active service-第27章

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n　？　〃

In　reality　he　had　meant　nothing　of　the　kind；　but　this　direct　throttling　of　a　great　question　stupefied　him　utterly；　for　he　saw　now　that　she'　would　probably　never　understand　him　in　the　least　and　that　she　would　at　any　rate　always　pretend　not　to　understand　him　and　that　the　more　he　said　the　more　harm　he　manufactured。　She　studied　him　over　carefully　and　then　wheeled　her　horse　towards　the　rear　with　some　parting　remarks。　〃　I　suppose　you　should　attend　more　strictly　to　your　own　affairs；　Rufus。　Instead　of　raising　the　devil　I　am　lending　hairpins。　I　have　seen　you　insult　people；　but　I　have　never　seen　you　insult　anyone　quite　for　the　whim　of　the　thing。　Go　soak　your　head。〃

Not　considering　it　advisable　to　then　indulge　in　such　immersion　Coleman　rode　moodily　onward。　The　hot　dust　continued　to　sting　the　cheeks　of　the　travellers　and　in　some　places　great　clouds　of　dead　leaves　roared　in　circles　about　them。　All　of　the　Wainwright　party　were　utterly　fagged。　Coleman　felt　his　skin　crackle　and　his　throat　seemed　to　be　coated　with　the　white　dust。　He　worried　his　dragoman　as　to　the　distance　to　Arta　until　the　dragoman　lied　to　the　point　where　he　always　declared　that　Arta　was　only　off　some　hundreds　of　yards。

At　their　places　in　the　procession　Mrs。　Wainwright　and　Marjory　were　animatedly　talking　to　Nora　and　the　old　lady　on　the　little　pony。　They　had　at　first　suffered　great　amazement　at　the　voluntary　presence　of　the　old　lady；　but　she　was　there　really　because　she　knew　no　better。　Her　colossal　ignorance　took　the　form；　mainly；　of　a　most　obstreperous　patriotism；　and　indeed　she　always　acted　in　a　foreign　country　as　if　she　were　the　special　commissioner　of　the　President；　or　perhaps　as　a　special　commissioner　could　not　act　at　all。　She　was　very　aggressive；　and　when　any　of　the　travelling　　arrangements　in　Europe　did　not　suit　her　ideas　she　was　won't　to　shrilly　exclaim：　〃　Well　！　New　York　is　good　enough　for　me。〃　Nora；　morbidly　afraid　that　her　ex…　pense　bill　to　the　Daylight　would　not　be　large　enough；　had　dragged　her　bodily　off　to　Greece　as　her　companion；　friend　and　protection。　At　Arta　they　had　heard　of　the　grand　success　of　the　Greek　army。　The　Turks　had　not　stood　for　a　moment　before　that　gallant　and　terrible　advance；　no；　they　had　scampered　howling　with　fear　into　the　north。　Jannina　would　fall…well；　Jannina　would　fall　as　soon　as　the　Greeks　arrived。　There　was　no　doubt　of　it。　The　correspondent　and　her　friend；　deluded　and　hurried　by　the　light…hearted　confidence　of　the　Greeks　in　Arta；　had　hastened　out　then　on　a　regular　tourist's　excursion　to　see　Jannina　after　its　capture。　Nora　concealed　from　her　friend　the　fact　that　the　editor　of　the　Daylight　particularly　wished　her　to　see　a　battle　so　that　she　might　write　an　article　on　actual　warfare　from　a　woman's　point　of　view。　With　her　name　as　a　queen　of　comic　opera；　such　an　article　from　her　pen　would　be　a　burning；　sensation。

Coleman　had　been　the　first　to　point　out　to　Nora　that　instead　of　going　on　a　picnic　to　Jannina；　she　had　better　run　back　to　Arta。　When　the　old　lady　heard　that　they　had　not　been　entirely　safe；　she　was　furious　with　Nora。　〃The　idea！〃　she　exclaimed　to　　Mrs。　Wainwright。　〃They　might　have　caught　us！　They　might　have　　caught　us　！　〃

〃　Well；〃　said　Mrs。　Wainwright。　〃　I　verily　believe　they　would　have　caught　us　if　it　had　not　been　for　Mr。　Coleman。〃

〃　Is　he　the　gentleman　on　the　fine　horse？〃

〃　Yes；　that's　him。　Oh；　he　has　been　sim…plee　splendid。　I　confess　I　was　a　little　bit…er…surprised。　He　was　in　college　under　my　husband。　I　don't　know　that　we　thought　very　great　things　of　him；　but　if　ever　a　man　won　golden　opinions　he　has　done　so　from　us。〃

〃　Oh；　that　must　be　the　Coleman　who　is　such　a　great　friend　of　Nora's。〃

〃Yes？〃　said　Mrs。　Wainwright　insidiously。　〃Is　he？　I　didn't　know。　Of　course　he　knows　so　many　people。〃　Her　mind　had　been　suddenly　illumined　by　the　old　lady　and　she　thought　extravagantly　of　the　arrival　of　Nora　upon　the　scene。　She　remained　all　sweetness　to　the　old　lady。　〃Did　you　know　he　was　here？　Did　you　expect　to　meet　him？　I　seemed　such　a　delightful　coincidence。〃　In　truth　she　was　being　subterraneously　clever。

