wrote his few words in English, Major Guthrie's few
words were written in French.

Jervis Blake's postcard ran:

"I AM QUITE WELL and very happy. This is a glorious
country. I will write a letter soon." And then
"J. B."

That of Major Guthrie:

"I AM QUITE WELL." Then, in queer archaic
French, "and all goes well with me. I trust it is the
same with thee. Will write soon."

But he, mindful of the fact that it was an open postcard,
with your Scotchman's true caution, had not even
added his initials.

Mrs. Otway's only comment on hearing that Jervis
Blake had written Rose a postcard from France, had
been the words, said feelingly, and with a sigh, "Ah,
well! So he has gone out too? He is very young to
see something of real war. But I expect that it will
make a man of him, poor boy."

For a moment Rose had longed to throw herself in
her mother's arms and tell her the truth; then she had
reminded herself that to do so would not be fair to
Jervis. Jervis would have told his people of their engagement
if she had allowed him to do so. It was
she who had prevented it. And then -- and then -- Rose
also knew, deep in her heart, that if anything happened
to Jervis, she would far rather bear the agony alone.
She loved her mother dearly, but she told herself, with
the curious egoism of youth, that her mother would not
understand.

Rose had been four years old when her father died;
she thought she could remember him, but it was a very
dim, shadowy memory. She did not realise, even now,

[[170]]

p169 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p170w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p171

v?