PART V
CHAPTER I
GREATER THAN DEATH
"If you ask me," said Bertie Oakes, propping himself up in an elegantattitude against a pillar of the Club verandah, "it's my belief thatthere's going to be--a bust-up."
"Nobody did ask you," observed Tommy rudely.
He generally was rude nowadays, and had been haled before a subalterns'court-martial only the previous evening for that very reason. Thesentence passed had been of a somewhat drastic nature, and certainly hadnot improved his temper or his manners. To be stripped, boundscientifically, and "dipped" in the Club swimming-bath till, as Oakesput it, all the venom had been drenched out of him, was an experiencefor which only one utterly reckless would qualify twice.
Tommy had come through it with a dumb endurance which had somewhatspoilt the occasion for his tormentors, had gone back to The GreenBungalow as soon as his punishment was over, and for the first time haddrunk heavily in the privacy of his room.
He sat now in a huddled position on the Club verandah, "looking like asick chimpanzee" as Oakes assured him, "ready to bite--if he dared--at amoment's notice."
Mrs. Ralston was seated near. She had a motherly eye upon Tommy.
"Now what exactly do you mean by a 'bust-up,' Mr. Oakes?" she asked withher gentle smile.
Oakes blew a cloud of smoke upwards. He liked airing his opinions,especially when there were several ladies within earshot.
"What do I mean?" he said, with a pomposity carefully moulded upon theColonel's mode of delivery on a guest-night. "I mean, my dear Mrs.Ralston, that which would have to be suppressed--a rising among thenative element of the State."
"Ape!" growled Tommy under his breath.
Oakes caught the growl, and made a downward motion with his thumb whichonly Tommy understood.
Mrs. Burton's soft, false laugh filled the pause that followed hispronouncement. "Surely no one could openly object to the conviction of anative murderer!" she said. "I hear that the evidence is quiteconclusive. Captain Monck has spared no pains in that direction."
"Captain Monck," observed Lady Harriet, elevating her long nose, "seemsto be exceptionally well qualified for that kind of service."
"Set a thief to catch a thief, what?" suggested Oakes lightly. "Yes, heseems to be quite good at it. Just as well in a way, perhaps. Someonehas got to do the dirty work, though it would be preferable for all ofus if he were a policeman by profession."
It was too carelessly spoken to sound actively malevolent. But Tommy,with his arms gripped round his knees, raised eyes of bloodshot fury tothe speaker's face.
"If any one could take a first class certificate for dirty work, itwould be you," he said, speaking very distinctly between clenched teeth.
A sudden silence fell upon the assembly. Oakes looked down at Tommy, andTommy glared up at Oakes.
Then abruptly Major Ralston, who had been standing in the backgroundwith a tall drink in his hand, slouched forward and let himself downponderously on the edge of the verandah by Tommy's side.
"Go away, Bertie!" he said. "We've listened to your wind instrument longenough. Tommy, you shut up, or I'll give you the beastliest physic Iknow! What were we talking about? Mary, give us a lead!"
He appealed to his wife, who glanced towards Lady Harriet with a hint ofembarrassment.
Major Ralston at once addressed himself to her. He was never embarrassedby any one, and never went out of his way to be pleasant without goodreason.
"This murder trial is going to be sensational," he said, "I've just gotback from giving evidence as to the cause of death and I have it on goodauthority that a certain august personage in Markestan is shaking in hisshoes as to the result of the business."
"I have heard that too," said Lady Harriet.
It was a curious fact that though she was always ready, and would evengo out of her way, to snub the surgeon's wife, she had never once beenother than gracious to the surgeon.
"I don't suppose he will be actively implicated. He's too wily forthat," went on Major Ralston. "But there's not much doubt according toBarnes, that he was in the know--very much so, I should imagine." Heglanced about him. "Mrs. Ermsted isn't here, is she?"
"No dear. I left her resting," his wife said. "This affair is verytrying for her--naturally." He assented somewhat grimly. "I wonder shestayed for it. Now Tessa on the other hand yearns for the murderer'shead in a charger. That child is getting too Eastern in her ideas. Itwill be a good thing to get her Home."
Mrs. Burton intervened with a simper. "Yes, she really is a naughtylittle thing, and I cannot say I shall be sorry when she is gone. Mysmall son is at such a very receptive age."
