Miles and his friend Brown, after their work at the jetty, had chanced to return to the Institute at the moment referred to in the last chapter, when the poor young widow, having become resigned, had been led through the passage to her bedroom. Our hero happened to catch sight of her face, and it made a very powerful impression on him—an impression which was greatly deepened afterwards on hearing of her death.
In the reception-room he found Armstrong still in earnest conversation with his wife.
“Hallo, Armstrong! still here? Have you been sitting there since I left you?” he asked, with a smile and look of surprise.
“Oh no!” answered his friend; “not all the time. We have been out walking about town, and we have had dinner here—an excellent feed, let me tell you, and cheap too. But where did you run off to?”
“Sit down and I’ll tell you,” said Miles.
Thereupon he related all about his day’s experiences. When he had finished, Armstrong told him that his own prospect1 of testing the merits of a troop-ship were pretty fair, as he was ordered for inspection2 on the following day.
“So you see,” continued the young soldier, “if you are accepted—as you are sure to be—you and I will go out together in the same vessel3.”
“I’m glad to hear that, anyhow,” returned Miles.
“And I am very glad too,” said little Emily, with a beaming smile, “for Willie has told me about you, Mr Miles; and how you first met and took a fancy to each other; and it will be so nice to think that there’s somebody to care about my Willie when he is far away from me.”
The little woman blushed and half-laughed, and nearly cried as she said this, for she felt that it was rather a bold thing to say to a stranger, and yet she had such a strong desire to mitigate4 her husband’s desolation when absent from her that she forcibly overcame her modesty5. “And I want you to do me a favour, Mr Miles,” she added.
“I want you to call him Willie,” said the little woman, blushing and looking down.
“Certainly I will—if your husband permits me.”
“You see,” she continued, “I want him to keep familiar with the name I’ve been used to call him—for comrades will call him Armstrong, I suppose, and—”
“Oh! Emmy,” interrupted the soldier reproachfully, “do you think I require to be kept in remembrance of that name? Won’t your voice, repeating it, haunt me day and night till the happy day when I meet you again on the Portsmouth jetty, or may-hap in this very room?”
Miles thought, when he heard this speech, of the hoped-for meeting between poor Mrs Martin and her Fred; and a feeling of profound sadness crept over him as he reflected how many chances there were against their ever again meeting in this world. Naturally these thoughts turned his mind to his own case. His sinful haste in quitting home, and the agony of his mother on finding that he was really gone, were more than ever impressed on him, but again the fatal idea that what was done could not be undone8, coupled with pride and false shame, kept him firm to his purpose.
That evening, in barracks, Miles was told by his company sergeant9 to hold himself in readiness to appear before the doctor next morning for inspection as to his physical fitness for active service in Egypt.
Our hero was by this time beginning to find out that the life of a private soldier, into which he had rushed, was a very different thing indeed from that of an officer—to which he had aspired10. Here again pride came to his aid—in a certain sense,—for if it could not reconcile him to his position, it at all events closed his mouth, and made him resolve to bear the consequences of his act like a man.
In the morning he had to turn out before daylight, and with a small band of men similarly situated11, to muster12 in the drill-shed a little after eight. Thence they marched to the doctor’s quarters.
It was an anxious ordeal13 for all of them; for, like most young soldiers, they were enthusiastically anxious to go on active service, and there was, of course, some uncertainty14 as to their passing the examination.
The first man called came out of the inspection room with a beaming countenance15, saying that he was “all right,” which raised the hopes and spirits of the rest; but the second appeared after inspection with a woe-begone countenance which required no interpretation16. No reason was given for his rejection17; he was simply told that it would be better for him not to go.
Miles was the third called.
As he presented himself, the doctor yawned vociferously18, as if he felt that the hour for such work was unreasonably19 early. Then he looked at his subject with the critical air of a farmer inspecting a prize ox.
“How old are you?” he asked.
“Nineteen, sir.”
“Are you married?”
Miles smiled.
“Did you hear me?” asked the doctor sharply. “You don’t need to smile. Many a boy as long-legged and as young as you is fool enough to marry. Are you married?”
Miles flushed, looked suddenly stern, squared his shoulders, drew himself up with an air that implied, “You won’t catch me tripping again;” and said firmly, yet quite respectfully—
“No, sir.”
