第9章

Colemanperceivedthatthedragoman，allhisformerplumagegone，waswhiningandsnivellingashearguedtoadark-browedcrowdthatwasrunningbesidethecavalcade。Thegroom，whoalwayshadbeenamiraculouslylaconicman，wassuddenlylaunchedforthgarrulously。The，drivers，fromtheirhighseats，palaveredlikemadmen，drivingwithoathandandgesturingwiththeother，explainingevidentlytheirowngreatinnocence。 Colemansawthattherewastrouble，butheonlysatmorestifflyinhissaddle。Theeternalgabblemovedhimtodespisethesituation。Atanyrate，thetravellerswouldsoonbeoutofthistownandontoamoresensibleregion。 Howeverhesawthedriverofthefirstcarriagesud- denlypullupboforgalittleblackenedcoffeeshopandinn。Thedragmanspurredforwardandbeganwildexpostulation。Thesecondcarriagepulledclosebehindtheother。Thecrowd，murmuringlikeaRomanmobinNero\'stime，closedaroundthem…… CHAPTERXXI。 COLEMANpushedhishorsecoollythroughtothedragoman；sside。\"Whatisit？\"hedemanded。Thedragomanwasbroken-voiced。\"Thesepeoples，theysayyouareGermans，allGermans，andtheyareangry，\"hewailed。\"Icandonossing-nossing。\" \"Well，tellthesementodriveon，\"saidColeman，\"tellthemtheymustdriveon。\" \"Theywillnotdriveon，\"wailedthedragoman，stillmoreloudly。\"Icandonossing。Theysayhereisplaceforfeedthehorse。Itisthecustomandtheywillnotedriveon。\" \"Makethemdriveon。\" \"Theywillnote，\"shriekedtheagonisedservitor。 Colemanlookedfromthemenwavingtheirarmsandchatteringonthebox-seatstothemenofthecrowdwhoalsowavedtheirarmsandchattered。Inthisthrongfartotherearofthefightingarmiestheredidnotseemtobeasinglemanwhowasnotablebodied，whohadnotbeenfreetoenlistasasoldier。 Theywereofthatscurvybehind-the-rear-guardwhicheverynationhasindegreeproportionatetoitsworth。 ThemanhoodofGreecehadgonetothefrontier，leavingathomethisrabbleoftalkers，mostofwhomwerearmedwithriflesformerepretention。Colemanloathedthemtotheendofhissoul。Hethoughtthemalotofinfantswhowouldliketoprovetheircourageuponeleveninnocenttravellers，allbutunarmed，andinthisfacthewasquicktoseeagreatdangertotheWainwrightparty。Onecoulddealwithsoldiers；soldierswouldhavebeenashamedtobaithelplesspeople；butthisrabble- Thefightingbloodofthecorrespondentbegantoboil，andhereallylongedfortheprivilegetorunamuckthroughthemultitude。ButalookattheWainwrightskepthiminhissenses。Theprofessorhadturnedpaleasadeadman。Hesatverystiffandstillwhilehiswifeclungtohim，hystericallybeseechinghimtodosomething，dosomething，althoughwhathewastodoshecouldnothaveevenimagined。 Colemantookthedilemmabyitsbeard。HedismountedfromhishorseintothedepthsofthecrowdandaddressedtheWainwrights。\"Isupposewehadbettergointothisplaceandhavesomecoffeewhilethemenfeedtheirhorses。Thereisnouseintryingtomakethemgoon。\"Hismannerwasfairlycasual，buttheylookedathiminglazedhorror。\"Itistheonlythingtodo。Thiscrowdisnotnearlysobadastheythinktheyare。Butwe\'vegottolookasifwefeltconfident。\"Hehimselfhadnoconfidencewiththisangrybuzzinhisears，butbefeltcertainthattheonlycorrectmovewastogeteverybodyasquicklyaspossiblewithintheshelteroftheinn。Itmightnotbemuchofashelterforthem，butitwasbetterthanthecarriagesinthestreet。 TheprofessorandMrs。Wainwrightseemedtobeconsideringtheircarriageasacastle，andtheylookedasiftheirterrorhadmadethemphysicallyincapableofleavingit。Colemanstoodwaiting。Behindhimtheclapper-tonguedcrowdwasmovingominously。 Marjoryaroseandsteppedcalmlydowntohim。 Hethrilledtotheendofeverynerve。Itwasasifshehadsaid:\"Idon\'tthinkthereisgreatdanger，butifthereisgreatdanger，why**hereIam* ready*withyou。\"Itconcededeverything，admittedeverything。Itwasasurrenderwithoutablush，anditwasonlypossibleintheshadowofthecrisiswhentheydidnotknowwhatthenextmomentsmightcontainforthem。Ashetookherhandandshesteppedpasthimhewhisperedswiftlyandfiercelyinherear，\"Iloveyou。\"Shedidnotlookup，buthefeltthatinthisquickincidenttheyhadclaimedeachother，acceptedeachotherwithafardeepermeaningandunderstandingthancouldbepossibleinameredrawing-room。Shelaidherhandonhisarm，andwiththestrengthoffourmenhetwistedhishorseintothemakingoffuriousprancingside-stepstowardthedooroftheinn，clankingside- stepswhichmowedawidelanethroughthecrowdforMarjory，hisMarjory。