CHAPTERI
\"Neverheardasound,\"theyoungeroftheafternooncallersadmitted,gettingridofhisemptycupandleaningforwardinhislowchair。\"Nomoretea,thankyou,MissFairclough。Donesplendidly,thanks。No,Iwenttobedlastnightsoonaftereleven-theColonelhadbeenroutemarchingusalloffourlegs-andIneverawokeuntilreveillethismorning。Sleepofthejust,andallthatsortofthing,butajollysell,allthesame!
Youhearanythingofit,sir?\"heasked,turningtohiscompanion,whowasseatedafewfeetaway。
CaptainGriffithsshookhishead。Hewasamanconsiderablyolderthanhisquestioner,withlong,nervousface,andthickblackhairstreakedwithgrey。Hisfingerswerebony,hiscomplexion,forasoldier,curiouslysallow,andnotwithstandinghisheight,whichwasconsiderable,hewasawkward,attimesalmostuncouth。Hisvoicewashardandunsympathetic,andhiscontributionstothetea-tabletalkhadbeenalmostnegligible。
\"Iwasupuntiltwoo’clock,asithappened,\"hereplied,\"butI
knewnothingaboutthematteruntilitwasbroughttomynoticeofficially。\"
HelenFairclough,whowasdoingthehonoursforLadyCranston,herabsenthostess,assumedtheslightairofsuperioritytowhichthecircumstancesofthecaseentitledher。
\"Ihearditdistinctly,\"shedeclared;\"infactitwokemeup。I
hungoutofthewindow,andIcouldheartheenginejustasplainlyasthoughitwereoverthegolflinks。\"
Theyoungsubalternsighed。
\"RottenluckIhavewiththesethings,\"heconfided。\"That’sthreetimesthey’vebeenover,andI’veneitherheardnorseenone。Thistimetheysaythatithadthenarrowestshaveonearthofcomingdown。Ofcourse,you’veheardoftheobservationcarfoundonDutchman’sCommonthismorning?\"
Thegirlassented。
\"Didyouseeit?\"sheenquired。
\"Notachance,\"wasthegloomyreply。\"ItwasputontwocoveredtrucksandsentuptoLondonbythefirsttrain。CaptainGriffithscantellyouwhatitwaslike,Idaresay。Youweredownthere,weren’tyou,sir?\"
\"Isuperintendeditsremoval,\"thelatterinformedthem。\"Itwasaveryuninterestingaffair。\"
\"Anybombsinit?\"Helenasked。
\"Notasignofone。Justahardseat,twosetsoffield-glassesandatelephone。Itseemstohavegotcaughtinsometreesandbeendraggedoff。\"
\"Howexciting!\"thegirlmurmured。\"Isupposetherewasn’tanyoneinit?\"
Griffithsshookhishead。
\"Ibelieve,\"heexplained,\"thattheseobservationcars,althoughtheyareattachedtomostoftheZeppelins,areseldomusedinnightraids。\"
\"Ishouldliketohaveseenit,allthesame,\"Helenconfessed。
\"Youwouldhavebeendisappointed,\"herinformantassuredher。
\"By-the-by,\"headded,alittleawkwardly,\"areyounotexpectingLadyCranstonbackthisevening?\"
\"Iamexpectinghereverymoment。Thecarhasgonedowntothestationtomeether。\"
CaptainGriffithsappearedtoreceivethenewswithacertainundemonstrativesatisfaction。Heleanedbackinhischairwiththeairofonewhoiscontenttowait。
\"Haveyouheard,MissFairclough,\"hisyoungercompanionenquired,alittlediffidently,\"whetherLadyCranstonhadanyluckintown?\"
HelenFaircloughlookedaway。Therewasaslightmistbeforehereyes。
\"Ihadaletterthismorning,\"shereplied。\"Sheseemstohaveheardnothingatallencouragingsofar。\"
\"Andyouhaven’theardfromMajorFelsteadhimself,Isuppose?\"
Thegirlshookherhead。
\"Notaline,\"shesighed。\"It’stwomonthsnowsincewelasthadaletter。\"
\"Jollybadlucktogetnippedjustashewasdoingsowell,\"theyoungmanobservedsympathetically。
\"Itallseemsverycruel,\"Helenagreed。\"Hewasn’treallyfittogoback,buttheBoardpassedhimbecausetheyweresoshortofofficersandhekeptworryingthem。Hewassoafraidhe’dgetmovedtoanotherbattalion。ThenhewastakenprisonerinthathorriblePervaisaffair,andsenttotheworstcampinGermany。
Sincethen,ofcourse,PhilippaandIhavehadawretchedtime,worrying。\"
\"MajorFelsteadisLadyCranston’sonlybrother,ishenot?\"
Griffithsenquired。
\"Andmyonlyfianc=82,\"shereplied,withalittlegrimace。\"However,don’tletustalkaboutourtroublesanymore,\"shecontinued,withaneffortatalightertone。\"You’llfindsomecigarettesonthattable,Mr。Harrison。Ican’tthinkwhereNorais。Iexpectshehaspersuadedsomeonetotakeherouttrophy-huntingtoDutchrnan’sCommon。\"
\"Theroadallthewayislikeacircus,\"theyoungsoldierobserved,\"andthereisn’tathingtobeseenwhenyougetthere。Thenavalairmenwereallovertheplaceatdaybreak,andCaptainGriffithswasn’tfarbehindthem。Youdidn’tleavemuchforthesightseers,sir,\"heconcluded,turningtohisneighbour。
\"AsCommandantoftheplace,\"CaptainGriffithsreplied,\"InaturallyhadtohavetheCommonsearched。Withtheexceptionoftheobservationcar,however,IthinkthatIambetrayingnoconfidencesintellingyouthatwediscoverednothingofinterest。\"
\"DoyousupposethattheZeppelinwasindifficulties,asshewasflyingsolow?\"Helenenquired。
\"Itisaperfectlyreasonablehypothesis,\"theCommandantassented。
\"Twopatrolboatsweresentoutearlythismorning,insearchofher。
AnoldmanwhomIsawatWaburnedeclaresthatshepassedlikealong,blackcloud,justoverhishead,andthathewasalmostdeafenedbythenoiseoftheengines。Personally,Icannotbelievethattheywouldcomedownsolowunlessshewasinsometrouble。\"
Thedoorofthecomfortablelibraryinwhichtheywereseatedwassuddenlythrownopen。Anexceedinglyalert-lookingyounglady,verymuchbefreckled,andasyetunemancipatedfromthelongplaitsoftheschoolroom,cameinlikeawhirlwind。Inherhandshecarriedaman’sHomburghat,whichshewavedaloftintriumph。
\"Comein,Arthur,\"sheshoutedtoayoungsubalternwhowashoveringinthebackground。\"LookwhatI’vegot,Helen!Atrophy!
