Part 21 (2/2)
”But of course it must.” Her good, calm eyes showed surprise, and her broad, white, matronly bosom was a little fluttered. ”Doesn't the Bible teach us that the Deluge covered the whole earth? Even Hammy and Berta can tell you the whole story about Noah, and the raven--and the dove.”
He smoothed his moustache with a palm that wiped the smile out.
”I must get them to tell it me one of these days.” The twinkle in his eye was not to be repressed. ”It would save such a deal of trouble to believe there was only one Noah, and only one Ark, don't you know?”
Her motherly bosom panted.
”_My_ children shall _never_ believe anything else!”
He was grave and sympathetic, though a muscle in his thin cheek twitched.
”I believe the toy Ark of our happy childish memories is built, if not of gopher-wood, at least upon the lines laid down in Scripture. Has Hammy ever tried to get his to float? Mine invariably used to sink--straight to the bottom of the bath. Perhaps that continually-recurrent catastrophe had something to do with the sapping of my infant faith, or the establishment of a sinking-fund of doubt regarding the veracity of the Noachian reporter?”
She leaned towards him, her placid grey eyes dilating with pity for this man.
”You ought to come and sit under our minister Mr. Oddris, on Sundays. Pray do. He would convince you if anybody could. Such an eloquent, able, well-informed man, and so _truly pious_ and _brave_!”
The laugh perforce escaped him. The convincing Apostle Oddris had called on him at official headquarters that day, to inquire whether, as the said Oddris's wife and children were going to the Women's Laager, his place as a husband and father was not by their side? Being informed that able-bodied male beings were not included in the list of the defenceless, he had become importunate in the matter of at least a bomb-proof shelter to be erected in his back-yard.
”I had rather sit under Hammy and hear about Noah, with Berta on the other knee.”
Her heart went out wholly to him.... 'Out of the mouths of babes.' ...
Wasn't _that_ one of the texts with promise?...
”You love children?”
”Bless the little beggars!” he said heartily, ”they're the jolliest company in the world.”
She leaned towards him, palpitating between her shyness of the Commander of the Garrison and her womanly curiosity to know more about the man.
”Hammond--the Mayor has told me--I hope it is not indiscreet to mention it--that the first thing you did, on joining your regiment in India as a young subaltern, was to gather all the European children in cantonments together and march them through the place, playing 'The Girl I Left Behind Me' on the flute.”
His brow grew black as thunder. The utterance came, terse and sharp.
”Ma'am, you have been gravely misinformed.”
She jumped in terror.
”Oh!... Can it be?... Colonel, I do so beg you to forgive me! Let me a.s.sure you that neither the Mayor nor myself will ever again repeat the story.”
”Ma'am, if you do ...”
”But I promise, never ...”
”Ma'am, if you never do, at least remember that the flute was an ocarina.”
He left the good soul in an ecstasy of giggles, and crossed to Lady Hannah. She welcomed him with a glitter of eyes and teeth and discovered the reserve-chair that had been covered by her somewhat fatigued and wilted draperies of maize Liberty-silk, veiled with black Maltese lace.
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