HewasashaughtyasanewGermanlieutenant，andalthoughheheldthefuminghorsewithonlyhislefthand，heseemedperfectlycapableofhurlingtheanimaloverahousewithoutcallingintoservicethearmwhichwasdevotedtoMarjory。 Itwasnotanexhibitionofcoolnesssuchaswinsapplauseonthestagewhentheheroplacidlylightsacigarettebeforethemobwhichisclamouringforhisdeath。Itwas，onthecontrary，anexhibitionofdownrightclassicdisdain，adisdainwhichwiththehighestarrogancedeclareditselfineveryglanceofhiseyeintothefacesabouthim。\"Verygood** attackmeifyoulike**thereisnothingtopreventit**youmongrels。\"Everystepofhisprogresswasmadearenewedinsulttothem。Theveryairwaschargedwithwhatthislonemanwasthinkingofthisthreateningcrowd。 Hisaudacitywasinvincible。Theyactuallymadewayforitasquicklyaschildrenwouldfleefromaghost。Thehorse，dancing；withringingsteps，withhisglisteningneckarchedtowardtheironhandathisbit，thispowerful，quiveringanimalwasaregularengineofdestruction，andtheygaveroomuntilColemanhaltedhim-atanexclamationfromMarjory。 \"Mymotherandfather。\"ButtheywerecomingclosebehindandColemanresumedthiscontemptuousjourneytothedooroftheinn。Thegroom，withhisnew-borntongue，wasclatteringtheretothepopulace。 ColemangavehimthehorseandpassedaftertheWainwrightsintothepublicroomoftheinn。Hewassmiling。Whatsimpletons! Anewactorsuddenlyappearedinthepersonofthekeeperoftheinn。Hetoohadarifleandaprodigiousbeltofcartridges，butitwasplainatoncethathehadelectedtobeafriendoftheworriedtravellers。A largepartofthecrowdwerethinkingitnecessarytoentertheinnandpow-wowmore。Buttheinnkeeperstayedatthedoorwiththedragoman，andtogethertheyvociferouslyheldbackthetide。Thespiritofthemobhadsubsidedtoamorereasonablefeeling。 TheynolongerwishedtotearthestrangerslimbfromlimbonthesuspicionthattheywereGermans。Theynowwerefrantictotalkasifsomeinexorablelawhadkeptthemsilentfortenyearsandthiswastheverymomentoftheirrelease。Whereas，theirsimul- taneousandinterpolatingorationshadthroughoutmadenoisemuchlikeacoal-breaker。 ColemanledtheWainwrightstoatableinafarpartoftheroom。Theytookchairsasifhehadcom- mandedthem。\"Whatanoutrage，\"hesaidjubilantly。 \"Theapes。\"Hewaskeepingmorethanhalfaneyeuponthedoor，becauseheknewthatthequickcomingofthestudentswasimportant。 Thensuddenlythestormbrokeinwrath。Somethinghadhappenedinthestreet。Thejabberingcrowdatthedoorhadturnedandwerehurryinguponsomecentraltumult。ThedragomanscreamedtoColeman。 Colemanjumpedandgrabbedthedragoman。\"Tellthismantotakethemsomewhereupstairs，\"hecried，indicatingtheWainwrightswithasweepofhisarm。 Theinnkeeperseemedtounderstandsoonerthanthedragoman，andhenoddedeagerly。Theprofessorwascrying:\"Whatisit，Mr。Coleman？Whatisit？\" Aninstantlater，thecorrespondentwasoutinthestreet，buffetingtowardascuffle。Ofcourseitwasthestudents。Itappeared，afterward，thatthosesevenyoungmen，withtheirfeelingsmuchruffled，hadbeenmakingthebestoftheirwaytowardthedooroftheinn，whenalargemaninthecrowd，duringaspeechwhichwassurelymostoffensive，hadlaidanarrestinghandontheshoulderofPeterTounley。 WhereupontheexcellentPeterTounleyhadhitthelargemanonthejawinsuchaswiftandskilfulmannerthatthelargemanhadgonespinningthroughagroupofhiscountrymentothehardearth，wherehelayholdinghisfacetogetherandhowling。Instantly，ofcourse，therehadbeenariot。Itmightwellbesaidthateventhentheaffaircouldhaveendedinalotoftalking，butinthefirstplacethestudentsdidnottalkmodernGreek，andinthesecondplacetheywerenowpastallthoughtoftalking。Theyregardedthisaffairseriouslyasafight，andnowthattheyatlastwereinit，theywereinitforeverypintofbloodintheirbodies。SuchapackoffamishedwolveshadneverbeforebeenletlooseuponmenarmedwithGrasrifles。 Theyallhadbeenexpectingtherow，andwhenPeterTounleyhadfounditexpedienttoknockovertheman，theyhadcounteditasignal:theirarmsimmediatelybeguntoswingoutasiftheyhadbeenwoundup。ItwasatthistimethatColemanswambrutallythroughtheGreeksandjoinedhiscountrymen。 Hewasmorefrightenedthananyofthosenovices。 WhenhesawPeterTounleyoverthrowadreadfullookingbrigandwhosebeltwasfullofknives，andwho-crashedtothegroundamidaclangofcartridges，hewasappalledbytheuttersimplicitywithwhichtheladsweretreatingthecrisis。