thatheshouldfindnothingalteredinhisabsence.Theyattemptedtosatisfyinthismannertheeagerlongingoftheirheartsitmadethembothalittlehappiertoknowthattheywereactuallydoingsomethingfortheirson.Nopaininloveissohardtobearasthatwhichcomesfromtheimpossibilityofdoinganyserviceforthewell-beloved,andnoserviceissorepulsivethatlovecannotmakeitdelightfulandeasy.Theyhadnotseenhimforfiveyears,theironlychildforhehadgonefromSandhurststraighttoIndia,andthence,ontheoutbreakofwar,totheCape.Nooneknewhowmuchthelonelyparentshadfeltthelongseparation,howeagerlytheyawaitedhisletters,howoftentheyreadthem.
ButitwasmorethanparentalaffectionwhichcausedthepassionateinteresttheytookinJamie'scareer.Theylookedtohimtorestorethegoodnamewhichhisfatherhadlost.FourgenerationsofParsonshadbeeninthearmy,andhadbornethemselveswithhonourtotheirfamilyandwithcredittothemselves.ItwasafinerecordthatColonelParsonsinheritedofbravemenandgoodsoldiersandhe,thetruest,bravest,mosthonourableofthemall,haddraggedthenamethroughthedusthadbeenforcedfromtheserviceunderastormofobloquy,disgraced,dishonoured,ruined.
ColonelParsonshaddonethegreaterportionofhisservicecreditablyenough.HehadalwaysputhisGodbeforetheWarOffice,buttheresulthadnotbeenobjectionablehelookeduponhismenwithfatherlyaffection,andtheregiment,underhiscommand,wasalmostamodelofproprietyandseemliness.Hisinfluencewasinvariablyforgood,andhissubordinatesknewthatinhimtheyhadalwaysatrustyfriendfewmenhadgainedmorelove.Hewasamild,even-temperedfellow,andinnocircumstanceoflifeforgottolovehisneighbourashimselfheneverallowedittosliphismemorythateventhelowestcastenativehadanimmortalsoul,andbeforeGodequalrightswithhim.ColonelParsonswasamanwhosepietywassounaggressive,sogood-humoured,sosimple,thatnonecouldresistitribaldryandblasphemywereinstinctivelyhushedinhispresence,andeventhemosthardenedruffianwassoftenedbyhiscontact.
Butacoup