active service-第39章

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Her　little　Greek　officer　of　infantry　had　stopped　the　mob　from　flowing　into　the　room。　Coleman　looked　toward　the　door　at　times　with　some　anxiety。　Nora；　noting　it；　waved　her　hand　in　careless　reassurance；　〃　Oh；　it's；　all　right。　Don't　worry　about　them　any　more。　He　is　perfectly　devoted　to　me。　He　would　die　there　on　the　threshold　if　I　told　him　it　would　please　me。　Speaks　splendid　French。　I　found　him　limping　along　the　road　and　gave　him　a　lift。　And　now　do　hurry　up　and　tell　me　exactly　what　happened。〃　They　all　told　what　had　happened；　while　Nora　and　Coke　listened　agape。　Coke；　by　the　way；　had　quite　floated　back　to　his　old　position　with　the　students。　It　had　been　easy　in　the　stress　of　excitement　and　wonder。　Nobody　had　any　titne　to　think　of　the　excessively　remote　　incidents　of　the　early　morning。　All　minor　interests　　were　lost　in　the　marvel　of　the　present　situation。

〃Who　landed　you　in　the　eye；　Billie？〃　asked　the　awed　Coke。　〃　That　was　a　bad　one。〃　〃　Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　said　Billie。　〃　You　really　couldn't　tell　who　hit　you；　you　know。　It　was　a　football　rush。　They　had　guns　and　knives；　but　they　didn't　use　'em。　I　don't　know　why　Jinks！　I'm　getting　pretty　stiff。　My　face　feels　as　if　it　were　made　of　tin。　Did　they　give　you　people　a　row；　too　？　〃

〃　No；　only　talk。　That　little　officer　managed　them。　Out…talked　them；　I　suppose。　Hear　him　buzz；　now。〃　The　Wainwrights　came　down　stairs。　Nora　Black　went　confidently　forward　to　meet　them。　〃You've　added　one　more　to　your　list　of　rescuers；〃　　She　cried；　with　her　glowing；　triumphant　smile。　〃Miss　Black　of　the　New　York　Daylight…at　your　service。　How　in　the　world　do　you　manage　to　get　yourselves　into　such　dreadful　Scrapes？　You　are　the　most　remarkable　people。　　You　need　a　guardian。　Why；　you　might　have　all　been　killed。　How　exciting　it　must　seem　to　be　regularly　　of　your　party。〃　She　had　shaken　cordiaily　one　of　Mrs。　Wainwright's　hands　without　that　lady　indicating　assent　to　the　proceeding　but　Mrs。　Wainwright　had　not　felt　repulsion。　In　fact　she　had　had　no　emotion　springing　directly　from　it。　Here　again　the　marvel　of　the　situation　came　to　deny　Mrs。　Wainwright　the　right　to　resume　a　state　of　mind　which　had　been　so　painfully　interesting　to　her　a　few　hours　earlier。

The　professor；　Coleman　and　all　the　students　were　talking　together。　Coke　had　addressed　Coleman　civilly　and　Coleman　had　made　a　civil　reply。　Peace　was　upon　them。

Nora　slipped　her　arm　lovingly　through　Marjbry's　arm。　〃That　Rufus！　Oh；　that　Rufus；〃　she　cried　joyously。　〃　I'll　give　him　a　good　scolding　as　soon　as　I　see　him　alone。　I　might　have　foreseen　that　he　would　get　you　all　into　trouble。　The　old　stupid　！　〃

Marjory　did　not　appear　to　resent　anything。　〃　Oh；　I　don't　think　it　was　Mr。　Coleman's　fault　at　ail；〃　she　an…　swered　calmly。　〃I　think　it　was　more　the　fault　of　Peter　Tounley；　poor　boy。〃

〃　Well；　I'd　be　glad　to　believe　it；　I'd　be　glad　to　believe　it；〃　　said　Nora。　〃I　want　Rufus　to　keep　out　of　that　sort　of　thing；　but　he　is　so　hot…headed　and　foolish。〃　If　she　had　pointed　out　her　proprietary　stamp　on　Coleman's　　cheek　she　could　not　have　conveyed　what　she　wanted　with　more　clearness。

〃　Oh；〃　said　the　impassive　Marjory；　〃　I　don't　think　you　need　have　any　doubt　as　to　whose　fault　it　was；　if　there　were　any　of　our　boys　at　fault。　Mr。　Coleman　was　inside　when　the　fighting　commenced；　and　only　ran　out　to　help　the　boys。　He　had　just　brought　us　safely　through　the　mob；　and；　far　from　being　hot…headed　and　foolish；　he　was　utterly　cool　in　manner；　impressively　cool；　I　thought。　I　am　glad　to　be　able　to　reassure　you　on　these　points；　for　I　see　that　they　worry　you。〃

〃。Yes；　they　do　worry　me；〃　said　Nora；　densely。　They　worry　me　night　and　day　when　he　is　away　from　me。〃

〃　Oh；〃　responded　Marjory；　〃　I　have　never　thought　of　Mr。　Coleman　as　a　man　that　one　would　worry　about　much。　We　consider　him　very　self…reliant；　able　to　take　care　of　himself　under　almost　any　conditions；　but　then；　of　course；　we　do　not　know　him　at　all　in　the　way　that　you　know　him。　I　should　think　that　you　would　find　that　he　came　off　rather　better　than　you　expected　from　most　of　his　difficulties。　But　then；　of　course；　as。　I　said；　you　know　him　so　much　better　than　we　do。〃　Her　easy　indifference　was　a　tacit　dismissal　of　Coleman　as　a　topic。