Justlook,Mr。HarrisonandCaptainGriffiths!Ifounditinabush,nottwentyyardsfromwheretheobservationcarcamedown。\"
Helenturnedthehataroundinamusedbewilderment。
\"But,mydearchild,\"sheexclaimed,\"thisisnothingbutanordinaryhat!PeoplewhotravelinZeppelinsdon’twearthingslikethat。Howdoyoudo,Mr。Somerfield?\"sheadded,smilingattheyoungmanwhohadfollowedNoraintotheroom。
\"Don’tthey!\"thelatterretorted,withanairofsuperiorknowledge。\"Justlookhere!\"
Sheturneddowntheliningandshowedittothem。\"Whatdoyoumakeofthat?\"sheaskedtriumphantly。
Helengazedatthegold-printedlettersalittleincredulously。
\"Readitout,\"Norainsisted。
Helenobeyed:
\"Schmidt,Berlin,UnterdenLinden,127。\"
\"ThatsoundsGerman,\"sheadmitted。
\"It’satrophy,allright,\"Noradeclared。\"Oneofthecrew-=20
probablytheCommander-musthavecomeonboardinahurryandchangedintouniformaftertheyhadstarted。\"
\"Itismypainfulduty,MissNora,\"Harrisonannouncedsolemnly,\"toinformyou,onbehalfofCaptainGriffiths,thatallarticlesofwhatsoeverdescription,foundinthevicinityofDutchman’sCommon,whichmightpossiblyhavebelongedtoanyoneintheZeppelin,mustbesentatoncetotheWarOffice。\"
\"Rubbish!\"Norascoffed。\"TheWarOfficearen’tgoingtohavemyhat。\"
\"Duty,\"theyoungmanbegan-
\"YoucangobacktotheDepotanddoyourduty,then,Mr。Harrison,\"
Norainterrupted,\"butyou’renotgoingtohavemyhat。I’dthrowitintothefiresoonerthangiveitup。\"
\"Militaryregulationsmustbeobeyed,MissNora,\"CaptainGriffithsventuredthoughtfully。
\"Nothingsoimportantashats,\"Harrisonputin。\"Youseetheyfit-somebody。\"
Thegirl’sgesturewasirreverentbutconvincing。\"I’dlistentoanythingCaptainGriffithshadtosay,\"shedeclared,\"butyouboyswhoarelearningtobesoldiersaresimplyeatenupwithconceit。
There’snothinginyourtextbookabouthats。Ifyou’regoingtomakeyourselvesdisagreeableaboutthis,Ishallsimplyignoretheregiment。\"
Thetwoyoungmenfellintoattitudesofmockdismay。Noratookachocolatefromabox。
\"Bemerciful,MissNora!\"Harrisonpleadedtearfully。
\"Don’tbreaktheregimentupaltogether,\"Somerfieldbegged,withalittlecatchinhisvoice。
\"Allverywellforyoutwotobefunny,\"Norawenton,revisitingthechocolatebox,\"butyou’veheardabouttheSeaforthscorning,haven’tyou?Iadorekilts,andsodoesHelen;don’tyou,Helen?\"
\"Everywomandoes,\"Helenadmitted,smiling。\"Isupposethechildreallycankeepthehat,can’tshe?\"sheadded,turningtotheCommandant。
\"Officiallythematterisoutsidemycognizance,\"hedeclared。\"I
shallhavenothingtosay。\"
Thetwoyoungmenexchangedglances。
\"Ahat,\"Somerfieldruminated,\"especiallyaHomburghat,isscarcelyanappurtenanceofwarfare。\"
Hisbrotherofficerstoodforamomentlookinggravelyattheobjectinquestion。ThenhewinkedatSomerfieldandsighed。
\"Ishalltakethewholeresponsibility,\"hedecidedmagnanimously,\"ofsayingnothingaboutthematter。Wecan’taffordtoquarrelwithMissNora,canwe,Somerfield?\"
\"Notonyourlife,\"thatyoungmanagreed。
\"Sensibleboys!\"Norapronouncedgraciously。
\"Thankyouverymuch,CaptainGriffiths,fornotencouragingthemintheirfolly。Youcantakemeasfarasthepost-officewhenyougo,Arthur,\"shecontinued,turningtothefortunatepossessoroftheside-car,\"andwe’llhavesomegolfto-morrowafternoon,ifyoulike。\"
\"Won’tMr。Somerfieldhavesometea?\"Heleninvited。
\"Thankyouverymuch,MissFairclough,\"themanreplied;\"wehadteasometimeagoatWatson’s,whereIfoundMissNora。\"
Norasuddenlyheldupherfinger。\"Isn’tthatthecar?\"sheasked。
\"Why,itmustbemummy,herealready。Yes,Icanhearhervoice!\"
Griffiths,whohadmovedeagerlytowardsthewindow,lookedback。
\"ItisLadyCranston,\"heannouncedsolemnly。
CHAPTERII
