active service-第26章

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lege　may　see　fit　to　do；　but　as　for　my　father　I　I　have　no　doubt　of　how　he　will　view　it。〃

The　first　one　to　be　electrified　by　the　speech　was　Coke　himself。　He　saw　with　a　kind　of　sub…conscious　amazement　this　volley　of　bird…shot　take　effect　upon　the　face　of　the　old　professor。　The　face　of　Marjory　flushed　crimson　as　if　her　mind　had　sprung　to　a　fear　that　if　Coke　could　develop　ability　in　this　singular　fashion　he　might　succeed　in　humiliating　her　father　in　the　street　in　the　presence　of　the　seven　students；　her　mother；　Coleman　and…herself。　She　had　felt　the　bird…　shot　sting　her　father。

When　Coke　had　launched　forth；　Coleman　with　his　legs　stretched　far　apart　had　just　struck　a　match　on　the　wall　of　the　house　and　was　about　to　light　a　cigar。　His　groom　was　leading　up　his　horse。　He　saw　the　value　of　Coke's　argument　more　appreciatively　and　sooner　perhaps　than　did　Coke。　The　match　dropped　from　his　fingers；　and　in　the　white　sunshine　and　still　air　it　burnt　on　the　pavement　orange　coloured　and　with　langour。　Coleman　held　his　cigar　with　all　five　fingers…in　a　manner　out　of　all　the　laws　of　smoking。　He　turned　toward　Coke。　There　was　danger　in　the　moment；　but　then　in　a　flash　it　came　upon　him　that　his　role　was　not　of　squabbling　with　Coke；　far　less　of　punching　him。　On　the　contrary；　he　was　to　act　the　part　of　a　cool　and　instructed　man　who　refused　to　be　waylaid　into　foolishness　by　the　outcries　of　this　　pouting　youngster　and　who　placed　himself　in　complete　deference　to　the　wishes　of　the　professor。　Before　the　professor　had　time　to　embark　upon　any　reply　to　Coke；　Coleman　was　at　the　side　of　the　carriage　and；　with　a　fine　assumption　of　distress；　was　saying：　〃Professor；　I　could　very　easily　ride　back　to　Agrinion　alone。　It　would　be　all　right。　I　don't　want　to…〃

To　his　surprise　the　professor　waved　at　him　to　be　silent　as　if　he　were　a　mere　child。　The　old　man's　face　was　set　with　the　resolution　of　exactly　what　hewas　going　to　say　to　Coke。　He　began　in　measured　tone；　speaking　with　feeling；　but　with　no　trace　of　anger。

〃　Mr。　Coke；　it　has　probably　escaped　your　attention　that　Mr。　Coleman；　at　what　I　consider　a　great　deal　of　peril　to　himself；　came　out　to　rescue　this　party…you　and　others…and　although　he　studiously　disclaims　all　merit　in　his　finding　us　and　bringing　us　in；　I　do　not　regard　it　in　that　way；　and　I　am　surprised　that　any　member　of　this　party　should　conduct　himself　in　this　manner　toward　a　man　who　has　been　most　devotedly　and　generously　at　our　service。〃　It　was　at　this　time　that　the　professor　raised　himself　and　shook　his　finger　at　Coke；　his　voice　now　ringing　with　scorn。　In　such　moments　words　came　to　him　and　formed　themselves　into　sentences　almost　too　rapidly　for　him　to　speak　them。　〃　You　are　one　of　the　most　remarkable　products　of　our　civilisation　which　I　have　yet　come　upon。　What　do　you　mean；　sir？　Where　are　your　senses？　Do　you　think　that　all　this　pulling　and　pucking　is　manhood？　I　will　tell　you　what　I　will　do　with　you。　I　thought　I　brought　out　eight　students　to　Greece；　but　when　I　find　that　I　brought　out；　seven　students　anderanourang…outangdon't　get　angry；　sirI　don't　care　for　your　angerI　say　when　I　discover　this　I　am　naturally　puzzled　for　a　moment。　I　will　leave　you　to　the　judgment　of　your　peers。　Young　gentlemen！　〃　Of　the　seven　heads　of　the　forward　carriage　none　had　to　be　turned。　All　had　been　turned　since　the　　beginning　of　the　talk。　If　the　professor's　speech　had　been　delivered　in　one　of　the　class…rooms　of　　Washurst　they　would　have　glowed　with　delight　over　the　butchery　of　Coke；　but　they　felt　its　portentous　aspect。　Butchery　here　in　Greece　thousands　of　miles　from　home　presented　to　them　more　of　the　emphasis　of　downright　death　and　destruction。　The　professor　called　out　〃　Young　gentlemen；　I　have　done　all　that　I　can　do　without　using　force；　which；　much　to　my　regret；　is　impracticable。　If　you　will　persuade　your　fellow　student　to　accompany　you　I　think　our　consciences　will　be　the　better　for　not　having　left　a　weak　minded　brother　alone　among　the　by…paths。〃　The　valuable　aggregation　of　intelligence　and　refine…　ment　which　decorated　the　interior　of　the　first　carriage　did　not　hesitate　over　answering　this　appeal。　In　fact；　his　fellow　students　had　worried　among　themselves　over　Coke；　and　their　desire　to　see　him　come　out　of　his　troubles　in　fair　condition　was　intensified　by　the　fact　that　they　had　lately　concentrated　much　thought　upon　him。　There　was　a　somewhat　comic　pretense　of　　speaking　so　that　only　Coke　could　hear。　Their　chorus　was　law　sung。　〃　Oh；　cheese　it；　Coke。　Let　up　on　your…self；　　you　blind　ass。　Wait　till　you　get　to　Athens　and　then　go　and　act　like　a　monkey。　All　this　is　no　good…〃

