Captain Desmond, V.C. Part 45

"You're 'fey,' child," she said, as she helped her out of the dandy.

"I shall have you in floods of tears before night."

"No, you won't; I don't feel as if anything _could_ happen to make me cry to-day. Hullo! there's Major Wyndham's horse out there."

Honor started.

"What can he want over here so early? Come in quick and find out."

They hurried through the hall into the dining-room, Evelyn leading, a swift premonition of evil killing the laughter on their lips.

Paul stood by the piano looking at Desmond's photograph; his arms folded; his "February face" more eloquent than he knew.

"Good-morning, Mrs Desmond," he said; and his sympathetic hand-clasp sent her mercurial spirits down to zero.

"What is it?" she asked, blanching visibly. "You have brought bad news?"

Paul a.s.sented in silence.

"If it is very horrible--don't tell me--I won't hear it!" She held up both hands, as if warding off a blow. But Honor, coming quickly forward, put both arms round her.

"Hush, dear, hus.h.!.+" she said soothingly. "That is nonsense. We _must_ know what has happened, at once."

"Let him tell _you_, then; it won't hurt you like it hurts me." And disengaging herself, she went over to the verandah doorway, and stood there, looking out into the suns.h.i.+ne; her back to the room; her small hands clasped; every nerve strained to miss no word of what was pa.s.sing behind her.

Honor turned promptly on Paul, an anguish of suspense in her eyes.

"Is it--the worst?"

"No--no--not that," he rea.s.sured her hastily.

"Tell me everything, please."

"I only know bare facts; the news came by helio. It seems there was a sharp hand-to-hand engagement. The Boy and some of his men were taken by surprise. Just as Theo reached them Denvil was--killed!"

A stifled sound broke from Evelyn.

"And--Theo?" Honor's low voice seemed to come from very far away.

"Theo has been badly cut about. Four wounds. The most serious is a bullet wound in his face--close to the right eye. They seem afraid that he may possibly--lose his sight."

"It is not true--oh, it is _not_ true!" Evelyn's hands went up to her head with a desperate cry. Then she swayed, tottered backward, and fell p.r.o.ne among the sofa cus.h.i.+ons.

"Honor--come to me--I'm frightened!" she moaned, without lifting her head; and in an instant Honor was bending over her, murmuring brave words of encouragement, removing her hat, and mechanically smoothing her hair.

"Is--he still here?" Evelyn asked under her breath.

"Yes, dear. Do you want him?"

"No--no; send him away. I want you--only you!"

Wyndham was already nearing the door and Honor followed him out into the hall.

"You see she's a little off her balance, poor child."

"Yes, I see," he answered wearily. "And I thank G.o.d with all my heart that _you_ are here. Will you tell Mrs Desmond that an escort is returning to-day with Theo and--the Boy. They will reach Kohat to-morrow evening."

Honor straightened herself suddenly.

"I will tell her. To-morrow evening. Does Frank know too?"

"Yes; she was in when I came. It upset her very much. Not a soul in the regiment--officers or men--will have a minute's peace of mind till the result of this wound is known for certain. In all the misery of it, one is proud to realise that."

Something of his own grief showed in his voice for the first time, and Honor's heart contracted with too keen a sympathy.

"Ah, Paul! you speak of it so calmly--as if you were just one with the rest. But I, at least, can guess what the pain and suspense must be for you."

His face softened at the tender inflection of her voice.

"No," he said, "even you cannot guess that. Now go back to his wife.

If I can be of any use at all send for me. I shall not come round otherwise till I bring him here to-morrow evening. I mean to ride out with a small escort and meet them on the way."

Honor found Evelyn rigid and tearless among her cus.h.i.+ons. The strange mingling of coldness and terror in her eyes startled the girl. She hurried to the sofa and knelt down at her side.

"Don't look like that, Evelyn," she said. "It's horrible! Only think, Theo will be here to-morrow evening. Paul told me so just now."

"To-morrow--to-morrow? He will be here, in this house--to-morrow?" She repeated the word with stunned iteration, and there was no feeling in her tone, only an uncanny fear, that chilled the blood in Honor's veins.

"I never thought--it would be so soon. How can we manage about getting away?"

"Getting away--where--in Heaven's name?" Honor rose abruptly. She began to feel as though she were moving in a nightmare.

"Oh, anywhere, away from here. I can't--I won't see him, when he is 'badly cut about' and--half blind. I thought--if you would take me to Murree--Mrs Olliver would be quite glad to look after him. And when he is better, he could come up too. But if--if he is really going to be--blind----"

She closed her eyes and shuddered. No flicker of pity stirred in Honor's heart. It needed all her force of will to control her temper, even for a few minutes longer. But a grim curiosity urged her to discover how far it was possible to travel along such incredible lines of thought and feeling.

"Well, what then?" she demanded coldly.

"Then--I know I could--never come back to him--never!" Theo's wife answered slowly, without raising her eyes, or the look in Honor's face would surely have frozen the words on her lips. "To feel that he was always in the dark would frighten me out of my life. And he would never be left alone, I know. There are so many--others."

But Honor could bear no more. Bending down, she caught hold of Evelyn's shoulders and fairly shook her, as though she would shake her back to life and human feeling. Her blue eyes blazed with indignation.

"How _dare_ you talk like that!" she said in a low note of concentrated wrath. "How dare you think such despicable thoughts! Of course there are others who would give their lives to save him from a minute's pain; and you would let them take your place,--yours? And you can actually expect that _I_--of all people--will back you up in your desertion of him? No indeed! If you go, you go alone; and I shall never have a word to say to you again. I may be speaking hotly, because I am furiously angry. But I mean every word I say; and my actions will prove it. What's more, _I will not let you go_. You _shall_ stand by him, however frightened you may be. You talk of--loving him, and you would treat him as I should be ashamed to treat a dog! Evelyn! Evelyn!"--her voice broke suddenly, and tears started to her eyes,--"tell me you did not mean what you said; or I don't know how I am to go on helping you at all!"

There was more of command than of entreaty in the last words, and Evelyn looked up at the transfigured beauty of her face with a slow s.h.i.+vering sigh.

"You are very wonderful, and very--terrible, Honor," she said. "I never imagined you could be as terrible as that." Then her lips quivered, and she caught at the girl's skirt, drawing her nearer. "You _must_ go on helping me, or everything will go to pieces."

"So long as you remain a loyal wife to--Theo, I cannot choose but do so, with all my heart."