The battalion was not an hour returned from the longest, hottest,
dustiest and most exhausting route march yet experienced.
Macgregor was stretched on his bed, a newspaper over his face, when
an orderly shook him and shoved a visiting card into his hand.
'She's waitin' ootside,' he said and, with a laugh, departed.
Macgregor rubbed his eyes and read:
MRS. ROBERT PURDIE.
13, _King's Mansions, W_ _3rd Wednesday._
'Oh, criffens!' he groaned. 'Ma aunt!' And proceeded with more
haste than alacrity to tidy himself, while wondering what on earth
she had come for.
Willie, scenting profit in a rich relation, though not his own,
proffered his company, which was rather curtly refused.
Nevertheless, he followed his friend.
Macgregor joined his aunt in the blazing sunshine. Her greeting
was kindly if patronizing.
'Sorry to keep ye waitin', Aunt Purdie,' he said respectfully. 'If
I had kent ye was comin'----'
'I understood a good soldier was always prepared for any
emergency----'
'Excep' when he's aff duty, mistress.' This from Willie, who had
taken up his position a little way behind Macgregor, an
ingratiating grin on his countenance.
Aunt Purdie drew up her tall, gaunt, richly-clad figure and
examined Private Thomson through eye-glasses on a long
tortoise-shell handle.
'Macgregor, who is this gentleman?'
'It's jist Wullie Thomson,' said Macgregor, annoyed but reluctant
to hurt his friend's feelings. 'D'ye no mind him?'
'I have a very exclusive memory for faces. . . Dear me, he is
going away!'
It was so. Either the glasses, or being called a gentleman, or
both, had been too much even for Willie.
'Is the colonel in the vicinity?' Aunt Purdie demanded, recalling
Macgregor's wondering gaze from the retreating figure.
'I couldna say. He's liker to be in a cauld bath.'
'You have, of course, informed him who your uncle is?'
'Me an' the colonel ha'ena done much hob-nobbin' as yet,' Macgregor
said, smiling.
'His mother used to obtain her groceries from your uncle. If you
could have presented the colonel to me--well, never mind. I
presume the major is on the _quee vive_.'
'He'll be ha'ein' a wash an' brush up, I wud say.'
'But why are you not being drilled or digging up trenches or firing
guns----'
'We're a' deid men this efternune. Had a big rout mairch the day.'
'Oh, indeed! Well, when does the band play?'
'The baun's burstit wi' the rout mairch. It couldna blaw the ash
aff a ceegarette. I'm rael sorry----'
'I would like to inspect the apartments you live in. Pray conduct
me----'
'Some o' the chaps is cleanin' theirsel's. If ye like, I'll tell
them to hurry up or get ablow the blankets.'
'Certainly not!' said Mrs. Purdie with decision. 'Is there no
tea-room adjacent?'
'Jist the canteen. I doobt I couldna I tak' ye inside, but I
could fetch ye oot a drink--something T. T., I suppose?'
She waved the offer away. 'Is there nothing to be perceived or
observed in this camp?' she inquired with some impatience.
Her nephew scratched his head. 'Weel,' he said at last, 'there's
the view frae this end, an' there's the view frae the ither end.
I'm sorry ye've come when there's naething daein'.'
'So am I. However, it is not the time to indulge in
discriminations. Your uncle thought it was better for me to come
than to write a letter.'
'Is onything wrang wi' ma uncle?' Macgregor asked anxiously.
'Barring an invidious bunion, he is in his usual health. But we
are going to Aberdeen to-morrow, for a fortnight, and we have
invited your intended to come with us. She----'
'Christina! But she canna gang awa' to Aberdeen when----' He
stopped short, at a loss. He had an appointment with Christina for
the following evening. Surely----
'I arranged with Miss Tod this morning. Christina will be writing
to you, I presume.'
'She--she's gaun wi' ye?'
'Certainly--D.V., of course.'
'For a--a fortnicht?'
'The change will be good for her. You must not be selfish. Your
uncle was afraid you might be put out: that is why I came to
explain. But apart from the beneficial change, Christina, as I
observed to your uncle, ought to see the world while she is young.'
Macgregor answered nothing. Possibly he did not catch her latter
remarks. Christina going away for a fortnight, and he might be
ordered abroad at any moment!
'Come,' said his aunt, kindly enough, 'don't be huffy.'
Mercifully, just then an officer passed. In the action of saluting
Macgregor regained self-control.
'I hope ye get guid weather at Aberdeen,' he managed to say, and
his aunt admired him even more than at the hour of his enlistment.
'Yer uncle an' me jist wishes ye was free to jine us,' she said
with unwonted warmth and homeliness of accent. Her hand went to
the fastening of her purse, and hesitated. No! Something told her
this was not the moment for a gift, however splendid.
'Well, I must be going,' she remarked, stiffening again. 'Kindly
conduct me to the exit. I thought there would have been more to
inspire the mind in this place. . . . Good-bye. We will take good
care of Christina.'
* * * * *
Never in his life had Macgregor been so deeply hurt and
angered--not even in the old days by Aunt Purdie, who was not now
the object of his resentment.
Willie, who always tried to make the best of things, insults not
excepted, approached presently with a hopeful appeal for a loan.
'Gang to blazes!' was the response.
Willie could scarce believe his ears. 'Macgreegor! did she no
cough up onything?'
Macgregor walked on.
'An' she fancies hersel' for a ---- swell!' exclaimed Willie
viciously.
'Anither word an' I'll knock the face aff ye!'
It was Willie's turn to feel resentment.
In the evening came a note from Christina, hurriedly written. She
was terribly busy getting ready for the morning train. It was most
kind of Mrs. Purdie. Her own uncle must have let drop to Mr.
Purdie that a summer outing this year was not possible, and Mr.
Purdie must have told Mrs. Purdie. . . . Of course, she,
Christina, would never have dreamed of going away otherwise. But
the time would soon pass, Mac, and she intended to enjoy it
thoroughly. . . .
If only she had left out that last sentence! But what true lover
has not been stabbed by something very like it in his time?