The doctor here took another good look at his subject, with a meaning twinkle in his eye, as if he felt that he had touched a tender point. Then he felt his victim’s pulse, sounded his chest, and ordered him to strip. Being apparently20 satisfied with the result of his examination, he asked him if he “felt all right.”
Reflecting that his mother had often told him he was made up of body, soul, and spirit, and that in regard to the latter two he was rather hazy21, Miles felt strongly inclined for a moment to say, “Certainly not,” but, thinking better of it, he answered, “Yes, sir,” with decision.
“Have you anything to complain of?” asked the doctor.
The mind of our hero was what we may style rapidly reflective. In regard to the decrees of Fate, things in general, and his father’s conduct in particular, he had a decided22 wish to complain, but again he laid restraint on himself and said, “No, sir.”
“And do you wish to go to Egypt?”
“Yes, sir!” was answered with prompt decision.
“Then you may go,” said the doctor, turning away with an air of a man who dismisses a subject from his mind.
When all the men had thus passed the medical examination, those of them who were accepted mustered23 their bags and kits24 before Captain Lacey, commander of the company to which they were attached, and those who wanted anything were allowed to draw it from the stores.
Captain Lacey was a fine specimen25 of a British soldier—grave, but kind in expression and in heart; tall, handsome, powerful, about thirty years of age, with that urbanity of manner which wins affection at first sight, and that cool, quiet decision of character which inspires unlimited26 confidence.
As the troop-ship which was to convey them to Egypt was to start sooner than had been intended, there was little time for thought during the few hours in England that remained to the regiment27. The men had to draw their pith helmets, and fit the ornaments28 thereon; then go the quartermaster’s stores to be fitted with white clothing, after which they had to parade before the Colonel, fully7 arrayed in the martial29 habiliments which were needful in tropical climes. Besides these matters there were friends to be seen, in some cases relatives to be parted from, and letters innumerable to be written. Miles Milton was among those who, on the last day in Portsmouth, attempted to write home. He had been taken by Sergeant Gilroy the previous night to one of the Institute entertainments in the great hall. The Sergeant had tried to induce him to go to the Bible-class with him, but Miles was in no mood for that at the time, and he was greatly relieved to find that neither the Sergeant nor any of the people of the Institute annoyed him by thrusting religious matters on his attention. Food, lodging30, games, library, baths, Bible-classes, prayer-meetings, entertainments were all there to be used or let alone as he chose; perfect freedom of action being one of the methods by which it was sought to render the place attractive to the soldiers.
But although Miles at once refused to go to the class, he had no objection to go to the entertainment.
It was a curious mixture of song, recitation, addresses, and readings, in which many noble sentiments were uttered, and not a few humorous anecdotes31 and incidents related. It was presided over by Tufnell, the manager, a soldierly-looking man, who had himself originally been in the army, and who had, for many years, been Miss Robinson’s right-hand man. There could not have been fewer than a thousand people in the hall, a large proportion of whom were red-coats and blue-jackets, the rest being civilians32; and the way in which these applauded the sentiments, laughed at the humour, and rejoiced in the music, showed that the provision for their amusement was thoroughly33 appreciated.
Whether it was the feeling of good-fellowship and sympathy that pervaded34 the meeting, or some word that was dropped at a venture and found root in his heart, Miles could not tell, but certain it is that at that entertainment he formed the resolution to write home before leaving. Not that he had yet repented35 of the step he had taken, but he was sorry for the manner in which he had done so, and for allowing so much time to elapse that now the opportunity of seeing his parents before starting was lost.
As it was impossible for him to write his letter in the noise of the barrack-room, he went off next day to the reading-room of the Institute, and there, with no other sounds to disturb him than the deep breathing of some studious red-coats, and the chirping36 pen of a comrade engaged like himself, he began to write.
But his thoughts somehow would not work. His pen would not write. He even fancied that it had a sort of objection to spell. So it had, when not properly guided by his hesitating hand. The first part went swimmingly enough:—
“Dearest mother,
I’m so sorry—”
But here he stopped, for the memory of his father’s severity re-aroused his indignation, and he felt some doubt as to whether he really was sorry. Then, under the impulse of this doubt, he wrote a long letter, in imagination, in which he defended his conduct pretty warmly, on the ground that he had been driven to it.
“Driven to what?” asked Something within him. “To the course which I have taken and am now defending,” replied Something-else within him hotly.
