Now, looking fresh and bright, she sat beside Wargrave’s bed.  Since the doctor had left him he had lain thinking.  He felt that Violet must be informed at once that he had been hurt but was in no danger, lest she might learn of the occurrence through another source and believe him to be worse than he really was.  As he looked at Mrs. Dermot the desire to ask her instead of Macdonald if she would be the one to communicate with Mrs. Norton grew overwhelming, and he felt that he wanted to confide to her the whole story, sure that she would understand.  And she could tell Muriel—­for he had been quite conscious when he had spoken to the girl in the morning.  It was only right that she should know the truth, but he shrank from telling it to her himself.

So he opened his heart to Noreen; and the understanding little woman listened sympathisingly and made no comment, and undertook to explain the situation to Muriel.  So, an hour or two later, when Macdonald was again with the subaltern, she went to her friend’s room and told her the whole story.

The girl’s first feeling was anger at the thought of Frank making love to a married woman.

“Seems to me it’s the married woman who made it to him, from what I can gather,” said Noreen, a little annoyed with Muriel for her way of receiving the story.  “He did not say so, but it was easy to guess the truth.  Now, my dear, don’t be absurd.  Men are not angels; and if a pretty woman flings herself at the head of one of them it’s hard for him to keep her at arm’s length.  And you’ve seen yourself in Darjeeling how some of them, the married ones especially, do chase them.”  Her eyes grew hard as she continued, “I remember how Kevin once was——.”  Then she stopped.

“But Frank!  How could he?  Oh, how could he?  And he loved her,” sobbed the girl.

“Don’t be silly, Muriel.  I tell you I don’t believe he ever did.  He loves you now.”

“Oh, do you think he does?  What am I to do?”

“Nothing.  Merely go along as you’ve been doing.  Just be friendly.  And don’t be hard on him.  He’s had a bad time.  I’ve always felt that there was something troubling him.  Now I know; and I’m not going to let him ruin himself and throw away his happiness for a woman who’s not worth it.  He’s the nicest, cleanest-minded man I’ve known after Kevin and my brother.  He saved my babies, and for that I’d do anything for him.  I feel almost as if he were one of my children; and I’ll stand by him if you won’t.”

“Oh, but I will, I will,” cried the girl.  “But how can I help him?”

“As I said, by acting as if nothing had happened and just keeping on being friends.  It oughtn’t to be hard.  See how he’s suffering and think how brave he’s been.  Remember, he loves you; and you do care for him, don’t you?  I’ve an idea that he hopes that this woman is tiring of him and may set him free.  Of course he didn’t say as much, but——.”  She nodded sagely.  Her intuition had told her more of his feelings in a minute than Frank had dared to acknowledge to himself in many months.  “Anything I can do to help to bring that about I will.”