The committee sat on the first floor in the back drawing-room, whose furniture consisted of a deal table, Windsor chairs, a row of hat-pegs, a wooden box containing coal, half a poker13, two unshaded lights; the walls, from which all the paper had been torn off, were decorated with lists of sub-committees, posters, and rows of figures scrawled14 here and there in pencil. The room was divided from the main drawing-room by the usual folding-doors. The smaller apartment had been chosen in the winter because it was somewhat easier to keep warm than the other one. In the main drawing-room the honorary secretary camped himself at a desk near the fireplace.
When the clock struck, G.J., one of whose monastic weaknesses was a ritualistic regard for punctuality, was in his place at the head of the table, and the table well filled with members, for the honorary secretary's harmless foible was known and admitted. The table and the chairs, the scraping of the chair-legs on the bare floor, the agenda papers and the ornamentation thereof by absent-minded pens, were the same as in the committee's youth. But the personnel of the committee had greatly changed, and it was enlarged—as its scope had been enlarged. The two Lechford hospitals behind the French lines were now only a part of the committee's responsibilities. It had a special hospital in Paris, two convalescent homes in England, and an important medical unit somewhere in Italy. Finance was becoming its chief anxiety, for the reason that, though soldiers had not abandoned in disgust the practice of being wounded, philanthropists were unquestionably showing signs of fatigue15. It had collected money by postal16 appeals, by advertisements, by selling flags, by competing with drapers' shops, by intimidation17, by ruse18 and guile19, and by all the other recognised methods. Of late it had depended largely upon the very wealthy, and, to a less extent, upon G.J., who having gradually constituted the committee his hobby, had contributed some thousands of pounds from his share of the magic profits of the Reveille Company. Everybody was aware of the immense importance of G.J.'s help. G.J. never showed it in his demeanour, but the others continually showed it in theirs. He had acquired authority. He had also acquired the sure manner of one accustomed to preside.
"Before we begin on the agenda," he said—and as he spoke20 a late member crept apologetically in and tiptoed to the heavily charged hat-pegs—"I would like to mention about Miss Trewas. Some of you know that through an admirable but somewhat disordered sense of patriotism21 she has left us at a moment's notice. I am glad to say that my friend Mrs. Carlos Smith, who, I may tell you, has had a very considerable experience of organisation22, has very kindly23 agreed, subject of course to the approval of the committee, to step temporarily into the breach24. She will be an honorary worker, like all of us here, and I am sure that the committee will feel as grateful to her as I do."
As there had been smiles at the turn of his phrase about Miss Trewas, so now there were fervent25, almost emotional, "Hear-hears."
"Mrs. Smith, will you please read the minutes of the last meeting."
Concepcion was sitting at his left hand. He kept thinking, "I'm one of those who get things done." Two hours ago, and the idea of enlisting26 her had not even occurred to him, and already he had taken her out of her burrow27, brought her to the offices, coached her in the preliminaries of her allotted28 task, and introduced several important members of the committee to her! It was an achievement.
Never had the minutes been listened to with such attention as they obtained that day. Concepcion was apparently29 not in the least nervous, and she read very well—far better than the deserter Miss Trewas, who could not open her mouth without bridling30. Concepcion held the room. Those who had not seen before the celebrated31 Concepcion Iquist now saw her and sated their eyes upon her. She had been less a woman than a legend. The romance of South America enveloped32 her, and the romance of her famous and notorious uncle, of her triumph over the West End, her startling marriage and swift widowing, her journey to America and her complete disappearance33, her attachment34 to Lady Queenie, and now her dramatic reappearance.
And the sharp condiment35 to all this was the general knowledge of the bachelor G.J.'s long intimacy36 with her, and of their having both been at Lechford House on the night of the raid, and both been at the inquest on the body of Lady Queenie Paulle on that very day. But nobody could have guessed from their placid37 and self-possessed demeanour that either of them had just emerged from a series of ordeals39. They won a deep and full respect. Still, some people ventured to have their own ideas; and an ingenuous40 few were surprised to find that the legend was only a woman after all, and a rather worn woman, not indeed very recognisable from her innumerable portraits. Nevertheless the respect for the pair was even increased when G.J. broached41 the first item on the agenda—a resolution of respectful sympathy with the Marquis and Marchioness of Lechford in their bereavement42, of profound appreciation43 of the services of Lady Queenie on the committee, and of an intention to send by the chairman to the funeral a wreath to be subscribed44 for by the members. G.J. proposed the resolution himself, and it was seconded by a lady and supported by a gentleman whose speeches gave no hint that Lady Queenie had again and again by her caprices nearly driven the entire committee into a lunatic asylum45 and had caused several individual resignations. G.J. put the resolution without a tremor46; it was impressively carried; and Concepcion wrote down the terms of it quite calmly in her secretarial notes. The performance of the pair was marvellous, and worthy47 of the English race.
Then arrived Sir Stephen Bradern. Sir Stephen was chairman of the French Hospitals Management Sub-committee.
