Hauksbee，butshewasnofoolShekeptherowncounsel，anddidnotspeaktoBremmilofwhatshehadheardThisisworthrememberingSpeakingto，orcryingover，ahusbandneverdidanygoodyet。
WhenBremmilwasathome，whichwasnotoften，hewasmoreaffectionatethanusual；andthatshowedhishandTheaffectionwasforcedpartlytosoothehisownconscienceandpartlytosootheMrsBremmilItfailedinbothregards。
Then“theA-D-CinWaitingwascommandedbyTheirExcellencies，LordandLadyLytton，toinviteMrandMrsCusack-BremmiltoPeterhoffonJuly26that9。30PM。”——“Dancing“inthebottom-
left-handcorner。
“Ican’tgo。”saidMrsBremmil，“itistoosoonafterpoorlittleFlorriebutitneednotstopyou，Tom。”
Shemeantwhatshesaidthen，andBremmilsaidthathewouldgojusttoputinanappearanceHerehespokethethingwhichwasnot；andMrsBremmilknewitSheguessed——awoman’sguessismuchmoreaccuratethanaman’scertainty——thathehadmeanttogofromthefirst，andwithMrsHauksbeeShesatdowntothink，andtheoutcomeofherthoughtswasthatthememoryofadeadchildwasworthconsiderablylessthantheaffectionsofalivinghusband。
ShemadeherplanandstakedheralluponitInthathourshediscoveredthatsheknewTomBremmilthoroughly，andthisknowledgesheactedon。
“Tom。”saidshe，“IshallbediningoutattheLongmores’ontheeveningofthe26thYou’dbetterdineattheclub。”
ThissavedBremmilfrommakinganexcusetogetawayanddinewithMrsHauksbee，sohewasgrateful，andfeltsmallandmeanatthesametime——whichwaswholesomeBremmilleftthehouseatfiveforarideAbouthalf-pastfiveintheeveningalargeleather-
coveredbasketcameinfromPhelps’forMrsBremmilShewasawomanwhoknewhowtodress；andshehadnotspentaweekondesigningthatdressandhavingitgored，andhemmed，andherring-
boned，andtuckedandruckedorwhateverthetermsarefornothingItwasagorgeousdress——slightmourningIcan’tdescribeit，butitwaswhatTheQueencalls“acreation“——athingthathityoustraightbetweentheeyesandmadeyougaspShehadnotmuchheartforwhatshewasgoingtodo；butassheglancedatthelongmirrorshehadthesatisfactionofknowingthatshehadneverlookedsowellinherlifeShewasalargeblondeand，whenshechose，carriedherselfsuperbly。
AfterthedinnerattheLongmores，shewentontothedance——alittlelate——andencounteredBremmilwithMrsHauksbeeonhisarm。
Thatmadeherflush，andasthemencrowdedroundherfordancesshelookedmagnificentShefilledupallherdancesexceptthree，andthosesheleftblankMrsHauksbeecaughthereyeonce；andsheknewitwaswar——realwar——betweenthemShestartedhandicappedinthestruggle，forshehadorderedBremmilaboutjusttheleastlittlebitintheworldtoomuch；andhewasbeginningtoresentitMoreover，hehadneverseenhiswifelooksolovely。
Hestaredatherfromdoorways，andglaredatherfrompassagesasshewentaboutwithherpartners；andthemorehestared，themoretakenwasheHecouldscarcelybelievethatthiswasthewomanwiththeredeyesandtheblackstuffgownwhousedtoweepovertheeggsatbreakfast。
MrsHauksbeedidherbesttoholdhiminplay，but，aftertwodances，hecrossedovertohiswifeandaskedforadance。
“I’mafraidyou’vecometoolate，MISTERBremmil。”shesaid，withhereyestwinkling。
Thenhebeggedhertogivehimadance，and，asagreatfavor，sheallowedhimthefifthwaltzLuckilysstoodvacantonhisprogrammeTheydancedittogether，andtherewasalittleflutterroundtheroomBremmilhadasortofnotionthathiswifecoulddance，butheneverknewshedancedsodivinelyAttheendofthatwaltzheaskedforanother——asafavor，notasaright；andMrsBremmilsaid：“Showmeyourprogramme，dear！”Heshoweditasanaughtylittleschoolboyhandsupcontrabandsweetstoamaster。
Therewasafairsprinklingof“H“onitbesides“H“atsupper。
MrsBremmilsaidnothing，butshesmiledcontemptuously，ranherpencilthrough7and9——two“H’s“——andreturnedthecardwithherownnamewrittenabove——apetnamethatonlysheandherhusbandusedThensheshookherfingerathim，andsaid，laughing：“Oh，yousilly，SILLYboy！”
MrsHauksbeeheardthat，and——sheownedasmuch——feltthatshehadtheworstofitBremmilaccepted7and9gratefullyTheydanced7，andsatout9inoneofthelittletentsWhatBremmilsaidandwhatMrsBremmilsaidisnoconcernofanyone’s。
