"I know that, Dunbar, and all are needed. Major Duff has gone out badly injured. The only officers remaining unhurt in the front line are Major Bayne and Captain Fraser, both of whom are splendidly carrying on. And you, too, have given great help to-day. Colonel James assures me that your initiative and resourcefulness were of the greatest service to him.

Oh, by the way, a message came through in a letter the other day, that I should have sent you, but other things put it out of my mind, I am sorry to say." He touched a bell. "You see I had to tell your wife, Dunbar, of your determination to stay by us," he added with a smile. "Get me my private post-bag, please," he said to the orderly. He selected a letter from a packet, opened it, and pointed to a page. Barry recognised the handwriting as his wife's. He read:

"I need not assure you it was none of my family's doing to get that appointment for Barry. I was not surprised that he declined it, but then you see I know Barry. He is at the place where I would want him to be."

Barry kept his eyes steadily upon the words until he should be sure of his voice. His heart was thrilling with pride in the girl who had given herself to him. As the moments passed, he there and then vowed that by God's grace, he would not shame her nor belie her trust in him.

"Thank you, sir," he said quietly, handing the letter back.

"Helps a bit, eh, what?" said the general. "We can't let our women down, can we?"

"No, sir," said Barry. "Is there nothing I can do?" His voice was as steady and quiet as the general's.

"Oh, thank you, just the C. C. S., I fancy, at present."

At that point the door opened, and the corps commander came in, wearing a very tired and anxious face.

"Bad business, general," he said, with a single word of greeting and ignoring Barry.

"Yes, a very bad business, sir," said the divisional commander, and Barry fancied he caught a new note in his voice, a note of sternness, almost of challenge.

"Seems that we missed that wire, eh, along here?" said the corps commander, putting his finger upon a map which lay on the table.

"We must have that patrolled very carefully, you know." There was a note of criticism in his voice.

"Yes, sir," replied the corps commander courteously. "I wasn't at all sure that the wire was cut, and so reported."

"Ah!"

"This strong point should have been removed," continued the divisional commander, putting his finger upon a point of junction. "That I asked to be done, but McDowell seems to have missed it."

"Ah!"

"The enfilade got us from that point, of course." There was no mistaking the implication in the general's words.

"Ah! You reported that, eh?"

"You will find it in my report, sir. My division has suffered very heavily from that strong point."

The corps commander turned, and apparently observing Barry for the first time started and said,

"You are--"

"My friend, Captain Dunbar," said the general.

"Ah, Captain Dunbar," said the corps commander, obviously annoyed at his presence at the interview. "I trust Captain Dunbar is quite--"

"Captain Dunbar's reticence," said the general with quiet courtesy, "can be entirely trusted. He has just been doing some fine work at the C. C.

S."

"Ah, yes. You are a padre, Dunbar? Oh, I remember to have heard about you. Very glad, indeed, to meet you, sir. Well, I must be off. We'll see to that strong point at once, general. Good-night--good-night, Dunbar."

The general returned from seeing his visitor out. "Of course, we keep these things to ourselves."

"Of course," answered Barry.

"And now," said the general with a kindly smile, "I have kept the good news to the last. Your majority is coming through, and here is a letter which came in my care. Now, if you will excuse me, I'll leave you to take a bit of a rest. There's a cot, if you want to lie down. Then we'll have a bite to eat later."

"Oh, thank you very much," said Barry eagerly, taking the letter. "This is good news, indeed. My letters have been going astray somehow. I have not had one for a week."

"As long as that," said the general with uplifted brows.

One sentence in his letter made music in Barry's heart.

"And oh, my heart's beloved, God has been good to me and to you, for when the war is over, I hope there will be two of us to welcome daddy back." To which sentence Barry in his letter, written in immediate reply, said,

"Yes, dear, dear heart, God has been good to us, in that he has given us to each other, and to us both this wonderful new life to carry on when we are done."

When the general returned, he found Barry with his face on his arms and dead asleep.

"Poor chap," he said to his batman, "he is done up. Let him rest a bit."

They gave him an hour, after which they had their bite together.

"Now, general," said Barry, "I should like to run up to Battalion Headquarters. I might be of use there."

"That's quite all right," said the general. "You will be glad to know that that strong point has already been attended to. You didn't hear the row, did you?"

"No, sir."

"Well the relief is going in and your men will soon be out."

When Barry entered the Battalion Headquarters, he found only Major Bayne and Captain Neil, with a signaller and a couple of runners, completing the arrangements for the relief.

"You! Pilot!" exclaimed the major, as he gripped his hand. "Now what the devil brought you here?"

"Couldn't help it, major. Simply had to come. I have been trying to get you all day," said Barry.

"Awfully glad to see you, old chap," said Captain Neil, for the major was finding difficulty with his speech.

"How many left, major?" said Barry.

"Five officers and seventy men," said the major in a husky voice. "My God, how those boys stuck."

"I shall not be moved," quoted Barry.

"That's it! That's it!" said the major. "Not the devil himself, let alone the Huns, could move them back from that wire. What is it, Sergeant Matthews?" he inquired of the sergeant who came in at that moment. "Have you completed your work?"

Sergeant Matthews was pale, panting and exhausted. "Yes, sir," he said, "I think so. I didn't--I didn't--go quite the full length of the trench.

The boys said there was no one up there."