"
His lordship had raised his brows. "By gad, sir," he ejaculated,
"there almost appears to be some justification for the captain.
He was one of your military secretaries, was he not?"
"He was."
"Ha! Pity! Pity!" His lordship was thoughtful for a moment.
Then he dismissed the matter. "But then orders are orders, and
soldiers must learn to obey implicitly. British soldiers of all
degrees seem to find the lesson difficult. We must inculcate it
more sternly, that is all."
O'Moy's honest soul was in torturing revolt against the falsehoods
he had implied - and to this man of all men, to this man whom he
reverenced above all others, who stood to him for the very fount
of military honour and lofty principle! He was in such a mood
that one more question on the subject from Wellington and the whole
ghastly truth must have come pouring from his lips. But no other
question came. Instead his lordship turned on the threshold and
held out his hand.
"Not a step farther, O'Moy. I've left you a mass of work, and
you are short of a secretary. So don't waste any of your time on
courtesies. I shall hope still to find the ladies in the garden
so that I may take my leave without inconveniencing them.
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