"And she's more than pretty," said I, "she's thoroughbred."
He studied me for a moment. "I have often wondered--and now I wonder
more than ever--why you--why you never---- You understand."
I nodded. "Yes," said I, "I understand and I rather reckon I would, if
it had not been that, a year before I ever saw the Lady Helen, I had
ridden with the Princess Dehra, alone, in the Palace forest, for an
hour."
At last, I saw Courtney's cold face show genuine surprise.
"And you made no effort then to prove your cousinship?" he exclaimed.
"No," said I.
"You let her go; and--and you a Dalberg and a soldier! You don't
deserve her--she ought to go to Lotzen--to Casimir--to any one but you.
Why, you drivelling idiot, do you realize that, but for the chance of
my having lugged--yes, that's the word, lugged you here you would now
be doing childish problems in cement and stone in some miserable little
Army department headquarters over in America?"
It was delicious to see Courtney roused, once in his life. Choking
back my laugh, I answered:
"You have not put it half strongly enough. You may be a fool, as you
say--there's no doubt that I've been a colossal one."
"You ought to be in an asylum for weak-minded instead of in that
uniform," he ejaculated.
"But, thanks to you, I'm in the uniform and not in the asylum," I
answered.
"Pray God you have sense enough, now, to keep in the one and out of the
other," he retorted.
"Amen, Courtney, old man," said I, "Amen!"
Then I sprang away and into saddle--waving my hand to him as he came
hastily to the door to stay me.