active service-第31章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ic。　If　he。　was　guilty　of　anything　in　this　affair　at　all…in　fact；　if　he　had　ever　at　any　time　been　guilty　of　anything…　no　mark　had　come　to　stain　that　bloom　of　innocence。　The　professor　nodded　in　the　fullest　appreciation　and　sympathy。　〃　Of　course　*　*　*　really　there　is　no　other　sleeping　placeI　suppose　it　would　be　better…〃　Then　he　again　attacked　Coke。　〃Young　man；　you　have　chosen　an　unfortunate　moment　to　fill　us　with　a　suspicion　that　you　may　not　be　a　gentleman。　　　For　the　time　there　is　nothing　to　be　done　with　you。〃　　He　addressed　　the　other　students。　〃　There　is　nothing　for　me　to　do；　young　gentleman；　but　to　leave　Mr。　Coke　in　your　care。　Good…night；　sirs。　Good…night；　Coleman。〃　He　left　the　room　with　his　candle。

When　Coke　was　bade　to　〃　Retire　〃　he　had；　of　course；　simply　retreated　fuming　to　a　corner　of　the　room　where　he　remained　looking　with　yellow　eyes　like　an　animal　from　a　cave。　When　the　others　were　able　to　see　through　the　haze　of　mental　confusion　they　found　that　Coleman　was　with　deliberation　taking　off　his　boots。　〃　Afterward；　when　he　removed　his　waist…coat；　he　took　great　care　to　wind　his　large　gold　watch。

The　students；　much　subdued；　lay　again　in　their　places；　and　when　there　was　any　talking　it　was　of　an　extremely　local　nature；　referring　principally　to　the　floor　As　being　unsuitable　for　beds　and　also　referring　from　time　to　time　to　a　real　or　an　alleged　selfishness　on　the　part　of　some　one　of　the　recumbent　men。　Soon　there　was　only　the　sound　of　heavy　breathing。

When　the　professor　had　returned　to　what　he　called　the　Wainwright　part　of　the　house　he　was　greeted　instantly　with　the　question：　〃What　was　it？〃　His　wife　and　daughter　were　up　in　alarm。　〃What　was　it　〃　they　repeated；　wildly。

He　was　peevish。　〃　Oh；　nothing；　nothing。　But　that　young　Coke　is　a　regular　ruffian。　He　had　gotten　him。　self　into　some　tremendous　uproar　with　Coleman。　When　I　arrived　he　seemed　actually　trying　to　assault　him。　Revolting！　He　had　been　drinking。　Coleman's　behaviour；　I　must　say；　was　splendid。　Recognised　at　once　the　delicacy　of　my　position…he　not　being　a　student。　If　I　had　found　him　in　the　wrong　it　would　have　been　simpler　than　finding　him　in　the　right。　Confound　that　rascal　of　a　Coke。〃　Then；　as　he　began　a　partial　disrobing；　he　treated　them　to　grunted　scrap　of　information。　　〃　Coke　was　quite　insane　*　*　*　I　feared　that　I　couldn't　control　him　*　*　*　Coleman　was　like　ice　*　*　*　and　as　much　as　I　have　seen　to　admire　in　him　during　the　last　few　days；　this　quiet　beat　it　all。　If　he　had　not　recognised　my　helplessness　as　far　as　he　was　concerned　the　whole　thing　might　have　been　a　most　miserable　business。　He　is　a　very　fine　young　man。〃　The　dissenting　voice　to　this　last　tribute　was　the　voice　of　Mrs。　Wainwright。　She　said：　〃　Well；　Coleman　drinks；　too…everybody　knows　that。〃

〃　I　know；〃　responded　the　professor；　rather　bashfully；　but　I　am　confident　that　he　had　not　touched　a　drop。〃　Marjory　said　nothing。

The　earlier　artillery　battles　had　frightened　most　of　the　furniture　out　of　the　houses　of　Arta；　and　there　was　left　in　this　room　only　a　few　old　red　cushions；　and　the　Wainwrights　were　camping　upon　the　floor。　Marjory　was　enwrapped　in　Coleman's　macintosh；　and　while　the　professor　and　his　wife　maintained　some　low　talk　of　the　recent　incident　she　in　silence　had　turned　her　cheek　into　the　yellow　velvet　collar　of　the　coat。　She　felt　something　against　her　bosom；　and　putting　her　hand　carefully　into　the　top　pocket　of　the　coat　she　found　three　cigars。　These　she　took　in　the　darkness　and　laid　aside；　telling　herself　to　remember　their　position　in　the　morning。　She　had　no　doubt　that　Coleman：　would　rejoice　over　them；　before　he　could　get　back　to；　Athens　where　there　were　other　good　cigars。