G.J. said:
"Sir Stephen, you are just too late for the resolution as to Lady Queenie Paulle."
"I deeply apologise, Mr. Chairman," replied the aged48 but active Sir Stephen, nervously49 stroking his rather long beard. "I hope, however, that I may be allowed to associate myself very closely with the resolution." After a suitable pause and general silence he went on: "I've been detained by that Nurse Smaith that my sub-committee's been having trouble with. You'll find, when you come to them, that she's on my sub-committee's minutes. I've just had an interview with her, and she says she wants to see the executive. I don't know what you think, Mr. Chairman—" He stopped.
G.J. smiled.
"I should have her brought in," said the lady who had previously50 spoken. "If I might suggest," she added.
A boy scout51, who seemed to have long ago grown out of his uniform, entered with a note for somebody. He was told to bring in Nurse Smaith.
She proved to be a rather short and rather podgy woman, with a reddish, not rosy52, complexion, and red hair. The ugly red-bordered cape3 of the British Red Cross did not suit her better than it suited any other wearer. She was in full, strict, starched53 uniform, and prominently wore medals on her plenteous breast. She looked as though, if she had a sister, that sister might be employed in a large draper's shop at Brixton or Islington. In saying "Gid ahfternoon" she revealed the purity of a cockney accent undefiled by Continental54 experiences. She sat down in a manner sternly defensive55. She was nervous and abashed56, but evidently dangerous. She belonged to the type which is courageous57 in spite of fear. She had resolved to interview the committee, and though the ordeal38 frightened her, she desperately58 and triumphantly59 welcomed it.
"Now, Nurse Smaith," said G.J. diplomatically. "We are always very glad to see our nurses, even when our time is limited. Will you kindly tell the committee as briefly60 as possible just what your claim is?"
And the nurse replied, with medals shaking:
"I'm claiming, as I've said before, two weeks' salary in loo of notice, and my fare home from France; twenty-five francs salary and ninety-five francs expenses. And I sy nothing of excess luggage."
"But you didn't come home."
"I have come home, though."
One of those members whose destiny it is always to put a committee in the wrong remarked:
"But surely, Nurse, you left our employ nearly a year ago. Why didn't you claim before?"
"I've been at you for two months at least, and I was ill for six months in Turin; they had to put me off the train there," said Nurse Smaith, getting self-confidence.
"As I understand," said G.J. "You left us in order to join a Serbian unit of another society, and you only returned to England in February."
"I didn't leave you, sir. That is, I mean, I left you, but I was told to go."
"Who told you to go?"
"Matron."
Sir Stephen benevolently61 put in:
"But the matron had always informed us that it was you who said you wouldn't stay another minute. We have it in the correspondence."
"That's what she says. But I say different. And I can prove it."
Said G.J.:
"There must be some misunderstanding. We have every confidence in the matron, and she's still with us."
"Then I'm sorry for you."
"Do I gather that you went straight from Paris to Serbia?"
"Yes. The unit was passing through, and I joined it."
"But how did you obtain your passport? You had no certificate from us?"
"Oh! No difficulty about that. I am not without friends, as you may say." Some of the committee looked up suspiciously, aware that the matron had in her report hinted at mysterious relations between Nurse Smaith and certain authorities. "The doctor in charge of the Serbian unit was only too glad to have me. Of course, if you're going to believe everything matron says—" Her tone was becoming coarser, but the committee could neither turn her out nor cure her natural coarseness, nor indicate to her that she was not using the demeanour of committee-rooms. She was firmly lodged among them, and she went from bad to worse. "Of course, if you're going to swallow everything matron says—! It isn't as if I was the only one."
"May I ask if you are at present employed?"
"I don't quite see what that's got to do with it," said Nurse Smaith, still gaining ground.
"Certainly not. Nothing. Nothing at all. I was only hoping that these visits here are not inconvenient64 to you."
"Well, as it seems so important, I my sy I'm going out to Salonika next week, and that's why I want this business settled." She stopped, and as the committee remained diffidently and apprehensively65 silent, she went on: "It isn't as if I was the only one. Why! When we were in the retreat of the Serbian Army owver the mahntains I came across by chance, if you call it chance, another nurse that knew all about her—been under her in Bristol for a year."
"Were you in the Serbian retreat, Nurse?"
"If I hadn't been I shouldn't be here now," said Nurse Smaith, entirely67 recovered from her stage-fright and entirely pleased to be there then. "I lost all I had at Ypek. All I took was my medals, and them I did take. There were fifty of us, British, French and Russians. We had nearly three weeks in the mahntains. We slept rough all together in one room, when there was a room, and when there wasn't we slept in stables. We had nothing but black bread, and that froze in the haversacks, and if we took our boots off we had to thaw68 them the next morning before we could put them on. If we hadn't had three saucepans we should have died. When we went dahn the hills two of us had to hold every horse by his head and tail to keep them from falling. However, nearly all the horses died, and then we took the packs off them and tried to drag the packs along by hand; but we soon stopped that. All the bridle-paths were littered with dead horses and oxen. And when we came up with the Serbian Army we saw soldiers just drop down and die in the snow. I read in the paper there were no children in the retreat, but I saw lots of children, strapped69 to their mother's backs. Yes; and they fell down together and froze to death. Then we got to Scutari, and glad I was."
