arms and the man-第8章
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projections at the outer corners； his jealously
observant eye； his nose； thin； keen； and
apprehensive in spite of the pugnacious high
bridge and large nostril； his assertive chin；
would not be out of place in a Paris salon。 In
short； the clever； imaginative barbarian has an
acute critical faculty which has been thrown into
intense activity by the arrival of western
civilization in the Balkans； and the result is
precisely what the advent of nineteenth…century
thought first produced in England： to…wit；
Byronism。 By his brooding on the perpetual
failure； not only of others； but of himself； to
live up to his imaginative ideals； his consequent
cynical scorn for humanity； the jejune credulity
as to the absolute validity of his ideals and the
unworthiness of the world in disregarding them；
his wincings and mockeries under the sting of the
petty disillusions which every hour spent among
men brings to his infallibly quick observation； he
has acquired the half tragic； half ironic air； the
mysterious moodiness； the suggestion of a strange
and terrible history that has left him nothing but
undying remorse； by which Childe Harold fascinated
the grandmothers of his English contemporaries。
Altogether it is clear that here or nowhere is
Raina's ideal hero。 Catherine is hardly less
enthusiastic； and much less reserved in shewing
her enthusiasm。 As he enters from the stable gate；
she rises effusively to greet him。 Petkoff is
distinctly less disposed to make a fuss about
him。）
PETKOFF。 Here already； Sergius。 Glad to see you！
CATHERINE。 My dear Sergius！（She holds out both her hands。）
SERGIUS （kissing them with scrupulous gallantry）。 My dear
mother； if I may call you so。
PETKOFF （drily）。 Mother…in…law； Sergius； mother…in…law！ Sit
down； and have some coffee。
SERGIUS。 Thank you； none for me。 （He gets away from the table
with a certain distaste for Petkoff's enjoyment of it； and posts
himself with conscious grace against the rail of the steps
leading to the house。）
CATHERINE。 You look superbsplendid。 The campaign has improved
you。 Everybody here is mad about you。 We were all wild with
enthusiasm about that magnificent cavalry charge。
SERGIUS （with grave irony）。 Madam： it was the cradle and the
grave of my military reputation。
CATHERINE。 How so？
SERGIUS。 I won the battle the wrong way when our worthy Russian
generals were losing it the right way。 That upset their plans；
and wounded their self…esteem。 Two of their colonels got their
regiments driven back on the correct principles of scientific
warfare。 Two major…generals got killed strictly according to
military etiquette。 Those two colonels are now major…generals；
and I am still a simple major。
CATHERINE。 You shall not remain so； Sergius。 The women are on
your side； and they will see that justice is done you。
SERGIUS。 It is too late。 I have only waited for the peace to
send in my resignation。
PETKOFF （dropping his cup in his amazement）。 Your resignation！
CATHERINE。 Oh； you must withdraw it！
SERGIUS （with resolute； measured emphasis； folding his arms）。 I
never withdraw！
PETKOFF （vexed）。 Now who could have supposed you were going to
do such a thing？
SERGIUS （with fire）。 Everyone that knew me。 But enough of
myself and my affairs。 How is Raina； and where is Raina？
RAINA （suddenly coming round the corner of the house and
standing at the top of the steps in the path）。 Raina is here。
（She makes a charming picture as they all turn to look at her。
She wears an underdress of pale green silk； draped with an
overdress of thin ecru canvas embroidered with gold。 On her head
she wears a pretty Phrygian cap of gold tinsel。 Sergius； with an
exclamation of pleasure； goes impulsively to meet her。 She
stretches out her hand： he drops chivalrously on one knee and
kisses it。）
PETKOFF （aside to Catherine； beaming with parental pride）。
Pretty； isn't it？ She always appears at the right moment。
CATHERINE （impatiently）。 Yes： she listens for it。 It is an
