Pagina 863 de 2288

"If I told her to leave her husband, that must mean uniting her

life with mine; am I prepared for that? How can I take her away

now, when I have no money? Supposing I could arrange.... But how

can I take her away while I'm in the service? If I say that-I

ought to be prepared to do it, that is, I ought to have the money

and to retire from the army."

And he grew thoughtful. The question whether to retire from the

service or not brought him to the other and perhaps the chief

though hidden interest of his life, of which none knew but he.