"What's the good of going to the War Office? They're all corrupt and incompetent there. If I had my way, I'd make a clean sweep of them. Talking of red-tape, I'll just give you an instance. Now, this is a fact. It was told me by the brother-in-law of the uncle of the man it happened to." Major Forsyth told his story at great length, finishing up with the assertion that if the army wasn't going to the dogs, he didn't know what going to the dogs meant. James, meanwhile, catching the glances which passed between his mother and Colonel Parsons, understood that they were thinking of the great subject upon which Uncle William was to be consulted. Half scornfully he gave them their opportunity. "I'm going for a stroll," he said, "through Groombridge. I shan't be back till dinner-time." "How lucky!" remarked Colonel Parsons naively, when James had gone. "We wanted to talk with you privately, William. You're a man of the world." "I think there's not much that I don't know," replied the Major, shooting his linen. "Tell him, Frances." Mrs. Parsons, accustomed to the part of spokeswoman, gave her tale, interrupted now and again by a long whistle with which the Major signified his shrewdness, or by an energetic nod which meant that the difficulty was nothing to him. "You're quite right," he said at last; "one has to look upon these things from the point of view of the man of the world." "We knew you'd be able to help us," said Colonel Parsons. "Of course! I shall settle the whole thing in five minutes. You leave it to me." "I told you he would, Frances," cried the Colonel, with a happy smile. "You think that James ought to marry the girl, don't you?" "Certainly. Whatever his feelings are, he must act as a gentleman and an officer. Just you let me talk it over with him. He has great respect for all I say; I've noticed that already." Mrs. Parsons looked at her brother doubtfully. "We haven't known what to do," she murmured. "We've prayed for guidance, haven't we, Richmond? We're anxious not to be hard on the boy, but we must be just." "Leave it to me," repeated Uncle William. "I'm a man of the world, and I'm thoroughly at home in matters of this sort." * * * According to the little plan which, in his subtlety, Major Forsyth had suggested, Mrs. Parsons, soon after dinner, fetched the backgammon board. "Shall we have our usual game, Richmond?" Colonel Parsons looked significantly at his brother-in-law. "If William doesn't mind?" "No, no, of course not! I'll have a little chat with Jamie." The players sat down at the corner of the table, and rather nervously began to set out the men. James stood by the window, silent as ever, looking at the day that was a-dying, with a milk-blue sky and tenuous clouds, copper and gold. Major Forsyth took a chair opposite him, and pulled his moustache. "Well, Jamie, my boy, what is all this nonsense I hear about you and Mary Clibborn?"