The Major slowly unfastened his sword-belt, and laid it down with a sigh, saying, "We've lost a good man, Abercrombie, and a true friend." "You don't know what a friend to me," said Mr.George impetuously.

"Why, look here, sir.

A month or two ago I'd outrun the constable--I always am getting into a mess of some sort--and Vandaleur found it out and lent me the money." "You're not the first youngster he has helped by many, to my knowledge," said Major Buller.
"But that's not all, sir," said Mr.George, standing up with me in his arms.

"When we first went in that night, you remember his speaking privately to me once?
Well, what he said was, 'I think I'm following the rest, Abercrombie, and I wanted to speak to you about this.' He had got my I.O.U.in his hand, and he tore it across, and said, 'Don't bother any more about it; but keep straight, my boy, if you can, for your people's sake.' I'm sadly given to going crooked, sir, but if anything could make a fellow----" Mr.George got no further in his sentence, but the Major seemed to understand what he meant, for he spoke very kindly to him, and they left me for a bit and walked up and down the verandah together.

Just before Mr.George left, I heard him say, "Have you heard anything of Mrs.
Vandaleur ?" "I wrote to her, in the best fashion that I could," said Major Buller.
"But there's no breaking rough news gently, Abercrombie.