on the firing line-第21章

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〃How　do　you　mean？〃　Ethel　Dent　threw　the　question　at　him　a　little　defiantly。

〃About　going　home。〃

〃Surely；　you　aren't　going　now？〃

He　winced　at　the　accent。

〃I　am　not　sure。　I　volunteered　for　six　months。　My　time　is　up；　I　paid　my　official　visit　to　the　Citadel　yesterday。〃

〃Are　you　needed　at　home？〃

〃No。　At　least；　not　in　any　real　sense。〃

〃But　you　are　needed　here。〃

〃There　are　enough　without　me；　and　the　need　will　not　last　long。〃

〃Don't　be　too　sure。　On　the　Dunottar　Castle；　there　were　plenty　of　people　who　laughed　at　you　men　for　coming　out　to　volunteer；　after　the　war　was　over。　You　have　proved　that　they　laughed　at　nothing。　Prove　it　again。〃

Rising；　he　walked　the　length　of　the　room　and　stood　looking　out　from　the　long　front　window。　The　bamboo　screens　and　the　willow　chairs　were　gone　from　their　veranda　corner；　the　flower…boxes　were　empty　now；　and　Table　Bay　gleamed　coldly　back　at　him　in　the　late　afternoon　sun　of　midwinter。　Then　he　turned　around　to　face　the　girl；　seated　where　her　golden　hair　seemed　to　him　to　catch　and　hold　all　the　light　centering　about　the　gay　little　tea…table。

〃Don't；〃　he　said　with　some　impatience。　〃Your　arguments　all　echo　my　own　wish。　I　am　pulled　in　two　ways　at　once。　At　home；　the　mother　is　growing　restless。　Since　Vlaakfontein；　she　has　lost　her　nerve；　and　her　heart　is　set　on　my　meeting　her　in　London　in　October。〃

Deliberately　Ethel　made　a　neat　triangle　out　of　three　unused　spoons。

〃Well？〃　she　said；　without　looking　up。

〃Piggie　and　I　have　had　a　smell　of　powder；〃　he　answered　briefly。　〃We　want　more。〃

〃Well？〃　she　said　again。

〃The　question　is；　are　we　likely　to　get　it。〃

〃Not　in　England；　not　even　in　Cape　Town；〃　she　answered；　smiling　at　the　spoons　before　her。

〃Then　where？〃

〃Wherever　the　Boers　are　thickest。〃

〃Yes；　but；　after　all；　you　are　talking　platitudes；　Miss　Dent；〃　he　said；　with　recurring　impatience。

This　time；　she　lifted　her　dark　blue　eyes　to　his　face　and　allowed　them　to　rest　there　for　a　full　minute。

〃But　you　forbade　me　to　argue；〃　she　said　demurely。

He　dropped　down　into　a　chair　and　faced　her　resolutely。

〃Now　look　here；　Miss　Dent；　I　can't　talk　shop　in　tea…table　English。　In　fact；　shop　has　no　place　at　a　tea…table；　anyway。　Still；　you　were　the　one　to　start　it。　Let's　have　it　out。　I　don't　want　to　funk；　at　this　late　day。　If　there　is　any　fighting　to　be　done；　I　want　a　hand　in　it。　I　went　into　a　game　of　a　certain　length；　I　hope　I　played　up；　and　stuck　to　the　professional　rules。　That　game　is　played　out。　I　am　not　Trooper　Weldon　of　the　Scottish　Horse。　I　am　plain　Harvard　Weldon　again　and；　to　be　quite　frank；　I　don't　like　the　change　from　khaki　to　tweed。　But　about　going　in　for　another　game：　it　all　depends　on　what　the　game　will　be。　If　it　plays　itself　out；　well　and　good；　if　it　just　dribbles　on　and　on；　without　accomplishing　anything；　even　an　end；　then　I　can　see　no　use　in　going　in　for　it。　Fighting　is　one　thing；　having　a　picnic　all　over　the　face　of　South　Africa　is　quite　another　matter。　And；　for　the　life　of　me；　I　can't　see　which　is　bound　to　come。〃

There　was　a　minor　cadence　to　the　final　phrase。　Then　he　fell　silent；　and　sat　staring　at　the　rug；　while　Ethel；　leaning　back　in　her　chair；　studied　him　at　her　ease。　All　in　all；　she　was　pleased　with　the　result　of　her　study。　Always　frank　and　likable；　Weldon　had　developed　wonderfully　during　those　past　months　of　hard　work　and　slender　comfort。　Underneath　his　sunburn；　his　face　had　taken　on　new　lines　of　resolution。　His　eyes　were　as　clear　as　ever；　but　their　boyishness　was　all　in　the　past。　It　was　a　man　who　had　come　striding　into　the　room；　that　afternoon；　and　paused　beside　her　tea…table。　And　Ethel；　looking　up；　had　greeted　him　as　she　might　have　greeted　Baden…Powell　in　his　place。