Itwastothemnocom- monscrimmageatWashurst，ofcourse，butitflashedthroughColeman\'smindthattheyhadnottheslightegtsenseofthesizeofthething。Heexpectedeveryinstanttoseetheflashofknivesortohearthedeafeningintonationofariflefiredagainsthstear。Itseemedtohimmiraculousthatthetragedywassolongdelayed。 Inthemeantirnehewasintheaffray。HejiltedonemanunderthechinwithhiselbowinawaythatreeledhimofffromPeterTounley\'sback；alittlepersonintheckedclotheshesmotebetweentheeyes；herecievedagun-buttemphaticallyontheaideoftheneck；hefelthandstearingathim；hekickedthepinsoutfromunderthreemeninrapidsuccession。Hewasalwaysyelling。\"Trytogettotheinn，boys，trytogettotheinn。Lookout，Peter。Takecareforhisknife，Peter——\"Suddenlyhewhippedarifleoutofthehandsofamanandswungit，whistling。Hehadgonestarkmadwiththeothers。 TheboyBilly，drunkfromsomeblowsandbleeding，wasalready。staggeringtowardtheinnovertheclearagewhichthewildColemanmadewiththeclubbedrifle。Thoothersfollewedaswellastheymightwhilebeatingoffadiscouragedenemy。Theremarkableinnkeeperhadbarredhiswindowswithstrongwoodshutters。Heheldthedoorbythecrackforthem，andtheystumbledonebyonthroughtheportal。Colemandidnotknowwhytheywerenotalldead，nordidheunderstandtheintrepidandgenerousbehaviouroftheinnkeeper，butatanyratehefeltthatthefightingwassuspended，andhewantedtoseeMarjory。 Theinnkeeperwas，doingagreatpantomimeinthemiddleofthedarkenedroom，pointingtotheouterdoorandthenaiminghisrifleatittoexplainhisintentionofdefendingthematallcosts。Someofthestudentsmovedtoabilliardtableandspreadthem- selveswearilyuponit。Otherssankdownwheretheystood。Outsidethecrowdwasbeginningtoroar。 Coleman\'sgroomcreptoutfromunderthelittleCoffeebarandcomicallysalutedhismaster。Thedragomanwasnotpresent。ColemanfeltthathemustseeMarjory，andhemadesignstotheinnkeeper。 Thelatterunderstoodquickly，andmotionedthatColemanshouldfollowhim。Theypassedtogetherthroughadarkhallandupadarkerstairway，whereafterColemansteppedoutintoasun-litroom，sayingloudly:\"Oh，it\'sallright。It\'sallover。Don\'tworry。\" Threewildpeoplewereinstantlyuponhim。\"Oh，whatwasit？Whatdidhappen？Isanybodyhurt？ Oh，tellus，quick!\"Itseemedatthetimethatitwasanavalancheofthreeofthem，anditwasnotuntillaterthatherecognisedthatMrs。Wainwrighthadtumbledthelargestnumberofquestionsuponhim。 AsforMarjory，shehadsaidnothinguntilthetimewhenshecried:\"Oh-heisbleeding-heisbleeding。 Oh，come，quick!\"Shefairlydraggedhimoutofoneroomintoanotherroom，wheretherewasajugofwater。Shewetherhandkerchiefandsoftlysmotehiswounds。\"Bruises，\"shesaid，piteously，tearfully。 \"Bruises。Oh，dear!Howtheymusthurtyou。\' Thehandkerchiefwassoonstainedcrimson。 WhenColemanspokehisvoicequavered。\"Itisn\'tanything。Really，itisn\'tanything。\"Hehadnotknownofthesewonderfulwounds，buthealmostchokedinthejoyofMarjory\'sministryandherhalfcoherentexclamations。Thisproudandbeautifulgirl，thissuperlativecreature，wasreddeningherhandkerchiefwithhisblood，andnowordofhiscouldhavepreventedherfromthusattendinghim。HecouldheartheprofessorandMrs。Wainwrightfussingnearhim，tryingtobeofuse。Hewouldhavelikedtohavebeenabletoorderthemoutoftheroom。 Marjory\'scoolfingersonhisfaceandneckhadconjuredwithinhimavisionatanintimacytnatwasevensweeterthananythingwhichhehadimagined，andhelongedtopourouttoherthebubbling，impassionedspeechwhichcametohislips。But，alwaysdodderingbehindhim，werethetwooldpeople，strenuoustobeofhelptohim。 Suddenlyadooropenedandayouthappeared，simplyredwithblood。ItwasPeterTounley。Hisfirstremarkwascheerful。\"Well，Idon\'tsupposethosepeoplewillbeanytooquicktolookformoretrouble。\" Colemanfeltaswiftpangbecausehehadforgottentoannouncethedilapidatedstateofallthestudents。 HehadbeensosubmergedbyMarjory\'stendernessthatallelsehadbeendrownedfromhismind。HisheartbeatquicklyashewaitedforMarjorytoleavehimandrushtoPeterTounley。 Butshedidnothingofthesort。\"Oh，Peter，\"shecriedindistress，andthensheturnedbacktoColeman。 ItwastheprofessorandMrs。Wainwrightwho，atlastfindingafieldfortheirkindlyambitions，flungthem。 selvesuponTounleyandcarriedhimofftoanotherplace。Peterwasremoved，crying:\"Oh，now，lookhere，professor，I\'mnotdyingoranythingofthesortColemanandMarjorywereleftalone。