"I hope Nisbet will have a strong escort, sir," Gerrard ventured to say, emboldened by the speaker's evident, though unexpressed, dissatisfaction with the arrangement. James Antony looked at him severely from under bushy brows. His loyalty to his more brilliant brother never permitted him the luxury of criticising his decisions in public, and he had gone farther than he intended in allowing his feelings to appear.
"The escort will be sufficient, of course. Charley Cowper goes in command—has special leave for the purpose. They start next week."
"Then I shall have to hurry back to Darwan," said Charteris.
"Just as well you should be on the spot," agreed James Antony. "You go to Habshiabad, I suppose, Gerrard?"
"I suppose so, sir."
"Precious little enthusiasm over the prospect, I see. Well, it is a come-down for the acting-Resident of Agpur."
"That was entirely a thing out of the usual run, sir." Gerrard roused himself in self-defence. "I was warned not to expect to continue on that footing, and I didn't for a moment."
"I can find you plenty of work here, if you prefer it. Ah, I see," he laughed. "The woman is spoiling Eden, as usual. Get married, get married, and you'll think no more about her."
"Thank you for your advice, sir. Your own experience?" asked Charteris.
James Antony looked first furious, then almost contrite, and finally gave way to a huge burst of laughter. "Curious how one falls in with other people's way of talking, when one knows it is absolutely false!" he said. "No, it is not my experience, and you know it, you young dog. I married my wife because I couldn't do without her, and it has been the same story from that day to this. That's my experience, and you can't do better than follow it."