第7章
Accustomedthoughhewastothesightwhichhewasabouttoface，GeraldshiveredslightlyasheopenedthedoorofMr。Fentolin’sroom。Astrangesortoffearseemedtohavecreptintohisbearingandexpression，afearofwhichtherehadbeennotraceswhateverduringthoseterriblehoursthroughwhichhehadpassed-notevenduringthatlastrecklessjourneyacrossthemarshes。Hewalkedwithhesitatingfootstepsacrossthespaciousandloftyroom。Hehadtheairofsomefrightenedcreatureapproachinghismaster。
Yetallthatwasvisibleofthedespotwhoruledhiswholehouseholdindeadlyfearwasthekindlyandbeautifulfaceofanelderlyman，whosestuntedlimbsandbodyweremercifullyconcealed。
Hesatinalittlecarriage，witharugdrawncloselyacrosshischestanduptohisarmpits。Hisbeautifullyshapedhandswereexposed，andhisface；nothingelse。Hishairwasasilverywhite；
hiscomplexionparchment-like，pallid，entirelycolourless。Hiseyeswereasoftshadeofblue。Hisfeaturesweresofinelycutandchiselledthattheyresembledsomeexquisitepieceofstatuary。
Hesmiledashisnephewcameslowlytowardshim。Onemightalmosthavefanciedthattheyoungman’sabjectstatewasasourceofpleasuretohim。
“Soyouarebackagain，mydearGerald。Apleasantsurprise，indeed，butwhatisthemeaningofit？Andwhatofmylittlecommission，eh？“
Theyoungman’sfacewasdarkandsullen。Hespokequicklybutwithoutanysignofeagernessorinterestintheinformationhevouchsafed。
“Thestormhasstoppedallthetrains，“hesaid。“Theboatdidnotcrosslastnight，andinanyeaseIcouldn’thavereachedHarwich。
Asforyourcommission，ItravelleddownfromLondonalonewiththemanyoutoldmetospyupon。IcouldhavestolenanythinghehadifIhadbeenusedtothework。Asitwas-Ibroughtthemanhimself。“
Mr。Fentolin’sdelicatefingersplayedwiththehandleofhischair。
Thesmilehadpassedfromhislips。Helookedathisnephewingentlebewilderment。
“Mydearboy，“heprotested，“come，come，becarefulwhatyouaresaying。Youhavebroughtthemanhimself！Sofarasmyinformationgoes，Mr。JohnP。Dunsterischargedwithaveryimportantdiplomaticcommission。HeisonhiswaytoCologne，andfromwhatIknowabouttheman，Ithinkthatitwouldrequiremorethanyourpersuasionstoinducehimtobreakoffhisjourney。Youdonotreallywishmetobelievethatyouhavebroughthimhereasaguest？“
“IwasatLiverpoolStreetStationlastnight，“Geralddeclared。
“Ihadnoideahowtoaccosthim，andastostealinganyofhisbelongings，Icouldn’thavedoneit。Youmusthearhowfortunehelpedme，though。Mr。Dunstermissedthetrain；sodidI-
purposely。Heorderedaspecial。Iaskedpermissiontotravelwithhim。ItoldhimalieastohowIhadmissedthetrain。I
hatedit，butitwasnecessary。“
Mr。Fentolinnoddedapprovingly。
“Mydearboy，“hesaid，“totriflewiththetruthisalwaysunpleasant。Besides，youareaFentolin，andourloveoftruthisproverbial。Buttherearetimes，youknow，whenforthegoodofotherswemustsacrificeourscruples。SoyoutoldMr。Dunsteraalsehood。“
“Heletmetravelwithhim，“Geraldcontinued。“Wewereallnightgettingabouthalf-wayhere。Then-youknowaboutthestorm，I
suppose？“
Mr。Fentolinspreadouthishands。
“Couldoneavoidtheknowledgeofitheasked。“Suchasighthasneverbeenseen。“
“Wefoundwecouldn’tgettoHarwich，“Geraldwenton。“TheytelegraphedtoLondonandgotpermissiontobringustoYarmouth。
WewereonourwaytoNorwich，andthetrainranofftheline。“
“Anaccident？“Mr。Fentolinexclaimed。
Geraldnodded。
“Ourtrainranoffthelineandpitcheddownanembankment。Mr。
Dunsterhasconcussionofthebrain。HeandIweretakentoamiserablelittleinnnearWymondham。FromthereIhiredamotor-carandbroughthimhere。“
“Youhiredamotor-carandbroughthimhere，“Mr。Fentolinrepeatedsoftly。“Mydearboy-forgivemeifIfindthisalittlehardtounderstand。Yousaythatyouhavebroughthimhere。Hadhenothingtosayaboutit？“
