with these?

I call it a jolly good show considering that the presents from England haven't come yet. I s'pose it's just Jim's peculiar way of expressing his gratitude."

"Have you shown him the necklet?"

"No fear; he'd have collared it and stuck to it, and pawned it before you could see it. He wouldn't have had your scruples."

"I'm afraid that you have a very poor opinion of my husband that-is-to-be, Lieutenant Russell."