active service-第32章

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〃　Oh；〃　said　Marjory；　coolly；　〃　I　don't　see　why　it　isn't　his　own　affair。　He　didn't　really　present　her　to　you；　mother；　you　remember？　She　seemed　quite　to　force　her　way　at　first；　and　then　you…you　did　the　rest。　It　should　be　very　easy　to　avoid　her；　now　that　we　are　out　of　the　wilderness。　And　then　it　becomes　a　private　matter　of　Mr。　Coleman's。　For　my　part；　I　rather　liked　her。　I　don't　see　such　a　dreadful　calamity。〃

〃Marjory！〃　screamed　her　mother。　〃How　dreadful。　Liked　her！　Don't　let　me　hear　you　say　such　shocking　things。〃

〃　I　fail　to　see　anything　shocking；〃　answered　Marjory；　stolidly。

The　professor　was　looking　helplessly　from　his　　　　　daughter　to　his　wife；　and　from　his　wife　to　his　daughter；　like　a　man　who　was　convinced　that　his　troubles　would　never　end。　This　new　catastrophe　created　a　different　kind　of　difficulty；　but　he　considered　that　the　difficulties　were　as　robust　as　had　been　the　preceding　ones。　He　put　on　his　hat　and　went　out　of　the　room。　He　felt　an　impossibility　of　saying　anything　to　　Coleman；　but　he　felt　that　he　must　look　upon　him。　He　must　look　upon　this　man　and　try　to　know　from　his　manner　the　measure　of　guilt。　And　incidentally　he　longed　for　the　machinery　of　a　finished　society　which　prevents　its　parts　from　clashing；　prevents　it　with　its　great　series　of　I　law　upon　law；　easily　operative　but　　relentless。　Here　he　felt　as　a　man　flung　into　the　jungle　with　his　wife　and　daughter；　where　they　could　become　the　victims　of　any　sort　of　savagery。　His　thought　referred　once　more　to　what　he　considered　the　invaluable　services　of　Coleman；　and　as　he　observed　them　in　conjunction　with　the　present　accusation；　he　was　simply　dazed。　It　was　then　possible　that　one　man　could　play　two　such　divergent　parts。　He　had　not　learned　this　at　Washurst。　But　no；　the　world　was　not　such　a　bed　of　putrefaction。　He　would　not　believe　it；　he　would　not　believe　it。

After　adventures　which　require　great　nervous　en。　durance；　it　is　only　upon　the　second　or　third　night　that　the　common　man　sleeps　hard。　The　students　had　expected　to　slumber　like　dogs　on　the　first　night　after　their　trials。　but　none　slept　long；　And　few　slept。

Coleman　was　the　first　man　to　arise。　When　he　left　the　room　the　students　were　just　beginning　to　blink。　He　took　his　dragoman　among　the　shops　and　he　bought　there　all　the　little　odds　and　ends　which　might　go　to　make　up　the　best　breakfast　in　Arta。　If　he　had　had　news　of　certain　talk　he　probably　would　not　have　been　buying　breakfast　for　eleven　people。　Instead；　he　would　have　been　buying　breakfast　for　one。　During　his　absence　the　students　arose　and　performed　their　frugal　toilets。　Considerable　attention　was　paid　to　Coke　by　the　others。　〃　He　made　a　monkey　of　you；〃　said　Peter　Tounley　with　unction。　〃　He　twisted　you　until　you　looked　like　a　wet；　grey　rag。　You　had　　better　leave　this　wise　guy　alone。〃

It　was　not　the　night　nor　was　it　meditation　that　had　taught　Coke　anything；　but　he　seemed　to　have　learned　something　from　the　mere　lapse　of　time。　In　appearance　he　was　subdued；　but　he　managed　to　make　a　temporary　jauntiness　as　he　said　：　〃　Oh；　I　don't　know。〃

〃　Well；　you　ought　to　know；〃　said　he　who　was　called　Billie。　〃You　ought　to　know。　You　made　an　egregious　snark　of　yourself。　Indeed；　you　sometimes　resembled　a　boojum。　Anyhow；　you　were　a　plain　chump。　You　exploded　your　face　about　something　of　which　you　knew　nothing；　and　I'm　damned　if　I　believe　you'd　make　even　a　good　retriever。〃

〃You're　a　half…bred　water…spaniel；〃　blurted　Peter　Tounley。　〃And；〃　he　added；　musingly；　〃that　is　a　pretty　low　animal。〃

Coke　was　argumentative。　〃Why　am　I？　〃　he　asked；　turning　his　head　from　side　to　side。　〃　I　don't　see　where　I　was　so　wrong。〃

〃　Oh；　dances；　balloons；　picnics；　parades　and　ascensions；〃　they　retorted；　profanely。　〃　You　swam　voluntarily　into　water　that　was　too　deep　for　you。　Swim　out。　Get　dry。　Here's　a　towel。〃

Coke；　smitten　in　the　face　with　a　wet　cloth　rolled　into　a　ball；　grabbed　it　and　flung　it　futilely　at　a　well…dodging　companion　〃　No；〃　he　cried；　〃　I　don't　see　it。　Now　look　here。　I　don't　see　why　we　shouldn't　all　resent　this　Nora　Black　business。〃

