The Major shuffled feverishly into the room."It's horribly absurd," he said. "Something must have got started in methat I never knew before. But upon my soul I feel the most desperatedesire to know the end of it all.""The end of it all?""Yes," said the Major. "`Jackals', and the title-deeds, and `Death toMajor Brown'."The agent's face grew grave, but his eyes were amused."I am terribly sorry, Major," said he, "but what you ask is impossible. Idon't know any one I would sooner oblige than you; but the rules of theagency are strict. The Adventures are confidential; you are an outsider; Iam not allowed to let you know an inch more than I can help. I do hopeyou understand--""There is no one," said Brown, "who understands discipline better thanI do. Thank you very much. Good night."And the little man withdrew for the last time.He married Miss Jameson, the lady with the red hair and the greengarments. She was an actress, employed (with many others) by theRomance Agency; and her marriage with the prim old veteran causedsome stir in her languid and intellectualized set. She always replied veryquietly that she had met scores of men who acted splendidly in thecharades provided for them by Northover, but that she had only met oneman who went down into a coal-cellar when he really thought it containeda murderer.The Major and she are living as happily as birds, in an absurd villa,and the former has taken to smoking. Otherwise he is unchanged--except,perhaps, there are moments when, alert and full of feminine unselfishnessas the Major is by nature, he falls into a trance of abstraction. Then hiswife recognizes with a concealed smile, by the blind look in his blue eyes,that he is wondering what were the title-deeds, and why he was notallowed to mention jackals. But, like so many old soldiers, Brown isreligious, and believes that he will realize the rest of those purpleadventures in a better world.