Whenthebandstruckup“TheRoastBeefofOldEngland。”thetwowentoutintotheverandah，andBremmilbeganlookingforhiswife’sdandythiswasbefore’rickshawdayswhileshewentintothecloak-roomMrsHauksbeecameupandsaid：“Youtakemeintosupper，Ithink，MrBremmil。”Bremmilturnedredandlookedfoolish“Ah——h’m！I’mgoinghomewithmywife，MrsHauksbee。
I
thinktherehasbeenalittlemistake。”Beingaman，hespokeasthoughMrsHauksbeewereentirelyresponsible。
MrsBremmilcameoutofthecloak-roominaswansdowncloakwithawhite“cloud“roundherheadShelookedradiant；andshehadarightto。
Thecouplewentoffinthedarknesstogether，Bremmilridingveryclosetothedandy。
ThensaysMrsHauksbeetome——shelookedatriflefadedandjadedinthelamplight：“Takemywordforit，thesilliestwomancanmanageacleverman；butitneedsaverycleverwomantomanageafool。”
Thenwewentintosupper。
THROWNAWAY。
“Andsomearesulky，whilesomewillplunge[Soho！Steady！Standstill，you！]
Someyoumustgentle，andsomeyoumustlunge。
[There！There！Whowantstokillyou？]
Some——therearelossesineverytrade——
Willbreaktheirheartserebittedandmade，Willfightlikefiendsastheropecutshard，Anddiedumb-madinthebreaking-yard。”
ToolungalaStockyardChorus。
Torearaboyunderwhatparentscallthe“shelteredlifesystem“
is，iftheboymustgointotheworldandfendforhimself，notwiseUnlesshebeoneinathousandhehascertainlytopassthroughmanyunnecessarytroubles；andmay，possibly，cometoextremegriefsimplyfromignoranceoftheproperproportionsofthings。
Letapuppyeatthesoapinthebath-roomorchewanewly-blackedbootHechewsandchucklesuntil，byandby，hefindsoutthatblackingandOldBrownWindsormakehimverysick；sohearguesthatsoapandbootsarenotwholesomeAnyolddogaboutthehousewillsoonshowhimtheunwisdomofbitingbigdogs’earsBeingyoung，heremembersandgoesabroad，atsixmonths，awell-manneredlittlebeastwithachastenedappetiteIfhehadbeenkeptawayfromboots，andsoap，andbigdogstillhecametothetrinityfull-grownandwithdevelopedteeth，justconsiderhowfearfullysickandthrashedhewouldbe！Applythatmotiontothe“shelteredlife。”andseehowitworksItdoesnotsoundpretty，butitisthebetteroftwoevils。
TherewasaBoyoncewhohadbeenbroughtupunderthe“shelteredlife“theory；andthetheorykilledhimdeadHestayedwithhispeopleallhisdays，fromthehourhewasborntillthehourhewentintoSandhurstnearlyatthetopofthelistHewasbeautifullytaughtinallthatwinsmarksbyaprivatetutor，andcarriedtheextraweightof“neverhavinggivenhisparentsanhour’sanxietyinhislife。”WhathelearntatSandhurstbeyondtheregularroutineisofnogreatconsequenceHelookedabouthim，andhefoundsoapandblacking，sotospeak，verygoodHeatealittle，andcameoutofSandhurstnotsohighashewentin。
Themtherewasanintervalandascenewithhispeople，whoexpectedmuchfromhimNextayearofliving“unspottedfromtheworld“inathird-ratedepotbattalionwhereallthejuniorswerechildren，andalltheseniorsoldwomen；andlastlyhecameouttoIndia，wherehewascutofffromthesupportofhisparents，andhadnoonetofallbackonintimeoftroubleexcepthimself。
NowIndiaisaplacebeyondallotherswhereonemustnottakethingstooseriously——themiddaysunalwaysexceptedToomuchworkandtoomuchenergykillamanjustaseffectivelyastoomuchassortedviceortoomuchdrinkFlirtationdoesnotmatterbecauseeveryoneisbeingtransferredandeitheryouorsheleavetheStation，andneverreturnGoodworkdoesnotmatter，becauseamanisjudgedbyhisworstoutputandanothermantakesallthecreditofhisbestasaruleBadworkdoesnotmatter，becauseothermendoworse，andincompetentshangonlongerinIndiathananywhereelseAmusementsdonotmatter，becauseyoumustrepeatthemassoonasyouhaveaccomplishedthemonce，andmostamusementsonlymeantryingtowinanotherperson’smoney。