Hesuddenlyandforciblytookoneofherhandsandthebloodstainedhankerchiefdroppedtothefloor。 CHAPTERXXII。 Frombelowtheycouldhearthethunderofweaponsandfitsuponthedooroftheinnamidagreatclamourof。tongues。Sometimestherearosetheargumtntativehowloftheinnkeeper。Abovethisroar，Coleman\'squickwordssoundedinMarjory\'sear。 \"I\'vegottogo。I\'vegottogobacktotheboys，but-Iloveyou。\" \"Yesgo，go，\"shewhisperedhastily。\"Youshouldbethere，but-comeback。\" Heheldherclosetohim。\"Butyouaremine，remember，\" hesaidfiercelyandsternly。\"Youaremine-forever-AsIamyours-remember。\" Hereyeshalfclosed。Shemadeintenselysolemnanswer。\"Yes。\"Hereleasedherandvphsgone。 Inthegloomingcoffeeroomoftheinnhefoundthestudents，thedragoman，thegroomandtheinnkeeperarmedwithamotleycollectionofweaponswhichrangedfromtherifleoftheinnkeepertothetableleginthehandsofPeterTounley。Thelastnamedyoungstudentofarcheologywasinapositionoftemporaryleadefshipandholdingagreatpow-bowwiththeinnkeeperthroughthemediumofpeircingoutcriesbythedragoman。Colemanhadnotyetundestoodwhynoneofthemhadbeeneitherstabbedorshotinthefightinthesteeet，butitseemedtohimnowthataffairswereleadingtowardacrisisoftragedy。Hethoughtofthepossibilitiesofhavingthedragomangotoanupperwindowandharanguethepeople，buthesawnochanceofsuccessinsuchaplan。Hesawthatthecrowdwouldmerelyhowlatthedragomanwhilethedragomanhowledatthecrowd。Hethenaskediftherewasanyotherexitfromtheinnbywhichtheycouldsecretlyescape。Helearnedthatthedoorintothecoffeeroomwastheonlydoorwhichpiercedthefourgreatwalls。Allhecouldthendowastofindoutfromtheinnkeeperhowmuchofasiegetheplacecouldstand，andtothistheinnkeeperansweredvolublyandwithsmilesthatthishostelrywouldeasilyendureuntilthemercurialtemperofthecrowdhaddartedoffinanewdirection。ItmaybecurioustonoteherethatallofPeterTounley\'simpassionedcommunicationwiththeinnkeeperhadbeendevotedtoanendeavourtolearnwhatinthedevilwasthematterwiththesepeople，asamanabouttobebittenbypoisonoussnakesshould，firstofall，furiouslyinsistuponlearningtheirexactspeciesbeforedecidinguponeitherhisroute，ifheintendedtorunaway，orhisweaponifheintendedtofightthem。 Theinnkeeperwasevidentlyconvincedthatthishousewouldwithstandtherageofthepopulace，andhewassuchanunaccountablygallantlittlechapthatColemantrustedentirelytohisword。Hisonlyfearorsuspicionwasanoccasionaloneastothepurityofthedragoman\'stranslation。 Suddenlytherewashalfasilenceonthemobwithoutthedoor。Itisinconceivablethatitcouldbecomealtogethersilent，butitwasasneartoarationalstillnessoftonguesasitwasable。ThentherewasaloudknockingbyasinglefistandanewvoicebegantospinGreek，avoicethatwassomewhatliketherattleofpebblesinatinbox。ThenastartlingvoicecalledoutinEnglish。\"Areyouinthere，Rufus？\" AnswerscamefromeveryEnglishspeakingpersonintheroominonegreatoutburst。\"Yes。\" \"Well，letusin，\"calledNoraBlack。\"Itisallright。We\'vegotanofficerwithus。\" \"Openthedoor，\"saidColemanwithspeed。Thelittleinnkeeperlabouriouslyunfastenedthegreatbars，andwhenthedoorfinallyopenedthereappearedonthethresholdNoraBlackwithCokeandanofficerofinfantry，Nora\'slittleoldcompanion，andNora\'sdragoman。 \"Wesawyourcarriageinthestreet，\"criedthequeenofcomicoperaasshesweptintotheroom。 Shewasbeamingwithdelight。\"Whatisalltherow，anyway？O-o-oh，lookatthatstudent\'snose。Whohithim？AndlookatRufus。Whathaveyouboysbeendoing？\" HerlittleGreekofficerofinfantryhadstoppedthemobfromflowingintotheroom。Colemanlookedtowardthedoorattimeswithsomeanxiety。Nora，notingit，wavedherhandincarelessreassurance； \"Oh，it\'s，allright。Don\'tworryaboutthemanymore。Heisperfectlydevotedtome。HewoulddiethereonthethresholdifItoldhimitwouldpleaseme。SpeakssplendidFrench。Ifoundhimlimpingalongtheroadandgavehimalift。Andnowdohurryupandtellmeexactlywhathappened。\" Theyalltoldwhathadhappened，whileNoraandCokelistenedagape。Coke，bytheway，hadquitefloatedbacktohisoldpositionwiththestudents。Ithadbeeneasyinthestressofexcitementandwonder。 Nobodyhadanytitnetothinkoftheexcessivelyremoteincidentsoftheearlymorning。Allminorinterestswerelostinthemarvelofthepresentsituation。 \"Wholandedyouintheeye，Billie？