on the firing line-第5章

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Weldon　smiled　contentedly；　as　he　drew　out　a　frock…coat　and　inspected　its　satin…faced　lapels。

〃Not　for　you；　perhaps；〃　he　observed　quietly。

〃Oh；　I　see。〃　Carew　puffed　vigorously。　〃So　you　have　a　bidding　to　call　upon　Miss　Dent。〃

Weldon　dislodged　Carew's　feet　from　the　extra　chair　and　utilized　the　chairback　as　a　temporary　coat…rack。

〃No；　quite　the　contrary；〃　he　replied。　〃I　am　invited　to　call　upon　Miss　Ophelia　Arthur。　Now　you　will　please　to　keep　quiet；　for　I　think　I　shall　go　to　bed。〃

In　silence；　Carew　watched　him　half　through　the　process　of　undressing。　Then；　emptying　his　pipe　and　snapping　open　its　case；　he　rose　and　faced　his　friend。

〃Weldon；〃　he　said　sententiously；　〃we　don't　care　to　hang　around　this　place　longer　than　we　must；　and　we　shall　have　all　we　can　do　to　get　ourselves　enlisted　and　our　horses　into　condition。　We　haven't　time　for　much　else。　I　hope　you　will　remember　that　you　came　out　here；　not　to　fuss　the　girls；　but　for　the　fuss　with　the　Boers。〃

From　his　seat　on　the　edge　of　the　bed；　Weldon　eyed　him　amicably。

〃Don't　preach；　Carew；〃　he　answered　coolly。　〃It　doesn't　do　my　soul　any　good；　and　it　only　renders　you　a　bore。　It　has　always　been　a　clause　of　my　creed　that　two　good　things　are　better　than　one。〃

Nevertheless；　in　spite　of　his　haste　to　unpack　his　calling　clothes；　it　was　full　three　days　later　that　Weldon　turned　his　face　eastward　in　search　of　the　home　of　Ethel　Dent。　Moreover；　in　all　those　three　days；　he　had　given　scarcely　a　thought　to　the　companion　of　his　voyage。　Notwithstanding　his　first　impressions；　Weldon　had　found　much　to　interest　him　in　Cape　Town。　The　streets；　albeit　unlovely；　were　full　of　novel　sights　and　the　patter　of　novel　tongues。　Cape　carts　and　Kaffirs；　traction　engines　and　troopers；　khaki　everywhere　and　yet　more　khaki；　and；　rising　grimly　behind　it　all；　the　naked　face　of　Table　Mountain　covered　with　its　cloth　of　clouds！　It　was　all　a　tumult　of　busy　change；　bounded　by　the　unchanging　and　the　eternal。　For　one　entire　morning；　Weldon　loitered　about　the　streets；　viewing　all　things　with　his　straightforward　Canadian　gaze；　jostling　and　jostled　by　turns。　War　had　ceased　to　be　a　myth；　and；　of　a　sudden；　was　become　a　grim　reality；　yet　in　the　face　of　it　all　his　courage　never　faltered。　His　sole　misgivings　concerned　themselves　with　the　contrast　between　the　seasoned　regulars　marching　to　their　station；　and　his　boyish　self；　full　of　eager　enthusiasm；　but　trained　only　in　the　hunting　field；　the　polo　ground　and　the　gymnasium。　Then；　gripping　his　hope　in　both　hands；　he　resolutely　shouldered　his　way　into　the　nearest　recruiting　office。　He　went　into　the　office　as　Harvard　Weldon；　amateur　athlete　and　society　darling　of　his　own　home　city。　He　came　out　as　Trooper　Weldon　of　the　First　Regiment　of　Scottish　Horse。

He　spent　the　next　morning　in　sorting　over　his　miscellaneous　luggage。　In　the　light　of　Cape　Town　and　the　practical　advice　which　had　been　his　for　the　asking；　his　outfit　appeared　comically　complete。　Two　thirds　of　it　must　be　stored　in　Cape　Town；　of　the　other　third；　one　full　half　must　be　left　with　the　negro　servants　at　the　hotel。　His　toilet　fixtures　would　have　been　adequate　for　a　Paris　season；　his　superfluous　rugs　would　have　warmed　him　during　a　winter　on　the　apex　of　the　North　Pole。　It　was　with　something　between　a　smile　and　a　sigh　that　he　stowed　away　the　greater　part　of　his　waistcoats　and　neckties；　in　company　with　the　silver…mounted　medicine　chest　by　which　his　mother　had　set　such　store。　It　was　as　Carew　had　said：　quinine　and　tobacco　were　the　main　essentials。

Then；　for　the　last　time　in　many　months；　he　arrayed　himself　in　black　cloth　and　fine　linen；　chose　his　stick　and　gloves　with　care；　and；　leaving　Adderley　Street　behind　him；　turned　eastward　towards　the　home　of　the　Dents。

He　found　Ethel　on　the　broad　veranda；　bordered　with　flower…boxes　and　overlooking　the　garden　and　the　blue　waters　of　Table　Bay。　Dressed　in　a　thin　white　gown　which；　to　Weldon's　mind；　was　curiously　out　of　keeping　with　all　his　preconceived　notions　of　January　weather；　she　rose　and　came　forward　to　greet　him　at　the　top　of　the　steps。

〃At　last；〃　she　said　cordially；　while　she　gave　him　her　hand。　〃I　began　to　fear　you　had　already　gone　to　the　front。〃