abominable habit。
（Sergius leads Raina forward with splendid gallantry；
as if she were a queen。 When they come to the
table； she turns to him with a bend of the head；
he bows； and thus they separate； he coming to his
place； and she going behind her father's chair。）
RAINA （stooping and kissing her father）。 Dear father！ Welcome
home！
PETKOFF （patting her cheek）。 My little pet girl。 （He kisses
her； she goes to the chair left by Nicola for Sergius； and sits
down。）
CATHERINE。 And so you're no longer a soldier； Sergius。
SERGIUS。 I am no longer a soldier。 Soldiering； my dear madam； is
the coward's art of attacking mercilessly when you are strong；
and keeping out of harm's way when you are weak。 That is the
whole secret of successful fighting。 Get your enemy at a
disadvantage； and never； on any account； fight him on equal
terms。 Eh； Major！
PETKOFF。 They wouldn't let us make a fair stand…up fight of it。
However； I suppose soldiering has to be a trade like any other
trade。
SERGIUS。 Precisely。 But I have no ambition to succeed as a
tradesman； so I have taken the advice of that bagman of a
captain that settled the exchange of prisoners with us at
Peerot； and given it up。
PETKOFF。 What； that Swiss fellow？ Sergius： I've often thought of
that exchange since。 He over…reached us about those horses。
SERGIUS。 Of course he over…reached us。 His father was a hotel
and livery stable keeper； and he owed his first step to his
knowledge of horse…dealing。 （With mock enthusiasm。） Ah； he was a
soldierevery inch a soldier！ If only I had bought the horses
for my regiment instead of foolishly leading it into danger； I
should have been a field…marshal now！
CATHERINE。 A Swiss？ What was he doing in the Servian army？
PETKOFF。 A volunteer of coursekeen on picking up his
profession。 （Chuckling。） We shouldn't have been able to begin
fighting if these foreigners hadn't shewn us how to do it： we
knew nothing about it； and neither did the Servians。 Egad；
there'd have been no war without them。
RAINA。 Are there many Swiss officers in the Servian Army？
PETKOFF。 Noall Austrians； just as our officers were all
Russians。 This was the only Swiss I came across。 I'll never
trust a Swiss again。 He cheated ushumbugged us into giving
him fifty able bodied men for two hundred confounded worn out
chargers。 They weren't even eatable！
SERGIUS。 We were two children in the hands of that consummate
soldier； Major： simply two innocent little children。
RAINA。 What was he like？
CATHERINE。 Oh； Raina； what a silly question！
SERGIUS。 He was like a commercial traveller in uniform。
Bourgeois to his boots。
PETKOFF （grinning）。 Sergius： tell Catherine that queer story
his friend told us about himhow he escaped after Slivnitza。
You remember？about his being hid by two women。
SERGIUS （with bitter irony）。 Oh； yes； quite a romance。 He was
serving in the very battery I so unprofessionally charged。 Being
a thorough soldier； he ran away like the rest of them； with our
cavalry at his heels。 To escape their attentions； he had the
good taste to take refuge in the chamber of some patriotic young
Bulgarian lady。 The young lady was enchanted by his persuasive
commercial traveller's manners。 She very modestly entertained
him for an hour or so and then called in her mother lest her
conduct should appear unmaidenly。 The old lady was equally
fascinated； and the fugitive was sent on his way in the morning；
disguised in an old coat belonging to the master of the house；
who was away at the war。
RAINA （rising with marked stateliness）。 Your life in the camp
has made you coarse； Sergius。 I did not think you would have
repeated such a story before me。 （She turns away coldly。）
CATHERINE （also rising）。 She is right； Sergius。 If such women
exist； we should be spared the knowledge of them。
PETKOFF。 Pooh！ nonsense！ what does it matter？
SERGIUS （ashamed）。 No； Petkoff： I was wrong。 （To Raina； with
earnest humility。） I beg your pardon。 I have behaved abominably。
Forgive me； Raina。 （She bows reservedly。
