“Nick!  You’re going!” Olga exclaimed.

He laughed.  “If you want my impartial opinion as to that,” he said, “I believe I am.”

She drew a deep breath.  Her eyes were shining.  “Oh, how I wish I were a man!  I’d come with you.”

“Ladies are admitted,” said Nick.

“Ah!  I wonder what Muriel will say,” she said.  “Does she like India?”

“India is a large place,” he pointed out.  “She doesn’t like Ghawalkhand, and she isn’t keen on Simla—­which is sheer prejudice on her part.  Sharapura she has never seen.  It’s a small State in the very middle of the Empire.  There are rivers and jungles and tigers and snakes—­quite a lot of snakes; a decent little capital and a hill-station, healthy enough though not very high.  The natives are exactly like monkeys.  I learnt to speak their lingo one winter from a villainous bearer I had when some of us were stationed there.  There is a small native garrison in cantonments at the capital.  There is also a fort and a race-course.  I won the Great Mogul’s Cup there—­a memorable occasion.  My mount was a wall-eyed lanky brute of a Waler, with the action of a camel.  But he had the spirit of an Olympian, and we won at a canter.”

Nick stopped.  His eyes also had begun to shine.  Olga was listening enraptured.

“How I wish I was Muriel!” she said.  “Of course she’ll want to go, Nick.  It sounds perfectly enchanting.”

“Especially the tigers and snakes,” laughed Nick.  “Poor Muriel!  It’s rather a shame to ask her.  She had an overdose of the East at the outset, and she has never got over it.”

“Oh, but that’s aeons ago!” protested Olga.

“I know; but it went deep.”  Nick leaned back abruptly, with closed eyes.  “I wonder if I can bring myself to refuse finally and conclusively—­without telling her,” he said ruminatively.

“Never, Nick!” Olga sprang from her chair.  “You shan’t think of such a thing!  Nick!  A heaven-sent chance like that!  Oh, it wouldn’t be fair.  I’m sure she would say so.  You must—­you must tell her!”

Nick’s hand clenched upon the arm of his chair.  He kept his eyes shut.  “You see, dear,” he said, “there’s the kiddie too.  I’m an unnatural beast.  I’d actually forgotten him for the moment.  One-eyed of me, wasn’t it?”

“Nick—­darling!” Suddenly Olga was kneeling beside his chair; she put her arms about his neck.  “You shan’t call yourself anything so horrid!” she said.  “Dad and I will take care of little Reggie.  You know you can trust him to me, Nick.  I’ll watch over him day and night.”

“Bless your heart!” said Nick.  He lodged his head against her shoulder after the fashion she most loved.  “You’re a sweet little pal,” he said.  “But I doubt if Muriel would consent to go so far away from him, and I’m a selfish hound myself to contemplate such a thing.  No; don’t contradict me!  It’s rude.  I’m that, and several other things besides.  I’d no idea I was so much in the grip of the