“It is a terrible time,” Sir John said; “and old as I am, I should like to be out there to lend a hand in avenging this awful business at Cawnpore, and the cold-blooded massacres at other places.”

“I think that there will be no lack of volunteers, Sir John.  If Government were to call for them I believe that 100,000 men could be raised in a week.”

“Ay, in twenty-four hours; there is scarce a man in England but would give five years of his life to take a share in the punishment of the faithless monsters.  There was no lack of national feeling in the Crimean War; but it was as nothing to that which has been excited by these massacres.  Had it been a simple mutiny among the troops we should all be well content to leave the matter in the hands of our soldiers; but it is a personal matter to everyone; rich and poor are alike moved by a burning desire to take part in the work of vengeance.  I should doubt if the country has ever been so stirred from its earliest history.”

“Yes, I fancy we are all envying you, Mallett,” one of the other gentlemen said.  “Partridge shooting is tame work in comparison with that which is going on in India.  It was lucky for you that that first mutiny took place when it did, for had it been a week later you would probably have been gazetted out before the news came.”

“Yes, that was a piece of luck, certainly, Ashurst.  I don’t know how I should be feeling if I had been out of it and the regiment on the point of starting for India.”

“I suppose you are likely to embark from Plymouth,” said Sir John.

“I should think so, but there is no saying.  I hardly fancy that we should go through France, as some of the regiments have done; there would be no very great gain of time, especially if we start as far west as Plymouth.  Besides, I have not heard of any transports being sent round to Marseilles lately.  Of course, in any case we shall have to land at Alexandria and cross the desert to Suez.  I should fancy, now that the advantages of that route have been shown, that troops in future will always be taken that way.  You see, it is only five weeks to India instead of five months.  The situation is bad enough as it is, but it would have been infinitely worse if no reinforcements could have got out from England in less than five months.”

“Is there anything that I can do for you while you are away, Mallett?” Sir John Greendale asked, as they lingered for a moment after the other gentlemen had gone off to join the ladies.

“Nothing that I know of, thank you.  Norton will see that everything goes on as usual.  My father never interfered with him in the general management of the estate, and had the greatest confidence in him.  I have known him since I was a child, and have always liked him, so I can go away assured that things will go on as usual.  If I go down, the estate goes, as you know, to a distant cousin whom I have never seen.