\"askedtheawedCoke。\"Thatwasabadone。\" \"Oh，Idon\'tknow，\"saidBillie。\"Youreallycouldn\'ttellwhohityou，youknow。Itwasafootballrush。Theyhadgunsandknives，buttheydidn\'tuse\'em。Idon\'tknowwhyJinks!I\'mgettingprettystiff。Myfacefeelsasifitweremadeoftin。Didtheygiveyoupeoplearow，too？\" \"No；onlytalk。Thatlittleofficermanagedthem。 Out-talkedthem，Isuppose。Hearhimbuzz，now。\" TheWainwrightscamedownstairs。NoraBlackwentconfidentlyforwardtomeetthem。\"You\'veaddedonemoretoyourlistofrescuers，\"Shecried，withherglowing，triumphantsmile。\"MissBlackoftheNewYorkDaylight-atyourservice。HowintheworlddoyoumanagetogetyourselvesintosuchdreadfulScrapes？Youarethemostremarkablepeople。 Youneedaguardian。Why，youmighthaveallbeenkilled。Howexcitingitmustseemtoberegularlyofyourparty。\"ShehadshakencordiailyoneofMrs。Wainwright\'shandswithoutthatladyindicatingassenttotheproceedingbutMrs。Wainwrighthadnotfeltrepulsion。Infactshehadhadnoemotionspringingdirectlyfromit。HereagainthemarvelofthesituationcametodenyMrs。Wainwrighttherighttoresumeastateofmindwhichhadbeensopainfullyinterestingtoherafewhoursearlier。 Theprofessor，Colemanandallthestudentsweretalkingtogether。CokehadaddressedColemancivillyandColemanhadmadeacivilreply。Peacewasuponthem。 NoraslippedherarmlovinglythroughMarjbry\'sarm。\"ThatRufus!Oh，thatRufus，\"shecriedjoyously。 \"I\'llgivehimagoodscoldingassoonasI seehimalone。Imighthaveforeseenthathewouldgetyouallintotrouble。Theoldstupid!\" Marjorydidnotappeartoresentanything。\"Oh，I don\'tthinkitwasMr。Coleman\'sfaultatail，\"shean- sweredcalmly。\"IthinkitwasmorethefaultofPeterTounley，poorboy。\" \"Well，I\'dbegladtobelieveit，I\'dbegladtobelieveit，\" saidNora。\"IwantRufustokeepoutofthatsortofthing，butheissohot-headedandfoolish。\" IfshehadpointedoutherproprietarystamponColeman\'scheekshecouldnothaveconveyedwhatshewantedwithmoreclearness。 \"Oh，\"saidtheimpassiveMarjory，\"Idon\'tthinkyouneedhaveanydoubtastowhosefaultitwas，iftherewereanyofourboysatfault。Mr。Colemanwasinsidewhenthefightingcommenced，andonlyranouttohelptheboys。Hehadjustbroughtussafelythroughthemob，and，farfrombeinghot-headedandfoolish，hewasutterlycoolinmanner，impressivelycool，Ithought。Iamgladtobeabletoreassureyouonthesepoints，forIseethattheyworryyou。\" \"。Yes，theydoworryme，\"saidNora，densely。 Theyworrymenightanddaywhenheisawayfromme。\" \"Oh，\"respondedMarjory，\"IhaveneverthoughtofMr。Colemanasamanthatonewouldworryaboutmuch。Weconsiderhimveryself-reliant，abletotakecareofhimselfunderalmostanyconditions，butthen，ofcourse，wedonotknowhimatallinthewaythatyouknowhim。Ishouldthinkthatyouwouldfindthathecameoffratherbetterthanyouexpectedfrommostofhisdifficulties。Butthen，ofcourse，as。Isaid，youknowhimsomuchbetterthanwedo。\"HereasyindifferencewasatacitdismissalofColemanasatopic。 Nora，nowthoroughlyalert，glancedkeenlyintotheothergirl\'sface，butitwasinscrutable。Theactresshadintendedtogocareeringthroughawholecircleofdaringillusionstoanintimacywith，Coleman，buthere，beforeshehadreallydevelopedherattack，Marjory，withafewconventionalandindifferentsentences，almostexpressiveofboredom，hadmadethesubjectofColemanimpossible。AneffectwasleftuponNora\'smindthatMarjoryhadbeenextremelypoliteinlisteningtomuchnervoustalkaboutapersoninwhomshehadnointerest。 Theactresswasdazed。Shedidnotknowhowithadallbeendone。Wherewastheheadofthisthing？ AndwhereWasthetail？AfoghadmysteriouslycomeuponallherbrilliantprospectsofseeingMarjoryWainwrightsuffer，andthisfogwastheproductofakindofmagicwithwhichshewasnotfamiliar。 Shecouldnotthinkhowtofightit。Afterbeingsimplydubiousthroughoutalongpause，sheintheendwentintoagreatrage。SheglaredfuriouslyatMarjory，droppedherarmasifithadburnedherandmoveddownuponColeman。Shemusthavereflectedthatatanyrateshecouldmakehimwriggle。Whenshewascomeneartohim，shecalledout:\"Rufus!\" Inhertonewasalltheoldinsolentstatementofownership。Colemanmighthavebeenapoodle。Sheknewhowtocallhissameinawaythatwasanythinglessthanapublicscandal。Onthisoccasioneverybodylookedathimandthenwentsilent，aspeopleawaitingthestartlingdenouementofadrama。 \"Rufus!\"Shewasbaringhisshouldertoshowthefieur-de-lisofthecriminal。