One　student　said：　〃Well；　what's　the　matter　with　Nora　B　lack；　anyhow　？〃

Another　student　said　〃I　don't　see　how　you've　been　issued　any　license　to　say　things　about　Nora　Black。〃

Another　student　said　dubiously：　〃　Well；　he　knows　her　well。〃

And　then　three　or　four　spoke　at　once。　〃　He　was　very　badly　rattled　when　she　appeared　upon　the　scene。〃

Peter　Tounley　asked：　〃Well；　which　of　you　people　know　anything　wrong　about　Nora　Black？　〃

There　was　a　pause；　and　then　Coke　said：　〃　Oh；　of　course…I　don't　know…but…〃

He　who　was　called　Billie　then　addressed　his　com…　panions。　〃　It　wouldn't　be　right　to　repeat　any　old　lie　about　Nora　Black；　and　by　the　same　token　it　wouldn't　be　right　to　see　old　Mother　Wainwright　chummin'　with　her。　There　is　no　wisdom　in　going　further　than　that。　Old　Mother　Wainwright　don't　know　that　her　fair　companion　of　yesterday　is　the　famous　comic　opera　star。　For　my　part；　I　believe　that　Coleman　is　simply　afraid　to　tell　her。　I　don't　think　he　wished　to　see　Nora　Black　yesterday　any　more　than　he　wished　to　see　the　devil。　The　discussion；　as　I　understand　itconcerned　itself　only　with　what　Coleman　had　to　do　with　the　thing；　and　yesterday　anybody　could　see　that　he　was　in　a　panic。〃

They　heard　a　step　on　the　stair；　and　directly　Coleman　entered；　followed　by　his　dragoman。　They　were　laden　with　the　raw　material　for　breakfast。　The　correspondent　looked　keenly　among　the　students；　for　it　was　plain　that　they　had　been　talking　of　him。　It；　filled　him　with　rage；　and　for　a　stifling　moment　he　could　not　think　why　he　failed　to　immediately　decamp　in　chagrin　and　leave　eleven　orphans　to　whatever　fate。　their　general　incompetence　might　lead　them。　It　struck　him　as　a　deep　shame　that　even　then　he　and　his　paid　man　were　carrying　in　the　breakfast。　He　wanted　to　fling　it　all　on　the　floor　and　walk　out。　Then　he　remembered　Marjory。　She　was　the　reason。　She　was　the　reason　for　everything。

But　he　could　not　repress　certain；　of　his　thoughts。　〃Say；　you　people；〃　he　said；　icily；　〃　　you　had　better　soon　learn　to　hustle　for　yourselves。　I　may　be　a　dragoman；　and　a　butler；　and　a　cook；　and　a　housemaid；　but　I'm　blowed　if　I'm　a　wet　nurse。〃　In　reality；　he　had　taken　the　most　generous　pleasure　in　working　for　the　others　before　their　eyes　had　even　been　opened　from　sleep；　but　it　was　now　all　turned　to　wormwood。　It　is　certain　that　even　this　could　not　have　deviated　this　executive　man　from　labour　and　management。　because　these　were　his　life。　But　he　felt　that　he　was　about　to　walk　out　of　the　room；　consigning　them　all　to　Hades。　His　glance　of　angry；　reproach　fastened　itself　mainly　upon　Peter　Tounley；　because　he　knew　that　of　all；　Peter　was　the　most　innocent。

Peter；　Tounley　was　abashed　by　this　glance。　So　you've　brought　us　something　to　eat；　old　man。　That　is　tremendously　nice　of　you…we…appreciate　it　like　everything。〃

Coleman　was　mollified　by　Peter's　tone。　Peter　had　had　that　emotion　which　is　equivalent　to　a　sense　of　guilt；　although　in　reality　he　was　speckless。　Two　or　three　of　the　other　students　bobbed　up　to　a　sense　of　the　situation。　They　ran　to　Coleman；　and　with　polite　cries　took　his　provisions　from　him。　One　dropped　a　bunch　of　lettuce　on　the　floor；　and　others　reproached　him　with　scholastic　curses。　Coke　was　seated　near　the　window；　half　militant；　half　conciliatory。　It　was　impossible　for　him　to　keep　up　a　manner　of　deadly　enmity　while　Coleman　was　bringing　in　his　breakfast。　He　would　have　much　preferred　that　Coleman　had　not　brought　in　his　breakfast。　He　would　have　much　preferred　to　have　foregone　breakfast　altogether。　He　would　have　much　preferred　anything。　There　seemed　to　be　a　conspiracy　of　circumstance　to　put　him　in　the　wrong　and　make　him　appear　as　a　ridiculous　young　peasant。　He　was　the　victim　of　a　benefaction；　and　he　hated　Coleman　harder　now　than　at　any　previous　time。　He　saw　that　if　he　stalked　out　and　took　his　breakfast　alone　in　a　cafe；　the　others　would　consider　him　still　more　of　an　outsider。　Coleman　had　expressed　himself　like　a　man　of　the　world　and　a　gentleman；　and　Coke　was　convinced　that　he　was　a　superior　man　of　the　world　and　a　superior　gentleman；　but　that　he　simply　had　not　had　words　to　express　his　position　at　the　proper　time。　Coleman　was　glib。　Therefore；　Coke　had　been　the　victim　of　an　attitude　as　well　as　of　a　benefaction。　And　so　he