Colonel Crofton had committed suicide, a result, it was stated, of depression owing to shell-shock.

"Shell-shock" gave Radmore pause.

He felt quite sure that Colonel Crofton had never--to use a now familiar paraphrase--heard a shot fired in anger.

The fact that his war service had been far from the Front had always been a subject of bitter complaint on the old soldier's part.
Radmore had written a sympathetic note to Mrs.Crofton, telling her the date of his return, and now--almost without his knowing how and why--they had become intimate, meeting almost daily, lunching or dining together incessantly, Radmore naturally gratified at the admiration his lovely companion--she had grown even prettier since he had last seen her--obviously excited.
And yet, though he had become such "pals" with her, and though he missed her society at his now lonely meals to an almost ridiculous extent, Radmore would have been much taken aback had an angel from heaven told him that the real reason he had sought to get in touch with Old Place was because Enid Crofton had already settled down at Beechfield..