active service-第46章

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〃　We　think　so；　sir；〃　said　be　who　was　called　Billie。　〃　He　certainly　brought　us　through　in　style。〃

〃　But　how　did　he　manage　it？　〃　cried　the　minister；　keenly　interested。　〃　How　did　he　do　it　？　〃

〃　It　is　hard　to　say；　sir。　But　he　did　it。　He　met　us　in　the　dead　of　night　out　near　Nikopolis…〃

〃Near　Nikopolis？〃

〃Yes；　sir。　And　he　hid　us　in　a　forest　while　a　fight　was　going　on；　and　then　in　the　morning　he　brought　us　inside　the　Greek　lines。　Oh；　there　is　a　lot　to　tell…〃

Whereupon　they　told　it；　or　as　much　as　they　could　of　it。　In　the　end；　the　minister　said：　〃　Well；　where　are　the　professor　and　Mrs。　Wainwright　？　I　want　you　all　to　dine　with　me　to…night。　I　am　dining　in　the　public　room；　but　you　won't　mind　that　after　Epirus。〃　〃　They　should　be　down　now；　sir；〃　answered　a　Student。

People　were　now　coming　rapidly　to　dinner　and　presently　the　professor　and　Mrs。　Wainwright　appeared。　The　old　man　looked　haggard　and　white。　He　accepted　the　minister's　warm　greeting　with　a　strained　pathetic　smile。　〃　Thank　you。　We　are　glad　to　return　safely。〃

Once　at　dinner　the　minister　launched　immediately　into　the　subject　of　Coleman。　〃　He　must　be　altogether　a　most　remarkable　man。　When　he　told　me；　very　quietly；　that　he　was　going　to　try　to　rescue　you；　I　frankly　warned　him　against　any　such　attempt。　I　thought　he　would　merely　add　one　more　to　a　party　of　suffering　people。　But　the。　boys　tell…　me　that　he　did　actually　rescue　you。〃

〃Yes；　he　did；〃　said　the　professor。　〃　It　was　a　very　gallant　performance；　and　we　are　very　grateful。〃

〃Of　course；〃　spoke　Mrs。　Wainwright；　〃we　might　have　rescued　ourselves。　We　were　on　the　right　road；　and　all　we　had　to　do　was　to　keep　going　on。〃

〃　Yes；　but　I　understand…〃　said　the　minister。　〃　I　understand　he　took　you　into　a　wood　to　protect　you　from　that　fight；　and　generally　protected　you　from　all；　kinds　of　trouble。　It　seems　wonderful　to　me；　not　so　much　because　it　was　done　as　because　it　was　done　by　the　man　who；　some　time　ago；　calmy　announced　to　me　that　he　was　going　to　do　it。　Extraordinary。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　Mrs。　Wainwright。　〃　Oh；　of　course。〃

〃And　where　is　he　now？　〃　asked　the　minister　suddenly。　〃Has　he　now　left　you　to　the　mercies　of　civilisation　？　〃

There　was　a　moment's　curious　stillness；　and　then　Mrs。　Wainwright　used　that　high　voice　which…the　students　believed…could　only　come　to　her　when　she　was　about　to　say　something　peculiarly　destructive　to　the　sensibilities。　〃　Oh；　of　course；　Mr。　Coleman　rendered　us　a　great　service；　but　in　his　private　character　he　is　not　a　man　whom　we　exactly　care　to　associate　with。〃

〃　Indeed〃　said　the　minister　staring。　Then　he　hastily　addressed　the　students。　〃　Well；　isn't　this　a　comic　war？　Did　you　ever　imagine　war　could　be　like　this　？　〃　The　professor　remained　looking　at　his　wife　with　an　air　of　stupefaction；　as　if　she　had　opened　up　to　him　visions　of　imbecility　of　which　he　had　not　even　dreamed。　The　students　loyally　began　to　chatter　at　the　minister。　〃　Yes；　sir；　it　is　a　queer　war。　After　all　their　bragging；　it　is　funny　to　hear　that　they　are　running　away　with　such　agility。　We　thought；　of　course；　of　the　old　Greek　wars。〃

Later；　the　minister　asked　them　all　to　his　rooms　for　coffee　and　cigarettes；　but　the　professor　and　Mrs。　　Wainwright　apologetically　retired　to　their　own　quarters。　The　minister　and　the　students　made　clouds　of　smoke；　through　which　sang　the　eloquent　descriptions　of　late　adventures。

The　minister　had　spent　days　of　listening　to　questions　from　the　State　Department　at　Washington　as　to　the　whereabouts　of　the　Wainwright　party。　〃I　suppose　you　know　that　you；are　very　prominent　people　in；　the　United　States　just　now　？　Your　pictures　must　have　been　in　all　the　papers；　and　there　must　have　been　columns　printed　about　you。　My　life　here　was　made　almost　insupportable　by　your　friends；　who　consist；　I　should　think；　of　about　half　the　population　of　the　country。　Of　course　they　laid　regular　siege　to　the　de。　partment。　I　am　angry　at　Coleman　for　only　one　thing。　When　he　cabled　the　news　of　your　rescue　to　his　news。　paper　from　Arta；　he　should　have　also　wired　me；　if　only　to　relieve　my　failing　mind。　My　first　news　of　your　escape　was　from　Washington…think　of　that。〃

〃Coleman　had　us　all　on　his　hands　at　Arta；〃　said　Peter　Tounley。　〃　He　was　a　fairly　busy　man。〃