〃　Oh；　no；　I　don't　think　so。　I　didn't　hear　Nora　mention　it。　Of　course　she　would　have　told　me。　You　know；　our　coming　to　Greece　was　such　a　surprise。　Nora　had　an　engagement　in　London　at　the　Folly　Theatre　in　Fly　by　Night；　but　the　manager　was　insufferable；　oh；　insufferable。　So；　of　course；　Nora　wouldn't　　stand　it　a　minute；　and　then　these　newspaper　people　came　along　and　asked　her　to　go　to　Greece　for　them　and　she　accepted。　I　am　sure　I　never　expected　to　find　us…aw…fleeing　from　the　Turks　or　I　shouldn't　have　Come。〃

〃　Mrs。　Wainwright　was　gasping。　〃　You　don't　mean　that　she　is　she　is　Nora　Black；　the　actress。〃

〃　Of　course　she　is；〃　said　the　old　lady　jubilantly。

〃　Why；　how　strange；〃　choked　Mrs。　Wainwrignt。　Nothing　she　knew　of　Nora　could　account　for　her　stupefaction　and　grief。　What　happened　glaringly　to　her　was　the　duplicity　of　man。　Coleman　was　a　ribald　deceiver。　　He　must　have　known　and　yet　he　had　pretended　throughout　that　the　meeting　was　a　pure　accident　She　turned　with　a　nervous　impulse　to　sympathist　with　her　daughter；　but　despite　the　lovely　tranquillity　of　the　girl's　face　there　was　something　about　her　which　forbade　the　mother　to　meddle。　Anyhow　Mrs。　Wainwright　was　sorry　that　she　had　told　nice　things　of　Coleman's　behaviour；　so　she　said　to　the　old　lady：　〃　Young　men　of　these　times　get　a　false　age　so　quickly。　We　have　always　thought　it　a　great　pity；　about　Mr。　Coleman。〃

〃Why；　how　so　？　〃　asked　the　old　lady。

〃Oh；　really　nothing。　Only；　to　us　he　seemed　rather　er…　prematurely　experienced　or　something　of　that　kind。　The　old　lady　did　not　catch　the　meaning　of　the　phrase。　She　seemed　surprised。　〃　Why；　I've　never　seen　any　full…grown　　person　in　this　world　who　got　experience　any　too　quick　for　his　own　good。〃

At　the　tail　of　the　procession　there　was　talk　between　the　two　students　who　had　in　charge　the　little　grey　horse…one　to　lead　and　one　to　flog。　〃　Billie；〃　said　one；　〃　it　now　becomes　necessary　to　lose　this　hobby　into　the　hands　of　some　of　the　other　fellows。　Whereby　we　will　gain　opportunity　to　pay　homage　to　the　great　Nora。　Why；　you　egregious　thick…head；　this　is　the　chance　of　a　life…time。　I'm　damned　if　I'm　going　to　tow　this　beast　of　burden　much　further。〃

〃　You　wouldn't　stand　a　show；〃　said　Billie　pessimistically。　〃　Look　at　Coleman。〃

〃　That's　all　right。　Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　prefer　to　continue　towing　pack　horses　in　the　presence　of　this　queen　of　song　and　the　dance　just　because　you　think　Coleman　can　throw　out　his　chest　a　little　more　than　you。　Not　so。　Think　of　your　bright　and　sparkling　youth。　There's　Coke　and　Pete　Tounley　near　Marjory。　We'll　call　'em。〃　Whereupon　he　set　up　a　cry。　〃　Say；　you　people；　we're　not　getting　a；　salary　for　this。　Supposin'　you　try　for　a　time。　It'll　do　you　good。〃　When　the　two　addressed　bad　halted　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　little　grey　horse；　they　took　on　glum　expressions。　〃　You　look　like　poisoned　pups；〃　said　the　student　who　led　the　horse。　〃　Too　strong　for　light　work。　Grab　onto　the　halter；　now；　Peter；　and　tow。　We　are　going　ahead　to　talk　to　Nora　Black。〃

〃　Good　time　you'll　have；〃　answered　Peter　Tounley。

〃　Coleman　is　cuttin'　up　scandalous。　You　won't　stand　a　show。〃

〃　What　do　you　think　of　him　？　〃　said　Coke。　〃　Seems　curious；　all　'round。　Do　you　suppose　he　knew　she　would　show　up？　It　was　nervy　to〃

〃　Nervy　to　what？　〃　asked　Billie。

〃Well；〃　said　Coke；　〃　seems　to　me　he　is　playing　both　ends　against　the　middle。　I　don't　know　anything　about　Nora　Black；　but…〃

The　three　other　students　expressed　themselves　with　conviction　and　in　chorus。　〃　Coleman's　all　right。〃

〃　Well；　anyhow；〃　continued　Coke；　〃　I　don't　see　my　way　free　to　admiring　him　introducing　Nora　Black　to　the　Wainwrights。〃

〃　He　didn't；〃　said　the　others；　still　in　chorus。

〃　Queer　game；〃　said　Peter　Tounley。　〃　He　seems　to　know　her　pretty　well。〃

〃　Pretty　damn　well；〃　said　Billie。

〃Anyhow　he's　a　brick；〃　said　Peter　Tounley。　〃We　mustn't　forget　that。　Lo；　I　begin　to　feel　that　our　Rufus　is　a　fly　guy　of　many　different　kinds。　Any　play　that　he　is　in　commands　my　respect。　He　won't　be　hit　by　a　chimney　in　the　daytime；　for　unto　him　has　come　much　wisdom；　I　don't　think　I'll　worry。〃

〃Is　he　stuck　on　Nora　Black；　do　you　know？〃　asked　Billie。

〃　One　thing　is　plain；〃　replied　Coke。