After that they walked about for a while, but the day was terribly
hot, and all too soon the process of seeing London on foot amid the
dust of a torrid July began to lose its charm for Melia. Besides, had
they not seen the best of London already? Piccadilly Circus, it was
true, was a washout; but they had seen Buckingham Palace, the Houses
of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, and the outside of
Madame Tussaud's. Even in such a place as London what else was there to
compare with these glories?
Such skepticism, however, was not according to the book, and the
Special Providence which had been detailed to look after them on this
entrancing day was soon able to bring that fact to their notice. For
when they had come to the quadriga at the southwestern extremity of
the Green Park, an equestrian piece which in the opinion of Corporal
Hollis would have done no discredit to the recognized masterpieces in
Blackhampton's famous gallery, and they had sincerely admired it and
the Corporal had placed his judgment on record, lo! beyond the arch, a
short stone's throw away, a certain Bus, 26 by name, the exact replica
of Bus 49, that immortal machine, was miraculously awaiting them.
Bus 26 was going to the Zoölogical Gardens. And the highly efficient
Special Providence who had the arrangements in hand had contrived to
book two places on the top. That is to say its conductor informed the
Corporal with an indulgent smile that there was just room outside for
one and a little one. Whether the conductor would have extended the
same accommodating politeness to a mere civilian belongs to the region
of conjecture, but room was undoubtedly found for the Corporal's lady,
and by taking upon his knee a future Wellington--under the shadow of
whose effigy the pleasing incident occurred--in the person of a Boy
Scout in full panoply of war, the gallant Corporal contrived to make
room for himself also.
At the Zoölogical Gardens they admired George, although rather glad to
find that he was only a distant relation. They pitied the polar bears,
they shuddered at the pythons, the parrots charmed them, the larger
carnivora impressed them deeply! and then the Corporal looked at his
watch, found it was a quarter to four and promptly ordered an ample
repast for two persons.
The Genie in attendance made no bones at all about finding a small
private table for them, beneath the shade of a friendly deodar which
gave a touch of the Orient to the northwestern postal district and
there they sat for one sweet and memorable hour. Perhaps it was the
sweetest, most memorable hour that life so far had given them. She
admired this man of hers in a way she had long ceased expecting to
admire him; she was proud of him, she was grateful to him for the
great sacrifice he was making. And when the inner Corporal had been
comforted, a crude fellow who has to be humored even in moments of
feeling, and he had lit a Blackhampton Straight Cut, a famous sedative
known from Bond Street to Bagdad, he took the hand of the honest woman
opposite.
Somehow he was glad to think that she belonged to him. The rather pale
face, the careworn eyes, the tired smile were all he had to nerve him
for the task ahead. These his only talisman in this grim hour. Yet, a
true knight, he asked no more. She was his, a homely thing but a good
and faithful one, who had once believed in him, who had come to believe
in him again. He was able to recall the sacrifices she had made for
him, for her faith in him, for her vision of him. As he looked across
at her he felt content to bear the gauge of this honest, doggedly
courageous woman who had helped to buckle on his armor. He must see
that he didn't disgrace her.
There was not much to say to one another. At the best of times they
were seldom articulate. But she was able to tell him that she would be
very lonely without him. And she made him promise solemnly to do his
best to come back to her safely.
"You mean it?" He knew she meant it, but he allowed himself the luxury
of embarrassing her. There was a subtle pleasure in it, even if it was
not quite fair.
"You know I do, Bill. I'll be that lonely."
Poor old girl! Of course she would be lonely. It made him sigh a little
when he thought how lonely she would be. He looked at her with a rather
queer softness in his eyes. Their marriage seemed to have brought them
no luck in anything. A time there had been, a time less than a year
ago, when he had felt very thankful that there had been no children to
hasten their steady, hopeless drift downhill. Now, however, it was a
different story. Poor Melia! Her hand responded to the pressure of his
fingers; and a large tear crept slowly into eyes that had known them
perhaps too seldom.
"Never mind, Mother," he said softly. "I mean to come back."
"Yes, Bill." The words had a curious intensity. "I mean you to.
I've set my mind on it. And if you really set your mind on a thing
happening----"
He loved the spirit in her, even if he felt obliged to touch wood as a
concession to the manes of wisdom. It didn't do to boast in times like
these.
Presently they noticed that the heat was less. Bill looked again at
his watch and then they realized that the hour of parting had drawn
much nearer. Reluctantly they got up and left the gardens, so putting
an end to an hour of life they would never forget. Then arm in arm
they walked to Euston which was not far off, where the Corporal
retrieved his kit from the Canteen and exchanged a valedictory smile
with a R.S.P., although he didn't feel like smiling. Thence by Tube
to Waterloo. It was their first experience of this medium of travel.
Even in Blackhampton, in so many ways the home of modernity, Tubes were
unknown; they seemed exclusively, rather bewilderingly, metropolitan.
The attendant Genie had to be watchful indeed to prevent their going
all round London en route from Euston to Waterloo, but it was so
alive to its duties that they were only once baffled and then but
temporarily. Thus in the end they found themselves on a seat on
Platform Six with a full hour to wait for the Southampton train.
She left him at the carriage door, a few minutes before he was due out
on his own grim journey, so that she might have plenty of time to catch
the train for the north. Minute instructions had to be given to enable
her to do this, for London is a bewildering maze to those not up to its
ways. But the Corporal's lady had a typical Blackhampton head, a thing
cool, resolute, hardy in the presence of any severe demand upon it; and
he was quite sure, and she was quite sure, that she would be able to
catch the 8:55 from Euston, no matter what traps were laid for her.
It was a very simple good-by, but yet they were torn by it in a way
they had hardly expected. She with her worn face and tired eyes was all
there was to hold him to life--she and a terrible, impersonal sense
of duty which seemed to frighten him almost. As he watched the drab
figure disappear among the crowd on the long platform he couldn't help
wondering....
But it was no use wondering. He must set his teeth and get his head
down and try to stick it no matter what the dark fates had in store.