Nora；　now　thoroughly　alert；　glanced　keenly　into　the　other　girl's　face；　but　it　was　inscrutable。　The　actress　had　intended　to　go　careering　through　a　whole　circle　of　daring　illusions　to　an　intimacy　with；Coleman；　but　here；　before　she　had　really　developed　her　attack；　Marjory；　with　a　few　conventional　and　indifferent　sentences；　almost　expressive　of　boredom；　had　made　the　subject　of　Coleman　impossible。　An　effect　was　left　upon　Nora's　mind　that　Marjory　had　been　extremely　polite　in　listening　to　much　nervous　talk　about　a　person　in　whom　she　had　no　interest。

The　actress　was　dazed。　She　did　not　know　how　it　had　all　been　done。　Where　was　the　head　of　this　thing？　And　where　Was　the　tail？　A　fog　had　mysteriously　come　upon　all　her　brilliant　prospects　of　seeing　Marjory　　Wainwright　suffer；　and　this　fog　was　the　product　of　a　kind　of　magic　with　which　she　was　not　familiar。　She　could　not　think　how　to　fight　it。　After　being　simply　dubious　throughout　a　long　pause；　she　in　the　end　went　into　a　great　rage。　She　glared　furiously　at　Marjory；　dropped　her　arm　as　if　it　had　burned　her　and　moved　down　upon　Coleman。　She　must　have　reflected　that　at　any　rate　she　could　make　him　wriggle。　When　she　was　come　near　to　him；　she　called　out：　〃Rufus！〃　In　her　tone　was　all　the　old　insolent　statement　of　ownership。　Coleman　might　have　been　a　poodle。　She　knew　how　to　call　his　same　in　a　way　that　was　anything　less　than　a　public　scandal。　On　this　occasion　everybody　　looked　at　him　and　then　went　silent；　as　people　awaiting　the　startling　denouement　of　a　drama。　〃　Rufus！　〃　She　was　baring　his　shoulder　to　show　the　fieur…de…lis　of　the　criminal。　The　students　gaped。

Coleman's　temper　was；　if　one　may　be　allowed　to　speak　in　that　way；　broken　loose　inside　of　him。　He　could　hardly　beeathe；　he　felt　that　his　body　was　about　to　explode　into　a　thousand　fragments。　He　simply　snarled　out　〃　What？　〃　Almost　at　once　he　saw　that　she　had　at　last　goaded　him　into　making　a　serious　tactical　mistake。　It　must　be　admitted　that　it　is　only　when　the　relations　between　a　man　and　a　woman　are　the　relations　of　wedlock；　or　at　least　an　intimate　　resemblance　to　it；　that　the　man　snarls　out　〃　What？　〃　to　the　woman。　Mere　lovers　say　〃　I　beg　your　pardon　？　〃　It　is　only　Cupid's　finished　product　that　spits　like　a　cat。　Nora　Black　had　called　him　like　a　wife；　and　he　had　answered　like　a　husband。　For　his　cause；　his　manner　could　not　possibly　have　been　worse。　He　saw　the　professor　stare　at　him　in　surprise　and　alarm；　and　felt　the　excitement　of　the　eight　students。　These　latter　were　diabolic　in　the　celerity　with　which　they　picked　out　meanings。　It　was　as　plain　to　them　as　if　Nora　Black　had　said：　〃　He　is　my　property。〃

Coleman　would　have　given　his　nose　to　have　been　able　to　recall　that　single　reverberating　word。　But　he　saw　that　the　scene　was　spelling　downfall　for　him；　and　he　went　still　more　blind　and　desperate　of　it。　His　despair　made　him　burn　to　make　matters　Worse。　He　did　not　want　to　improve　anything　at　all。　〃　What？〃　he　demanded。　〃　What　do　ye'　want？〃

Nora　was　sweetly　reproachful。　〃　I　left　my　jacket　in　the　carriage；　and　I　want　you　to　get　it　for　me。〃

〃　Well；　get　it　for　yourself；　do　you　see？　Get　it　for　yourself。〃

Now　it　is　plainly　to　be　seen　that　no　one　of　the　people　listening　there　had　ever　heard　a　man　speak　thus　to　a　woman　who　was　not　his　wife。　Whenever　they　had　heard　that　form　of　spirited　repartee　it　had　come　from　the　lips　of　a　husband。　Coleman's　rude　speech　was　to　their　ears　a　flat　announcement　of　an　extraordinary　intimacy　between　Nora　Black　and　the　correspondent。　Any　other　interpretation　would　not　have　occurred　to　them。　It　was　so　palpable　that　it　greatly　distressed　them　with　its　arrogance　and　boldness。　The　professor　had　blushed。　The　very　milkiest　word　in　his　mind　at　the　time　was　the　word　vulgarity。

Nora　Black　had　won　a　great　battle。　It　was　her　Agincourt。　She　had　beaten　the　clever　Coleman　in　a　way　that　had　left　little　of　him　but　rags。　However；　she　could　have　lost　it　all　again　if　she　had　shown　her　feeling　of　elation。　At　Coleman's　rudeness　her　manner　indicated　a　mixture　of　sadness　and　embarrassment。　Her　suffering　was　so　plain　to　the　eye　that　Peter　Tounle