Thewomanwhopausedforamomentuponthethresholdofthelibrary,lookinginuponthelittlecompany,wasundeniablybeautiful。Shehadmassesofred-goldhair,alittledisorderedbyherlongrailwayjourney,deep-sethazeleyes,adelicate,almostporcelain-likecomplexion,andasensitive,delightfullyshapedmouth。Herfigurewassmallanddainty,andjustatthatmomentshehadanappearanceofhelplessnesswhichwasalmostchildlike。Nora,afteravigorousembrace,ledherstepmothertowardsachair。
\"Comeandsitbythefire,Mummy,\"shebegged。\"Youlooktiredandcold。\"
Philippaexchangedageneralsalutationwithherguests。Shewasstillwearinghertravellingcoat,andherairoffatiguewasunmistakable。Griffiths,whohadnottakenhiseyesoffhersinceherentrance,wheeledaneasy-chairtowardsthehearth-rug,intowhichshesankwithamurmuredwordofthanks。
\"You’llhavesometea,won’tyou,dear?\"Helenenquired。
Philippashookherhead。Hereyesmetherfriend’sforamoment-itwasonlyaverybriefglance,butthetragedyofsomemutualsorrowseemedcuriouslyrevealedinthatunspokenquestionandanswer。Thetwoyoungsubalternspreparedtotaketheirleave。
Nora,kneelingdown,strokedherstepmother’shand。
\"Nonewsatall,then?\"Helenfaltered。
\"None,\"wasthewearyreply。
\"Anyamountofnewshere,Mummy,\"Noraintervenedcheerfully,\"andheapsofexcitement。WehadaZeppelinoverDutchman’sCommonlastnight,andshelostherobservationcar。Mr。Somerfieldtookmeuptherethisafternoon,andIfoundaGermanhat。Nooneelsegotathing,and,wouldyoubelieveit,thosechildrenovertheretriedtotakeitawayfromme。\"
Herstepmothersmiledfaintly。
\"Iexpectyouarekeepingthehat,dear,\"sheobserved。
\"Ishouldsayso!\"Noraassented。
Philippaheldoutherhandtothetwoyoungmenwhohadbeenwaitingtotaketheirleave。
\"Youmustcomeanddineonenightthisweek,bothofyou,\"shesaid。
\"Myhusbandwillbehomebythelatertrainthisevening,andI’msurehewillbegladtohaveyou。\"
\"Verykindofyou,LadyCranston,weshallbedelighted,\"Harrisondeclared。
\"Rather!\"hiscompanionechoed。
Noraledthemaway,andHelen,withawordofexcuse,followedthem。
Griffiths,whohadalsorisentohisfeet,camealittlenearertoPhilippa’schair。
\"Andyou,too,ofcourse,CaptainGriffiths,\"shesaid,smilingpleasantlyupathim。\"Mustyouhurryaway?\"
\"Iwillstay,ifImay,untilMissFaircloughreturns,\"heanswered,resuminghisseat。
\"Do!\"Philippabeggedhim。\"Ihavehadsuchamiserabletimeintown。Youcan’tthinkhowrestfulitistobebackhere。\"
\"Iamafraid,\"heobserved,\"thatyourjourneyhasnotbeensuccessful。\"
Philippashookherhead。
\"Ithasbeencompletelyunsuccessful,\"shesighed。\"Ihavenotbeenabletohearawordaboutmybrother。IamsosorryforpoorHelen,too。Theywereonlyengaged,youknow,afewdaysbeforeheleftforthefrontthislasttime。\"
CaptainGriffithsnoddedsympathetically。
\"InevermetMajorFelstead,\"heremarked,\"buteveryonewhohasseemstolikehimverymuch。Hewasdoingsowell,too,uptothatlastunfortunateaffair,wasn’the?\"
\"Dickisadear,\"Philippadeclared。\"Ineverknewanyonewithsomanyfriends。Hewouldhavebeencommandinghisbattalionnow,ifonlyhewerefree。Hiscolonelwroteandtoldmesohimself。\"
\"IwishthereweresomethingIcoulddo,\"Griffithsmurmured,alittleawkwardly。\"Ithurtsme,LadyCranston,toseeyousoupset。\"
Shelookedathimforamomentinfaintsurprise。
\"Nobodycandoanything,\"shebemoaned。\"Thatistheunfortunatepartofitall。\"
Herosetohisfeetandwasimmediatelyconscious,ashealwayswaswhenhestoodup,thattherewasafootortwoofhisfigurewhichhehadnoideawhattodowith。
\"Youwouldn’tfeellikearideto-morrowmorning,LadyCranston?\"heasked,withawistfulnesswhichseemedsomehowstifledinhisratherunpleasantvoice。Sheshookherhead。
\"Perhapsonemorninglater,\"shereplied,alittlevaguely。\"I
