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。“