in the coils of such an outrageous coquette as “that Mrs. Norton,” as she termed her.  Frank was so indignant at her abuse of his friend that for the first time in his life he was rude to a woman and snubbed Mrs. Trevor so severely that she went in a rage to her husband and insisted on his taking immediate steps to arrest the progress of a scandal that, she declared, would attract the unfavourable attention of the higher military authorities to the regiment.

“Do you realise, William, that you will be the one to suffer?” said the angry woman.  “If anything happens, if Major Norton complains, if that shameless creature succeeds in making that foolish young man run away with her, you will be blamed.  You can’t afford it.  You know that the General’s confidential report on you last year was not too favourable.”

“It wasn’t really bad, my dear; it only hinted that I lacked decision,” pleaded the hen-pecked man.

“Exactly.  You are not firm enough,” persisted his domestic tyrant.  “They will say that you should have put your foot down at once and stopped this disgraceful affair.”

“But what can I do?” asked the Colonel helplessly.

“Someone ought to speak to Major Norton at once.”

“Oh, my dear Jane, I couldn’t.  I daren’t.”

“For two pins I’d do it myself.  Mrs. Baird said the other day that it was our duty as respectable women.”

“No, no, no, Jane.  You mustn’t think of it,” exclaimed the alarmed man.  “I forbid you.  You mustn’t mix yourself up in the affair.  It would be committing me.”

“Then send that impertinent young man away,” said Mrs. Trevor firmly.  No General would have accused her of lack of decision.  “I used to have a high opinion of him once; but after his insolence to me I believe him to be nearly as bad as that woman.”

“Where can I send him?” asked the worried Colonel.  “He has done all the courses and passed all the classes and examinations he can.”

“You know you have only to write confidentially to the Staff and inform them that young Wargrave’s removal to another station is absolutely necessary to prevent a scandal; and they’ll send him off somewhere else at once.”

Her husband nodded his head.  He was well aware of the fact that the Army in India looks closely after the behaviour and morals of its officers, that a colonel has only to hint that the transfer of a particular individual under his command is necessary to stop a scandal—­and without loss of time that officer finds himself deported to the other side of the country.

One morning, a week after Mrs Trevor’s conversation with her husband, Wargrave, superintending the musketry of his Double Company on the rifle range, was given an official note from the adjutant informing him that the Commanding Officer desired to see him at once in the Orderly Room.  As Major Hepburn was not present Frank handed the men over to the senior Indian company commander and rode off to the Regimental Office, wondering as he went what could be the reason of the sudden summons.  Reaching the building he found Raymond on the watch for him, while ostensibly engaged in criticising to the battalion durzi (tailor) the fit of the new uniforms of several recruits.