The strong drift and the turns of the road claimed much of his attention, so it is possible that he blurted out his news somewhat baldly.
"Do you know, Miss Wishart, that Lewis Haystoun and I are going off next week?
Abroad, you know." The girl, who had been enjoying the ecstasy of swift motion through the bitter weather, glanced up at him with pain in her eyes.
"Where ?" she asked.
"To the Indian frontier.

We are going to be special unpaid unofficial members of the Intelligence Department." She asked the old, timid woman's question about danger.
"It's where Lewis was before.

Only, you see, things have got into a mess thereabouts, and the Foreign Office has asked him to go out again.
By the by, you mustn't tell any one about this, for it's in strict confidence." The words were meaningless, and yet they sent a pang through her heart.
Had he no guess at her inmost feelings?
Could he think that she would talk to Mr.Stocks of a thing which was bound up for her with all the sorrow and ecstasy of life?
He looked down and saw that her face had paled and that her mouth was drawn with some emotion.

A sudden gleam of light seemed to break in upon him.
"Are you sorry ?" he asked half-unwittingly.
For answer the girl turned her tragic eyes upon him, tried to speak, and faltered.

He cursed him-self for a fool and a brute, and whipped up an already over-active horse, till it was all but unmanageable.