Sicknessdoesnotmatter，becauseit’sallintheday’swork，andifyoudieanothermantakesoveryourplaceandyourofficeintheeighthoursbetweendeathandburialNothingmattersexceptHomefurloughandactingallowances，andtheseonlybecausetheyarescarceThisisaslack，kutchacountrywhereallmenworkwithimperfectinstruments；andthewisestthingistotakenooneandnothinginearnest，buttoescapeassoonaseveryoucantosomeplacewhereamusementisamusementandareputationworththehaving。
ButthisBoy——thetaleisasoldastheHills——cameout，andtookallthingsseriouslyHewasprettyandwaspettedHetookthepettingsseriously，andfrettedoverwomennotworthsaddlingaponytocalluponHefoundhisnewfreelifeinIndiaverygood。
ItDOESlookattractiveinthebeginning，fromaSubaltern’spointofview——allponies，partners，dancing，andsoonHetasteditasthepuppytastesthesoapOnlyhecamelatetotheeating，withagrowingsetofteethHehadnosenseofbalance——justlikethepuppy——andcouldnotunderstandwhyhewasnottreatedwiththeconsiderationhereceivedunderhisfather’sroofThishurthisfeelings。
Hequarrelledwithotherboys，and，beingsensitivetothemarrow，rememberedthesequarrels，andtheyexcitedhimHefoundwhist，andgymkhanas，andthingsofthatkindmeanttoamuseoneafterofficegood；buthetookthemseriouslytoo，justashetookthe“head“thatfollowedafterdrinkHelosthismoneyoverwhistandgymkhanasbecausetheywerenewtohim。
Hetookhislossesseriously，andwastedasmuchenergyandinterestoveratwo-goldmohurraceformaidenekka-ponieswiththeirmaneshogged，asifithadbeentheDerbyOne-halfofthiscamefrominexperience——muchasthepuppysquabbleswiththecornerofthehearth-rug——andtheotherhalffromthedizzinessbredbystumblingoutofhisquietlifeintotheglareandexcitementofalivelieroneNoonetoldhimaboutthesoapandtheblackingbecauseanaveragemantakesitforgrantedthatanaveragemanisordinarilycarefulinregardtothemItwaspitifultowatchTheBoyknockinghimselftopieces，asanover-handledcoltfallsdownandcutshimselfwhenhegetsawayfromthegroom。
Thisunbridledlicenseinamusementsnotworththetroubleofbreakinglinefor，muchlessriotingover，enduredforsixmonths——
allthroughonecoldweather——andthenwethoughtthattheheatandtheknowledgeofhavinglosthismoneyandhealthandlamedhishorseswouldsoberTheBoydown，andhewouldstandsteadyInninety-ninecasesoutofahundredthiswouldhavehappenedYoucanseetheprincipleworkinginanyIndianStationButthisparticularcasefellthroughbecauseTheBoywassensitiveandtookthingsseriously——asImayhavesaidsomeseventimesbeforeOfcourse，wecouldn’ttellhowhisexcessesstruckhimpersonally。
Theywerenothingveryheart-breakingorabovetheaverageHemightbecrippledforlifefinancially，andwantalittlenursing。
Stillthememoryofhisperformanceswouldwitherawayinonehotweather，andtheshroffwouldhelphimtotideoverthemoneytroublesButhemusthavetakenanotherviewaltogetherandhavebelievedhimselfruinedbeyondredemptionHisColoneltalkedtohimseverelywhenthecoldweatherendedThatmadehimmorewretchedthanever；anditwasonlyanordinary“Colonel’swigging！”
WhatfollowsisacuriousinstanceofthefashioninwhichwearealllinkedtogetherandmaderesponsibleforoneanotherTHE
thingthatkickedthebeaminTheBoy’smindwasaremarkthatawomanmadewhenhewastalkingtoherThereisnouseinrepeatingit，foritwasonlyacruellittlesentence，rappedoutbeforethinking，thatmadehimflushtotherootsofhishairHekepthimselftohimselfforthreedays，andthenputinfortwodays’leavetogoshootingnearaCanalEngineer’sRestHouseaboutthirtymilesoutHegothisleave，andthatnightatMesswasnoisierandmoreoffensivethaneverHesaidthathewas“goingtoshootbiggame，andleftathalf-pastteno’clockinanekka。
Partridge——whichwastheonlythingamancouldgetneartheRestHouse——isnotbiggame；soeveryonelaughed。
NextmorningoneoftheMajorscameinfromshortleave，andheardthatTheBoyhadgoneouttoshoot“biggame。”TheMajorhadtakenaninterestinTheBoy，andhad，morethanonce，triedtocheckhiminthecoldweatherTheMajorputuphiseyebrowswhenheheardoftheexpeditionandwenttoTheBoy’sroom，whereherummaged。