Thestudentsgaped。 Coleman\'stemperwas，ifonemaybeallowedtospeakinthatway，brokenlooseinsideofhim。Hecouldhardlybeeathe；hefeltthathisbodywasabouttoexplodeintoathousandfragments。Hesimplysnarledout\"What？\"Almostatoncehesawthatshehadatlastgoadedhimintomakingaserioustacticalmistake。Itmustbeadmittedthatitisonlywhentherelationsbetweenamanandawomanaretherelationsofwedlock，oratleastanintimateresemblancetoit，thatthemansnarlsout\"What？\"tothewoman。Mereloverssay\"Ibegyourpardon？\" ItisonlyCupid\'sfinishedproductthatspitslikeacat。NoraBlackhadcalledhimlikeawife，andhehadansweredlikeahusband。Forhiscause，hismannercouldnotpossiblyhavebeenworse。Hesawtheprofessorstareathiminsurpriseandalarm，andfelttheexcitementoftheeightstudents。Theselatterwerediabolicintheceleritywithwhichtheypickedoutmeanings。ItwasasplaintothemasifNoraBlackhadsaid:\"Heismyproperty。\" Colemanwouldhavegivenhisnosetohavebeenabletorecallthatsinglereverberatingword。Buthesawthatthescenewasspellingdownfallforhim，andhewentstillmoreblindanddesperateofit。HisdespairmadehimburntomakemattersWorse。Hedidnotwanttoimproveanythingatall。\"What？\" hedemanded。\"Whatdoye\'want？\" Norawassweetlyreproachful。\"Ileftmyjacketinthecarriage，andIwantyoutogetitforme。\" \"Well，getitforyourself，doyousee？Getitforyourself。\" Nowitisplainlytobeseenthatnooneofthepeoplelisteningtherehadeverheardamanspeakthustoawomanwhowasnothiswife。Whenevertheyhadheardthatformofspiritedreparteeithadcomefromthelipsofahusband。Coleman\'srudespeechwastotheirearsaflatannouncementofanextraordinaryintimacybetweenNoraBlackandthecorrespondent。Anyotherinterpretationwouldnothaveoccurredtothem。Itwassopalpablethatitgreatlydistressedthemwithitsarroganceandboldness。Theprofessorhadblushed。Theverymilkiestwordinhismindatthetimewasthewordvulgarity。 NoraBlackhadwonagreatbattle。ItwasherAgincourt。ShehadbeatenthecleverColemaninawaythathadleftlittleofhimbutrags。However，shecouldhavelostitallagainifshehadshownherfeelingofelation。AtColeman\'srudenesshermannerindicatedamixtureofsadnessandembarrassment。 HersufferingwassoplaintotheeyethatPeterTounleywasinstantlymoved。\"Can\'tIgetyourjacketforyou，MissBlack？\"heaskedhastily，andathergratefulnodhewasoffatonce。 Colemanwasresolvedtoimprovenothing。Hisoverthrowseemedtohimtobesocompletethathecouldnotinanywaymenditwithoutasacrificeofhisdearestprides。Heturnedawayfromthemallandwalkedtoanisolatedcorneroftheroom。Hewouldabidenolongerwiththem。HehadbeenmadeanoutcastbyNoraBlack，andheintendedtobeanoutcast。Thercwasnosenseinattemptingtostemthisextraordinarydeluge。Itwasbettertoacquiesce。 ThensuddenlyhewasangrywithMarjory。HedidnotexactlyseewhyhewasangryatMarjory，buthewasangryathernevertheless。Hethoughtofhowhecouldrevengehimselfuponher。Hedecidedtotakehorsewithhisgroomanddragomanandproceedforthwithontheroad，leavingthejumbleasitstood。ThiswouldpainMarjory，anyhow，hehoped。Shewouldfeelitdeeply，hehoped。 Actinguponthisplan，hewenttotheprofessor。 Well，ofcourseyouareallrightnow，professor，andifyoudon\'tmind，Iwouldliketoleaveyou-goonahead。I\'vegotaconsiderablepressureofbusinessonmymind，andIthinkIshouldhurryontoAthens，ifyoudon\'tmind。\" Theprofessordidnotseemtoknowwhattosay。 \"Ofcourse，ifyouwishit-sorry，I\'msure-ofcourseitisasyouplease-butyouhavebeensuchapowerinourfavour-itseemstoobadtoloseyou-but-ifyouwishit-ifyouinsist-\" \"Oh，yes，Iquiteinsist，\"saidColeman，calmly。\"I quiteinsist。Makeyourmindeasyonthatscore，professor。Iinsist。\" \"Well，Mr。Coleman，\"stammeredtheoldman。 \"Well，itseemsagreatpitytoloseyou-youhavebeensuchapowerinourfavour-\" \"Oh，youarenowonlyeighthoursfromtherail- way。Itisveryeasy。Youwouldnotneedmyas- sistance，evenifitwereabenefit! \"But-\"saidtheprofessor。 Coleman\'sdragomancametohimthenandsaid: \"Thereisonemanherewhosaysyoumadetotakeonerifleinthefightandwasbreakhishead。Hewassayhewantssunthingforyouwasbreakhishead。Hesayshurt。\" \"Howmuchdoeshewant？\"askedColeman，im- patiently。 Thedragomanwrestledthenevidentlywithadesiretoprotectthisminefromoutsidefingers。\"I-Ithinktwogoldpieceplenty。\" \"Takethem，\"saidColeman。