第104章

Yellowjack，CommanderJaunders，hasbroughtlettersandpapersfromCoventryIsland。H。E。SirThomasLiverseegehadfallenavictimtotheprevailingfeveratSwampton。Hislossisdeeplyfeltintheflourishingcolony。WehearthattheGovernorshiphasbeenofferedtoColonelRawdonCrawley，C。B。，adistinguishedWaterlooofficer。Weneednotonlymenofacknowledgedbravery，butmenofadministrativetalentstosuperintendtheaffairsofourcolonies，andwehavenodoubtthatthegentlemanselectedbytheColonialOfficetofillthelamentedvacancywhichhasoccurredatCoventryIslandisadmirablycalculatedforthepostwhichheisabouttooccupy。”

“CoventryIsland！Wherewasit？Whohadappointedhimtothegovernment？Youmusttakemeoutasyoursecretary，oldboy。”CaptainMacmurdosaidlaughing；

andasCrawleyandhisfriendsatwonderingandperplexedovertheannouncement，theClubwaiterbroughtintotheColonelacardonwhichthenameofMr。

Wenhamwasengraved，whobeggedtoseeColonelCrawley。

TheColonelandhisaide-de-campwentouttomeetthegentleman，rightlyconjecturingthathewasanemissaryofLordSteyne。”Howd’yedo，Crawley？Iamgladtoseeyou。”saidMr。Wenhamwithablandsmile，andgraspingCrawley’shandwithgreatcordiality。

“Youcome，Isuppose，from——“

“Exactly。”saidMr。Wenham。

“ThenthisismyfriendCaptainMacmurdo，oftheLifeGuardsGreen。”

“DelightedtoknowCaptainMacmurdo，I’msure。”Mr。

Wenhamsaidandtenderedanothersmileandshakeofthehandtothesecond，ashehaddonetotheprincipal。

Macputoutonefinger，armedwithabuckskinglove，andmadeaveryfrigidbowtoMr。Wenhamoverhistightcravat。Hewas，perhaps，discontentedatbeingputincommunicationwithapekin，andthoughtthatLordSteyneshouldhavesenthimaColonelattheveryleast。

“AsMacmurdoactsforme，andknowswhatImean。”

Crawleysaid，“Ihadbetterretireandleaveyoutogether。”

“Ofcourse。”saidMacmurdo。

“Bynomeans，mydearColonel。”Mr。Wenhamsaid；

“theinterviewwhichIhadthehonourofrequestingwaswithyoupersonally，thoughthecompanyofCaptainMacmurdocannotfailtobealsomostpleasing。Infact，Captain，Ihopethatourconversationwillleadtononebutthemostagreeableresults，verydifferentfromthosewhichmyfriendColonelCrawleyappearstoanticipate。”

“Humph！”saidCaptainMacmurdo。Behangedtothesecivilians，hethoughttohimself，theyarealwaysforarrangingandspeechifying。Mr。Wenhamtookachairwhichwasnotofferedtohim——tookapaperfromhispocket，andresumed——

“Youhaveseenthisgratifyingannouncementinthepapersthismorning，Colonel？Governmenthassecuredamostvaluableservant，andyou，ifyouacceptoffice，asIpresumeyouwill，anexcellentappointment。Threethousandayear，delightfulclimate，excellentgovernment-

house，allyourownwayintheColony，andacertainpromotion。Icongratulateyouwithallmyheart。I

presumeyouknow，gentlemen，towhommyfriendisindebtedforthispieceofpatronage？”

“HangedifIknow。”theCaptainsaid；hisprincipalturnedveryred。

“Tooneofthemostgenerousandkindestmenintheworld，asheisoneofthegreatest——tomyexcellentfriend，theMarquisofSteyne。”

“I’llseehimd——beforeItakehisplace。”growledoutRawdon。

“Youareirritatedagainstmynoblefriend。”Mr。

Wenhamcalmlyresumed；“andnow，inthenameofcommonsenseandjustice，tellmewhy？”

“WHY？”criedRawdoninsurprise。

“Why？Dammy！”saidtheCaptain，ringinghisstickontheground。

“Dammy，indeed。”saidMr。Wenhamwiththemostagreeablesmile；“still，lookatthematterasamanoftheworld——asanhonestman——andseeifyouhavenotbeeninthewrong。Youcomehomefromajourney，andfind——what？——myLordSteynesuppingatyourhouseinCurzonStreetwithMrs。Crawley。Isthecircumstancestrangeornovel？Hashenotbeenahundredtimesbeforeinthesameposition？Uponmyhonourandwordasagentleman“——Mr。Wenhamhere