haven’tanyheartforanythingjustnow。\"
Hetookasombrebutagitatedleaveofhishostess,andwentoutintothetwilight,cursinghislackofease,rememberingthethingswhichhehadmeanttosay,andhatinghimselfforhavingforgottenthem。Philippa,towhomhisdeparturehadbeen,asitalwayswas,arelief,wasalreadyleaningforwardinherchairwithherarmaroundHelen’sneck。
\"Ithoughtthatextraordinarymanwouldnevergo,\"sheexclaimed,\"andIwaslongingtosendforyou,Helen。Londonhasbeensuchadrearychapterofdisappointments。\"
\"Whatasickeningtimeyoumusthavehad,dear!\"
\"Itwashorrid,\"Philippaassentedsadly,\"butyouknowHenryisnouseatall,andIshouldhavefeltmiserableunlessIhadgone。
IhavebeentoeveryfriendattheWarOffice,andeveryfriendwhohasfriendsthere。Ihavemadeeverysortofenquiry,andI
knowjustasmuchnowasIdidwhenIlefthere-thatRichardwasaprisoneratWittenbergthelasttimetheyheard,andthattheyhavereceivednonotificationwhateverconcerninghimforthelasttwomonths。
Helenglancedatthecalendar。
\"Itisjusttwomonthsto-day,\"shesaidmournfully,\"sinceweheard。\"
\"Andthen,\"Philippasighed,\"hehadn’treceivedasingleoneofourparcels。\"
Helenrosesuddenlytoherfeet。Shewasatall,fairgirlofthebestSaxontype,slimbutnotintheleastangular,witheverypromise,indeed,ofafullerandmoregraciousdevelopmentintheyearstocome。Shewasbarelytwenty-twoyearsold,and,asiscommonwithgirlsofhercomplexion,seemedyounger。Herbright,intelligentfacewas,aboveall,good-humoured。Justatthatmoment,however,therewasaflushofpassionateangerinhercheeks。
\"Itmakesmefeelalmostbesidemyself,\"sheexclaimed,\"thishideousincapacityfordoinganything!Herewearelivinginluxury,withoutasingleprivation,whilstDick,thedearestthingonearthtobothofus,isbeingstarvedandgoadedtodeathinafoulGermanprison!\"
\"Wemustn’tbelievethatit’squitesobadasthat,dear,\"Philipparemonstrated。\"Whatisit,Mills?\"
Theelderlyman-servantwhohadenteredwithatrayinhisband,bowedashearrangedituponasidetable。
\"Ihavetakenthelibertyofbringinginalittlefreshtea,yourladyship,\"heannounced,\"andsomehotbutteredtoast。Cookhassentsomeofthesandwiches,too,whichyourladyshipgenerallyfancies。\"
\"Itisverykindofyou,Mills,\"Philippasaid,withratherawanlittlesmile。\"IhadsometeaatSouthLynn,butitwasverybad。
Youmighttakemycoat,please。\"
Shestoodup,andtheheavyfurcoatslippedeasilyawayfromherslim,elegantlittlebody。
\"ShallIlightup,yourladyship?\"Millsenquired。
\"Youmightlightalamp,\"Philippadirected,\"butdon’tdrawtheblindsuntillighting-uptime。AfterthenoiseofLondon,\"shewenton,turningtoHelen,\"Ialwaysthinkthatthefaintsoundoftheseaissorestful。\"
Themanmovednoiselesslyabouttheroomandreturnedoncemoretohismistress。
\"Weshouldbegladtohear,yourladyship,\"hesaid,\"ifthereisanynewsofMajorFelstead?\"Philippashookherhead。
\"Noneatall,Iamsorrytosay,Mills!Still,wemusthopeforthebest。Idaresaythatsomeofthesecampsarenotsobadasweimagine。\"
\"Wemusthopenot,yourladyship,\"wasthesomewhatdismalreply。
\"ShallIfastenthewindows?\"
\"Youcanleavethemuntilyoudrawtheblinds,Mills,\"Philippadirected。\"Iamnotathome,ifanyoneshouldcall。Seethatweareundisturbedforalittletime。\"
\"Verygood,yourladyship。\"
Thedoorwasclosed,andthetwowomenwereoncemorealone。
Philippaheldoutherarms。
\"Helen,darling,comeandbenicetome,\"shebegged。\"Letusbothpretendthatnonewsisgoodnews。Oh,Iknowwhatyouaresuffering,butrememberthatevenifDickisyourlover,heismydear,onlybrother-mytwinbrother,too。Wehavebeensomuchtoeachotherallourlives。He’llstickitout,dear,ifanyhumanbeingcan。Weshallhavehimbackwithussomeday。\"
\"Butheishungry,\"Helensobbed。\"Ican’tbeartothinkofhisbeinghungry。EverytimeIsitdowntoeat,italmostchokesme。\"