“Hewasunconsciouswhenwepickedhimup，“Geraldexplained。“Heisunconsciousnow。Tbedoctorsaidhewouldremainsoforatleasttwenty-fourhours，anditdidn’tseemtomethatthejourneywoulddohimanyparticularharm。Theroofhadbeenstrippedofftheinnwherewewere，andtheplacewasquiteuninhabitable，soweshouldhavehadtohavemovedhimsomewhere。Weputhiminthetonneauofthecarandcoveredhimup。Theyhavecarriedhimnowintoabedroom，andSarsonislookingafterhim。“
Mr。Fentolinsatquitesilent。Hiseyesblinkedonceortwice，andtherewasacuriouscurveabouthislips。
“Youhavedonewell，myboy，“hepronouncedslowly。“Yourschemeofbringinghimheresoundsalittleprimitive，butsuccessjustifieseverything。“
Mr。Fentolinraisedtohislipsandblewsoftlyalittlegoldwhistlewhichhungfromachainattachedtohiswaistcoat。Almostimmediatelythedooropened。Amanentered，dressedsomberlyinblack，whosebearinganddemeanouralikedenotedtheservant，butwhosephysiquewasthephysiqueofaprize-fighter。Hewasscarcelymorethanfivefeetsixinheight，buthisshoulderswereextraordinarilybroad。Hehadashort，bullneckandlong，mightyarms。Hisface，withtheheavyjawandsmalleyes，wasthefaceofthetypicalfightingman，yethisfeaturesseemedtohavebecomedisposedbyhabitintoanexpressionofgentle，almostservilecivility。
“Meekins，“Mr。Fentolinsaid，“avisitorhasarrived。Doyouhappentohavenoticedwhatluggagehebrought？“
“Thereisonesmalldressing-case，sir，“themanreplied；“nothingelsethatIhaveseen。“
“Thatisallwebrought，“Geraldinterposed。
“Youwillbringthedressing-casehereatonce，“Mr。Fentolindirected，“andalsomycomplimentstoDoctorSarson，andanypocket-bookorpaperswhichmayhelpustosendamessagetothegentleman’sfriends。“
Meekinsclosedthedooranddeparted。Mr。Fentolinturnedbacktowardshisnephew。
“Mydearboy，“hesaid，“tellmewhyyoulookasthoughtherewereghostsflittingabouttheroom？Youarenotill，Itrust？“
“Tired，perhaps，“Geraldansweredshortly。“Weweremanyhoursinthecar。Ihavehadnosleep。“
Mr。Fentolin’sfacewasfullofkindlysympathy。
“Mydearfellow，“heexclaimed，“Iamselfish，indeed！Ishouldnothavekeptyouhereforamoment。Youhadbettergoandliedown。“
“I’llgodirectly，“Geraldpromised。“CanIspeaktoyouforonemomentfirst？“
“SpeaktomeMr。Fentolinrepeated，alittlewonderingly。“MydearGerald，isthereeveramomentwhenIamnotwhollyatyourservice？“
“ThatfellowDunster，ontheplatform，thefirstmomentIspoketohim，mademefeellikeacur，“theboysaid，withasuddenaccessofvigourinhistone。“ItoldhimIwasonmywaytoagolftournament，andhepointedtothenewsaboutthewar。Isittrue，uncle，thatwemaybeatwaratanymoment？“
Mr。Fentolinsighed。
“Aterriblereflection，mydearboy，“headmittedsoftly，“but，alas！
thefingerofprobabilitypointsthatway。“
“ThenwhataboutmeGeraldexclaimed。“Idon’twanttocomplain，butlisten。YoudraggedmehomefromapublicschoolbeforeIcouldevenjoinmycadetcorps。You’vekeptmebangingaroundherewithatutor。Youwouldn’tletmegototheuniversity。You’vestoppedmyenteringeitheroftheservices。Iamnineteenyearsoldanduseless。DoyouknowwhatIshoulddoto-morrowifwarbrokeout？
Enlist！It’stheonlythingleftforme。“
Mr。Fentolinwasshocked。
“Mydearboy！“heexclaimed。“Youmustnottalklikethat！Iamquitesurethatitwouldbreakyourmother’sheart。Enlist，indeed！
Nothingofthesort。Youarepartofthecivilianpopulationofthecountry。“
“Civilianpopulationbed-d！“theboysuddenlycried，whitewithrage。“Uncle，forgiveme，IhavestoodallIcanbear。Ifyouwon’tletmegoinforthearmy-Icouldpassmyexamsto-morrow-I’moff。I’llenlistwithoutwaitingforthewar。Ican’tbearthisidlelifeanylonger。“
Mr。Fentolinleanedalittleforwardinhischair。
“Gerald！“hesaidsoftly。
Theboyturnedhishead，turneditunwillingly。Hehadtheairofacagedanimalobeyingthewordofhiskeeper。Acertainsavageuncouthnessseemedtohavefallenuponhimduringthelastfewminutes。Therewassomethingalmostlikeasnarlinhisexpression。