To　a　great　extent；　Cape　Town　was　resuming　at　least　a　semblance　of　its　oldtime　social　life。　Heroes　were　more　plentiful　than　is　altogether　normal；　however；　and　there　was　a　dust…colored　tint　to　most　assemblages。　During　the　past　months；　the　Dents'　house　had　come　to　be　one　of　the　focal　points　of　society；　and　there　were　few　men　of　note　who　had　failed　to　mount　the　wide　white　steps　and　pass　between　the　flanking　pillars　at　the　top；　on　their　way　to　the　drawing…room　beyond。　Once　there；　they　usually　came　again；　immediately；　if　they　lingered　in　Cape　Town；　on　their　way　back　from　the　front；　if　no　quicker　opportunity　offered　itself。　Many　a　bullet…interrupted　conversation　was　resumed　there；　many　a　boy；　just　out　from　home；　confided　his　mingled　homesickness　and　aspirations　to　dainty；　white…　haired　Mrs。　Dent　in　her　easy…chair；　many　a　seasoned　officer　forgot　his　ambitions　and　his　disappointments　and　even　his　still　sensitive　wounds　in　the　gay　talk　of　the　golden…haired　girl　by　the　tray。　As　a　rule；　Ethel　talked　shop　with　no　man。　She　merely　looked　sympathetic；　and　left　him　to　do　the　talking；　which　he　did　unhesitatingly　and　without　reservation。　From　the　first　hour　of　their　meeting；　Weldon　had　been　the　one　exception。　Even　in　the　hospital　at　Johannesburg；　she　had　gone　over　with　him　in　detail　his　experiences　in　camp　and　field；　and　it　had　been　Weldon　by　no　means　who　had　done　all　the　talking。

To…day；　as　she　had　welcomed　the　tall　Canadian　in　his　irreproachable　frock…coat；　she　had　known　a　sudden　pang　of　regret。　Undeniably；　his　tailor　was　an　artist。　Nevertheless；　she　liked　him　better　as　she　had　seen　him　last；　in　his　stained　khaki　and　his　well…worn　shoes；　bending　over　her　hand　in　farewell；　then　taking　The　Nig's　bridle　from　the　waiting　Kruger　Bobs；　to　leap　into　the　tarnished　saddle；　lift　his　hat　and　ride　away　out　of　sight。　No　one　but　Ethel　herself　had　known　that　it　was　not　distance　alone　which　had　rendered　him　invisible　to　her。　And　the　next　week　in　the　hospital　had　dragged　perceptibly。　At　the　end　of　that　time；　she　had　been　quite　ready　to　say　good　by　to　Johannesburg　and　all　that　it　contained。　But；　meanwhile；　her　smile　gave　no　clue　to　her　memories；　as　she　offered　her　hand　to　Weldon。

〃I　knew　you　were　here；〃　she　said　cordially；　〃and　I　have　any　number　of　things　to　talk　over　with　you。　There　is　no　talking　for　me　now；　though；　with　all　these　people　on　my　hands。　Can't　you　stay　on　and　dine　with　us？　That　will　give　us　an　hour　to　gossip　comfortably；　and　Captain　Frazer　is　to　be　the　only　other　guest。　I　asked　him；　on　the　chance　of　your　appearing。　Oh；　good　afternoon；　Colonel　Douglas！〃

And　Weldon　found　himself　swept　on　out　of　her　radius。

He　took　refuge　beside　Mrs。　Dent　and；　from　that　safe　slack…water；　he　made　a　thorough　survey　of　the　room。　It　was　the　first　time　he　had　been　present　at　one　of　the　Dents'　reception　days；　and　he　acknowledged　himself　surprised　at　what　he　saw。　Here　and　there　an　acquaintance　nodded　to　him；　but；　for　the　most　part；　he　was　a　stranger　to　the　guests；　save　for　the　dozen　whom　he　knew　well　by　sight　and　better　still　by　reputation。　Moreover；　while　he　watched　her；　he　began　to　wonder　whether　he　were　not　something　of　a　stranger　to　Ethel　herself。　This　stately　girl　was　not　the　comrade　with　whom　he　had　tramped　the　deck　of　the　Dunottar　Castle；　nor　yet　the　friend　of　his　early　days　in　Cape　Town；　nor　yet　again　the　blithe　companion　of　his　last　tedious　hours　of　convalescence。　This　girl　was　altogether　admirable；　but　a　bit　awe…inspiring　withal。　He　watched　the　non…　chalant　ease　with　which　she　provided　a　white…haired　veteran　of　many　wars　and　many　orders　with　a　cup　of　steaming　tea；　and　then　sat　and　chatted　with　him　while　he　drank　it。　He　felt　himself　a　bashful　boy；　as　he　watched　her；　and；　like　any　other　bashful　boy；　he　fell　to　talking　to　Mrs。　Dent　about　his　mother。

Then　the　last　visitor　made　a　reluctant　exit；　and　Ethel　crossed　the　room　to　his　side。　With　the　passing　of　the　little　throng　of　guests　her　assured　manners　had　passed；　and　she　met　him　with　the　same　informal　manner　which　had　marked　those　last　days　at　Johannesburg。

〃Now；〃　she　said；　as　she　dropped　down　beside　her　mother's　chair；　〃you　must　tell　me　all　about　everything；　Mr。　Weldon。　And；　first　of　all；　are　you　quite　strong　again？〃

Question　had　followed　question；　eager；　girlish　and　sincere；　until　Weldon's　answers　had　covered　all　the　interval　since　they　last　had　met。　At　length；　the　delicate　little　mother　had　gone　away　to　rest　before　time　for　dinner。　Weldon's　strong　arm　had　half…supported；　half…carried　her　up　the　staircase。　Then；　returning　to　the　drawing…　room；　he　had　joined　E