Major Alan Hawke bowed low as he caught the cold eye of the would-be Sir Hugh Johnstone.
"Who are the ladies, Hardwicke ?" laughed the Major, as he saw the young officer's face suddenly crimson.

"For a man who won the V.C.in your dashing style, you seem to be a bit beauty-shy!" They were hardly settled yet for their cozy chat.

Hardwicke lit a cheroot to cover his evident confusion.
"I know" he slowly answered, "that one of them is Miss or Madame Delande, old Fraser's house duenna--I will still call him Fraser, you see--the other is the mystery of Delhi.

Popularly supposed to be the old boy's daughter, and his sole heiress, Miss Nadine," concluded the young aid-de-camp.

"The old curmudgeon keeps her judiciously veiled from mortal ken.