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 effrontery he only dared moot under stress of the emergency.

Beaumanoir, flushing scarlet, stopped short in his restless pacing and swallowed the hook.

“I never thought of that,” he said, looking down at the General with more interest than he had yet shown. “And,” he added, with unaffected modesty, “I very much doubt if they would come.”

This was virtual surrender, and the General had an easy task to brush away objections obviously raised in the hopes of their demolition. Short notice? Well, perhaps; but Americans were used to a less formal hospitality than ours, and would take it as a compliment. Brief shipboard acquaintance? Nonsense. Five days’ association on a “liner” was equivalent to a friendship of years. The chance of the Shermans being involved in a tragedy in which they had no concern? The General pledged his word that, whatever happened at Prior’s Tarrant, no harm should befall the Senator’s wife and daughter or breath of scandal assail them.

Before he left the room the General had arranged to return later in the day, possibly bringing with him his Pathan servant, Azi-