CHAPTER　XVIII。

THE　ladies　of　the　Wainwright　party　had　not　complained　at　all　when　deprived　of　even　such　civilised　advantages　as　a　shelter　and　a　knife　and　fork　and　soap　and　water；　but　Mrs。　Wainwright　complained　bitterly　amid　the　half…civilisation　of　Arta。　She　could　see　here　no　excuse　for　the　absence　of　several　hundred　things　which　she　had　always　regarded　as　essential　to　life。　She　began　at　8。30　A。　M。　to　make　both　the　professor　and　Marjory　woeful　with　an　endless　dissertation　upon　the　beds　in　the　hotel　at　Athens。　Of　course　she　had　not　regarded　them　at　the　time　as　being　exceptional　beds　*　*　*　that　was　quite　true；　*　*　*　but　then　one　really　never　knew　what　one　was　really　missing　until　one　really　missed　it　*　*　*　She　would　never　have　thought　that　she　would　come　to　consider　those　Athenian　beds　as　excellent　*　*　*　but　experience　is　a　great　teacher　*　*　*　makes…　one　reflect　upon　the　people　who　year　in　and　year　out　have　no　beds　at　all；　poor　things。　*　*　*　Well；　it　made　one　glad　if　one　did　have　a　good　bed；　even　if　it　was　at　the　time　on　the　other　side　of　the　world。　If　she　ever　reached　it　she　did　not　know　what　could　ever　induce　her　to　leave　it　again。　*　*　*　She　would　never　be　induced…

〃'Induced！'〃　snarled　the　professor。　The　word　represented　to　him　a　practiced　feminine　misusage　of　truth；　and　at　such　his　white　warlock　always　arose。　〃〃　Induced！'　Out　of　four　American　women　I　have　seen　lately；　you　seem　to　be　the　only　one　who　would　say　that　you　had　endured　this　thing　because　you　had　been　'induced'　by　others　to　come　over　here。　How　absurd！〃

Mrs。　Wainwright　fixed　her　husband　with　a　steely　eye。　She　saw　opportunity　for　a　shattering　retort。　〃　You　don't　mean；　Harrison；　to　include　Marjory　and　I　in　the　same　breath　with　those　two　women？　〃

The　professor　saw　no　danger　ahead　for　himself。　He　merely　answered：　〃　I　had　no　thought　either　way。　It　did　not　seem　important。〃

〃　Well；　it　is　important；〃　snapped　Mrs。　Wainwright。

〃　Do　you　know　that　you　are　speaking　in　the　same　breath　of　Marjory　and　Nora　Black；　the　actress？　〃

〃　No；〃　said　the　professor。　〃　Is　that　so　？　〃　He　was　astonished；　but　he　was　not　aghast　at　all。　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　is　Nora　Black；　the　comic　opera　star　？　〃

〃　That's　exactly　who　she　is；〃　said　Mrs。　Wainwright；　dramatically。　〃　And　I　consider　that…I　consider　that　Rufus　Coleman　has　done　no　less　than…misled　us。〃

This　last　declaration　seemed　to　have　no　effect　upon　the　professor's　pure　astonishment；　but　Marjory　looked　at　her　mother　suddenly。　However；　she　said　no　word；　exhibiting　again　that　strange　and；　inscrutable　countenance　which　masked　even　the　tiniest　of　her　maidenly　emotions。

Mrs。　Wainwright　was　triumphant；　and　she　immediately　set　about　celebrating　her　victory。　〃　Men　never　see　those　things；〃　she　said　to　her　husband。　〃　Men　never　see　those　things。　You　would　have　gone　on　forever　without　finding　out　that　your…your…　hospitality　was；　being　abused　by　that　Rufus　Coleman。〃

The　professor　woke　up。〃　Hospitality　？〃　he　said；　indignantly。　〃　Hospitality　？　I　have　not　had　any　hospitality　to　be　abused。　Why　don't　you　talk　sense？　It　is　not　that；　but…it　might…〃　He　hesitated　and　then　spoke　slowly。　〃　It　might　be　very　awkward。　Of　course　one　never　knows　anything　definite　about　such　people；　but　I　suppose　*　*　*　Anyhow；　it　was　strange　in　Coleman　to　allow　her　to　meet　us。　〃

〃It　Was　all　a　pre…arranged　plan；〃　announced　the　　triumphant　Mrs。　Wainwright。　〃　She　came　here　on　putpose　　to　meet　Rufus　Coleman；　and　he　knew　it；　and　I　should　not　wonder　if　they　had　not　the　exact　spot　picked　out　where　　they　were　going　to　meet。〃

〃I　can　hardly　believe　that；〃　said　the　professor；　in　distress。　　〃I　can；　hardly　believe　that。　It　does；　not　seem　to　me　that　　Coleman〃

〃　Oh　yes。　Your　dear　Rufus　Coleman；〃　cried　Mrs。　Wainwright。　〃　You　think　he　is　very　fine　now。　But　　I　can　remember　when　you　didn't　think…〃

And　the　parents　turned　together　an　abashed　look　at　their　daughter。　The　professor　actually　flushed　with　shame。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　just　committed　an　atrocity　upon　the　heart　of　his　child。　The　instinct　of　each　of　them　was　to　go　to　her　and　console　her　in　their　arms。　She　noted　it　immediately；　and　seemed　to　fear　it。　She　spoke　in　a　clear　and　even　voice。　　〃　I　don't　think；　father；　that　you　should　distress　me　by　supposing　that　I　am　concerned　at　all　if　Mr。　Coleman　cares　to　get　Nora　Black　over　here。〃

〃　Not　at　all；〃　stuttered　the　professor。　〃　I…〃

Mrs。　Wainwright's　consternation　turned　suddenly　to；　anger。　〃　He　is　a　scapegrace。　A　rascal。　A　a〃

〃　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