The　advice　which　came　from　the　carriage　was　all　in　one　direction；　and　there　was　so　much　of　it　that　the　hum　of　voices　sounded　like　a　wind　blowing　through　a　forest。

Coke　spun　suddenly　and　said　something　to　Nora　Black。　Nora　laughed　rather　loudly；　and　then　the　two　turned　squarely　and　the　Wainwright　party　contemplated　　what　were　surely　at　that　time　the　two　most　insolent　　backs　in　the　world。

The　professor　looked　as　if　he　might　be　going　to　have　a　fit。　Mrs。　Wainwright　lifted　her　eyes　toward　heaven；　and　flinging　out　her　trembling　hands；　cried：　〃　Oh；　what　an　outrage。　What　an　outrage！　That　minx…〃　The　concensus　of　opinion　in　the　first　carriage　　was　perfectly　expressed　by　Peter　Tounley；　who　with　a　deep　drawn　breath；　said　：　〃　Well；　I'm　damned！　〃　Marjory　had　moaned　and　lowered　her　head　as　from　a　sense　of　complete　personal　shame。　Coleman　lit　his　cigar　and　mounted　his　horse。　〃　Well；　I　suppose　there　is　nothing　for　it　but　to　be　off；　professor？　〃　His　tone　was　full　of　regret；　with　sort　of　poetic　regret。　For　a　moment　the　professor　looked　at　him　blankly；　and　then　gradually　recovered　part　of　his　usual　manner。　〃　Yes；〃　he　said　sadly；　〃　there　is　nothing　for　it　but　to　go　on。〃　At　a　word　from　the　dragoman；　the　two　impatient　drivers　spoke　gutturally　to　their　horses　and　the　car…　riages　whirled　out　of　Arta。　Coleman；　his　dragoman　and　the　groom　trotted　in　the　dust　from　the　wheels　of　the　Wainwright　carriage。　The　correspondent　always　found　his　reflective　faculties　improved　by　the　constant　pounding　of　a　horse　on　the　trot；　and　he　was　not　sorry　to　have　now　a　period　for　reflection；　as　well　as　this　　artificial　stimulant。　As　he　viewed　the　game　he　had　in　his　hand　about　all　the　cards　that　were　valuable。　In　fact；　he　considered　that　the　only　ace　against　him　was　Mrs。　Wainwright。　He　had　always　regarded　her　as　a　stupid　person；　concealing　herself　behind　a　mass　of　trivialities　which　were　all　conventional；　but　he　thought　now　that　the　more　stupid　she　was　and　the　more　conventional　in　her　triviality　the　more　she　approached　to　being　the　very　ace　of　trumps　itself。　She　was　just　the　sort　of　a　card　that　would　come　upon　the　table　mid　the　neat　play　of　experts　and　by　some　inexplicable　arrangement　of　circumstance；　lose　a　whole　game　for　the　wrong　man。　After　Mrs。　Wainwright　he　worried　over　the　students。　　He　believed　them　to　be　reasonable　enough；　in　fact；　he　honoured　them　distinctly　in　regard　to　their　powers　of　reason；　but　he　knew　that　people　generally　hated　a　row。　It；　put　them　off　their　balance；　made　them　sweat　over　a　lot　of　pros　and　cons；　and　prevented　them　from　thinking　for　a　time　at　least　only　of　themselves。　　Then　they　came　to　resent　the　principals　in　a　row。　Of　course　the　principal；　who　was　thought　to　be　in　the　wrong；　was　the　most　rescnted；　but　Coleman　be…　lieved　that；　after　all；　people　always　came　to　resent　the　other　principal；　or　at　least　be　impatient　and　suspicious　　of　him。　If　he　was　a　correct　person；　why　was　he　in　a　row　at　all？　The　principal　who　had　been　in　the　right　often　brought　this　impatience　and　suspicion　upon　himself；　no　doubt；　by　never　letting　the　matter　end；　continuing　to　yawp　about　his　virtuous　suffering；　and　not　allowing　people　to　return　to　the　steady　　contemplation　of　their　own　affairs。　As　a　precautionary　measure　he　decided　to　say　nothing　at　all　about　the　late　trouble；　unless　some　one　addressed　him　upon　it。　Even　then　he　would　be　serenely　laconic。　He　felt　that　he　must　be　popular　with　the　seven　students。　In　the　first　place；　it　was　nice　that　in　the　presence　of　Marjory　they　should　like　him；　and　in　the　second　place　he　feared　to　displease　them　as　a　body　because　he　believed　that　he　had　some　dignity。　Hoodlums　are　seldom　dangerous　to　other　hoodlums；　but　if　they　catch　　pomposity　alone　in　the　field；　pomposity　is　their　prey。　They　tear　him　to　mere　bloody　ribbons；　amid　heartless　shrieks。　When　Coleman　put　himself　on　the　same　basis　with　the　students；　he　could　cope　with　them　easily；　but　he　did　not　want　the　wild　pack　after　him　when　Marjory　could　see　the　chase。　And　so　be　rea…　soned　that　his　best　attitude　was　to　be　one　of　rather　taciturn　serenity。