\"Isupposehehasforgottenwhatawhiskyandsodaislike,\"
Philippamurmured,withalittlecatchinherownthroat。
\"Healwaysusedtoloveoneaboutthistime,\"Helenfaltered,glancingattheclock。
\"Andcigarettes!\"Philippaexclaimed。\"Iwonderwhethertheygivehimanythingtosmoke。\"
\"NastyGermantobacco,iftheydo,\"Helenrejoinedindignantly。
\"AndtothinkthatIhavesenthimatleastsixhundredofhisfavouriteEgyptians!\"
Shefelloncemoreonherkneesbyherfriend’sside。Theirarmswereintertwined,theircheekstouching。Oneofthosestrange,femininesilencesofacutesympathyseemedtoholdthemforawhileunderitsthrall。Then,almostatthesamemoment,aqueerawakeningcameforbothofthem。Helen’sarmwasstiffened。
Philippaturnedherhead,buthereyeswerefilledwithincredulousfear。Alittlecurrentofcoolairwasblowingthroughtheroom。
TheFrenchwindowsstoodhalfopen,andwithhisbacktothem,amanwhohadapparentlyenteredtheroomfromthegardensandpassednoiselesslyacrossthesoftcarpet,wasstandingbythedoor,listening。Theyheardhimturnthekey。Then,inabusinesslikemanner,hereturnedtothewindowsandclosedthem,theeyesofthetwowomenfollowinghimallthetime。Satisfied。apparently,withhisprecautions,heturnedtowardsthemjustasanexpressionofindignantenquirybrokefromPhilippa’slips。Helensprangtoherfeet,andPhilippagrippedthesidesofherchair。Thenewcomeradvancedafewstepsnearertothem。
CHAPTERIII
Itseemedtothetwowomen,briefthoughtheperiodofactualsilencewas,thatinthosefewsecondstheyjointlyconceiveddefiniteandlastingimpressionsofthemanwhowastobecome,duringthenextfewweeks,anobjectofthedeepestconcerntobothofthem。Theintruderwasslightlybuilt,oflittlemorethanmediumheight,ofdarkcomplexion,withanalmostimperceptiblemoustacheofmilitarypattern,blackhairdishevelledwiththewind,andeyesofalmostpeculiarbrightness。Hecarriedhimselfwithanassurancewhichwassomewhatremarkableconsideringtheconditionofhistornandmudstainedclothes,theveryqualityofwhichwasalmostundistinguishable。Theyboth,curiouslyenough,formedthesameinstinctiveconvictionthat,notwithstandinghistramplikeappearanceandhisburglariousentrance,thiswasnotapersontobegreatlyfeared。
ThestrangerbrushedasidePhilippa’sincoherentexclamationandopenedtheconversationwithsomeceremony。
\"Ladies,\"hebegan,withalowbow,\"inthefirstplaceletmeoffermymostprofoundapologiesforthisunusualformofentrancetoyourhouse。\"
Philipparosefromhereasy-chairandconfrontedhim。Thefirelightplayeduponherred-goldhair,andsurprisehaddriventhewearinessfromherface。Againsttheblackoakofthechimneypieceshehadalmosttheappearanceofaframedcameo。Hervoicewasquitesteady,althoughitsinflectionbetrayedsomeindignation。
\"Willyoukindlyexplainwhoyouareandwhatyoumeanbythisextraordinarybehaviour?\"shedemanded。
\"Itismyearnestintentiontodosowithoutdelay,\"heassuredher,hiseyesapparentlyrivetteduponPhilippa。\"Kindlypardonme。\"
HeheldouthisarmtostopHelen,who,withhereyeuponthebell,hadmadeastealthyattempttoslippasthim。Hereyesflashedasshefelthisfingersuponherarm。
\"Howdareyouattempttostopme!\"sheexclaimed。
\"MydearMissFairclough,\"heremonstrated,\"intheinterestsofallofus,itisbetterthatweshouldhaveafewmomentsofundisturbedconversation。IamtakingitforgrantedthatIhavethepleasureofaddressingMissFairclough?\"
Therewassomethingabouttheman’seasyconfidencewhichwas,initsway,impressiveyetirritating。Helenappearedbereftofwordsandretreatedtoherplacealmostmildly。Philippa’sverydelicateeyebrowsweredrawntogetherinaslightfrown。
\"Youareacquaintedwithournames,then?\"
\"Perfectly,\"wasthesuavereply。\"You,Ipresume,areLadyCranston?