"Yes, he's old enough to go to school and be licked into shape," saidMajor Ralston brutally. "He flings stones at my car every time I pass. Ishall stop and give him a licking myself some day when I have time."
"Really, Major Ralston, I hope you will not do anything so cruel,"protested Mrs. Burton. "We never correct him in that way ourselves."
"Pity you don't," said Major Ralston. "An unlicked cub is an insult tocreation. Give him to me for a little while! I'll undertake to improvehim both morally and physically to such an extent that you won't knowhim."
Here Tommy uttered a brief, wholly involuntary guffaw.
"What's the matter with you?" said Ralston.
"Nothing." His gloom dropped upon him again like a mantle. "Have youbeen at Khanmulla all day?"
"Yes; a confounded waste of time it's been too." Ralston took a deepdrink and set down his glass.
"You always think it's a waste of time if you can't be doctoringsomebody," muttered Tommy.
"Don't be offensive!" said Ralston. "I know what's the matter with you,my son, but I should keep it to myself if I were you. As a matter offact I did give medical advice to somebody this afternoon--which ofcourse he won't take."
Tommy's face was suddenly scarlet. It was solely the maternal protectiveinstinct that induced Mrs. Ralston to bend forward and speak.
"Do you mean Captain Monck, Gerald?" she asked.
Major Ralston cast a comprehensive glance around the little groupassembled near him, finishing his survey upon Tommy's burningcountenance. "Yes--Monck," he said. "He's staying with Barnes atKhanmulla to see this affair through. If I were Mrs. Monck I should bepretty anxious about him. He says it's insomnia."
"Is he ill?" It was Tommy who spoke, his voice quick and low, all thesullen embarrassment gone from his demeanour.
The doctor's eyes dwelt upon him for a moment longer before he answered."I never saw such a change in any man in such a short time. He'll have abad break-down if he doesn't watch out."
"He works too hard," said Mrs. Ralston sympathetically.
Her husband nodded. "If it weren't for that sickly baby of hers, Ishould advise his wife to go straight to him and look after him. Butperhaps when this trial is over he will be able to take a rest. I shallorder the whole family to Bhulwana if I get the chance." He got up withthe words, and faced the company with a certain dogged aggressivenessthat compelled attention. "It's hard," he said, "to see a fine chap likethat knocked out. He's about the best man we've got, and we can't affordto lose him."
He waited for someone to take up the challenge, but no one showed anyinclination to do so. Only after a moment Tommy also sprang up as ifthere was something in the situation that chafed him beyond endurance.
Ralston looked at him again, critically, not over-favourably. "Where areyou off to in such a hurry?" he said.
Tommy hunched his shoulders, all defiance in a second. "Going for aride," he growled. "Any objection?"
Ralston turned away. "None whatever, my young porcupine. Have mercy onyour nag, that's all--and don't break your own neck!"
Tommy strode wrathfully away to the sound of Mrs. Burton's titteringlaugh. With the exception of Mrs. Ralston, who really did not count, hehated every one of the party that he left behind on the Club verandah,and he did not attempt to disguise the fact.
But when an hour later
he rolled off his horse in the compound of thepoliceman's bungalow at Khanmulla, his mood had undergone a completechange. There was nothing defiant or even assertive about him as heapplied for admittance. He looked beaten, tried beyond his strength.
It was growing rapidly dark as he followed Barnes's _khansama_ into thelong bare room which he used as his private office. The man brought hima lamp and told him that the _sahibs_ would be back soon. They had gonedown to the Court House again, but they might return at any time.
He also brought him whisky and soda which Tommy did not touch, spendingthe interval of waiting that ensued in fevered tramping to and fro.
He had not seen Monck alone since the evening of Tessa's birthday-partynearly three weeks before. On the score of business connected with theapproaching trial, Monck had come to Khanmulla immediately afterwards,and no one at Kurrumpore had had more than an occasional glimpse of himsince. But he meant to see him alone now, and he had given very explicitinstructions to that effect to the servant, accompanied by a substantialspecies of persuasion that could not fail to achieve its object.
When the sound of voices told him at last of the return of the two men,he drew back out of sight of the window while the obsequious _khansama_went forth upon his errand. Then a moment or two later he heard themseparate, and one alone came in his direction. Everard entered with thegait of a tired man.
