"On the choosing of a West African officer, for instance?"
"Ah!" said Greythorpe, "now I begin to understand. If I am not indiscreet in mentioning it, I thought my old friend was rather in disgrace with you."
"You are keen," she told him. "I must warn you that Challoner is prejudiced."
"If that is so, there is probably a reason for it."
"There is," she said coolly. "I'm afraid it is my fault. I made a mistake in trying to force the Colonel to speak in favour of one of the candidates."
"It was unwise," Greythorpe agreed. "Our friend is by no means amenable to treatment of the kind."
"Still you would not let a good officer suffer because of my tactlessness?"
"Certainly not; the only thing that could count against any of the men we are considering is some shortcoming of their own."
"Then I must try to remove a wrong impression and my task is difficult because you know Challoner better than I do. We can, however, agree that he is honest."
"Eminently conscientious," Greythorpe remarked.