Itseemedtohimpreposterousthatthisidiotwithabrokenheadshouldinterpolateuponhistragedy。\"AfterwardyouandthegroomgetthethreehorsesandwewillstartforAthensatonce。\" \"ForAthens？Atonce？\"saidMarjory\'svoiceinhisear。 CHAPTERXXIII \"Om，\"saidColeman，\"Iwasthinkingofstarting。\" \"Why？\"askedMarjory，unconcernedly。 Colemanshotheraquickglance。\"Ibelievemyperiodofusefulnessisquiteended，\"hesaid。withjustasmallbetrayalofbitterfeeling。 \"Itiscertainlytruethatyouhavehadaremark- ableperiodofusefulnesstous，\"saidMarjorywithaslowsmile，\"butifitisended，youshouldnotrunawayfromus。\" Colemanlookedathertoseewhatshecouldmean。 Frommanywomen，thesewordswouldhavebeenequal，underthecircumstances，toacommandtostay，buthefeltthatnonemightknowwhatimpulsesmovedthemindbehindthatbeautifulmask。Inhismiseryhethoughttohurtherintoanexpressionoffeelingbyaroughspeech。\"I\'msoinlovewithNoraBlack，youknow，thatIhavetobeverycarefulofmyself。\" \"Oh，\"saidMarjory，neverthoughtofthat。I shouldthinkyouwouldhavetobecarefulofyourself。\" Shedidnotseemmovedinanyway。Colemandespairedoffindingherweakspot。Shewasa\'damantine，thisgirl。Hesearchedhismindforsomethingtosaywhichwouldbestillmoregrossthanhislastoutbreak，butwhenhefeltthathewasabouttohituponit，theprofessorinterruptedwithanagitatedspeechtoMarjory。\"Youhadbettergotoyourmother，mychild，andseethatyouareallreadytoleavehereassoonasthecarriagescomeup。\" \"Wehaveabsolutelynothingtomakeready，\"saidMarjory，laughing。\"ButI\'llgoandseeifmotherneedsanythingbeforewestartthatIcangetforher。\" Shewentawaywithoutbiddinggood-byetoColeman。 Thesolemaddeningimpressiontohimwasthatthematterofhisgoinghadnotbeenofsufficientimportancetoremainlongerthanamomentuponhermind。 Atthesametimehedecidedthathewouldgo，irretrievablygo。 Eventhenthedragomanenteredtheroom。\"Wewillpackeverything-uponthehorse？\" \"Everything-yes。\" PeterTounleycameafterward。\"Youarenotgoingtobolt？\" \"Yes，I\'moff，\"answeredColemanrecoveringhim- selfforPeter\'sbenefit。\"SeeyouinAthens，probably。\" Presentlythedragomanannouncedthereadinessofthehorses。ColemanshookhandswiththestudentsandtheProfessoramidcriesofsurpriseandpoliteregret。\"What？Going，oldman？Really？Whatfor？Oh，waitforus。We\'reoffinafewminutes。 Sorryasthedevil，oldboy，to\'seeyougo。\"Heacceptedtheirprotestationswithasomewhatsourface。HeknewperfectlywellthattheywerethinkingofhisdepartureassomethingthatrelatedtoNoraBlack。Atthelast，hebowedtotheladiesasacollection。Marjory\'sansweringbowwasaffable；thebowofMrs。Wainwrightspokearesentmentforsome- thing；andNora\'sbowwastriumphantmockery。Asheswungintothesaddleanideastruckhimwithoverwhelmingforce。Theideawasthathewasafool。 Hewasacolossalimbecile。Hetouchedthespurtohishorseandtheanimalleapedsuperbly，makingtheGreekshastenforsafetyinalldirections。Hewasoff； hecouldnomorereturntoretracthisdeviousidiocythanhecouldmakehishorseflytoAthens。Whatwasdonewasdone。Hecouldnotmendit。Andhefeltlikeamanthathadbrokenhisownheart； perversely，childishly，stupidlybrokenhisownheart。 HewassurethatMarjorywaslosttohim。NomancouldbedegradedsopubliclyandresentitsocrudelyandstillretainaMarjory。InhisabasementfromhisdefeatatthehandsofNoraBlackhehadperformedeveryimaginableblock-headishactandhadfinallyclimaxeditallbyadeparturewhichleftthetongueofNoratospeakunmolestedintotheearofMarjory。Nora\'svictoryhadbeenaseriousblowtohisfortunes，butithadnotbeensoseriousashisownsubsequentfolly。Hehadgenerouslymuddledhisownaffairsuntilhecouldreadnothingoutofthembutdespair。 Hewasinthemoodforhatred。Hehatedmanypeople。NoraBlackwastheprincipalitem，buthedidnothesitatetodetesttheprofessor，Mrs。Wain- wright，Cokeandallthestudents。AsforMarjory，hewouldrevengehimselfuponher。Shehaddonenothingthathedefinedclearlybut，atanyrate，hewouldtakerevengeforit。Asmuchaswaspossible，hewouldmakehersuffer。Hewouldconvinceherthathewasatremendousandinexorableperson。 Butitcameuponhismindthathewaspowerlessinallways。Ifhehatedmanypeopletheyprobablywouldnotbeeveninterestedinhisemotionand，asforhisrevengeuponMarjory，itwasbeyondhisstrength。HewasnothingbutthecomplainingvictimofNoraBlackandhimself。 HefeltthathewouldneveragainseeMarjory，andwhilefeelingithebegantoplanhisattitudewhennexttheymet。