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？