He continued after a moment with the quick decision characteristic of him. "I'm not going to pursue the subject, but just this once--in justice to the man--I must have my say. You asked me once if I liked him, and I was not in a position to tell you. I will tell you now. I like him thoroughly. He's a man after my own heart, straight and clean and staunch. If you ever want someone to trust--trust him! He'd stand by you to perdition." "Oh, do you think that of him, Nick?" she said, as one incredulous. "Yes, dear, I do," said Nick. "Well, that's all I have to say. Suppose we begin to crawl back!" But Olga waited a moment, watching with fascinated eyes the speck of scarlet that still trembled in the sunshine. It fluttered from sight at last, and with a sigh she turned. "I wonder if it got away!" she murmured again, as if to herself. "I do wonder!" But to Max, in spite of Nick's spirited eulogy, she made no further reference. Nick dined at his brother's house at Weir that evening, alone with Max Wyndham. The boys had gone back to school, and the house was almost painfully quiet. Even Nick seemed to feel a certain depression in the atmosphere, for his cheerful chatter was decidedly fitful, and when he and Max were seated opposite to one another smoking it ceased altogether. Out of a long silence came Max's voice. "When did you say you were starting for the East?" "Three weeks next Friday," said Nick. Max grunted, and the silence was renewed. It was Nick's voice, cracked and careless, that next broke the spell. He seemed to speak on the edge of a laugh. "It's just six years ago since the woman I wanted went to India. Curious, isn't it?" "What's curious?" said Max. Nick explained, still with a suspicion of humour in his words: "Well, the funny part of it was that she hoped and believed she was going to get away from me. However, I viewed the matter otherwise, and--I followed her." "Did you though?" said Max. "And how did the lady take it? Was she pleased?" "My dear chap, she didn't know." The laugh was more apparent now. Nick removed his cigar to indulge it. "I was most careful not to get in her way, you understand. I was simply there--if wanted." "And events proved you justified, I suppose?" Max sounded interested after a cynical and quite impersonal fashion. "They did," said Nick. His own elastic grin appeared for an instant and was gone. "Events can generally be trimmed to suit your purpose," he said, "if you are sufficiently in earnest." "That has not been my experience," observed Max briefly. "Perhaps you haven't tried," said Nick. Silence descended once more, and Nick was rude enough to fall asleep. An hour later he awoke with extreme alertness in response to a remark from Max as to the lateness of the hour.