"By the way, where is Sir Richard?" Anstice had been scanning the company, but could catch no glimpse of his friend. "His daughter, Mrs. Cheniston, is here, you know, and she will be anxious----"
"Ah, yes--I have a message for her. Is she here--can you take me to her?"
"She is here," said Anstice quietly, as Iris, hearing her name, approached. "Mrs. Cheniston, this gentleman has a message for you--from your father----"
"I'm Lane--Captain Lane, Mrs. Cheniston." He saluted her hastily. "And your father asked me to tell you he was quite well, only a little tired with his double journey. He wanted very much to return with us, but he really was not fit to turn back immediately; and knowing how a lame duck"--he coughed and looked suddenly embarrassed--"I mean--how one man may delay a squadron, so to speak, he very sensibly agreed to stay at our camp for a few hours' rest. We shall pick him up as we go back," he added, and Iris smiled rather wearily as she answered: "Thank you very much, Captain Lane. You are sure my father is all right?"
"Certain--only a bit fagged, and no wonder, for he'd ridden hard. Ah--and he told me to say you were to ask Dr. Anston--Anstice, is it?--to help you in any matter in which you wanted a little help."
"I will certainly do that," said Iris quietly; and as the other men pressed round the little group, eagerly questioning the defenders of the besieged Fort, Iris slipped away from the excited crowd so unobtrusively that no eyes save those of Anstice witnessed her departure.
* * * * *
Three minutes later Anstice, leaving the rest planning the return journey over the desert, went quietly in search of Iris.
He found her, as he had half expected, standing by the window of the room in which Bruce Cheniston had died; and in her eyes was a forlorn look which showed him the measure of her desolation in this sunrise hour.
Quietly as he had entered she had heard him come, and turned to face him with a rather tremulous smile.
"Mrs. Cheniston, I came to look for you." He approached as he spoke; and in spite of herself she felt comforted by the mere fact of his presence. "You are not worrying because your father very wisely let those fellows come on ahead of him?"
"N-no," she said, with a queer little catch in her breath. "Only--I had so wanted--so hoped--to see my father--soon."