The Pool in the Desert [84]
but he possessed an articulate soul which found its happiness in expression, and I liked to listen. I feel that these are complicated words to explain a very simple relation, and I pause to wonder what is left to me if I wished to describe his commerce with Mrs. Harbottle. Luckily there is an alternative; one needn't do it. I wish I had somewhere on paper Judy's own account of it at this period, however. It is a thing she would have enjoyed writing and more enjoyed communicating, at this period.
There was a grave reticence in his talk about her which amused me in the beginning. Mrs. Harbottle had been for ten years important enough to us all, but her serious significance, the light and the beauty in her, had plainly been reserved for the discovery of this sensitive and intelligent person not very long from Sandhurst and exactly twenty-six. I was barely allowed a familiar reference, and anything approaching a flippancy was met with penetrating silence. I was almost rebuked for lightly suggesting that she must occasionally find herself bored in Peshawur.
'I think not anywhere,' said Mr. Chichele; 'Mrs. Harbottle is one of the few people who sound the privilege of living.'
This to me, who had counted Mrs. Harbottle's yawns on so many occasions! It became presently necessary to be careful, tactful, in one's implications about Mrs. Harbottle, and to recognize a certain distinction in the fact that one was the only person with whom Mr. Chichele discussed her at all.
The day came when we talked of Robert; it was bound to come in the progress of any understanding and affectionate colloquy which had his wife for inspiration. I was familiar, of course, with Somers's opinion that the Colonel was an awfully good sort; that had been among the preliminaries and become understood as the base of all references. And I liked Robert Harbottle very well myself. When his adjutant called him a born leader of men, however, I felt compelled to look at the statement consideringly.
'In a tight place,' I said--dear me, what expressions had the freedom of our little frontier drawing-rooms!--'I would as soon depend on him as on anybody. But as for leadership--'
'He is such a good fellow that nobody here does justice to his soldierly qualities,' said Mr. Chichele, 'except Mrs. Harbottle.'
'Has she been telling you about them?' I inquired.
'Well,' he hesitated, 'she told me about the Mulla Nulla affair. She is rather proud of that. Any woman would be.'
'Poor dear Judy!' I mused.
Somers said nothing, but looked at me, removing his cigarette, as if my words would be the better of explanation.
'She has taken refuge in them--in Bob Harbottle's soldierly qualities--ever since she married him,' I continued.
'Taken refuge,' he repeated, coldly, but at my uncompromising glance his eyes fell.
'Well?' I said.
'You mean--'
'Oh, I mean what I say,' I laughed. 'Your cigarette has gone out-- have another.'
'I think her devotion to him splendid.'
'Quite splendid. Have you seen the things he brought her from the Simla Art Exhibition? He said they were nice bits of colour, and she has hung them in the drawing-room, where she will have to look at them every day. Let us admire her--dear Judy.'
'Oh,' he said, with a fine air of detachment, 'do you think they are so necessary, those agreements?'
'Well,' I replied, 'we see that they are not indispensable. More sugar? I have only given you one lump. And we know, at all events,' I added, unguardedly, 'that she could never have had an illusion about him.'
The young man looked up quickly. 'Is that story true?' he asked.
'There was a story, but most of us have forgotten it. Who told you?'
'The doctor.'
'The Surgeon-Major,' I said, 'has an accurate memory and a sense of proportion. As I suppose you were bound to get it from somebody, I am glad you got it from him.'
I was not prepared to go on, and saw with some relief that Somers was not either. His silence, as he smoked, seemed to me deliberate; and I had oddly enough at this moment
There was a grave reticence in his talk about her which amused me in the beginning. Mrs. Harbottle had been for ten years important enough to us all, but her serious significance, the light and the beauty in her, had plainly been reserved for the discovery of this sensitive and intelligent person not very long from Sandhurst and exactly twenty-six. I was barely allowed a familiar reference, and anything approaching a flippancy was met with penetrating silence. I was almost rebuked for lightly suggesting that she must occasionally find herself bored in Peshawur.
'I think not anywhere,' said Mr. Chichele; 'Mrs. Harbottle is one of the few people who sound the privilege of living.'
This to me, who had counted Mrs. Harbottle's yawns on so many occasions! It became presently necessary to be careful, tactful, in one's implications about Mrs. Harbottle, and to recognize a certain distinction in the fact that one was the only person with whom Mr. Chichele discussed her at all.
The day came when we talked of Robert; it was bound to come in the progress of any understanding and affectionate colloquy which had his wife for inspiration. I was familiar, of course, with Somers's opinion that the Colonel was an awfully good sort; that had been among the preliminaries and become understood as the base of all references. And I liked Robert Harbottle very well myself. When his adjutant called him a born leader of men, however, I felt compelled to look at the statement consideringly.
'In a tight place,' I said--dear me, what expressions had the freedom of our little frontier drawing-rooms!--'I would as soon depend on him as on anybody. But as for leadership--'
'He is such a good fellow that nobody here does justice to his soldierly qualities,' said Mr. Chichele, 'except Mrs. Harbottle.'
'Has she been telling you about them?' I inquired.
'Well,' he hesitated, 'she told me about the Mulla Nulla affair. She is rather proud of that. Any woman would be.'
'Poor dear Judy!' I mused.
Somers said nothing, but looked at me, removing his cigarette, as if my words would be the better of explanation.
'She has taken refuge in them--in Bob Harbottle's soldierly qualities--ever since she married him,' I continued.
'Taken refuge,' he repeated, coldly, but at my uncompromising glance his eyes fell.
'Well?' I said.
'You mean--'
'Oh, I mean what I say,' I laughed. 'Your cigarette has gone out-- have another.'
'I think her devotion to him splendid.'
'Quite splendid. Have you seen the things he brought her from the Simla Art Exhibition? He said they were nice bits of colour, and she has hung them in the drawing-room, where she will have to look at them every day. Let us admire her--dear Judy.'
'Oh,' he said, with a fine air of detachment, 'do you think they are so necessary, those agreements?'
'Well,' I replied, 'we see that they are not indispensable. More sugar? I have only given you one lump. And we know, at all events,' I added, unguardedly, 'that she could never have had an illusion about him.'
The young man looked up quickly. 'Is that story true?' he asked.
'There was a story, but most of us have forgotten it. Who told you?'
'The doctor.'
'The Surgeon-Major,' I said, 'has an accurate memory and a sense of proportion. As I suppose you were bound to get it from somebody, I am glad you got it from him.'
I was not prepared to go on, and saw with some relief that Somers was not either. His silence, as he smoked, seemed to me deliberate; and I had oddly enough at this moment