But, nevertheless, when they met again, she had forgiven him.

VI

FIEND OR KING?

“Hullo, doctor!  What news?” sang out a curly-haired subaltern on the steps of the club, a newly-erected, wooden bungalow of which the little Frontier station was immensely proud.  “You’re looking infernally serious.  What’s the matter?”

Dr. Seddon rolled stoutly off his steaming pony and went to join his questioner.

“What do you think you’re doing, Toby?” he said, with a glance at an enormous pair of scissors in the boy’s hand.

“I’m making lamp-shades,” Toby responded, leading the way within.  “What’s your drink?  Nothing?  What a horribly dry beast you are!  Yes, lamp-shades—­for the ball, you know.  Got to be ready by to-morrow night.  We’re doing them with crinkly paper.  Miss Eversley promised to come and help me.  But she hasn’t turned up.”

“What?” exclaimed Seddon.  “Not come back yet?”

Toby dropped his scissors with a clatter, and dived for them under the reading-room table.

“Don’t make me jump, I say, doctor!” he said pathetically.  “I’m quite upset enough as it is.  That lazy lout, Soames, won’t stir a finger.  The other chaps are on duty.  And Miss Eversley has proved faithless.  Why can’t you turn to and help?”

But Seddon was already striding to the door again in hot haste.

“That idiot of a girl must have crossed the Frontier!” he said, as he went.  “There was a fellow shot on sentry-go last night.  It’s infernally dangerous, I tell you!”

Toby raced after him swearing inarticulately.  A couple of subalterns just entering were nearly overwhelmed by their vigorous exit.  They recovered themselves and followed to the tune of Toby’s excited questioning.  But none of the party got beyond the veranda steps, for there the sound of clattering hoofs arrested them, and a jaded horse bearing a dishevelled rider was pulled up short in front of the club.

“Miss Eversley herself!” cried Toby, making a dash forward.

A native servant slipped unobtrusively to the sweating horse’s bridle.  Averil was on the ground in a moment and turned to ascend the steps of the club-house.

“Is my brother-in-law here?” she said to Toby, accepting the hand he offered.

“Who?  Raymond?  No; he’s in the North Camp somewhere.  Do you want him?  Anything wrong?  By Jove, Miss Eversley, you’ve given us an awful fright!”

Averil went up the steps with so palpable an effort that Seddon hastily dragged forward a chair.  Her lips, as she answered Toby, were quite colourless.

“I have had a fright myself,” she said.  Then she looked round at the other men with a shaky laugh.  “I have been riding for my life,” she said a little breathlessly.  “I have never done that before.  It—­it’s very exciting—­almost more so than riding to hounds.  I have often wondered how the fox felt.  Now I know.”