On　the　hard　military　road　the　hoofs　of　the　horses　made　such　clatter　that　it　was　practically　impossible　to　hold　talk　between　the　carriages　and　the　horsemen　without　all　parties　bellowing。　The　professor；　how…　ever；　strove　to　overcome　the　difficulties。　He　was　　apparently　undergoing　a　great　amiability　toward　　Coleman。　Frequently　he　turned　with　a　bright　face；　and　pointing　to　some　object　in　the　landscape；　obviously　tried　to　convey　something　entertaining　to　Coleman's　mind。　Coleman　could　see　his　lips　mouth　the　words。　He　always　nodded　cheerily　in　answer　and　yelled。

The　road　ultimately　became　that　straight　lance…handle　　which　Coleman…it　seemed　as　if　many　years　had　passed…had　traversed　with　his　dragoman　and　the　funny　little　carriers。　He　was　fixing　in　his　mind　a　possible　story　to　the　Wainwrights　about　the　snake　and　his　first　dead　Turk。　But　suddenly　the　carriages　left　this　road　and　began　a　circuit　of　the　Gulf　of　Arta；　winding　about　an　endless　series　of　promontories。　The　journey　developed　into　an　excess　of　dust　whirling　from　a　road；　which　half　circled　the　waist　of　cape　after　cape。　All　dramatics　were　lost　in　the　rumble　of　wheels　and　in　the　click　of　hoofs。　They　passed　a　little　soldier　leading　a　prisoner　by　a　string。　They　passed　more　frightened　peasants；　who　seemed　resolved　to　flee　down　into　the　very　boots　of　Greece。　And　people　looked　at　them　with　scowls；　envying　them　their　speed。　At　the　little　town　from　which　Coleman　embarked　at　one　stage　of　the　upward　journey；　they　found　crowds　in　the　streets。　There　was　no　longer　any　laughter；　any　confidence；　any　vim。　All　the　spirit　of　the　visible　Greek　nation　seemed　to　have　been　knocked　out　of　it　in　two　blows。　But　still　they　talked　and　never　ceased　talking。　Coleman　noticed　that　the　most　curious　changes　had　come　upon　them　since　his　journey　to　the　frontier。　They　no　longer　approved　of　foreigners。　They　seemed　to　blame　the　travellers　for　something　which　had　　transpired　in　the　past　few　days。　It　was　not　that　they　really　blamed　the　travellers　for　the　nation's　calamity：　It　was　simply　that　their　minds　were　half　stunned　by　the　news　of　defeats；　and；　not　thinking　for　a　moment　to　blame　themselves；　or　even　not　thinking　to　attribute　the　defeats　to　mere　numbers　and　skill；　they　were　　savagely　eager　to　fasten　it　upon　something　near　enough　at　hand　for　the　operation　of　vengeance。

Coleman　perceived　that　the　dragoman；　all　his　former　plumage　gone；　was　whining　and　snivelling　as　he　argued　to　a　dark…browed　crowd　that　was　running　beside　the　cavalcade。　The　groom；　who　always　had　been　a　　miraculously　laconic　man；　was　suddenly　launched　forth　　garrulously。　The；　drivers；　from　their　high　seats；　palavered　like　mad　men；　driving　with　oat　hand　and　gesturing　with　the　other；　ex