“If only Bill were here!” the nurse wailed.  “I know he’d find a way out.  There wasn’t never nothing nowhere that beat Bill.  Bill wouldn’t ha’ left us!  Bill’d ha’ took us out o’ here, an’ saved our lives.  Bill—­snnff, snnff—­Bill wouldn’t ha’—­snnff, snnff—­ shoved us in a rat-hole and took hisself off!”

She had not yet lost her English point of view.  She still believed that the strong right arm of an English lover could play ducks and drakes with Destiny.  One-half of the world, at least, still swears that she was wrong, and her mistress and the other woman thought her despicable, ridiculous, unenlightened.  It was a hardship to them, to be endured with dignity and patience, but none the less a hardship, that they should be left and should have to die with this woman of the Ranks Below to keep them company.  She was an honest woman, or they would never have engaged her and paid her passage all the way to India.  But she was not of their jat, and she was a fool.  It happens, however, that her point of view saved England for the English, and that the other point of view had brought England to the brink of utter ruin.

“If you’d leave off talking about your truly tiresome lover, and would pray to God, Jane,” said Mrs. Leslie, “the rest of us might have a chance to pray to God too!  This isn’t the time, let me tell you, to be thinking of carnal love-affairs.  Recall your sins, one by one, and ask forgiveness for them.”

In the gloom of the vault, poor Jane was quite invisible.  The sound of her snuffling and sobs was the only clue to her direction.  But her bridling was a thing that could be felt through the stuffy blackness, and there was a ring in her retort that gave the lie to the tears that she was shedding.

“The only sin I ask forgiveness for,” she answered in a level voice, “is having let Bill come to India alone.  Pray to God, is it?  Go on!  Pray!  If Bill was here, he’d start on that stone door without no words nor argument, unless some one tried to stop him.  Then there’d be an argument!  And he’d get it open too.  Bill’s the kind that does his prayin’ afterward, and God helps men like Bill!”

“Well—­I’m afraid that your Bill isn’t here, and can’t get here.  So the best thing that you can do is to pray and let us pray.”

“I’ll pray for Bill!” said Jane defiantly.  “Bill don’t know that I’m in India, and he surely doesn’t know I’m here.  But if he knew—­ Oh, God!  Let him know!  Tell him!  He’d come so quick.  He’d—­snnff, snnff—­he’d—­why, he’d ha’ been here long ago!  Dear God, tell Bill I’m here, that’s all!”

V.

General Baines was in a position to be envied.  No soldier worthy of his salt is other than elated at the thought of war.  Now for the proving of his theories.  Now for the fruit of all his tireless preaching and inspection and preparing—­the planned, pegged-out swoop to victory!