Hewouldbeverycoldandreserved。 AtAgrinionhefoundthattherewouldbenotrainuntilthenextdaybreak。Thedragomanwasexcessivelyannoyedoverit，butColemandidnotscoldatall。Asamatteroffacthishearthadgivenagreatjoyusbound。Hecouldnotnowpreventhisbeingovertaken。Theywereonlyafewleaguesaway，andwhilehewaswaitingforthetraintheywouldeasilycoverthedistance。Ifanybodyexpressedsurpriseatseeinghimhecouldexhibitthelogicalreasons。 Iftherehadbeenatrainstartingatoncehewouldhavetakenit。Hispridewouldhaveputupwithnosubterfuge。IftheWainwrightsovertookhimitwasbecausehecouldnothelpit。Buthewasdelightedthathecouldnothelpit。Therehadbeenaninter- positionbysomespeciallybeneficentfate。Hefeltlikewhistling。Hespenttheearlyhalfofthenightinblissfulsmoke，stridingtheroomwhichthedragomanhadfoundforhim。HisheadwasfullofplansanddetachedimpressivescenesinwhichhefiguredbeforeMarjory。ThesimplefactthattherewasnotrainawayfromAgrinionuntilthenextdaybreakhadwroughtastupendouschangeinhisoutlook。Heunhesitatinglyconsidereditanomenofagoodfuture。 Hewasupbeforethedarknessevencontainedpresageofcominglight，butneartherailwaystationwasalittlehutwherecoffeewasbeingservedtoseveralprospectivetravellerswhohadcomeevenearliertotherendezvous。TherewasnoevidenceoftheWainwrights。 Colemansatinthehutandlistenedfortherumbleofwheels。HewassuddenlyappalledthattheWainwrightsweregoingtomissthetrain。Perhapstheyhaddecidedagainsttravellingduringthenight。Perbapsthisthing，andperhapsthatthing。Themorningwasverycold。Closelymuffledinhiscloak，hewenttothedoorandstaredatwheretheroadwaswhiten- ingoutofnight。Atthestationstoodalittlespectraltrain，andtheengineatintervalsemittedalong，piercingscreamwhichinformedtheechoinglandthat，inallprobability，itwasgoingtostartafteratimeforthesouth。TheGreeksinthecoffeeroomwere，ofcourse，talking。 AtlastColemandidhearthesoundofhoofsandwheels。Thethreecarriagessweptupingrandprocession。 Thefirstwasladenwithstudents；inthesecondwastheprofessor，theGreekofficer，NoraBlack\'soldladyandotherpersons，alllookingmarvellouslyunimportantandshelved。ItwasthethirdcarriageatwhichColemanstared。Atfirstbethoughtthedimlightdeceivedhisvision，butinamomentheknewthathisfirstleapingconceptionofthearrangementofthepeopleinthisvehiclehadbeenperfectlycorrect。NoraBlackandMrs。Wainwrightsatsidebysideonthebackseat，whilefacingthemwereCokeandMarjory。 Theylookedcoldbutintimate。 TheoddityofthegroupingstupefiedColeman。Itwasanarchy，nakedandunashamed。Hecouldnotimaginehowsuchchangescouldhavebeenconsummatedintheshorttimehehadbeenawayfromthem，buthelaiditalltosomestartlingnecromancyonthepartofNoraBlack，somewondrousplaywhichhadcapturedthemallbecauseofitssurpassingskillandbecausetheywere，inthemain，rathergulliblepeople。 Hewaswrong。ThemagichadbeenwroughtbytheunaidedfoolishnessofMrs。Wainwfight。AssoonasNoraBlackhadsucceededincreatinganeffectofintimacyanddependencebetweenherselfandColeman，theprofessorhadflatlystatedtohiswifethatthepresenceofNoraBlackintheparty，intheinn，intheworld，wasathiagthatdidnotmeethisapprovalinanyway。Sheshouldbeabolished。 AsforColeman，hewouldnotdefendhim。Hepreferrednottotalktohim。Itmadehimsad。Colemanatleasthadbeenveryindiscreet，veryindiscreet。 Itwasagreatpity。Butasforthisblatantwoman，thesoonertheyridthemselvesofher，thesoonerhewouldfeelthatalltheworldwasnotevil。 WhereuponMrs。Wainwrighthadchangedfrontwiththespeedoflightandattackedwithhorse，footandguns。Shefailedtosee，shehaddeclared，wherethispoor，lonegirtwasingreatfault。Ofcourseitwasprobablethatshehadlistenedtothissnaky。 tonguedRufusColeman，butthatwaseverthemistakethatwomenmade。Oh，certainly；theprofessorwouldliketoletRufusColemanoffscot-free。Thatwasthewaywithmen。Theydefendedeachotherinallcases。Ifwrongweredoneitwasthewomanwhosuffered。Now，sincethispoorgirlwasalonefaroffhereinGreece，Mrs。Wainwrightannouncedthatshehadsuchfullsenseofherdutytohersexthatherconsciencewouldnotallowhertoscornanddesertasister，evenifthatsisterwas，approximately，thevictimofacreaturelikeRufusColeman。Perhapsthepoorthinglovedthiswretchedman，althoughitwashardtoimagineanywomangivingherhearttosuch。 amonster。