Well, what I said to you that evening
at the club I now repeat. There will be no disloyalty to friendship if
you marry Miss Eustace."
It was a difficult speech for Lieutenant Sutch to utter, and he was very
glad when he had uttered it. Whatever answer he received, it was right
that the words should be spoken, and he knew that, had he refrained from
speech, he would always have suffered remorse for his silence. None the
less, however, he waited in suspense for the answer.
"It is kind of you to tell me that," said Durrance, and he smiled at the
lieutenant with a great friendliness. "For I can guess what the words
cost you. But you have done Harry Feversham no harm by speaking them.
For, as I told you, Ethne has not forgotten him; and I have my point of
view. Marriage between a man blind like myself and any woman, let alone
Ethne, could not be fair or right unless upon both sides there was more
than friendship. Harry must return to England. He must return to Ethne,
too. You must go to Egypt and do what you can to bring him back."
Sutch was relieved of his suspense. He had obeyed his conscience and yet
done Harry Feversham no disservice.
"I will start to-morrow," he said.
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