“Then the course was a wrong one, else you wouldn’t have to defend it!” rejoined the first Something.
Before this internal dispute could be carried further, Miles was aroused by a sudden burst of noisy voices, as if a lunatic asylum38 had been let loose into the hall below. Rising quickly, he hurried down with his studious comrades to see what it could be all about.
“It’s only another troop-ship come in, and they’ve all come up here without giving us warning to get ready,” said Tufnell, as he bustled39 about, endeavouring to introduce order into what appeared to Miles to be the reproduction of Babel, minus the bricks.
The fact was that a troop-ship having arrived rather suddenly, a sergeant had driven up in hot haste from the docks to make arrangements for the reception of the soldiers’ wives and children!
“Look sharp!” he cried, on entering the hall abruptly40; “sixteen families are on their way to you.”
“All right; we can take ’em in,” was the prompt reply; and orders were given to set the food-producing machinery41 of the establishment instantly in motion. But almost before the preparation had fairly begun, the advance-guard of the army, largely composed of infantry42, burst upon them like a thunder-clap, and continued to pour in like a torrent43. There were men shouting, women chattering44, tired children whining45, and excited children laughing; babies yelling or crowing miscellaneously; parrots screaming; people running up and down stairs in search of dormitories; plates and cups clattering46 at the bar, as the overwhelmed barmaids did their best to appease47 the impatient and supply the hungry; while the rumbling48 of control-wagons bringing up the baggage formed a sort of bass49 accompaniment to the concert.
“You see, it varies with us a good deal,” remarked Brown to Miles, during a lucid50 interval51, “Sometimes we are almost empty, a few hours later we are overflowing52. It comes hard on the housekeeper53, of course. But we lay our account wi’ that, and, do you know, it is wonderful what can be done in trying circumstances, when we lay our account wi’ them!—Yes, Miss, it’s all ready!” shouted the speaker, in reply to a soft female voice that came down the wide staircase, as it were, over the heads of the turbulent crowd.
In a moment he disappeared, and Tufnell stood, as if by magic, in his place.
“Yes,” said the manager, taking up his discourse54 where the other had left off; “and in a few minutes you’ll see that most of these wives and children of the soldiers will be distributed through the house in their bed-rooms, when our ladies will set to work to make acquaintance with them; and then we’ll open our stores of warm clothing, of which the poor things, coming as they do from warm climates, are often nearly or quite destitute55.”
“But where do you get these supplies from?” asked Miles.
“From kind-hearted Christians56 throughout the country, who send us gifts of old and new garments, boots and shoes, shawls and socks, etcetera, which we have always in readiness to meet sudden demands; and I may add that the demands are pretty constant. Brown told you just now that we have varied57 experience. I remember once we got a message from the Assistant Quartermaster-General’s office to ask how many women and children we could accommodate, as a shipful was expected. We replied that we could take 140, and set to work with preparations. After all, only one woman came! To-day we expected nobody, and—you see what we have got!”
The genial58 countenance of the manager beamed with satisfaction. It was evident that “what he had got” did not at all discompose him, as he hurried away to look after his flock, while the originator—the heart and soul of all this—although confined to her room at that time with spine59 complaint, and unable to take part in the active work, as she had been wont60 to do in years gone by, heard in her chamber61 the softened62 sound of the human storm, and was able to thank God that her Soldiers’ Institute was fulfilling its destiny.
“Hallo! Miles!” exclaimed Armstrong, over the heads of the crowd; “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. D’you know we run a chance of being late? Come along, quick!”
Our hero, who, in his interest in the scene, had forgotten the flight of time, hurried out after his comrade as the band struck up “Home, sweet Home,” and returned to barracks, utterly63 oblivious64 of the fact that he had left the unfinished letter to his mother on the table in the reading-room.
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1
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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mitigate
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| vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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aspired
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| v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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12
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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13
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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14
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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15
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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rejection
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| n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃 | |
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18
vociferously
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| adv.喊叫地，吵闹地 | |
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19
unreasonably
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| adv. 不合理地 | |
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20
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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21
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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24
kits
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| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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29
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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32
civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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chirping
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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41
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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43
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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44
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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45
whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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46
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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47
appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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48
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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49
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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50
lucid
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| adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的 | |
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51
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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52
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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53
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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54
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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55
destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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56
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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57
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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59
spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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61
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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62
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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63
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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