"Oh, first-cla.s.s," he said in answer to Lewis"s question. "Out and out the best day"s shooting I"ve had in my life. You were an a.s.s not to come, you know. A lot of your friends there, tremendously disappointed too, and entrusted me with a lot of messages for you which I have forgotten."
His companion"s high spirits infected Lewis and he fell into cheery gossip. Then he could contain the news no more.
"I had Tommy up last night on a flying visit. He says that Beauregard wants me to go out to Kashmir again. There has been some threatening of a row up there, and he thinks that as I know the place I might be able to get good information."
"Official?" asked George.
"Practically, yes; but in theory it"s quite off my own bat, and they are good enough to tell me that they will not acknowledge responsibility.
However, it"s a great chance and I am going."
"Good," said the other, and his face and voice had settled into gravity.
"Pretty fair sport up in those parts, isn"t there?"
"Pretty fair? it"s about the best in the world. Your ordinary man who goes the grand tour comes home raving about the sport in the Himalayan foothills, and it"s not to be named with this."
"Good chance too of a first-rate row, isn"t there? Natives troublesome, and Russia near, and that sort of thing?" George"s manner showed a growing enthusiasm.
"A rather good chance. It is about that I"m going, you know."
"Then if you don"t mind, I am coming with you."
Lewis stared, incredulous.
"It"s quite true. I am serious enough. I am doing nothing at the Bar, and I want to travel, proper travelling, where you are not coddled with railways and hotels."
"But it"s hideously risky, and probably very arduous and thankless. You will tire of it in a week."
"I won"t," said George, "and in any case I"ll make my book for that.
You must let me come, Lewie. I simply couldn"t stand your going off alone."
"But I may have to leave you. There are places where one can go when two can"t."
"When you come to that sort of place I"ll stay behind. I"ll be quite under your orders."
"Well, at any rate take some time to think over it."
"Bless you, I don"t want time to think over it," cried George. "I know my own mind. It"s the chance I"ve been waiting on for years."
"Thanks tremendously then, my dear chap," said Lewis, very ill at ease.
"It"s very good of you. I must wire at once to Tommy."
"I"ll take it down, if you like. I want to try that new mare of yours in the dog-cart."
When his host had left the room George forgot to light his pipe, but walked instead to the window and whistled solemnly. "Poor old man," he said softly to himself, "it had to come to this, but I"m hanged if he doesn"t take it like a Trojan." And he added certain striking comments on the ways of womankind and the afflictions of life, which, being expressed in Mr. Winterham"s curious phraseology, need not be set down.
Alice had gone out after lunch to walk to Gledsmuir, seeking in the bitter cold and the dawning storm the freshness which comes from conflict. All the way down the glen the north wind had stung her cheeks to crimson and blown stray curls about her ears; but when she left the little market-place to return she found a fine snow powdering the earth, and a haze creeping over the hills which threatened storm. A mile of the weather delighted her, but after that she grew weary. When the fall thickened she sought the shelter of a way-side cottage, with the purpose of either sending to Glenavelin for a carriage or waiting for the off-chance of a farmer"s gig.
By four o"clock the snow showed no sign of clearing, but fell in the same steady, noiseless drift. The mistress of the place made the girl tea and dispatched her son to Glenavelin. But the errand would take time, for the boy was small, and Alice, ever impatient, stood drumming on the panes, watching the dreary weather with a dreary heart. The goodwife was standing at the door on the look-out for a pa.s.sing gig, and her cry brought the girl to attention.
"I see a machine comin"! I think it"s the Etterick dowg-cairt. Ye"ll get a drive in it."
Alice had gone to the door, and lo! through the thick fall a dog-cart came into view driven by a tall young man. He recognized her at once, and drew up.
"Hullo, Miss Wishart! Storm-stayed? Can I help you?"
The girl looked distrustfully at the very restless horse and he caught her diffidence.
"Don"t be afraid. "What I don"t know about "oases ain"t worth knowin","" he quoted with a laugh; and leaning forward he prepared to a.s.sist her to mount.
There was nothing for it but to accept, and the next minute she found herself in the high seat beside him. Her wraps, sufficient for walking, were scarcely sufficient for a snowy drive, and this, to his credit, the young man saw. He unb.u.t.toned his tweed shooting-cape, and gravely put it round her. A curious dainty figure she made with her face all bright with wind, framed in the great grey cloak.
The horse jibbed for a second and then swung along the wild road with the vigorous ease of good blood skilfully handled. George was puzzling his brain all the while as to how he should tell his companion something which she ought to know. The strong drift and the turns of the road claimed much of his attention, so it is possible that he blurted out his news somewhat baldly.
"Do you know, Miss Wishart, that Lewis Haystoun and I are going off next week? Abroad, you know."
The girl, who had been enjoying the ecstasy of swift motion through the bitter weather, glanced up at him with pain in her eyes.
"Where?" she asked.
"To the Indian frontier. We are going to be special unpaid unofficial members of the Intelligence Department."
She asked the old, timid woman"s question about danger.
"It"s where Lewis was before. Only, you see, things have got into a mess thereabouts, and the Foreign Office has asked him to go out again.
By the by, you mustn"t tell any one about this, for it"s in strict confidence."
The words were meaningless, and yet they sent a pang through her heart.
Had he no guess at her inmost feelings? Could he think that she would talk to Mr. Stocks of a thing which was bound up for her with all the sorrow and ecstasy of life?
He looked down and saw that her face had paled and that her mouth was drawn with some emotion. A sudden gleam of light seemed to break in upon him.
"Are you sorry?" he asked half-unwittingly.
For answer the girl turned her tragic eyes upon him, tried to speak, and faltered. He cursed himself for a fool and a brute, and whipped up an already over-active horse, till it was all but unmanageable. It was a wise move, for it absorbed his attention and gave the poor child at his side a chance to recover her composure.
They came to Glenavelin gates and George turned in. "I had better drive you to the door, in this charming weather," he said. The sight of the pale little face had moved him to deep pity. He cursed his blindness, the blindness of a whole world of fools, and at the same time, with the impotence of the honest man, he could only wait and be silent.
At the door he stopped to unb.u.t.ton his cape from her neck, and even in his nervousness he felt the trembling of her body. She spoke rapidly and painfully.
"I want you to take a message from me to--to--Lewis. Tell him I must see him. Tell him to come to the Midburn foot, to-morrow in the afternoon. Oh, I am ashamed to ask you, but you must tell him." And then without thanks or good-bye she fled into the house.
CHAPTER XIX