NothingsoveryremarkablehappenedtoGodfreyduringthosetenyearsofhislifeinIndia，oratleastonlyoneortwothings。Thusoncehegotintoascrapeforwhichhewasnotreallyresponsible，andgotoutofitagain，asheimagined，withoutremark，untilIsobelshowedhercommonandratherpainfulintimacywithitsdetails，ofwhichsheappearedtotakeasomewhatuncharitableview，atanyratesofarastheladywasconcerned。
　　Theothermatterwasmoreserious，sinceitinvolvedthelossofhisgreatestfriend，ArthurThorburn。Briefly，whathappenedwasthis。
　　Therewasafrontierdisturbance。Godfrey，whobynowwasastaffofficer，hadbeensenttoafaroutpostheldbyThorburnwithacertainnumberofmen，andtheretookcommand。Areconnaissancewasnecessary，andThorburnwentoutforthatpurposewithoverhalfoftheavailablegarrisonofthepost，havingreceivedwrittenordersthathewasnottoengagetheenemyunlesshefoundhimselfabsolutelysurrounded。IntheendThorburndidengagetheenemywiththeresultthatpracticallyheandhisforcewereexterminated，butnotbeforetheyhadinflictedsuchalessononthesaidenemythatitsuedforpeaceandhasbeengreatfriendswiththeBritishpowereversince。
　　FirsthoweverafeebleattackwasmadeonGodfrey’scampthathebeatoffwithoutthelossofasingleman，exaggeratedaccountsofwhichweretelegraphedhomerepresentingitasa“Rorke’sDriftdefence。“
　　Godfreywasheartbroken；hehadlovedthismanasabrother，moreindeedthanbrothersoftenlove。AndnowThorburn，hisonlyfriend，wasdead。TheDarknesshadtakenhim，thatimpenetrable，devouringdarknessoutofwhichwecomeandintowhichwego。Religiontoldhimheshouldnotgrieve，thatThorburndoubtlesswasmuchbetteroffwhitherhehadgonethanhecouldeverhavebeenonearth，althoughitwastruethesamereligionsaidthathemightbemuchworseoff，sincethitherhisfailingswouldhavefollowedhim。Dismissingthelatterpossibility，howcouldhebehappyinanewworld，Godfreywondered，havingleftallhecaredforbehindhimandwithoutpossibilityofcommunicationwiththem？
　　Inshort，alltheoldproblemsofwhichhehadnotthoughtmuchsinceMissOgilvydied，camebacktoGodfreywithaddedforceandlefthimwretched。Norwasheconsoledbythesequeloftheaffairofwhichhewasboundtoreportthefacts。Thegallantmanwhowasdeadwasblamedunjustlyforwhathadhappened，asperhapshedeservedwhohadnotsucceeded，sincethosewhosettheirblindeyetothetelescopeasNelsondidmustjustifytheiractionbysuccess。
　　Godfrey，ontheotherhand，whohaddonelittlebutdefeatanattackmadebyexhaustedanddispiritedmen，waspraisedtotheskiesandfoundhimselffiguringasakindofherointheEnglishPress，whichafteralongperiodofpeacehavinglostallsenseofproportioninsuchmatters，wasgladofanythingthatcouldbemadetoservethepurposesofsensation。UltimatelyhewasthankedbytheGovernmentofIndia，madeabrevet-MajoranddecoratedwiththeD。S。O。，ofallofwhichitmaybesaidwithtruththatneverweresuchhonoursreceivedwithlesspleasure。
　　Somuchdidhegrieveoverthisunhappybusinessthathishealthwasaffectedandbeingrundown，intheendhetooksomesortoffeverandwasveryillindeed。WhenatlengthherecoveredmoreorlesshewentbeforeaMedicalBoardwhoorderedhimpromptlytoEnglandonsixmonths’leave。