Imaybepermittedtoadd,\"hewenton,lookingathersteadfastly,\"thatthedescriptionfromwhichIrecogniseyoudoesyoulessthanjustice。\"
\"Ifindthatremark,underthecircumstances,impertinent,\"Philippatoldhimcoldly。
Heshruggedhisshoulders。Therewasaslightsmileuponhislipsandhiseyestwinkled。
\"Alas!\"hemurmured,\"forthemomentIforgotthesomewhatunusualcircumstancesofourmeeting。PermitmetoofferyouwhatItrustyouwillacceptastheequivalentofaletterofintroduction。\"
\"Aletterofintroduction,\"Philipparepeated,glancingathisdisorderedclothes,\"andyoucomeinthroughthewindow!\"
\"Believeme,\"theintruderassuredher,\"itwastheonlyway。\"
\"Perhapsyouwilltellme,then,\"Philippademanded,herangergraduallygivingwaytobewilderment,\"whatiswrongwithmyfrontdoor?\"
\"ForallIknow,dearlady,\"thenewcomerconfessed,\"yoursmaybeanexcellentfrontdoor。Iwouldaskyou,however,toconsidermyappearanceIhavebeenobligedtoconcludethelastfewmilesofmyjourneyinsomewhatignominiousfashion。Myclothes-theywerequiteniceclothes,too,whenIstarted,\"headded,lookingdownathimselfruefully-\"havesuffered。And,asyouperceive,Ihavelostmyhat。\"
\"Yourhat?\"Helenexclaimed,withasuddenglanceatNora’strophy。
\"Precisely!Imighthaveposedbeforeyourbutler,perhaps,asbelongingtowhatyoucallthehatlessbrigade,butthemuduponmyclothes,andtheseunfortunaterentsinmygarments,wouldhavenecessitatedanexplanationwhichIthoughtbetteravoided。Imakemyselfquiteclear,Itrust?\"
\"Clear?\"Philippamurmuredhelplessly。
\"Clear?\"Helenechoed,withapuzzledfrown。
\"Imean,ofcourse,\"theirvisitorexplained,\"sofarasregardsmychoosingthissomewhatsurreptitiousformofentranceintoyourhouse。\"
Philippashruggedhershouldersandmadeadeterminedmovetowardsthebell。Theintruder,however,barredherway。Shelookedupintohisfaceandfounditdifficulttomaintainherindignation。
Hisexpression,besidesbeingdistinctlypleasant,wasfullofarespectfuladmiration。
\"Willyoupleaseletmepass?\"sheinsisted。
\"Madam,\"hereplied,\"Iamafraidthatitisyourintentiontoringthebell。\"
\"Ofcourseitis,\"sheadmitted。\"Don’tdaretopreventme。\"
\"Madam,Idonotwishtopreventyou,\"heassuredher。\"Afewmoments’delay-thatisallIpleadfor。\"
\"Willyouexplainatonce,sir,\"Philippademanded,\"whatyoumeanbyforcingyourwayintomyhouseinthisextraordinaryfashion,andbylockingthatdoor?\"
\"Iammostanxioustodoso,\"wasthepromptreply。\"Iamcorrect,ofcourse,inmyfirstsurmisethatyouareLadyCranston-andyouMissFairclough?\"headded,bowingceremoniouslytobothofthem。
\"Averygreatpleasure!Irecognisedyoubothquiteeasily,yousee,fromyourdescriptions。\"
\"Fromourdescriptions?\"Philipparepeated。
Thenewcomerbowed。
\"Thedescriptions,glowing,indeed,butbynomeansexaggerated,ofyourbrotherRichard,LadyCranston,andyourfianc=82,MissFairclough。\"
\"Richard?\"Philippaalmostshrieked。
\"YouhaveseenDick?\"Helengasped。
Theintruderdivedinhispocketsandproducedtwosealedenvelopes。
HehandedoneeachsimultaneouslytoHelenandtoPhilippa。
\"Mylettersofintroduction,\"heexplained,withalittlesighofrelief。\"Itrustthatduringtheirperusalyouwillinvitemetohavesometea。Iamalmoststarving。\"
Thetwowomenhastenedtowardsthelamp。
\"Onemoment,Ibeg,\"theirvisitorinterposed。\"Ihaveestablished,Itrust,mycredentials。MayIremindyouthatIwascompelledtoensurethesafetyofthesefewminutes’conversationwithyou,bylockingthatdoor。Areyoulikelytobedisturbed?\"
\"No,no!Nochanceatall,\"Philippaassuredhim。
\"Ifweare,we’llexplain,\"Helenpromised。
\"Inthatcase,\"theintruderbegged,\"perhapsyouwillexcuseme。\"
Hemovedtowardsthedoorandsoftlyturnedthekey,thenhedrewthecurtainscarefullyacrosstheFrenchwindows。Afterwardshemadehiswaytowardsthetea-table。AlittlethrobbingcryhadbrokenfromHelen’slips。
\"Philippa,\"sheexclaimed,\"it’sfromDick!It’sDick’shandwriting!\"
Philippa’sreplywasincoherent。Shewastearingopenherownenvelope。Withawell-satisfiedsmile,thebearerofthesecommunicationsseizedasandwichinonehandandpouredhimselfoutsometeawiththeother。Heateanddrankwiththerestraintofgood-breeding,butwithavoracitywhichgavepointtohispleaofstarvation。Afewyardsaway,thebreathlesssilencebetweenthetwowomenhadgivenplacetoanalmosthystericalseriesofdisjointedexclamations。
\"It’sfromDick!\"Helenrepeated。\"It’shisowndearhandwriting。
Howshakyitis!He’saliveandwell,Philippa,andhe’sfoundafriend。\"
\"Iknow-Iknow,\"Philippamurmuredtremulously。\"Ourparcelshavebeendiscovered,andhegotthemallatonce。Justfancy,Helen,he’sreallynotsoill,afterall!\"
Theydrewalittleclosertogether。
