Colonel Fortescue took up a newspaper and glanced at it, to give Broussard a chance to recover himself.

In a minute or two Broussard managed to speak calmly.
"You remember, sir," he said, "that I asked you to take my word there was nothing wrong in my association with Lawrence and his wife." "I remember quite well," answered Colonel Fortescue, "I never doubted your word." "Thank you," said Broussard.

Once more he wiped the cold drops from his forehead, and continued in a low voice, tremulous and often broken.
"I told you that Lawrence and I had been playmates in our boyhood, although he is much older than I.

Sir, Lawrence is my half-brother--the son of my mother.

She was an angel on earth, and she is now an angel in Heaven.