Poor Henry!" "Poor old boy!" was all I could think of replying.

"How about the children ?" Scudamour asked.

"Oh, the children," I said, with what I thought presence of mind, "are coming to England." "To stay with Alexander ?" he asked.

My answer was that Alexander was expecting them by the middle of next month; and eventually Scudamour went away muttering, "Poor Henry!" In a month or so we met again.

"No word of Henry's getting leave of absence ?" asked Scudamour.