She glanced round defiantly70, but not otherwise moved, at the committee, the hitherto invisible gods of hospitals and medical units. The nipping wind of reality had blown into the back drawing-room. The committee was daunted71. But some of its members, less daunted than the rest, had the presence of mind to wonder why it seemed strange and strangely chilling that a rather coarse, stout72 woman with a cockney accent and little social refinement73 should have passed through, and emerged so successfully from, the unimaginable retreat. If Nurse Smaith had been beautiful and slim and of elegant manners they could not have controlled their chivalrous74 enthusiasm.
"Very interesting," said someone.
Glancing at G.J., Nurse Smaith proceeded:
"You sy I didn't come home. But the money for my journey was due to me. That's what I sy. Twenty-five francs for two weeks' wages and ninety-five francs journey money."
"As regards the journey money," observed Sir Stephen blandly75, "we've never paid so much, if my recollection serves me. And of course we have to remember that we're dealing76 with public funds."
Nurse Smaith sprang up, looking fixedly77 at Concepcion. Concepcion had thrown herself back in her chair, and her face was so drawn78 that it was no more the same face.
"Even if it is public funds," Concepcion shrieked79, "can't you give ninety-five francs in memory of those three saucepans?" Then she relapsed on to the table, her head in her hands, and sobbed80 violently, very violently. The sobs81 rose and fell in the scale, and the whole body quaked.
G.J. jumped to his feet. Half the shocked and alarmed committee was on its feet. Nurse Smaith had run round to Concepcion and had seized her with a persuasive82, soothing83 gesture. Concepcion quite submissively allowed herself to be led out of the room by Nurse Smaith and Sir Stephen. Her sobs weakened, and when the door was closed could no longer be heard. A lady member had followed the three. The committee was positively staggered by the unprecedented84 affair. G.J., very pale, said:
"Mrs. Smith is in competent hands. We can't do anything. I think we had better sit down." He was obeyed.
A second doctor on the committee remarked with a curious slight smile:
"I said to myself when I first saw her this afternoon that Mrs. Smith had some of the symptoms of a nervous breakdown85."
"Yes," G.J. concurred86. "I very much regret that I allowed Mrs. Smith to come. But she was determined87 to work, and she seemed perfectly88 calm and collected. I very much regret it."
Then, to hide his constraint89, he pulled towards him the sheet of paper on which Concepcion had been making notes, and, remembering that a list of members present had always to be kept, he began to write down names. He was extremely angry with himself. He had tried Concepcion too high. He ought to have known that all women were the same. He had behaved like an impulsive90 fool. He had been ridiculous before the committee. What should have been a triumph was a disaster. The committee would bind91 their two names together. And at the conclusion of the meeting news of the affairs would radiate from the committee's offices in every direction throughout London. And he had been unfair to Concepcion. Their relations would be endlessly complicated by the episode. He foresaw trying scenes, in which she would make all the excuses, between her and himself.
"Perhaps it would be simpler if we decided92 to admit Nurse Smaith's claim," said a timid voice from the other end of the table.
G.J. murmured coldly, gazing at the agenda paper and yet dominating his committee:
"The question will come up on the minutes of the Hospitals Management Sub-committee. We had better deal with it then. The next business on the agenda is the letter from the Paris Service de Santé."
He was thinking: "How is she now? Ought I to go out and see?" And the majority of the committee was vaguely93 thinking, not without a certain pleasurable malice94: "These Society women! They're all queer!"
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1
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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facade
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| n.(建筑物的)正面，临街正面；外表 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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paucity
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| n.小量，缺乏 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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suffocation
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| n.窒息 | |
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poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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postal
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| adj.邮政的，邮局的 | |
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intimidation
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| n.恐吓，威胁 | |
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ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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guile
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| n.诈术 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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enlisting
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| v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的现在分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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27
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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bridling
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的现在分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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condiment
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| n.调味品 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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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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ordeals
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| n.严峻的考验，苦难的经历( ordeal的名词复数 ) | |
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ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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broached
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| v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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bereavement
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| n.亲人丧亡，丧失亲人，丧亲之痛 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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44
subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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45
asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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46
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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47
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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50
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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51
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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52
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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53
starched
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| adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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56
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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58
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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benevolently
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| adv.仁慈地，行善地 | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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66
pricking
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| 刺，刺痕，刺痛感 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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69
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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70
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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71
daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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73
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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74
chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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75
blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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76
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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77
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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78
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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79
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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80
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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81
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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82
persuasive
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| adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的 | |
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83
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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84
unprecedented
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| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
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85
breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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86
concurred
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| 同意（concur的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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87
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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88
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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89
constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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90
impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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91
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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92
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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93
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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94
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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