〃Not　without　seeing　you　again；〃　he　answered；　as　he　followed　her　back　to　the　bamboo　chairs　at　the　shaded　western　end　of　the　veranda。　〃In　fact；　I　began　to　be　rather　afraid　I　should　never　see　the　front　at　all。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　asked　quickly。　〃Has　something　happened　since　I　saw　you？〃

〃A　great　deal　has　happened。　The　thing　I　referred　to　was　my　first　sight　of　British　regulars。〃

Her　face　cleared。

〃Oh；　is　that　all？〃

〃It　is　a　good　deal；〃　he　assured　her；　as　he　sat　down。　〃I　came　out　here　with　all　sorts　of　high　notions　regarding　volunteers。〃

〃Well？〃　she　questioned　smilingly。

〃Well；　they　have　been　taken　out　of　me。　An　untrained　man　isn't　worth　much　in　any　line；　least　of　all　in　the　firing　line。　Still；　it　would　be　very　ignominious　to　go　back　home　again。〃

Her　eyes　swept　over　his　alert；　well…groomed　figure。

〃And　when　do　you　start　for　the　front；　Trooper　Weldon？〃

〃How　do　you　know　I　start　at　all？〃

〃How　do　I　know　you　are　sitting　opposite　me？〃　she　asked　lightly。　〃Having　eyes；　I　use　them。〃

〃And　they　tell　you？〃　he　responded。

〃That　you　are　looking　content　with　life。〃

The　laughter　died　out　of　his　eyes。

〃I　am；〃　he　said　gravely；　〃perfectly　content。　I　am　enrolled　in　the　Scottish　Horse；　and　I　go　tomorrow。〃

〃The　Scottish　Horse？〃　she　asked　quickly。　〃Which　squadron？〃

〃Do　you　know　anything　of　it？〃

〃A　little；〃　she　answered；　〃but　that　little　is　good。　Then　it　is　to　Maitland　that　you　are　going？〃

〃Are　you　omniscient；　Miss　Dent？〃

〃No；　merely　an　inquisitive　girl　who　remembers　the　answers　to　the　questions　that　she　asks。　My　father；　you　know；　is　in　the　thick　of　things；　and　it　seems　to　me　I　have　met　half　the　British　army；　in　the　four　days　I　have　been　at　home。〃

〃Officers；　or　Tommies？〃　he　reminded　her。

She　laughed　at　the　recollection　of　her　former　prejudice。

〃You　told　the　truth；　Mr。　Weldon。　One　of　the　men　I　danced　with；　last　season；　is　riding　across　Natal　in　the　same　squadron　with　his　groom。　In　my　one　London　season；　I　met　only　officers。　Out　here；　I　find　Lord　Thomas　turned　into　Tommy　Atkins；　and　I　meet　him　every　day。　But；　aside　from　the　war；　what　do　you　think　of　Cape　Town？〃

〃What　would　I　think　of　Table　Mountain　without　its　tablecloth？〃　he　parried。　〃In　both　cases；　the　two　things　seem　inseparable。〃

〃Wait　till　you　know　the　place　better；　then；〃　she　advised　him。　〃It　really　does　have　a　life　of　its　own；　apart　from　its　military　setting。〃

〃I　am　afraid　there's　not　much　chance　of　my　knowing　it　better；〃　he　answered　a　little　regretfully。

〃Maitland　is　only　three　miles　away；　and　you've　not　met　my　mother　yet；〃　she　suggested。

〃Is　she　at　home　now？〃　Weldon　asked；　with　the　conscious　air　of　a　man　suddenly　recalled　to　his　social　duty。

〃Not　this　afternoon。　She　has　taken　Miss　Arthur　for　a　drive　through　Rondebosch。　That　is　quite　one　of　the　things　to　do；　you　know。〃

〃I　didn't　know。　Is　the　redoubtable　Miss　Arthur　well？〃

The　dimple　beside　the　girl's　firm　lips　displayed　itself　suddenly；　and　her　eyes　lighted。

〃Wonderfully。　Her　convalescence　has　been　remarkably　short。　More　remarkable　still　is　the　fact　that　she　has　neglected　to　mention　her　illness　to　any　one。〃

〃How　soon　does　she　go　back？〃

The　blue　eyes　met　his　eyes　in　frank　merriment。

〃Not　until　she　has　finished　informing　my　mother　of　the　present　London　code　of　chaperonage。〃

Weldon　raised　his　brows。

〃Then　I　shall　find　her　here；　when　I　come　back　at　the　end　of　the　war。〃

She　made　no　pretence　of　misunderstanding　him。

〃Are　you　so　much　less　strict　in　Canada？〃

〃We　aredifferent；〃　he　confessed。　〃Miss　Arthur's　lorgnette　would　be　impossible　with　us。　I　don't　mean　the　lorgnette　itself；　but　the　acute　accent　which　she　contrives　to　give　to　it。　Mrs。　Scott　is　more　of　a　colonial　matron。〃

〃Dear　little　lady！　Have　you　seen　her　since　she　landed？〃

〃Once。　They　are　at　the　Mount　Nelson；　and　Carew　and　I　called　on　them　there。　They　are　leaving　for　De　Aar；　Monday。〃

〃And　what　about　Mr。　Carew？〃

〃He　goes　with　me　to　Maitland。　He　is　Trooper　Carew　now。〃

The　girl　sat　staring　thoughtfully　out　across　the　lawn。

〃I　wonder　what　sort　of　a　soldier　he　will　make；〃　sh