\"Youreadyoursoutfirst,\"Helenproposed,\"andthenI’llreadmine。\"
Philippanodded。Hervoicehereandtherewasalittleuncertain。
MYDEARESTSISTER,IhaveheardnothingfromyouorHelenforsolongthatIwasreallygettingdesperate。Ihavehadaveryroughtimehere,butbythegraceofProvidenceIstumbledupagainstanoldfriendtheotherday,BertramMaderstrom,whomyoumusthaveheardmespeakofinmycollegedays。Itisn’ttoomuchtosaythathehassavedmylife。Hehasunearthedyourparcels,foundmedecentquarters,andIamgettingdoublerations。Hehaspromised,too,togetthisletterthroughtoyou。=20
Youneedn’tworryaboutmenow,dear。IamfeelingtwicethemanIwasamonthago,andIshallstickitoutnowquiteeasily。
Writemeasoftenaseveryoucan。YourlettersandHelen’smakeallthedifference。
MylovetoyouandtoHenry。
Youraffectionatebrother,RICHARD。
P。S。IsHenryanAdmiralyet?IsupposehewasintheJutlandscrap,whichtheyalltellusherewasagreatGermanvictory。I
hopehecameoutallright。
Philippareadthepostscriptwithalittleshiver。Thenshesetherteethasthoughdeterminedtoignoreit。
\"Isn’titwonderful!\"sheexclaimed,turningtowardsHelenwithglowingeyes。=20\"Nowyours,dear?\"
Helen’svoicetrembledassheread。Hereyes,too,attimesweremisty:
DEAREST,IamwritingtoyousodifferentlybecauseIfeelthatyouwillreallygetthisletter。Ihavebadanastonishingstrokeofluck,asyouwillgatherfromPhilippa’snote。Youcan’timaginethedifference。AmonthagoIreallythoughtIshouldhavetochuckitin。NowIamputtingonflesheverydayandbeginningtofeelmyselfagain。IowemylifetoapalwithwhomIwasatcollege,andwhomyouandI,dearest,willhavetorememberallourlives。
Ithinkofyoualways,andmythoughtsareliketheflowersofwhichweseenothinginthesehideoushuts。Mygreatestjoyisindreamingofthedaywhenweshallmeetagain。
Writetomeoften,sweetheart。Yourlettersandmythoughtsofyouaretheonejoyofmylife。
Alwaysyourlover,DICK。
Therewereafewmomentsofsignificantsilence。Thegirlswereleaningtogether,theirarmsaroundoneanother’snecks,theirheadsalmosttouching。Behindthem,theirvisitorcontinuedtoeatanddrink。Heroseatlast,however,reluctantlytohisfeet,andcoughed。Theystarted,suddenlyrememberinghispresence。Philippaturnedimpulsivelytowardshimwithoutstretchedhands。
\"Ican’ttellyouhowthankfulwearetoyou,\"shedeclared。
\"Bothofus,\"Helenechoed。
Hetouchedwithhisfingersaboxofcigaretteswhichstooduponthetea-table。
\"Youpermit?\"heasked。
\"Ofcourse,\"Philippaassentedeagerly。\"Youwillfindsomematchesonthetraythere。Dopleasehelpyourself。IamafraidthatI
musthaveseemedverydiscourteous,butthishasallbeensoamazing。
Won’tyouhavesomefreshteaandsometoast,orwouldn’tyoulikesomemoresandwiches?\"
\"Nothingmoreatpresent,thankyou,\"hereplied。\"Ifyoudonotmind,Iwouldrathercontinueourconversation。\"
\"Theselettersarewonderful,\"Philippatoldhimgratefully。\"Youknowfromwhomtheycome,ofcourse。Dickismytwinbrother,anduntilthewarwehadscarcelyeverbeenparted。MissFaircloughhereisengagedtobemarriedtohim。Itisquitetwomonthssincewehadaline,andImyselfhavebeeninLondonforthelastthreedays,threeverywearydays,makingenquirieseverywhere。\"
\"Iamveryhappy,\"hesaid,\"tohavebroughtyousuchgoodnews。\"
Oncemorethenormalaspectofthesituationbegantoreimposeitselfuponthetwowomen。Theyrememberedthelockeddoor,thesecrecyoftheirvisitor’sentrance,andhisdisorderedcondition。
\"MayIasktowhomweareindebtedforthisgreatservice?\"Philippaenquired。
\"MynameforthepresentisHamarLessingham,\"wasthesuavereply。
\"Forthepresent?\"Philipparepeated。\"Youhaveperhaps,someexplanationstomake,\"shewenton,withsomehesitation;\"theconditionofyourclothes,yoursomewhatcuriousformofentrance?\"
\"Withyourpermission。\"
\"Onemoment,\"Helenintervenedeagerly。\"Isitpossible,Mr-=20
Lessingham,thatyouhaveseenMajorFelsteadlately?\"
\"Amatteroffifty-sixhoursago,MissFairclough。Iamhappytotellyouthatbewaslooking,underthecircumstances,quitereasonablywell。\"
Helencaughtupaphotographfromthetablebyherside,andcameovertotheirvisitor’sside。
\"Thiswastakenjustbeforebewentoutthefirsttime,\"shecontinued。\"Isheanythinglikethatnow?\"
Mr。HamarLessinghamsighedandshookhishead。
\"Youmustexpect,\"hewarnedher,\"thatprisonandhospitalhavehadtheireffectuponhim。Hewasgainingstrengtheveryday,however,whenIleft。\"
Philippaheldoutherhand。Shehadbeenlookingcuriouslyattheirvisitor。
\"Helen,dear,afterwardswewillgetMr。LessinghamtotalktousaboutDick,\"sheinsisted。\"FirsttherearesomequestionswhichImustask。\"
Hebowedslightlyanddrewhimselfup。Foramomentitseemedasthoughtheywereenteringuponaduel-theslight,beautifulwomanandthemaninrags。
