“Where did you learn to make these calculations?” Fuller asked after a time.
“In the British Army, Royal Engineers,” Dick answered with a flush.
“Were you an officer?”
Dick had dreaded the question. It looked as if truthfulness would cost him much; but he determined that his new friends should know the worst.
“Yes.”
“Then why did you quit?”
Dick glanced at Ida, and imagined that she was interested, though she did not look up.
“I was turned out, sir.”
“Ah!” said Fuller, without surprise. “May I ask why? It’s not impertinent curiosity.”
“I was sent with some important papers, which I lost. This was bad enough, but there was some ground for suspecting that I had stolen them.”