But on Lord Florencecourt’s prejudiced mind the little scene was only another display of the most brazen coquetry. He and the ladies left together, and they were not out of the house before George, in a transport of passion, snatched into his arms the wife who was always discovering new charms for him. Presently she said: “George, that wooden-faced Lord Florencecourt hates me!” “When you’ve seen Lady Florencecourt, you’ll understand that a taste for the one type of woman is incompatible with a taste for the other.” “But why then did he make his sister call upon me? For she said it was her brother made her call, and everybody thinks a visit from Lady Crediton a great thing!” “Well, I suppose it must have been to please me, Nouna,” said her husband. But in truth he did not feel sure of it, Lord Florencecourt’s conduct lately having been in more ways than one a mystery to him. Two days later, however, he had a conversation with his chief, the end of which supplied, as he thought, a clue to it. Lord Florencecourt began by reproaching him for a falling off in the quality of his ambition. “I can see it,” said he, “I can see the fire slackening every day, aims getting lower, if not more sordid. I am an old fool, I suppose, to begin ‘the service is going to the dogs’ cry; but I, for one, believe in enthusiasm; a soldier without it is not worth the cost of his uniform; and I’d sooner see a young officer’s body shot down with a bullet than his soul gnawed away by a woman.” “Colonel, you are going too far--” “No, I’m not. What will you remember of the hardest words an old man can speak when you are once again in the arms of that--” “You forget you are speaking of my wife,” interrupted George hastily in a low hoarse voice. “Your wife! How many of the duties of a wife will that little thing in the red cap perform? Will she look after your household, bring up your children well, keep you up to your work, advance your interests by her tact, nurse you when you’re laid up? No; she’ll ruin you by her extravagance, disgrace you by her freaks, and if you ever should be ill or ordered off and unable to keep your eye on her, ten to one she’d bolt with some other man.” “With all respect, Colonel, I think I have chosen my wife as well as some of my superiors,” said George, at a white heat, scarcely opening his lips. Now every one knew that Lady Florencecourt was the soul of “aggravation,” but Lauriston had no idea that his retort would bowl the Colonel over so completely. Instead of indignation at the lieutenant’s turning the tables upon him, his face expressed nothing but blank horror, and an agony as acute as that which he had suffered two days before at sight of the Indian woman Sundran. Again the look was momentary; and in his usual voice, with his eyes fixed upon George, without any irritation, he said slowly: