第5章

’Comehereaminute，oldman。I’mintrouble’——’Heavensendhe’lllistentome！’TherewassomethingverylikeanoathfromBessie’slips。ShewasafraidofDick，anddisappeareddownthestaircaseinpanic，butitseemedanagebeforeTorpenhowenteredthestudio。Hewenttothemantelpiece，buriedhisheadonhisarms，andgroanedlikeawoundedbull。

’Whatthedevilrighthaveyoutointerfere？’hesaid，atlast。

’Who’sinterferingwithwhich？Yourownsensetoldyoulongagoyoucouldn’tbesuchafool。Itwasatoughrack，St。Anthony，butyou’reallrightnow。’

’Ioughtn’ttohaveseenhermovingabouttheseroomsasiftheybelongedtoher。That’swhatupsetme。Itgivesalonelymanasortofhankering，doesn’tit？’saidTorpenhow，piteously。

’Nowyoutalksense。Itdoes。But，sinceyouaren’tinaconditiontodiscussthedisadvantagesofdoublehousekeeping，doyouknowwhatyou’regoingtodo？’

’Idon’t。IwishIdid。’

’You’regoingawayforaseasononabrillianttourtoregaintone。You’regoingtoBrighton，orScarborough，orPrawlePoint，toseetheshipsgoby。Andyou’regoingatonce。Isn’titodd？I’lltakecareofBinkie，butoutyougoimmediately。Neverresistthedevil。Heholdsthebank。Flyfromhim。Packyourthingsandgo。’

’Ibelieveyou’reright。WhereshallIgo？’

’Andyoucallyourselfaspecialcorrespondent！Packfirstandinquireafterwards。’

AnhourlaterTorpenhowwasdespatchedintothenightforahansom。

’You’llprobablythinkofsomeplacetogotowhileyou’removing，’saidDick。’OntoEuston，tobeginwith，and——ohyes——getdrunkto—night。’

Hereturnedtothestudio，andlightedmorecandles，forhefoundtheroomverydark。

’Oh，youJezebel！youfutilelittleJezebel！Won’tyouhatemeto—morrow！——Binkie，comehere。’

Binkieturnedoveronhisbackonthehearth—rug，andDickstirredhimwithameditativefoot。

’Isaidshewasnotimmoral。Iwaswrong。Shesaidshecouldcook。Thatshowedpremeditatedsin。Oh，Binkie，ifyouareamanyouwillgotoperdition；butifyouareawoman，andsaythatyoucancook，youwillgotoamuchworseplace。’？

CHAPTERX

What’syouthatfollowsatmyside？——

Thefoethatyemustfight，mylord。——

ThathirplesswiftasIcanride？——

Theshadowofthenight，mylord。——

Thenwheelmyhorseagainstthefoe！——

He’sdownandoverpast，mylord。

Yewaragainstthesunsetglow；

Thedarknessgathersfast，mylord。

——TheFightofHeriot’sFord。？

’THISisacheerfullife，’saidDick，somedayslater。’Torp’saway；Bessiehatesme；Ican’tgetatthenotionoftheMelancolia；Maisie’slettersarescrappy；andIbelieveIhaveindigestion。Whatgiveamanpainsacrosstheheadandspotsbeforehiseyes，Binkie？Shallustakesomeliverpills？’

DickhadjustgonethroughalivelyscenewithBessie。ShehadforthefiftiethtimereproachedhimforsendingTorpenhowaway。SheexplainedherenduringhatredforDick，andmadeitcleartohimthatsheonlysatforthesakeofhismoney。’AndMr。Torpenhow’stentimesabettermanthanyou，’sheconcluded。

’Heis。That’swhyhewentaway。Ishouldhavestayedandmadelovetoyou。’

Thegirlsatwithherchinonherhand，scowling。’Tome！I’dliketocatchyou！IfIwasn’tafraido’beinghungI’dkillyou。That’swhatI’ddo。

D’youbelieveme？’

Dicksmiledwearily。Itisnotpleasanttoliveinthecompanyofanotionthatwillnotworkout，afox—terrierthatcannottalk，andawomanwhotalkstoomuch。Hewouldhaveanswered，butatthatmomentthereunrolleditselffromonecornerofthestudioaveil，asitwere，oftheflimsiestgauze。Herubbedhiseyes，butthegrayhazewouldnotgo。

’Thisisdisgracefulindigestion。Binkie，wewillgotoamedicine—man。Wecan’thaveoureyesinterferedwith，forbythesewegetourbread；alsomutton—chopbonesforlittledogs。’

Thedoctorwasanaffablelocalpractitionerwithwhitehair，andhesaidnothingtillDickbegantodescribethegrayfilminthestudio。

’Weallwantalittlepatchingandrepairingfromtimetotime，’hechirped。’Likeaship，mydearsir，——exactlylikeaship。Sometimesthehullisoutoforder，andweconsultthesurgeon；sometimestherigging，andthenIadvise；sometimestheengines，andwegotothebrain—specialist；

sometimesthelook—outonthebridgeistired，andthenweseeanoculist。I

shouldrecommendyoutoseeanoculist。Alittlepatchingandrepairingfromtimetotimeisallwewant。Anoculist，byallmeans。’

Dicksoughtanoculist，——thebestinLondon。Hewascertainthatthelocalpractitionerdidnotknowanythingabouthistrade，andmorecertainthatMaisiewouldlaughathimifhewereforcedtowearspectacles。

’I’veneglectedthewarningsofmylordthestomachtoolong。Hencethesespotsbeforetheeyes，Binkie。IcanseeaswellasIevercould。’

Asheenteredthedarkhallthatledtotheconsulting—roomamancannonedagainsthim。Dicksawthefaceasithurriedoutintothestreet。

’That’sthewriter—type。HehasthesamemodellingoftheforeheadasTorp。Helooksverysick。Probablyheardsomethinghedidn’tlike。’

Evenashethought，agreatfearcameuponDick，afearthatmadehimholdhisbreathashewalkedintotheoculist’swaitingroom，withtheheavycarvedfurniture，thedark—greenpaper，andthesober—huedprintsonthewall。Herecognisedareproductionofoneofhisownsketches。

Manypeoplewerewaitingtheirturnbeforehim。Hiseyewascaughtbyaflamingred—and—goldChristmas—carolbook。Littlechildrencametothateye—doctor，andtheyneededlarge—typeamusement。

’That’sidolatrousbadArt，’hesaid，drawingthebooktowardshimself。

’Fromtheanatomyoftheangels，ithasbeenmadeinGermany。’Heopenedinmechanically，andthereleapedtohiseyesaverseprintedinredink——

ThenextgoodjoythatMaryhad，Itwasthejoyofthree，ToseehergoodSonJesusChristMakingtheblindtosee；

Makingtheblindtosee，goodLord，Andhappywemaybe。

PraiseFather，Son，andHolyGhostToalleternity！？

Dickreadandre—readtheversetillhisturncame，andthedoctorwasbendingabovehimseatedinanarm—chair。Theblazeofthegas—microscopeinhiseyesmadehimwince。Thedoctor’shandtouchedthescarofthesword—cutonDick’shead，andDickexplainedbrieflyhowhehadcomebyit。Whentheflamewasremoved，Dicksawthedoctor’sface，andthefearcameuponhimagain。Thedoctorwrappedhimselfinamistofwords。Dickcaughtallusionsto’scar，’’frontalbone，’’opticnerve，’’extremecaution，’andthe’avoidanceofmentalanxiety。’

’Verdict？’hesaidfaintly。’Mybusinessispainting，andIdaren’twastetime。Whatdoyoumakeofit？’

Againthewhirlofwords，butthistimetheyconveyedameaning。

’Canyougivemeanythingtodrink？’

Manysentenceswerepronouncedinthatdarkenedroom，andtheprisonersoftenneededcheering。Dickfoundaglassofliqueurbrandyinhishand。

’AsfarasIcangather，’hesaid，coughingabovethespirit，’youcallitdecayoftheopticnerve，orsomething，andthereforehopeless。Whatismytime—limit，avoidingallstrainandworry？’

’Perhapsoneyear。’

’MyGod！AndifIdon’ttakecareofmyself？’

’Ireallycouldnotsay。Onecannotascertaintheexactamountofinjuryinflictedbythesword—cut。Thescarisanoldone，and——exposuretothestronglightofthedesert，didyousay？——withexcessiveapplicationtofinework？Ireallycouldnotsay？’

’Ibegyourpardon，butithascomewithoutanywarning。Ifyouwillletme，I’llsithereforaminute，andthenI’llgo。Youhavebeenverygoodintellingmethetruth。Withoutanywarning；withoutanywarning。

Thanks。’

Dickwentintothestreet，andwasrapturouslyreceivedbyBinkie。

’We’vegotitverybadly，littledog！Justasbadlyaswecangetit。We’llgototheParktothinkitout。’

TheyheadedforacertaintreethatDickknewwell，andtheysatdowntothin，becausehislegsweretremblingunderhimandtherewascoldfearatthepitofhisstomach。

’Howcouldithavecomewithoutanywarning？It’sassuddenasbeingshot。It’sthelivingdeath，Binkie。We’retobeshutupinthedarkinoneyearifwe’recareful，andweshan’tseeanybody，andweshallneverhaveanythingwewant，notthoughwelivetobeahundred！’Binkiewaggedhistailjoyously。’Binkie，wemustthink。Let’sseehowitfeelstobeblind。’Dickshuthiseyes，andflamingcommasandCatherine—wheelsfloatedinsidethelids。YetwhenhelookedacrosstheParkthescopeofhisvisionwasnotcontracted。Hecouldseeperfectly，untilaprocessionofslow—wheelingfireworksdefiledacrosshiseyeballs。

’Littledorglums，wearen’tatallwell。Let’sgohome。IfonlyTorpwereback，now！’

ButTorpenhowwasinthesouthofEngland，inspectingdockyardsinthecompanyoftheNilghai。Hisletterswerebriefandfullofmystery。

Dickhadneveraskedanybodytohelphiminhisjoysorhissorrows。Heargued，inthelonelinessofhisstudio，henceforwardtobedecoratedwithafilmofgraygauzeinonecorner，that，ifhisfatewereblindness，alltheTorpenhowsintheworldcouldnotsavehim。’Ican’tcallhimoffhistriptositdownandsympathisewithme。Imustpullthroughthisbusinessalone，’hesaid。Hewaslyingonthesofa，eatinghismoustacheandwonderingwhatthedarknessofthenightwouldbelike。ThencametohismindthememoryofaquaintsceneintheSoudan。Asoldierhadbeennearlyhackedintwobyabroad—bladedArabspear。Foroneinstantthemanfeltnopain。Lookingdown，hesawthathislife—bloodwasgoingfromhim。ThestupidbewildermentonhisfacewassointenselycomicthatbothDickandTorpenhow，stillpantingandunstrungfromafightforlife，hadroaredwithlaughter，inwhichthemanseemedasifhewouldjoin，but，ashislipspartedinasheepishgrin，theagonyofdeathcameuponhim，andhepitchedgruntingattheirfeet。Dicklaughedagain，rememberingthehorror。Itseemedsoexactlylikehisowncase。

’ButIhavealittlemoretimeallowedme，’hesaid。Hepacedupanddowntheroom，quietlyatfirst，butafterwardswiththehurriedfeetoffear。Itwasasthoughablackshadowstoodathiselbowandurgedhimtogoforward；andtherewereonlyweavingcirclesandfloatingpin—dotsbeforehiseyes。

’Weneedtobecalm，Binkie；wemustbecalm。’Hetalkedaloudforthesakeofdistraction。’Thisisn’tniceatall。Whatshallwedo？Wemustdosomething。Ourtimeisshort。Ishouldn’thavebelievedthatthismorning；

butnowthingsaredifferent。Binkie，wherewasMoseswhenthelightwentout？’

Binkiesmiledfromeartoear，asawell—bredterriershould，butmadenosuggestion。

’"Weretherebutworldenoughandtime，Thiscoyness，Binkie，werenotcrime……ButatmybackIalwayshear————"’Hewipedhisforehead，whichwasunpleasantlydamp。’WhatcanIdo？WhatcanIdo？Ihaven’tanynotionsleft，andIcan’tthinkconnectedly，butImustdosomething，orIshallgooffmyhead。’

Thehurriedwalkrecommenced，Dickstoppingeverynowandagaintodragforthlong—neglectedcanvasesandoldnote—books；forheturnedtohisworkbyinstinct，asathingthatcouldnotfail。’Youwon’tdo，andyouwon’tdo，’hesaid，ateachinspection。’Nomoresoldiers。Icouldn’tpaint’em。Suddendeathcomeshometoonearly，andthisisbattleandmurderforme。’

Thedaywasfailing，andDickthoughtforamomentthatthetwilightoftheblindhadcomeuponhimunaware。’AllahAlmighty！’hecrieddespairingly，’helpmethroughthetimeofwaiting，andIwon’twhinewhenmypunishmentcomes。WhatcanIdonow，beforethelightgoes？’

Therewasnoanswer。Dickwaitedtillhecouldregainsomesortofcontroloverhimself。Hishandswereshaking，andhepridedhimselfontheirsteadiness；hecouldfeelthathislipswerequivering，andthesweatwasrunningdownhisface。Hewaslashedbyfear，drivenforwardbythedesiretogettoworkatonceandaccomplishsomething，andmaddenedbytherefusalofhisbraintodomorethanrepeatthenewsthathewasabouttogoblind。’It’sahumiliatingexhibition，’hethought，’andI’mgladTorpisn’theretosee。ThedoctorsaidIwastoavoidmentalworry。

Comehereandletmepetyou，Binkie。’

ThelittledogyelpedbecauseDicknearlysqueezedthebarkoutofhim。

Thenheheardthemanspeakinginthetwilight，and，doglike，understoodthathistroublestoodofffromhim——

’Allahisgood，Binkie。Notquitesogentleaswecouldwish，butwe’lldiscussthatlater。IthinkIseemywaytoitnow。AllthosestudiesofBessie’sheadwerenonsense，andtheynearlybroughtyourmasterintoascrape。Iholdthenotionnowasclearascrystal，——"theMelancoliathattranscendsallwit。"ThereshallbeMaisieinthathead，becauseIshallnevergetMaisie；andBess，ofcourse，becausesheknowsallaboutMelancolia，thoughshedoesn’tknowsheknows；andthereshallbesomedrawinginit，anditshallallendupwithalaugh。That’sformyself。Shallshegiggleorgrin？No，sheshalllaughrightoutofthecanvas，andeverymanandwomanthateverhadasorrowoftheirownshall——whatisitthepoemsays？——

’UnderstandthespeechandfeelastirOffellowshipinalldisastrousfight。

"Inalldisastrousfight"？That’sbetterthanpaintingthethingmerelytopiqueMaisie。IcandoitnowbecauseIhaveitinsideme。Binkie，I’mgoingtoholdyouupbyyourtail。You’reanomen。Comehere。’

Binkieswungheaddownwardforamomentwithoutspeaking。

’Ratherlikeholdingaguinea—pig；butyou’reabravelittledog，andyoudon’tyelpwhenyou’rehungup。Itisanomen。’

Binkiewenttohisownchair，andasoftenashelookedsawDickwalkingupanddown，rubbinghishandsandchuckling。ThatnightDickwrotealettertoMaisiefullofthetenderestregardforherhealth，butsayingverylittleabouthisown，anddreamedoftheMelancoliatobeborn。Nottillmorningdidherememberthatsomethingmighthappentohiminthefuture。

Hefelltowork，whistlingsoftly，andwasswallowedupintheclean，clearjoyofcreation，whichdoesnotcometomantoooften，lestheshouldconsiderhimselftheequalofhisGod，andsorefusetodieattheappointedtime。HeforgotMaisie，Torpenhow，andBinkieathisfeet，butrememberedtostirBessie，whoneededverylittlestirring，intoatremendousrage，thathemightwatchthesmoulderinglightsinhereyes。

Hethrewhimselfwithoutreservationintohiswork，anddidnotthinkofthedoomthatwastoovertakehim，forhewaspossessedwithhisnotion，andthethingsofthisworldhadnopoweruponhim。

’You’repleasedto—day，’saidBessie。

Dickwavedhismahl—stickinmysticcirclesandwenttothesideboardforadrink。Intheevening，whentheexaltationofthedayhaddieddown，hewenttothesideboardagain，andaftersomevisitsbecameconvincedthattheeye—doctorwasaliar，sincehecouldstillseeeverythingveryclearly。

HewasofopinionthathewouldevenmakeahomeforMaisie，andthatwhethershelikeditornotsheshouldbehiswife。Themoodpassednextmorning，butthesideboardandalluponitremainedforhiscomfort。

Againhesettowork，andhiseyestroubledhimwithspotsanddashesandblurstillhehadtakencounselwiththesideboard，andtheMelancoliabothonthecanvasandinhisownmindappearedlovelierthanever。Therewasadelightfulsenseofirresponsibilityuponhim，suchastheyfeelwhowalkingamongtheirfellow—menknowthatthedeath—sentenceofdiseaseisuponthem，and，seeingthatfearisbutwasteofthelittletimeleft，areriotouslyhappy。Thedayspassedwithoutevent。

Bessiearrivedpunctuallyalways，and，thoughhervoiceseemedtoDicktocomefromadistance，herfacewasalwaysverynear。TheMelancoliabegantoflameonthecanvas，inthelikenessofawomanwhohadknownallthesorrowintheworldandwaslaughingatit。Itwastruethatthecornersofthestudiodrapedthemselvesingrayfilmandretiredintothedarkness，thatthespotsinhiseyesandthepainsacrosshisheadwereverytroublesome，andthatMaisie’sletterswerehardtoreadandharderstilltoanswer。Hecouldnottellherofhistrouble，andhecouldnotlaughatheraccountsofherownMelancoliawhichwasalwaysgoingtobefinished。Butthefuriousdaysoftoilandthenightsofwilddreamsmadeamendsforall，andthesideboardwashisbestfriendonearth。

Bessiewassingularlydull。SheusedtoshriekwithragewhenDickstaredatherbetweenhalf—closedeyes。Nowshesulked，orwatchedhimwithdisgust，sayingverylittle。

Torpenhowhadbeenabsentforsixweeks。Anincoherentnoteheraldedhisreturn。’News！greatnews！’hewrote。’TheNilghaiknows，andsodoestheKeneu。We’reallbackonThursday。Getlunchandcleanyouraccoutrements。’

DickshowedBessietheletter，andsheabusedhimforthathehadeversentTorpenhowawayandruinedherlife。

’Well，’saidDick，brutally，’you’rebetterasyouare，insteadofmakinglovetosomedrunkenbeastinthestreet。’HefeltthathehadrescuedTorpenhowfromgreattemptation。

’Idon’tknowifthat’sanyworsethansittingtoadrunkenbeastinastudio。Youhaven’tbeensoberforthreeweeks。You’vebeensoakingthewholetime；andyetyoupretendyou’rebetterthanme！’

’Whatd’youmean？’saidDick。

’Mean！You’llseewhenMr。Torpenhowcomesback。’

Itwasnotlongtowait。TorpenhowmetBessieonthestaircasewithoutasignoffeeling。HehadnewsthatwasmoretohimthanmanyBessies，andtheKeneuandtheNilghaiweretramplingbehindhim，callingforDick。

’Drinkinglikeafish，’Bessiewhispered。’He’sbeenatitfornearlyamonth。’Shefollowedthemenstealthilytohearjudgmentdone。

Theycameintothestudio，rejoicing，tobewelcomedovereffusivelybyadrawn，lined，shrunken，haggardwreck，——unshaven，blue—whiteaboutthenostrils，stoopingintheshoulders，andpeeringunderhiseyebrowsnervously。ThedrinkhadbeenatworkassteadilyasDick。

’Isthisyou？’saidTorpenhow。

’Allthat’sleftofme。Sitdown。Binkie’squitewell，andI’vebeendoingsomegoodwork。’Hereeledwherehestood。

’You’vedonesomeoftheworstworkyou’veeverdoneinyourlife。Manalive，you’re————’

Torpenhowturnedtohiscompanionsappealingly，andtheylefttheroomtofindlunchelsewhere。Thenhespoke；but，sincethereproofofafriendismuchtoosacredandintimateathingtobeprinted，andsinceTorpenhowusedfiguresandmetaphorswhichwereunseemly，andcontemptuntranslatable，itwillneverbeknownwhatwasactuallysaidtoDick，whoblinkedandwinkedandpickedathishands。Afteratimetheculpritbegantofeeltheneedofalittleself—respect。Hewasquitesurethathehadnotinanywaydepartedfromvirtue，andtherewerereasons，too，ofwhichTorpenhowknewnothing。Hewouldexplain。

Herose，triedtostraightenhisshoulders，andspoketothefacehecouldhardlysee。

’Youareright，’hesaid。’ButIamright，too。AfteryouwentawayIhadsometroublewithmyeyes。SoIwenttoanoculist，andheturnedagasogene——Imeanagas—engine——intomyeye。Thatwasverylongago。Hesaid，"Scaronthehead，——sword—cutandopticnerve。"Makeanoteofthat。SoIamgoingblind。IhavesomeworktodobeforeIgoblind，andI

supposethatImustdoit。Icannotseemuchnow，butIcanseebestwhenIamdrunk。IdidnotknowIwasdrunktillIwastold，butImustgoonwithmywork。Ifyouwanttoseeit，thereitis。’HepointedtotheallbutfinishedMelancoliaandlookedforapplause。

Torpenhowsaidnothing，andDickbegantowhimperfeebly，forjoyatseeingTorpenhowagain，forgriefatmisdeeds——ifindeedtheyweremisdeeds——thatmadeTorpenhowremoteandunsympathetic，andforchildishvanityhurt，sinceTorpenhowhadnotgivenawordofpraisetohiswonderfulpicture。

Bessielookedthroughthekeyholeafteralongpause，andsawthetwowalkingupanddownasusual，Torpenhow’shandonDick’sshoulder。

HereatshesaidsomethingsoimproperthatitshockedevenBinkie，whowasdribblingpatientlyonthelandingwiththehopeofseeinghismasteragain。

CHAPTERXI

ThelarkwillmakeherhymntoGod，Thepartridgecallherbrood，WhileIforgettheheathItrod，ThefieldswhereinIstood。

’Tisduletoknownotnightfrommorn，ButdeeperduletoknowIcanbuthearthehunter’shornThatonceIusedtoblow。——TheOnlySon。？

ITWASthethirddayafterTorpenhow’sreturn，andhisheartwasheavy。

’Doyoumeantotellmethatyoucan’tseetoworkwithoutwhiskey？It’sgenerallytheotherwayabout。’

’Canadrunkardswearonhishonour？’saidDick。

’Yes，ifhehasbeenasgodamanasyou。’

’ThenIgiveyoumywordofhonour，’saidDick，speakinghurriedlythroughparchedlips。’Oldman，Icanhardlyseeyourfacenow。You’vekeptmesoberfortwodays，——ifIeverwasdrunk，——andI’vedonenowork。

Don’tkeepmebackanymore。Idon’tknowwhenmyeyesmaygiveout。

Thespotsanddotsandthepainsandthingsarecrowdingworsethanever。IswearIcanseeallrightwhenI’m——whenI’mmoderatelyscrewed，asyousay。GivemethreemoresittingsfromBessieandall——thestuffI

want，andthepicturewillbedone。Ican’tkillmyselfinthreedays。ItonlymeansatouchofD。T。attheworst。’

’IfIgiveyouthreedaysmorewillyoupromisemetostopworkand——theotherthing，whetherthepicture’sfinishedornot？’

’Ican’t。Youdon’tknowwhatthatpicturemeanstome。ButsurelyyoucouldgettheNilghaitohelpyou，andknockmedownandtiemeup。I

shouldn’tfightforthewhiskey，butIshouldforthework。’

’Goon，then。Igiveyouthreedays；butyou’renearlybreakingmyheart。’

Dickreturnedtohiswork，toilingasonepossessed；andtheyellowdevilofwhiskeystoodbyhimandchasedawaythespotsinhiseyes。TheMelancoliawasnearlyfinished，andwasallornearlyallthathehadhopedshewouldbe。DickjestedwithBessie，whoremindedhimthathewas’adrunkenbeast’；butthereproofdidnotmovehim。

’Youcan’tunderstand，Bess。Weareinsightoflandnow，andsoonweshallliebackandthinkaboutwhatwe’vedone。I’llgiveyouthreemonths’paywhenthepicture’sfinished，andnexttimeIhaveanymoreworkinhand——butthatdoesn’tmatter。Won’tthreemonths’paymakeyouhatemeless？’

’No，itwon’t！Ihateyou，andI’llgoonhatingyou。Mr。Torpenhowwon’tspeaktomeanymore。He’salwayslookingatmaps。’

BessiedidnotsaythatshehadagainlaidsiegetoTorpenhow，orthatattheendofourpassionatepleadinghehadpickedherup，givenherakiss，andputheroutsidethedoorwiththerecommendationnottobealittlefool。HespentmostofhistimeinthecompanyoftheNilghai，andtheirtalkwasofwarinthenearfuture，thehiringoftransports，andsecretpreparationsamongthedockyards。HedidnotwishtoseeDicktillthepicturewasfinished。

’He’sdoingfirst—classwork，’hesaidtotheNilghai，’andit’squiteoutofhisregularline。But，forthematterofthat，so’shisinfernalsoaking。’

’Nevermind。Leavehimalone。Whenhehascometohissensesagainwe’llcarryhimofffromthisplaceandlethimbreathecleanair。PoorDick！Idon’tenvyyou，Torp，whenhiseyesfail。’

’Yes，itwillbeacaseof"Godhelpthemanwho’schainedtoourDavie。"

Theworstisthatwedon’tknowwhenitwillhappen，andIbelievetheuncertaintyandthewaitinghavesentDicktothewhiskeymorethananythingelse。’

’HowtheArabwhocuthisheadopenwouldgrinifheknew！’

’He’satperfectlibertytogrinifhecan。He’sdead。That’spoorconsolationnow。’

IntheafternoonofthethirddayTorpenhowheardDickcallingforhim。

’Allfinished！’heshouted。’I’vedoneit！Comein！Isn’tsheabeauty？Isn’tsheadarling？I’vebeendowntohelltogether；butisn’tsheworthit？’

Torpenhowlookedattheheadofawomanwholaughed，——afull—lipped，hollow—eyedwomanwholaughedfromoutofthecanvasasDickhadintendedshewould。

’Whotaughtyouhowtodoit？’saidTorpenhow。’Thetouchandnotionhavenothingtodowithyourregularwork。Whatafaceitis！Whateyes，andwhatinsolence！’Unconsciouslyhethrewbackhisheadandlaughedwithher。’She’sseenthegameplayedout，——Idon’tthinkshehadagoodtimeofit，——andnowshedoesn’tcare。Isn’tthattheidea？’

’Exactly。’

’Wheredidyougetthemouthandchinfrom？Theydon’tbelongtoBess。’

’They’re——someoneelse’s。Butisn’titgood？Isn’titthunderinggood？

Wasn’titworththewhiskey？Ididit。AloneIdidit，andit’sthebestI

cando。’Hedrewhisbreathsharply，andwhispered，’JustGod！whatcouldInotdotenyearshence，ifIcandothisnow！——Bytheway，whatdoyouthinkofit，Bess？’

Thegirlwasbitingherlips。SheloathedTorpenhowbecausehehadtakennonoticeofher。

’Ithinkit’sjustthehorridest，beastliestthingIeversaw，’sheanswered，andturnedaway。

’Morethanyouwillbeofthatwayofthinking，youngwoman。——Dick，there’sasortofmurderous，viperinesuggestioninthepoiseoftheheadthatIdon’tunderstand，’saidTorpenhow。

That’strick—work，’saidDick，chucklingwithdelightatbeingcompletelyunderstood。’Icouldn’tresistonelittlebitofsheerswagger。It’saFrenchtrick，andyouwouldn’tunderstand；butit’sgotatbyslewingroundtheheadatrifle，andatiny，tinyforeshorteningofonesideofthefacefromtheangleofthechintothetopoftheleftear。That，anddeepeningtheshadowunderthelobeoftheear。Itwasflagranttrick—work；but，havingthenotionfixed，Ifeltentitledtoplaywithit，——Oh，youbeauty！’

’Amen！Sheisabeauty。Icanfeelit。’

’Sowilleverymanwhohasanysorrowofhisown，’saidDick，slappinghisthigh。’Heshallseehistroublethere，and，bytheLordHarry，justwhenhe’sfeelingproperlysorryforhimselfheshallthrowbackhisheadandlaugh，——assheislaughing。I’veputthelifeofmyheartandthelightofmyeyesintoher，andIdon’tcarewhatcomes……I’mtired，——awfullytired。IthinkI’llgettosleep。Takeawaythewhiskey，ithasserveditsturn，andgiveBessiethirty—sixquid，andthreeoverforluck。Coverthepicture。’

Hedroppedasleepinthelongchair，hidfacewhiteandhaggard，almostbeforehehadfinishedthesentence。BessietriedtotakeTorpenhow’shand。’Aren’tyounevergoingtospeaktomeanymore？’shesaid；butTorpenhowwaslookingatDick。

’Whatastockofvanitythemanhas！I’lltakehiminhandto—morrowandmakemuchofhim。Hedeservesit。——Eh！whatwasthat，Bess？’

’Nothing。I’llputthingstidyherealittle，andthenI’llgo。Youcouldn’tgivethethatthreemonths’paynow，couldyou？Hesaidyouwereto。’

Torpenhowgaveheracheckandwenttohisownrooms。Bessiefaithfullytidiedupthestudio，setthedoorajarforflight，emptiedhalfabottleofturpentineonaduster，andbegantoscrubthefaceoftheMelancoliaviciously。Thepaintdidnotsmudgequicklyenough。Shetookapalette—knifeandscraped，followingeachstrokewiththewetduster。Infiveminutesthepicturewasaformless，scarredmuddleofcolours。Shethrewthepaint—staineddusterintothestudiostove，stuckouthertongueatthesleeper，andwhispered，’Bilked！’assheturnedtorundownthestaircase。ShewouldneverseeTorpenhowanymore，butshehadatleastdoneharmtothemanwhohadcomebetweenherandherdesireandwhousedtomakefunofher。CashingthecheckwastheverycreamofthejesttoBessie。ThenthelittleprivateersailedacrosstheThames，tobeswallowedupinthegraywildernessofSouth—the—Water。

Dickslepttilllateintheevening，whenTorpenhowdraggedhimofftobed。Hiseyeswereasbrightashisvoicewashoarse。’Let’shaveanotherlookatthepicture，’hesaid，insistentlyasachild。

’You——go——to——bed，’saidTorpenhow。’Youaren’tatallwell，thoughyoumayn’tknowit。You’reasjumpyasacat。’

’Ireformto—morrow。Good—night。’

Asherepassedthroughthestudio，Torpenhowliftedtheclothabovethepicture，andalmostbetrayedhimselfbyoutcries：’Wipedout！——scrapedoutandturpedout！He’sonthevergeofjumpsasitis。That’sBess，——thelittlefiend！Onlyawomancouldhavedonethat！—withtheinknotdryonthecheck，too！Dickwillberavingmadto—morrow。Itwasallmyfaultfortryingtohelpgutter—devils。Oh，mypoorDick，theLordishittingyouveryhard！’

Dickcouldnotsleepthatnight，partlyforpurejoy，andpartlybecausethewell—knownCatherine—wheelsinsidehiseyeshadgivenplacetocracklingvolcanoesofmany—colouredfire。’Spoutaway，’hesaidaloud。

’I’vedonemywork，andnowyoucandowhatyouplease。’Helaystill，staringattheceiling，thelong—pent—updeliriumofdrinkinhisveins，hisbrainonfirewithracingthoughtsthatwouldnotstaytobeconsidered，andhishandscrispedanddry。HehadjustdiscoveredthathewaspaintingthefaceoftheMelancoliaonarevolvingdomeribbedwithmillionsoflights，andthatallhiswondrousthoughtsstoodembodiedhundredsoffeetbelowhistinyswingingplank，shoutingtogetherinhishonour，whensomethingcrackedinsidehistempleslikeanoverstrainedbowstring，theglitteringdomebrokeinward，andhewasaloneinthethicknight。

’I’llgotosleep。Theroom’sverydark。Let’slightalampandseehowtheMelancolialooks。Thereoughttohavebeenamoon。’

ItwasthenthatTorpenhowheardhisnamecalledbyavoicethathedidnotknow，——intherattlingaccentsofdeadlyfear。

’He’slookedatthepicture，’washisfirstthought，ashehurriedintothebedroomandfoundDicksittingupandbeatingtheairwithhishands。

’Torp！Torp！whereareyou？Forpity’ssake，cometome！’

’What’sthematter？’

Dickclutchedathisshoulder。’Matter！I’vebeenlyinghereforhoursinthedark，andyouneverheardme。Torp，oldman，don’tgoaway。I’mallinthedark。Inthedark，Itellyou！’

TorpenhowheldthecandlewithinafootofDick’seyes，buttherewasnolightinthoseeyes。Helitthegas，andDickheardtheflamecatch。ThegripofhisfingersonTorpenhow’sshouldermadeTorpenhowwince。

’Don’tleaveme。Youwouldn’tleavemealonenow，wouldyou？Ican’tsee。D’youunderstand？It’sblack，——quiteblack，——andIfeelasifIwasfallingthroughitall。’

’Steadydoesit。’TorpenhowputhisarmroundDickandbegantorockhimgentlytoandfro。

’That’sgood。Nowdon’ttalk。IfIkeepveryquietforawhile，thisdarknesswilllift。Itseemsjustonthepointofbreaking。H’sh！’Dickknithisbrowsandstareddesperatelyinfrontofhim。ThenightairwaschillingTorpenhow’stoes。

’Canyoustaylikethataminute？’hesaid。’I’llgetmydressing—gownandsomeslippers。’

Dickclutchedthebed—headwithbothhandsandwaitedforthedarknesstoclearaway。’Whatatimeyou’vebeen！’hecried，whenTorpenhowreturned。’It’sasblackasever。Whatareyoubangingaboutinthedoor—way？’

’Longchair，——horse—blanket，——pillow。Goingtosleepbyyou。Liedownnow；you’llbebetterinthemorning。’

’Ishan’t！’Thevoicerosetoawail。’MyGod！I’mblind！I’mblind，andthedarknesswillnevergoaway。’Hemadeasiftoleapfromthebed，butTorpenhow’sarmswereroundhim，andTorpenhow’schinwasonhisshoulder，andhisbreathwassqueezedoutofhim。Hecouldonlygasp，’Blind！’andwrigglefeebly。

’Steady，Dickie，steady！’saidthedeepvoiceinhisear，andthegriptightened。’Biteonthebullet，oldman，anddon’tletthemthinkyou’reafraid，’Thegripcoulddrawnocloser。Bothmenwerebreathingheavily。

Dickthrewhisheadfromsidetosideandgroaned。

’Letmego，’hepanted。’You’recrackingmyribs。We—wemustn’tletthemthinkwe’reafraid，mustwe，——allthepowersofdarknessandthatlot？’

’Liedown。It’sallovernow。’

’Yes，’saidDick，obediently。’Butwouldyoumindlettingmeholdyourhand？IfeelasifIwantedsomethingtoholdonto。Onedropsthroughthedarkso。’

Torpenhowthrustoutalargeandhairypawfromthelongchair。Dickclutchedittightly，andinhalfanhourhadfallenasleep。Torpenhowwithdrewhishand，and，stoopingoverDick，kissedhimlightlyontheforehead，asmendosometimeskissawoundedcomradeinthehourofdeath，toeasehisdeparture。

InthegraydawnTorpenhowheardDicktalkingtohimself。Hewasadriftontheshorelesstidesofdelirium，speakingveryquickly——

’It’sapity，——agreatpity；butit’shelped，anditmustbeeaten，MasterGeorge。Sufficientuntothedayistheblindnessthereof，and，further，puttingasideallMelancoliasandfalsehumours，itisofobviousnotoriety——suchasminewas——thatthequeencandonowrong。Torpdoesn’tknowthat。I’lltellhimwhenwe’realittlefartherintothedesert。

Whatabunglethoseboatmenaremakingofthesteamer—ropes！They’llhavethatfour—inchhawserchafedthroughinaminute。Itoldyouso——thereshegoes！Whitefoamongreenwater，andthesteamerslewinground。Howgoodthatlooks！I’llsketchit。No，Ican’t。I’mafflictedwithophthalmia。ThatwasoneofthetenplaguesofEgypt，anditextendsuptheNileintheshapeofcataract。Ha！that’sajoke，Torp。Laugh，yougravenimage，andstandclearofthehawser……It’llknockyouintothewaterandmakeyourdressalldirty，Maisiedear。’

’Oh！’saidTorpenhow。’Thishappenedbefore。Thatnightontheriver。’

’She’llbesuretosayit’smyfaultifyougetmuddy，andyou’requitenearenoughtothebreakwater。Maisie，that’snotfair。Ah！Iknewyou’dmiss。

Lowandtotheleft，dear。Butyou’venoconviction。Don’tbeangry，darling。I’dcutmyhandoffifitwouldgiveyouanythingmorethanobstinacy。Myrighthand，ifitwouldserve。’

’Nowwemustn’tlisten。Here’sanislandshoutingacrossseasofmisunderstandingwithavengeance。Butit’sshoutingtruth，Ifancy，’saidTorpenhow。

Thebabblecontinued。ItallboreuponMaisie。SometimesDicklecturedatlengthonhiscraft，thenhecursedhimselfforhisfollyinbeingenslaved。HepleadedtoMaisieforakiss——onlyonekiss——beforeshewentaway，andcalledtohertocomebackfromVitry—sur—Marne，ifshewould；butthroughallhisravingshebadeheavenandearthwitnessthatthequeencoulddonowrong。

Torpenhowlistenedattentively，andlearnedeverydetailofDick’slifethathadbeenhiddenfromhim。ForthreedaysDickravedthroughthepast，andthenanaturalsleep。’Whatastrainhehasbeenrunningunder，poorchap！’saidTorpenhow。’Dick，ofallmen，handinghimselfoverlikeadog！AndIwaslecturinghimonarrogance！Ioughttohaveknownthatitwasnousetojudgeaman。ButIdidit。Whatademonthatgirlmustbe！Dick’sgivenherhislife，——confoundhim！——andshe’sgivenhimonekissapparently。’

’Torp，’saidDick，fromthebed，’gooutforawalk。You’vebeenheretoolong。I’llgetup。Hi！Thisisannoying。Ican’tdressmyself。Oh，it’stooabsurd！’

Torpenhowhelpedhimintohisclothesandledhimtothebigchairinthestudio。Hesatquietlywaitingunderstrainednervesforthedarknesstolift。Itdidnotliftthatday，northenext。Dickadventuredonavoyageroundthewalls。Hehithisshinsagainstthestove，andthissuggestedtohimthatitwouldbebettertocrawlonallfours，onehandinfrontofhim。Torpenhowfoundhimonthefloor。

’I’mtryingtogetthegeographyofmynewpossessions，’saidhe。’D’yourememberthatniggeryougougedinthesquare？Pityyoudidn’tkeeptheoddeye。Itwouldhavebeenuseful。Anylettersforme？Givemealltheonesinfatgrayenvelopeswithasortofcrownthingoutside。They’reofnoimportance。’

TorpenhowgavehimaletterwithablackM。ontheenvelopeflap。Dickputitintohispocket。TherewasnothinginitthatTorpenhowmightnothaveread，butitbelongedtohimselfandtoMaisie，whowouldneverbelongtohim。

’WhenshefindsthatIdon’twrite，she’llstopwriting。It’sbetterso。I

couldn’tbeanyusetohernow，’Dickargued，andthetemptersuggestedthatheshouldmakeknownhiscondition。Everynerveinhimrevolted。’I

havefallenlowenoughalready。I’mnotgoingtobegforpity。Besides，itwouldbecrueltoher。’HestrovetoputMaisieoutofhisthoughts；buttheblindhavemanyopportunitiesforthinking，andasthetidesofhisstrengthcamebacktohiminthelongemploylessdaysofdeaddarkness，Dick’ssoulwastroubledtothecore。Anotherletter，andanother，camefromMaisie。Thentherewassilence，andDicksatbythewindow，thepulseofsummerintheair，andpicturedherbeingwonbyanotherman，strongerthanhimself。Hisimagination，thekeenerforthedarkbackgrounditworkedagainst，sparedhimnosingledetailthatmightsendhimragingupanddownthestudio，tostumbleoverthestovethatseemedtobeinfourplacesatonce。Worstofall，tobaccowouldnottasteinthedarkness。Thearroganceofthemanhaddisappeared，andinitsplaceweresettleddespairthatTorpenhowknew，andblindpassionthatDickconfidedtohispillowatnight。Theintervalsbetweentheparoxysmswerefilledwithintolerablewaitingandtheweightofintolerabledarkness。

’ComeoutintothePark，’saidTorpenhow。’Youhaven’tstirredoutsincethebeginningofthings。’

’What’stheuse？There’snomovementinthedark；and，besides，’——hepausedirresolutelyattheheadofthestairs，——’somethingwillrunoverme。’

’NotifI’mwithyou。Proceedgingerly。’

TheroarofthestreetsfilledDickwithnervousterror，andheclungtoTorpenhow’sarm。’Fancyhavingtofeelforagutterwithyourfoot！’hesaidpetulantly，asheturnedintothePark。’Let’scurseGodanddie。’

’Sentriesareforbiddentopayunauthorisedcompliments。ByJove，therearetheGuards！’

Dick’sfigurestraightened。’Let’sgetnear’em。Let’sgoinandlook。Let’sgetonthegrassandrun。Icansmellthetrees。’

’Mindthelowrailing。That’sallright！’Torpenhowkickedoutatuftofgrasswithhisheel。’Smellthat，’hesaid。’Isn’titgood？’Dicksniffedluxuriously。’Nowpickupyourfeetandrun。’Theyapproachedasneartotheregimentaswaspossible。TheclankofbayonetsbeingunfixedmadeDick’snostrilsquiver。

’Let’sgetnearer。They’reincolumn，aren’tthey？’

’Yes。Howdidyouknow？’

’Feltit。Oh，mymen！——mybeautifulmen！’Heedgedforwardasthoughhecouldsee。’Icoulddrawthosechapsonce。Who’lldraw’emnow？’

’They’llmoveoffinaminute。Don’tjumpwhenthebandbegins。’

’Huh！I’mnotanewcharger。It’sthesilencesthathurt。Nearer，Torp！——nearer！Oh，myGod，whatwouldn’tIgivetosee’emforaminute！——onehalf—minute！’

Hecouldhearthearmedlifealmostwithinreachofhim，couldheartheslingstightenacrossthebandsman’schestasheheavedthebigdrumfromtheground。

’Stickscrossedabovehishead，’whisperedTorpenhow。

’Iknow。Iknow！WhoshouldknowifIdon’t？H’sh！’

Thedrum—sticksfellwithaboom，andthemenswungforwardtothecrashoftheband。Dickfeltthewindofthemassedmovementinhisface，heardthemaddeningtrampoffeetandthefrictionofthepouchesonthebelts。Thebigdrumpoundedoutthetune。Itwasamusic—hallrefrainthatmadeaperfectquickstep——

Hemustbeamanofdecentheight，Hemustbeamanofweight，HemustcomehomeonaSaturdaynightInathoroughlysoberstate；

Hemustknowhowtoloveme，Andhemustknowhowtokiss；

Andifhe’senoughtokeepusbothIcan’trefusehimbliss。

’What’sthematter？’saidTorpenhow，ashesawDick’sheadfallwhenthelastoftheregimenthaddeparted。

’Nothing。Ifeelalittlebitoutoftherunning，——that’sall。Torp，takemeback。Whydidyoubringmeout？’？

CHAPTERXII

Therewerethreefriendsthatburiedthefourth，ThemouldinhismouthandthedustinhiseyesAndtheywentsouthandeast，andnorth，——

Thestrongmanfights，butthesickmandies。

Therewerethreefriendsthatspokeofthedead，——

Thestrongmanfights，butthesickmandies。——

’Andwouldhewerewithusnow，’theysaid，’Thesuninourfaceandthewindinoureyes。’

——Ballad。

THENILGHAIwasangrywithTorpenhow。Dickhadbeensenttobed，——blindmenareeverundertheordersofthosewhocansee，——andsincehehadreturnedfromtheParkhadfluentlyswornatTorpenhowbecausehewasalive，andalltheworldbecauseitwasaliveandcouldsee，whilehe，Dick，wasdeadinthedeathoftheblind，who，atthebest，areonlyburdensupontheirassociates。TorpenhowhadsaidsomethingaboutaMrs。Gummidge，andDickhadretiredinablackfurytohandleandre—handlethreeunopenedlettersfromMaisie。

TheNilghai，fat，burly，andaggressive，wasinTorpenhow’srooms。

BehindhimsattheKeneu，theGreatWarEagle，andbetweenthemlayalargemapembellishedwithblack—and—white—headedpins。

’IwaswrongabouttheBalkans，’saidtheNilghai。’ButI’mnotwrongaboutthisbusiness。ThewholeofourworkintheSouthernSoudanmustbedoneoveragain。Thepublicdoesn’tcare，ofcourse，butthegovernmentdoes，andtheyaremakingtheirarrangementsquietly。YouknowthataswellasIdo。’

’IrememberhowthepeoplecurseduswhenourtroopswithdrewfromOmdurman。Itwasboundtocropupsoonerorlater。ButIcan’tgo，’saidTorpenhow。Hepointedthroughtheopendoor；itwasahotnight。’Canyoublameme？’

TheKeneupurredabovehispipelikealargeandveryhappycat——

’Don’tblameyouintheleast。It’suncommonlygoodofyou，andalltherestofit，buteveryman——evenyou，Torp——mustconsiderhiswork。Iknowitsoundsbrutal，butDick’soutoftherace，——down，——gastadosexpended，finished，donefor。Hehasalittlemoneyofhisown。Hewon’tstarve，andyoucan’tpulloutofyourslideforhissake。Thinkofyourownreputation。’

’Dick’swasfivetimesbiggerthanmineandyoursputtogether。’

’Thatwasbecausehesignedhisnametoeverythinghedid。It’sallendednow。Youmustholdyourselfinreadinesstomoveout。Youcancommandyourownprices，andyoudobetterworkthananythreeofus。’

’Don’ttellmehowtemptingitis。I’llstayheretolookafterDickforawhile。He’sascheerfulasabearwithasorehead，butIthinkhelikestohavemenearhim。’

TheNilghaisaidsomethinguncomplimentaryaboutsoft—headedfoolswhothrowawaytheircareersforotherfools。Torpenhowflushedangrily。TheconstantstrainofattendanceonDickhadwornhisnervesthin。

’Thereremainsathirdfate，’saidtheKeneu，thoughtfully。’Considerthis，andbenotlargerfoolsthannecessary。Dickis——orratherwas——anable—bodiedmanofmoderateattractionsandacertainamountofaudacity。’

’Oho！’saidtheNilghai，whorememberedanaffairatCairo。’Ibegintosee，——Torp，I’msorry。’

Torpenhownoddedforgiveness：’Youweremoresorrywhenhecutyouout，though。——Goon，Keneu。’

’I’veoftenthought，whenI’veseenmendieoutinthedesert，thatifthenewscouldbesentthroughtheworld，andthemeansoftransportwerequickenough，therewouldbeonewomanatleastateachman’sbedside。’

’Therewouldbesomemightyquaintrevelations。Letusbegratefulthingsareastheyare，’saidtheNilghai。

’LetusratherreverentlyconsiderwhetherTorp’sthree—corneredministrationsareexactlywhatDickneedsjustnow。——Whatdoyouthinkyourself，Torp？’

’Iknowtheyaren’t。ButwhatcanIdo？’

’Laythematterbeforetheboard。WeareallDick’sfriendshere。You’vebeenmostinhislife。’

’ButIpickeditupwhenhewasoffhishead。’

’Thegreaterchanceofitsbeingtrue。Ithoughtweshouldarrive。Whoisshe？’

ThenTorpenhowtoldataleinplainwords，asaspecialcorrespondentwhoknowshowtomakeaverbalprecisshouldtellit。Themenlistenedwithoutinterruption。

’Isitpossiblethatamancancomebackacrosstheyearstohiscalf—love？’

saidtheKeneu。’Isitpossible？’

’Igivethefacts。Hesaysnothingaboutitnow，buthesitsfumblingthreelettersfromherwhenhethinksI’mnotlooking。WhatamItodo？’

’Speaktohim，’saidtheNilghai。

’Ohyes！Writetoher，——Idon’tknowherfullname，remember，——andaskhertoaccepthimoutofpity。IbelieveyouoncetoldDickyouweresorryforhim，Nilghai。Yourememberwhathappened，eh？GointothebedroomandsuggestfullconfessionandanappealtothisMaisiegirl，whoeversheis。Ihonestlybelievehe’dtrytokillyou；andtheblindnesshasmadehimrathermuscular。’

’Torpenhow’scourseisperfectlyclear，’saidtheKeneu。’HewillgotoVitry—sur—Marne，whichisontheBezieres—LandesRailway，——singletrackfromTourgas。ThePrussiansshelleditoutin’70becausetherewasapoplaronthetopofahilleighteenhundredyardsfromthechurchspireThere’sasquadronofcavalryquarteredthere，——oroughttobe。WherethisstudioTorpspokeaboutmaybeIcannottell。ThatisTorp’sbusiness。Ihavegivenhimhisroute。Hewilldispassionatelyexplainthesituationtothegirl，andshewillcomebacktoDick，——themoreespeciallybecause，touseDick’swords，"thereisnothingbutherdamnedobstinacytokeepthemapart。"’

’Andtheyhavefourhundredandtwentypoundsayearbetween’em。

Dickneverlosthisheadforfigures，eveninhisdelirium。Youhaven’ttheshadowofanexcusefornotgoing，’saidtheNilghai。

Torpenhowlookedveryuncomfortable。’Butit’sabsurdandimpossible。I

can’tdragherbackbythehair。’

’Ourbusiness——thebusinessforwhichwedrawourmoney——istodoabsurdandimpossiblethings，——generallywithnoreasonwhateverexcepttoamusethepublic。Herewehaveareason。Therestdoesn’tmatter。I

shallsharetheseroomswiththeNilghaitillTorpenhowreturns。Therewillbeabatchofunbridled"specials"comingtotowninalittlewhile，andthesewillserveastheirheadquarters。AnotherreasonforsendingTorpenhowaway。ThusProvidencehelpsthosewhohelpothers，and’——heretheKeneudroppedhismeasuredspeech——’wecan’thaveyoutiedbythelegtoDickwhenthetroublebegins。It’syouronlychanceofgettingaway；andDickwillbegrateful。’

’Hewill，——worseluck！Icanbutgoandtry。Ican’tconceiveawomaninhersensesrefusingDick。’

’Talkthatoutwiththegirl。IhaveseenyouwheedleanangryMahdiehwomanintogivingyoudates。Thiswon’tbeatitheasdifficult。Youhadbetternotbehereto—morrowafternoon，becausetheNilghaiandIwillbeinpossession。Itisanorder。Obey。’？

’Dick，’saidTorpenhow，nextmorning，’canIdoanythingforyou？’

’No！Leavemealone。HowoftenmustIremindyouthatI’mblind？’

’NothingIcouldgofortofetchfortocarryfortobring？’

’No。Takethoseinfernalcreakingbootsofyoursaway。’

’Poorchap！’saidTorpenhowtohimself。’Imusthavebeensittingonhisnerveslately。Hewantsalighterstep。’Then，aloud，’Verywell。Sinceyou’resoindependent，I’mgoingoffforfourorfivedays。Saygood—byeatleast。Thehousekeeperwilllookafteryou，andKeneuhasmyrooms。’

Dick’sfacefell。’Youwon’tbelongerthanaweekattheoutside？IknowI’mtouchedinthetemper，butIcan’tgetonwithoutyou。’

’Can’tyou？You’llhavetodowithoutmeinalittletime，andyou’llbegladI’mgone。’

Dickfelthiswaybacktothebigchair，andwonderedwhatthesethingsmightmean。Hedidnotwishtobetendedbythehousekeeper，andyetTorpenhow’sconstanttendernessjarredonhim。Hedidnotexactlyknowwhathewanted。Thedarknesswouldnotlift，andMaisie’sunopenedlettersfeltwornandoldfrommuchhandling。Hecouldneverreadthemforhimselfaslongaslifeendured；butMaisiemighthavesenthimsomefreshonestoplaywith。TheNilghaienteredwithagift，——apieceofredmodelling—wax。HefanciedthatDickmightfindinterestinusinghishands。Dickpokedandpattedthestuffforafewminutes，and，’Isitlikeanythingintheworld？’hesaiddrearily。’Takeitaway。Imaygetthetouchoftheblindinfiftyyears。DoyouknowwhereTorpenhowhasgone？’

TheNilghaiknewnothing。’We’restayinginhisroomstillhecomesback。Canwedoanythingforyou？’

’I’dliketobeleftalone，please。Don’tthinkI’mungrateful；butI’mbestalone。’

TheNilghaichuckled，andDickresumedhisdrowsybroodingandsullenrebellionagainstfate。Hehadlongsinceceasedtothinkabouttheworkhehaddoneintheolddays，andthedesiretodomoreworkhaddepartedfromhim。Hewasexceedinglysorryforhimself，andthecompletenessofhistendergriefsoothedhim。ButhissoulandhisbodycriedforMaisie——Maisiewhowouldunderstand。HismindpointedoutthatMaisie，havingherownworktodo，wouldnotcare。Hisexperiencehadtaughthimthatwhenmoneywasexhaustedwomenwentaway，andthatwhenamanwasknockedoutoftheracetheotherstrampledonhim。’Thenattheleast，’saidDick，inreply，’shecouldusemeasIusedBinat，——forsomesortofastudy。Iwouldn’taskmorethantobenearheragain，eventhoughIknewthatanothermanwasmakinglovetoher。Ugh！whatadogIam！’

Avoiceonthestaircasebegantosingjoyfully——

’Whenwego——go——goawayfromhere，Ourcreditorswillweepandtheywillwail，Ourabsencemuchregrettingwhentheyfindthatthey’vebeengettingOutofEnglandbynextTuesday’sIndianmail。’？

Followingthetramplingoffeet，slammingofTorpenhow’sdoor，andthesoundofvoicesinstrenuousdebate，someonesqueaked，’Andsee，yougoodfellows，Ihavefoundanewwater—bottle——firs’—classpatent——eh，howyousay？Openhimselfinsideout。’

Dicksprangtohisfeet。Heknewthevoicewell。’That’sCassavetti，comebackfromtheContinent。NowIknowwhyTorpwentaway。There’sarowsomewhere，and——I’moutofit！’

TheNilghaicommandedsilenceinvain。’That’sformysake，’Dicksaidbitterly。’Thebirdsaregettingreadytofly，andtheywouldn’ttellme。I

canhearMorten—SutherlandandMackaye。HalftheWarCorrespondentsinLondonarethere；——andI’moutofit。’

HestumbledacrossthelandingandplungedintoTorpenhow’sroom。Hecouldfeelthatitwasfullofmen。’Where’sthetrouble？’saidhe。’IntheBalkansatlast？Whydidn’tsomeonetellme？’

’Wethoughtyouwouldn’tbeinterested，’saidtheNilghai，shamefacedly。

’It’sintheSoudan，asusual。’

’Youluckydogs！Letmesitherewhileyoutalk。Ishan’tbeaskeletonatthefeast。——Cassavetti，whereareyou？YourEnglishisasbadasever。’

Dickwasledintoachair。Heheardtherustleofthemaps，andthetalksweptforward，carryinghimwithit。Everybodyspokeatonce，discussingpresscensorships，railway—routes，transport，water—supply，thecapacitiesofgenerals，——theseinlanguagethatwouldhavehorrifiedatrustingpublic，——rangint，asserting，denouncing，andlaughingatthetopoftheirvoices。TherewasthegloriouscertaintyofwarintheSoudanatanymoment。TheNilghaisaidso，anditwaswelltobeinreadiness。TheKeneuhadtelegraphedtoCairoforhorses；Cassavettihadstolenaperfectlyinaccuratelistoftroopsthatwouldbeorderedforward，andwasreadingitoutamidprofaneinterruptions，andtheKeneuintroducedtoDicksomemanunknownwhowouldbeemployedaswarartistbytheCentralSouthernSyndicate。’It’shisfirstouting，’saidtheKeneu。’Givehimsometips——aboutridingcamels。’

’Oh，thosecamels！’groanedCassavetti。’Ishalllearntoridehimagain，andnowIamsomuchallsoft！Listen，yougoodfellows。Iknowyourmilitaryarrangementverywell。TherewillgotheRoyalArgalshireSutherlanders。Soitwasreadtomeuponbestauthority。’

Aroaroflaughterinterruptedhim。

’Sitdown，’saidtheNilghai。’Thelistsaren’tevenmadeoutintheWarOffice。’

’WilltherebeanyforceatSuakin？’aidavoice。

Thentheoutcriesredoubled，andgrewmixed，thus：’HowmanyEgyptiantroopswilltheyuse？——GodhelptheFellaheen！——There’sarailwayinPlumsteadmarshesdoingdutyasafives—court。——WeshallhavetheSuakin—Berberlinebuiltatlast。——Canadianvoyageursaretoocareful。Givemeahalf—drunkKroomaninawhale—boat。——WhocommandstheDesertcolumn？——No，theyneverblewupthebigrockintheGhinehbend。Weshallhavetobehauledup，asusual。——Somebodytellmeifthere’sanIndiancontingent，orI’llbreakeverybody’shead。——Don’ttearthemapintwo。——It’sawarofoccupation，Itellyou，toconnectwiththeAfricancompaniesintheSouth。——There’sGuinea—worminmostofthewellsonthatroute。’ThentheNilghai，despairingofpeace，bellowedlikeafog—hornandbeatuponthetablewithbothhands。

’ButwhatbecomesofTorpenhow？’saidDick，inthesilencethatfollowed。

’Torp’sinabeyancejustnow。He’sofflove—makingsomewhere，I

suppose，’saidtheNilghai。

’Hesaidhewasgoingtostayathome，’saidtheKeneu。

’Ishe？’saidDick，withanoath。’Hewon’t。I’mnotmuchgoodnow，butifyouandtheNilghaiholdhimdownI’llengagetotrampleonhimtillheseesreason。He’llstaybehind，indeed！He’sthebestofyouall。There’llbesometoughworkbyOmdurman。Weshallcometheretostay，thistime。

ButIforgot。IwishIweregoingwithyou。’

’Sodoweall，Dickie，’saidtheKeneu。

’AndImostofall，’saidthenewartistoftheCentralSouthernSyndicate。

’Couldyoutellme————’

’I’llgiveyouonepieceofadvice，’Dickanswered，movingtowardsthedoor。’Ifyouhappentobecutovertheheadinascrimmage，don’tguard。

Tellthemantogooncutting。You’llfinditcheapestintheend。Thanksforlettingmelookin。’

’There’sgritinDick，’saidtheNilghai，anhourlater，whentheroomwasemptiedofallsavetheKeneu。

’Itwasthesacredcallofthewar—trumpet。Didyounoticehowheansweredtoit？Poorfellow！Let’slookathim，’saidtheKeneu。

Theexcitementofthetalkhaddiedaway。Dickwassittingbythestudiotable，withhisheadonhisarms，whenthemencamein。Hedidnotchangehisposition。

’Ithurts，’hemoaned。’Godforgiveme，butithurtscruelly；andyet，y’know，theworldhasaknackofspinningroundallbyitself。ShallIseeTorpbeforehegoes？’

’Oh，yes。You’llseehim，’saidtheNilghai。

CHAPTERXIII

Thesunwentdownanhourago，IwonderifIfacetowardshome；

IfIlostmywayinthelightofdayHowshallIfinditnownightiscome？

——OldSong。？

’MAISIE，cometobed。’

’It’ssohotIcan’tsleep。Don’tworry。’

Maisieputherelbowsonthewindow—sillandlookedatthemoonlightonthestraight，poplar—flankedroad。SummerhadcomeuponVitry—sur—Marneandparchedittothebone。Thegrasswasdry—burntinthemeadows，theclaybythebankoftheriverwascakedtobrick，theroadsideflowerswerelongsincedead，andtherosesinthegardenhungwitheredontheirstalks。Theheatinthelittlelowbedroomundertheeaveswasalmostintolerable。TheverymoonlightonthewallofKami’sstudioacrosstheroadseemedtomakethenighthotter，andtheshadowofthebigbell—handlebytheclosedgatecastabarofinkyblackthatcaughtMaisie’seyeandannoyedher。

’Horridthing！Itshouldbeallwhite，’shemurmured。’Andthegateisn’tinthemiddleofthewall，either。Inevernoticedthatbefore。’

Maisiewashardtopleaseatthathour。First，theheatofthepastfewweekshadwornherdown；secondly，herwork，andparticularlythestudyofafemaleheadintendedtorepresenttheMelancoliaandnotfinishedintimefortheSalon，wasunsatisfactory；thirdly，Kamihadsaidasmuchtwodaysbefore；fourthly，——butsocompletelyfourthlythatitwashardlyworththinkingabout，——Dick，herproperty，hadnotwrittentoherformorethansixweeks。Shewasangrywiththeheat，withKami，andwithherwork，butshewasexceedinglyangrywithDick。

Shehadwrittentohimthreetimes，——eachtimeproposingafreshtreatmentofherMelancolia。Dickhadtakennonoticeofthesecommunications。Shehadresolvedtowritenomore。WhenshereturnedtoEnglandintheautumn——forherpride’ssakeshecouldnotreturnearlier——shewouldspeaktohim。ShemissedtheSundayafternoonconferencesmorethanshecaredtoadmit。AllthatKamisaidwas，’Continuez，mademoiselle，continueztoujours，’andhehadbeenrepeatingthewearisomecounselthroughthehotsummer，exactlylikeacicada，——anoldgraycicadainablackalpacacoat，whitetrousers，andahugefelthat。

ButDickhadtrampedmasterfullyupanddownherlittlestudionorthofthecoolgreenLondonpark，andhadsaidthingstentimesworsethancontinuez，beforehesnatchedthebrushoutofherhandandshowedherwheretheerrorlay。Hislastletter，Maisieremembered，containedsometrivialadviceaboutnotsketchinginthesunordrinkingwateratwaysidefarmhouses；andhehadsaidthatnotonce，butthreetimes，——asifhedidnotknowthatMaisiecouldtakecareofherself。

Butwhatwashedoing，thathecouldnottroubletowrite？Amurmurofvoicesintheroadmadeherleanfromthewindow。AcavalrymanofthelittlegarrisoninthetownwastalkingtoKami’scook。Themoonlightglitteredonthescabbardofhissabre，whichhewasholdinginhishandlestitshouldclankinopportunely。Thecook’scapcastdeepshadowsonherface，whichwasclosetotheconscript’s。Heslidhisarmroundherwaist，andtherefollowedthesoundofakiss。

’Faugh！’saidMaisie，steppingback。

’What’sthat？’saidthered—hairedgirl，whowastossinguneasilyoutsideherbed。

’Onlyaconscriptkissingthecook，’saidMaisie。

’They’vegoneawaynow。’Sheleanedoutofthewindowagain，andputashawloverhernightgowntoguardagainstchills。Therewasaverysmallnight—breezeabroad，andasun—bakedrosebelownoddeditsheadasonewhoknewunutterablesecrets。WasitpossiblethatDickshouldturnhisthoughtsfromherworkandhisownanddescendtothedegradationofSuzanneandtheconscript？Hecouldnot！Therosenoddeditsheadandoneleaftherewith。Itlookedlikeanaughtylittledevilscratchingitsear。

Dickcouldnot，’because，’thoughtMaisie，’heismind，——mine，——mine。Hesaidhewas。I’msureIdon’tcarewhathedoes。Itwillonlyspoilhisworkifhedoes；anditwillspoilminetoo。’

Therosecontinuedtonoditthefutilewaypeculiartoflowers。TherewasnoearthlyreasonwhyDickshouldnotdisporthimselfashechose，exceptthathewascalledbyProvidence，whichwasMaisie，toassistMaisieinherwork。AndherworkwasthepreparationofpicturesthatwentsometimestoEnglishprovincialexhibitions，asthenoticesinthescrap—bookproved，andthatwereinvariablyrejectedbytheSalonwhenKamiwasplaguedintoallowinghertosendthemup。Herworkinthefuture，itseemed，wouldbethepreparationofpicturesonexactlysimilarlineswhichwouldberejectedinexactlythesameway—