But she had, too, the defects of her
qualities, although Feversham was not yet aware of them.
Ethne during the first part of this drive was almost as silent as her
companion; and when she spoke, it was with an absent air, as though she
had something of more importance in her thoughts. It was not until she
had left the town and was out upon the straight, undulating road to
Letterkenny that she turned quickly to Feversham and uttered it.
"I saw this morning that your regiment was ordered from India to Egypt.
You could have gone with it, had I not come in your way. There would
have been chances of distinction. I have hindered you, and I am very
sorry. Of course, you could not know that there was any possibility of
your regiment going, but I can understand it is very hard for you to be
left behind. I blame myself."
Feversham sat staring in front of him for a moment. Then he said, in a
voice suddenly grown hoarse:--
"You need not."
"How can I help it? I blame myself the more," she continued, "because I
do not see things quite like other women. For instance, supposing that
you had gone to Egypt, and that the worst had happened, I should have
felt very lonely, of course, all my days, but I should have known quite
surely that when those days were over, you and I would see much of one
another.
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