The lamp dazzled him for a second, and Tommy saw him first. He smotheredan involuntary exclamation and stepped forward.
"Tommy!" said Monck, as if incredulous.
Tommy stood in front of him, his hands at his sides. "Yes, it's me. Ihad to come over--just to have a look at you. Ralston said--said--oh,damn it, it doesn't matter what he said. Only I had to--just come andsee for myself. You see, I--I--" he faltered badly, but recoveredhimself under the straight gaze of Everard's eyes--"I can't get thethought of you out of my mind. I've been a damn' cur. You won't want tospeak to me of course, but when Ralston started jawing about you thisafternoon, I found--I found--" he choked suddenly--"I couldn't stand itany longer," he said in a strangled whisper.
Monck was looking full at him by the merciless glare of the lamp on thetable, which revealed himself very fully also. All the grim lines in hisface seemed to be accentuated. He looked years older. The hair above histemples gleamed silver where it caught the light.
He did not speak at once. Only as Tommy made a blind movement as if togo, he put forth a hand and took him by the arm.
"Tommy," he said, "what have you been doing?"
Out of deep hollows his eyes looked forth, indomitable, relentless asthey had ever been, searching the boy's downcast face.
Tommy quivered a little under their piercing scrutiny, but he made noattempt to avoid it.
"Look at me!" Monck commanded.
He raised his eyes for a moment, and in spite of himself Monck wassoftened by the utter misery they held.
"You always were an ass," he commented. "But I thought you had morestrength of mind than this."
Tommy made an impotent gesture. "I'm a beast--I'm a skunk!" he declared,with tremulous vehemence. "I'm not fit to speak to you!"
The shadow of a smile crossed Monck's face. "And you've come all thisway to tell me so?" he said. "You've no business here either. You oughtto be at the Mess."
"Damn the Mess!" said Tommy fiercely. "They'll tell me I rattedto-morrow. I don't care. Let 'em say what they like! It's you thatmatters. Man, how infernally ill you look!"
Monck checked the personal allusion. "I'm not ill. But what have youbeen up to? Are you in a row?"
Tommy essayed a laugh. "No, nothing serious. The blithering idiotsducked me yesterday for being disrespectful, that's all. I don't care.It's you I care about, Everard, old chap!"
His voice held sudden pleading, but his face was turned away. He hadmeant to say more, but could not. He stood biting his lips desperatelyin a mute struggle for self-control.
Everard waited a few seconds, giving him time; then abruptly he moved,slapped a hand on Tommy's shoulder and gave him a shake.
"Tommy, don't be so beastly cheap! I'm ashamed of you. What's thematter?"
Tommy yielded impulsively to the bracing grip, but he kept his faceaverted. "That's just it," he blurted out. "I feel cheap. Fact is, Icame--I came to ask you to--forgive me. But now I'm here,--I'm damned ifI have the cheek."
"What do you want my forgiveness for? I thought I was the transgressor."Everard's voice was a curious blend of humour and sadness.
Tommy turned to him with a sudden boyish gesture so spontaneous as tooverride all barriers. "Oh, I know all that. But it doesn't count. See?I don't know how I ever had the infernal presumption to think it did, orto ask you--you, of all men--to explain your actions. I don't want anyexplanation. I believe in you without, simply because I can't help it. Iknow--without any proof,--that you're sound. And--and--I beg your pardonfor being such a cur as to doubt you. There! That's what I came to say.Now it's your turn."
The tears were in his eyes, but he made no further attempt to hide them.All that was great in his nature had come to the surface, and there wasno room left for self-consciousness.
Monck realized it, and it affected him deeply, depriving him of thepower to respond. He had not expected this from Tommy, had not believedhim capable of it. But there was no doubting the boy's sincerity.Through those tears which Tommy had forgotten to hide, he saw the oldloving trust shine out at him, the old whole-hearted admiration andhonour offered again without reservation and without stint.
He opened his lips to speak, but something rose in his throat,preventing him. He held out his hand in silence, and in that wordlessgrip the love which is greater than death made itself felt betweenthem--a bond imperishable which no earthly circumstance could ever againviolate--the Power Omnipotent which conquers all things.