He discussed their immediate plans for a while, and referred to the growing difficulties of the South African situation. Her own brothers had joined the Union forces: he felt that it caused her surprise that he did not do the same. Her mother had taken it for granted that he would. He found it more difficult to deal with Mrs Upton; she required explanations. He was a little uncertain how she would receive the news of their immediate marriage. Although she liked him, and approved of the engagement, she had expressed the hope that they would do nothing hastily, but would learn to know one another more thoroughly before taking any decisive step. He went back with Brenda that night to break the news to her, braced to meet opposition, and bent on overcoming it. But when he faced her and made his half-defiant announcement, he saw by the look in her eyes that there was no opposition to fear. She lifted a serious, unsurprised face to his, and said quietly: "I've been expecting this... You want to marry before joining up?" "Yes. It's awfully jolly of you to take it like this." She smiled briefly. "When it comes to war," she said, "we stand aside and yield your sex first place. It's your hour. You've a right to consideration. But for the war, I would rather you had waited--years." "You don't mean that?" he said, and scrutinised her closely. "There is a little distrust at the back of your mind which I haven't succeeded in allaying." She changed colour, showing signs of embarrassment, and turned away a little disconcerted at this outspoken attack. "Do you suppose any mother ever thinks a man good enough for her girl?" she asked with a slightly nervous laugh. "If that's all..." he said, and waited. She faced round again and held out both her hands to him in an impulsive appeal. "You will be good to her?" she cried... "Oh! you will be good to her?" "Surely," he answered earnestly, "you know I will be?" and took her hands and kissed them. CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. There was a task which, when he had little knowledge of the nearness and the overwhelming nature of the tragedy that had since befallen, Matheson had allocated to himself with every intention of going through with it; the task included fixing the guilt of incitement to rebellion on to Holman. He meant to bring Holman to account for his treachery.