"Some woman stuck them in his ears, I suppose," said Mrs Valetta
fiercely; and she and Miss Cleeve glared at me across their cards. I
stared at them in surprise for a moment, then laughed, though I was not
greatly amused.
"I never thought of that."
"You would have if you had known Kim long," said Mrs Brand dryly.
"I've heard that there have been more men hurt than you can count on
your fingers and toes through a too pressing curiosity about those
ear-rings," some one remarked.
"Yes, a fellow on the Rand once nearly died of that complaint," added
Tommy Dennison. "It is a subject that Kim will stand no ragging about."
"She must have been a very pretty woman," grinned the doctor.
I suddenly felt very tired and low-spirited and longed to go away from
them. I was sick of their wretched card-party. I wondered what all the
"frumps and dowds" were doing and their nice business-like men, and was
inspired to make a remark.
"Do the Fort George men spend their evenings talking scandal also?"
There was absolute silence and then all the men began to grin.
"You can search _me_!" averred Mr Hunloke, but his partner answered
blithely:
"Oh! _they're_ getting ready to tackle Loben."
"There's a lot of dirty work attached to an expedition and some one's
got to do it," Gerry Deshon said. "Blow and Kinsella are up to their
eyes, and a lot of the other fellows here are experienced men in wars
with niggers. None of us would be of much use at present."
"It takes all sorts of men to make a war. Perhaps if we are no good
_now_ we may be when the fighting comes along."
I was rather attracted by this quiet, modest little statement made by
Maurice Stair.
Every one walked home with every one else as usual, and discussed what
they should do the next day to kill time. In the absence of any
authority some bold spirits reverted to the moonlight-picnic plan for
the next evening, but a man said decidedly:
"No good! Kim has got down some inside information from headquarters,
and won't let the horses a mile away from the town."
An important resolution that we should all meet at the tennis-court the
following afternoon was passed, and my sister-in-law was invited to
invite every one to supper and cards in the evening.
"Oh, very well," said she, swathed in languor as usual. "But I've no
genius for entertainment. You'll have to fish for your supper."
"All right, we will," they blithely cried, and announced to me, "You can
bank on us, Miss Saurin. We'll be there."
I did not doubt the fact, but it failed to interest me. I, too, was
wrapped in weariness. Life in Africa seemed to me to be inconceivably
petty.