〃　I　suppose　so；〃　said　the　minister。　〃　By　the　way；〃　he　asked　bluntly；　〃what　is　wrong　with　him？　What　did　Mrs。　Wainwright　mean？　〃

They　were　silent　for　a　time；　but　it　seemed　plain　to　him　that　it　was　not　evidence　that　his　question　had　　demoralised　them。　They　seemed　to　be　deliberating　upon　the　form　of　answer。　Ultimately　Peter　Tounley　coughed　behind　his　hand。　〃　You　see；　sir；〃　he　began；　〃　there　is…well；　there　is　a　woman　in　the　case。　Not　that　anybody　would　care　to　speak　of　it　excepting　to　you。　But　that　is　what　is　the　cause　of　things；　and　then；　you　see；　Mrs。　Wainwright　is…well…〃　He　hesitated　a　moment　and　then　completed　his　sentence　in　the　　ingenuous　profanity　of　his　age　and　condition。　〃　She　is　rather　an　extraordinary　old　bird。〃

〃　But　who　is　the　woman　？

〃Why；　it　is　Nora　Blaick；　the　actress。〃　〃Oh；〃　cried　the　minister；　enlightened。　〃　Her　Why；　I　saw　her　here。　She　was　very　beautiful；　but　she　seemed　harmless　enough。　She　was　somewhat…er…　confident；　perhaps；　but　she　did　not　alarm　me。　She　called　upon　me；　and　I　confess　I…why；　she　seemed　charming。〃　〃　She's　sweet　on　little　Rufus。　That's　the　point；〃　said　an　oracular　voice。

〃　Oh；〃　cried　the　host；　suddenly。　〃　I　remember。　She　asked　me　where　he　was。　She　said　she　had　heard　he　was　in　Greece；　and　I　told　her　he　had　gone　knight…　erranting　off　after　you　people。　I　remember　now。　I　suppose　she　posted　after　him　up　to　Arta；　eh　？　〃

〃　That's　it。　And　so　she　asked　you　where　he　was？

〃　Yes。〃

〃　Why；　that　old　flamingo…Mrs。　Wainwright　insists　that　it　was　a　rendezvous。〃

Every　one　exchanged　glances　and　laughed　a　little。　〃　And　did　you　see　any　actual　fighting　？　〃　asked　the　minister。

〃　No。　We　only　beard　it…〃

Afterward；　as　they　were　trooping　up　to　their　rooms；　Peter　Tounley　spoke　musingly。　〃　Well；　it　looks　to　me　now　as　if　Old　Mother　Wainwright　was　just　a　bad…minded　　old　hen。〃

〃　Oh；　I　don't　know。　How　is　one　going　to　tell　what　the　truth　is　？　〃

〃　At　any　rate；　we　are　sure　now　that　Coleman　had　nothing　to　do　with　Nora's　debut　in　Epirus。〃

They　had　talked　much　of　Coleman；　but　in　their　tones　there　always　had　been　a　note　of　indifference　or　　carelessness。　This　matter；　which　to　some　people　was　as　vital　and　fundamental　as　existence；　remained　to　others　who　knew　of　it　only　a　harmless　detail　of　life；　with　no　terrible　powers；　and　its　significance　had　faded　greatly　when　had　ended　the　close　associat。ions　of　the　late　adventure。

After　dinner　the　professor　had　gone　directly　to　his　daughter's　room。　Apparently　she　had　not　moved。　He　knelt　by　the　bedside　again　and　took　one　of　her　hands。　She　was　not　weeping。　She　looked　at　him　and　smiled　through　the　darkness。　〃　Daddy；　I　would　like　to　die；〃　she　said。　〃　I　think…yes…I　would　like　to　die。〃

For　a　long　time　the　old　man　was　silent；　but　he　arose　at　last　with　a　definite　abruptness　and　said　hoarsely　〃　Wait！　〃

Mrs。　Wainwright　was　standing　before　her　mirror　with　her　elbows　thrust　out　at　angles　above　her　head；　while　her　fingers　moved　in　a　disarrangement　of　'her　hair。　In　the　glass　she　saw　a　reflection　of　her　husband　coming　from　Marjory's　room；　and　his　face　was　set　with　some　kind　of　alarming　purpose。　She　turned　to　watch　him　actually；　but　he　walked　toward　the　door　into　the　corridor　and　did　not　in　any　wise　heed　her。

〃　Harrison！　〃　she　called。　〃　Where　are　you　going？　〃

He　turned　a　troubled　face　upon　her；　and；　as　if　she　had　hailed　him　in　his　sleep；　he　vacantly　said：　〃What　？　〃

〃Where　are　you　going？〃　she　demanded　with　increasing　　trepidation。

He　dropped　heavily　into　a　chair。　〃Going？〃　he　repeated。

She　was　angry。　〃Yes！　Going？　Where　are　you　going？　〃

〃I　am　going…〃　he　answered；　〃I　am　going　to　see　Rufus　Coleman。〃

Mrs。　Wainwright　gave　voice　to　a　muffled　scream。　〃　Not　about　Marjory　？　〃

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃about　Marjory。〃

It　was　now　Mrs。　Wainwright's　turn　to　look　at　her　husband　with　an　air　of　stupefaction　as　if　he　had　opened　up　to　her　visions　of　imbecility　of　which　she　had　not　even　dreamed。　〃　About　Marjory！〃　she　gurgled。　Then　suddenly　her　wrath　flamed　out。　〃Well；　upon　my　word；　Harrison　Wainwright；　you　are；　of　all　men　in　the　world；