　　Mostmenwouldhaverejoiced，butGodfreydidnot。HehadlittlewishtoreturntoEngland，where，exceptMrs。Parsons，therewerenonehedesiredtosee，saveonewhomhewasswornnottosee。Thishecouldbearwhiletheywerethousandsofmilesapart，buttobeinthesamecountrywithIsobel，inthesametownperhaps，andforbiddentohearhervoiceortotouchherhand，howcouldhebearthat？Stillhehadnochoiceinthismatter，arrangedbythehandofFate，andwent，reflectingthathewouldgotoLucerneandspentthetimewiththePasteur。PerhapsevenhewouldliveinthebeautifulhousethatMissOgilvyhadlefttohim，oracornerofit，seeingthatitwasempty，forthetenantstowhomithadbeenlethadgoneaway。
　　SohestartedattheendofthefirstweekinJuly，1914。
　　WhenhisshipreachedMarseillesitwastofindthattheworldwasbuzzingwithstrangerumours。TherewastalkofwarinEurope。Russiawassaidtobemobilising；Germanywassaidtobemobilising；Francewassaidtobemobilising；itwasevenrumouredthatEnglandmightbedrawnintosomeTitanicstruggleofthenations。Andyetnoaccurateinformationwasobtainable。TheEnglishpaperstheysawweresomewhatoldandtheirreportsvagueintheextreme。
　　Muchexcited，likeeveryoneelse，GodfreytelegraphedtotheIndiaOffice，askingleavetocomehomedirectoverland，whichhecouldnotdowithoutpermissionsincehewasincommandofanumberofsoldierswhowerereturningtoEnglandonfurlough。
　　Noanswercametohiswirebeforehisshipsailed，andthereforehewasobligedtoproceedbylongsea。Stillithadimportantconsequenceswhichatthemomenthecouldnotforesee。IntheBaythetidingsthatreachedthembyMarconigramwereevidentlysocarefullycensoredthatoutofthemtheycouldmakenothing，exceptthattheEmpirewasfilledwithgreatdoubtandanxiety，andthattheworldstoodonthevergeofsuchawarashadneverbeenknowninhistory。
　　AtlengththeycametoSouthamptonwherethepilot-boatbroughthimatelegramorderinghimtoreporthimselfwithoutdelay。ThreehourslaterhewasinLondon。AttheIndiaOffice，wherehewaskeptwaitingawhile，hewasshownintotheroomofaprominentandharassedofficialwhohadsomepapersinfrontofhim。
　　“YouareMajorKnight？“saidtheofficial。“Well，hereisyourrecordbeforemeanditisgood，verygoodindeed。ButIseethatyouareonsickleave。Areyoutooillforservice？“
　　“No，“answeredGodfrey，“thevoyagehassetmeup。IfeelaswellaseverIdid。“
　　“That’sfortunate，“answeredtheofficial，“butthereisadoctoronthepremises，andtomakesureheshallhavealookatyou。Godownandseehim，ifyouwill，andthencomebackherewithhisreport，“
　　andherangabellandgavesomeorders。
　　WithinhalfanhourGodfreywasbackintheroomwithacleanbillofhealth。TheofficialreadthecertificateandremarkedthathewasgoingtosendhimovertotheWarOffice，wherehewouldmakeanappointmentforhimbytelephone。
　　“Whatfor，Sir？“askedGodfrey。“YouseeIamonlyjustoffmyshipandveryignorantofthenews。“
　　“Thenewsis，MajorKnight，thatweshallbeatwarwithGermanybeforewearetwelvehoursolder，“wasthesolemnanswer。“Officersarewanted，andwearegivingeverygoodmanfromIndiaonwhomwecanlayourhands。Theywon’tputyouontheStaff，becauseyouhaveeverythingtolearnaboutEuropeanwork，butIexpecttheywillfindyouabilletinoneoftheexpeditionaryregiments。Andnowgood-byeandgoodlucktoyou，forIhavelotsofmentosee。Bytheway，I
　　takeitforgrantedthatyouvolunteeredforthejob？“
　　“Ofcourse，“repliedGodfreysimply，andwentawaytowanderabouttheendlesspassagesoftheWarOfficetillatlengthhediscoveredthemanwhomhemustsee。
　　Afewtumultuousdayswentby，andhefoundhimselfuponasteamercrossingtoFrance，attachedtoafamousEnglishregiment。