\"Justnow,\"shebegan,\"youtoldusthatyousawMajorFelstead,mybrother,fifty-sixhoursago。\"
\"Thatisso,\"heassented。
\"Butitisimpossible!\"shepointedout。\"MybrotherisaprisonerofwarinGermany。\"
\"Precisely,\"hereplied,\"andnot,Iamafraid,underthehappiestconditions,hehasbeenunfortunateinhiscamp。Letustalkabouthim,shallwe?\"
\"Areyoumad,\"Helendemanded,\"orareyoutryingtoconfuseus?\"
\"Mydearyounglady!\"heprotested。\"Whysupposesuchathing?I
wasflatteringmyselfthatmyconversationanddeportmentwere,underthecircumstances,perfectlyrational。\"
\"Butyouaretalkingnonsense,\"Philippainsisted。\"YousaythatyousawMajorFelsteadfifty-sixhoursago。Youcannotmeanustobelievethatfifty-sixhoursagoyouwereatWittenberg。\"
\"ThatispreciselywhatIhavebeentryingtotellyou,\"heagreed。
\"Butitisn’tpossible!\"Helengasped。
\"Quite,Iassureyou,\"hecontinued;\"infact,weshouldhavebeenherebeforebutforalittleuncertaintyastoyourarmamentsalongthecoast。Therewasagun,weweretold,somewherenearhere,whichwewerecrediblyinformedhadoncebeenfiredwithouttheslightestaccident。\"
Philippa’seyesseemedtogrowlargerandrounder。
\"He’sraving!\"shedecided。
\"Heisn’t!\"Helencried,withsuddendivination。\"Isthatyourhat?\"
sheasked,pointingtothetablewhereNorahadlefthertrophy。
\"Itis,\"headmittedwithasmile,\"butIdonotthinkthatIwillclaimit。\"
\"YouwereintheobservationcarofthatZeppelin!\"
Lessinghamextendedhishand。
\"Softly,please,\"hebegged。\"Youhave,Igather,arrivedatthetruth,butforthemomentshallitbeoursecret?Imadeanexceedinglyuncomfortable,nottosayundignifieddescentfromtheZeppelinwhichpassedoverDutchman’sCommonlastnight。\"
\"Then,\"Philippacried,\"youareaGerman!\"
\"Mydearlady,Ihaveescapedthatmisfortune,\"Lessinghamconfessed。\"DoyouthinkthatnoneotherthanGermansrideinZeppelins?\"
CHAPTERIV
Anewtensenessseemedtohavecreptintothesituation。Theconversation,neverwithoutitsemotionaltendencies,atoncechangeditscharacter。Philippa,coldandreserved,withathreatlurkingallthetimeinhertoneandmanner,becameitsguidingspirit。
\"Wemayenquireyourname?\"sheasked。
\"IamtheBaronMaderstrom,\"wasthepromptreply。\"Forthepurposeofmybriefresidenceinthiscountry,however,IfancythatthenameofMr。HamarLessinghammightprovokelesscomment。\"
\"Maderstrom,\"Philipparepeated。\"YouwereatMagdalenwithmybrother。\"
\"Forthreeterms,\"heassented。
\"YouhavevisitedatWoodNorton。Itwasonlyanaccident,then,thatIdidnotmeetyou。\"
\"Itistrue,\"heanswered,withabow。\"Ireceivedthemostcharminghospitalitytherefromyourfatherandmother。\"
\"Why,youarethefriend,\"Helenexclaimed,suddenlyseizinghishands,\"ofwhomDickspeaksinhisletter!\"
\"IthasbeenmygreatprivilegetohavebeenofservicetoMajorFelstead,\"wasthegraveadmission。\"HeandI,duringourcollegedays,weremorethanordinarilyintimate。Isawhisnameinoneofthelistsofprisoners,andIwentatoncetoWittenberg。\"
AfreshfloodofquestionswasuponHelen’slips,butPhilippabrushedheraway。
\"Pleaseletmespeak,\"shesaid。\"YouhavebroughtustheselettersfromRichard,forwhichweofferyouourheartfeltthanks,butyoudidnotriskyourliberty,perhapsyourlife,tocomeheresimplyashisambassador。Thereissomethingbeyondthisinyourvisittothiscountry。YoumaybeaSwede,butisitnottruethatatthepresentmomentyouareintheserviceofanenemy?\"
Lessinghambowedacquiescence。
\"Youareentirelyright,\"hemurmured。
\"AmIalsorightinconcludingthatyouhavesomeservicetoaskofus?\"
\"Yourdirectness,dearlady,movesmetoadmiration,\"Lessinghamassuredher。\"IamheretoaskatriflingfavourinreturnforthosewhichIhaverenderedandthosewhichImayyetrendertoyourbrother。\"
\"Andthatfavour?\"
Theirvisitorlookeddownathistornattire。
\"Asuitofyourbrother’sclothes,\"hereplied,\"andaroominwhichtochange。ThedisposaloftheseragsImayleave,Ipresume,toyouringenuity。\"
\"Anythingelse?\"
\"Itismywish,\"hecontinued,\"toremaininthisneighbourhoodforashort:time-perhapsafortnightandperhapsamonth。Ishouldvalueyourintroductiontothehotelhere,andtheextensionofsuchhospitalityasmayseemfittingtoyou,underthecircumstances。\"
\"AsMr。HamarLessingham?\"=20
\"Beyondadoubt。\"
Therewasamoment’ssilence。Philippa’sfacehadbecomealmoststony。Shetookasteptowardsthetelephone。Lessingham,however,heldouthishand。
\"Yourpurpose?\"heenquired。
\"IamgoingtoringuptheCommandanthere,\"shetoldhim,\"andexplainyourpresenceinthishouse。\"
\"Anheroicimpulse,\"heobserved,\"buttooimpulsive。\"
\"Weshallsee,\"sheretorted。\"Willyouletmepass?
Hisfingersrestrainedherasgentlyaspossible。
\"Letmemakeareasonableappealtobothofyou,\"hesuggested。