　　ThenextmonthalwaysremainedinGodfrey’smindasakindofnightmareinwhichhemovedonplainsstainedthecolourofblood，beneathaskyblackwithbellowingthunderandilluminedoccasionallybyablazeofsplendour。Itwouldbeuselesstoattempttosetouttheexperienceandadventuresoftheparticularcavalryregimenttowhichhewasattachedasamajor，since，notwithstandingtheirinfinitevariety，theyweresuchasallsharedwhosegloryitwastotakepartwithwhattheKaisercalledthe“contemptiblelittlearmy“ofEnglandintheineffableretreatfromMons，thatretreatwhichsavedFranceandCivilisation。
　　Godfreyplayedhispartwell，onceortwicewithheroismindeed，butwhatofthatamideightythousandheroes？Backhestaggeredwiththerest，exhausted，sleepless，fighting，fighting，fighting，hismindfilledalternatelywithhorrorandwithwonder，horroratthedeedstowhichmencansinkandthegeneralschemeofthingsthatmakesthempossible，wonderattheheightstowhichtheycanrisewhenliftedbytheinspirationofagreatidealandaholycause。Death，hereflected，couldnotafterallmeansoverymuchtoman，seeinghowbravelyitwasmeteveryminuteofthedayandnight，andthattheaspectofit，oftensoterrible，didbutencourageothersinlikefashiontosmileanddie。Butoh!whatdiditallmean，andwhoruledthisuniversewithsuchaflaming，blood-stainedsword？
　　ThenatlastcametheturnofthetidewhenthehungryGermanwolfwasobligedtoabandonthatPariswhichalreadyhethoughtbetweenhisjawsand，afewdaysafterit，thecharge，theonesplendid，perfectchargethatconsoledGodfreyandthosewithhimforallwhichtheyhadsuffered，lostandfeared。Hewasincommandoftheregimentnow，forthosesuperiortohimhadbeenkilled，andhedirectedandaccompaniedthatcharge。TheythunderedontothemassoftheGermanswhowereretreatingwithnotimetoentrenchorsetentanglements，agentleslopeinfront，andhard，cleargroundbeneaththeirhorses’feet。
　　Theycutthroughthem，theytrodthemdown，theydrovethembyscoresandhundredsintothestreambeyond，tillthosetwobattalions，orwhatremainedofthem，werebutatangled，drowningmob。Itwasfinished；theEnglishsquadronturnedtoretreatashadbeenordered。
　　ThenofasuddenGodfreyfeltadullblow。Forafewmomentsconsciousnessremainedtohim。Hecalledoutsomecommandabouttheretirement；itcametohismindthatthusitwaswelltodieinthemomentofhislittlevictory。Afterthat——blackness!
　　Whenhissensereturnedtohimhefoundhimselflyinginthecurtainedcornerofabigroom。Atleasthethoughtitwasbigbecauseofthevastexpanseofceilingwhichhecouldseeabovethecurtainrodsandthesoundswithout，someofwhichseemedtocomefromadistance。
　　Therewasawindow，too，throughwhichhecaughtsightoflawnsandstatuesandformaltrees。Justthenthecurtainwasdrawn，andthereappearedamiddle-agedwomandressedinwhite，lookingverycalm，verykindandveryspotless，whostartedalittlewhenshesawthathiseyeswereopenandthathisfacewasintelligent。
　　“WhereamI？“heasked，andwaspuzzledtoobservethatthesoundofhisvoiceseemedfeebleandfaraway。
　　“InthehospitalatVersailles，“sheansweredinapleasantvoice。
　　“Indeed!“hemurmured。“ItoccurredtomethatitmightbeHeavenorsomeplaceofthesort。“
　　“Ifyoulookedthroughthecurtainyouwouldn’tcallitHeaven，“shesaidwithasigh，adding，“No，Major，youwerenearto’goingwest，’
　　verynear，butyounevergottothegatesofHeaven。“