Part 31 (2/2)

”His language,” said Bland, ”would be a tremendous scoop for me. Could you--?”

”No,” I said, ”I couldn't. I don't know him, and even if I did--”

”Oh, well,” said Bland, ”it can't be helped. And, any way, I dare say I shouldn't have been able to get my telegram through. The wires are sure to be blocked.”

CHAPTER XXII

I looked at my watch and found that it was three o'clock. The battle had lasted more than two hours.

”I had no idea,” I said to Bland, ”that fighting was such interesting work. The time has flown.”

”I'm uncommonly hungry,” said Bland. ”Let's try and find something to eat.”

When he mentioned the subject of eating I found that I too was very hungry. I felt, however, that it was scarcely right, certainly it was not suitable to sit down to luncheon in a club while a revolution was in full swing under the windows. People ought to be serious immediately after battles.

”Oughtn't we to be doing something?” I asked.

”Doing what?”

”Well, I don't know. Seeing after the wounded, perhaps.”

Attending to wounded men is properly speaking work for women; but both Lady Moyne and Marion were in London.

”There are sure to be a few somewhere,” I said. ”They've been fighting all over the town, and I don't suppose the soldiers were as careful everywhere else as they were here.”

”Are you a surgeon as well as a lord?” asked Bland.

”Oh no. I don't know anything about surgery. My idea--”

”Then I expect the wounded, if there are any, would rather you left them alone. Besides, a town like this must have hundreds of doctors in it. They'll all be out after the wounded by this time as keen as vultures. It isn't every day that an ordinary pract.i.tioner gets the chance of gouging out bullets. They wouldn't let you interfere with their sport even if you paid them. There won't, as a matter of fact, be nearly enough wounded to go round the profession. They'd hate to have an amateur chipping in. Let's forage about a bit and get some food.”

It was not very easy to find food in the club, and the only surviving waiter was still undressing c.l.i.thering. But Bland is a good forager.

He found two dressed crabs somewhere, and then came upon a game pie. I let him have the dressed crabs all to himself. He is a much younger man than I am and is a war correspondent. He ought to be able to digest anything.

I fully intended to eat three helpings of game pie, for I was very hungry; but before I had finished the first of them I was interrupted.

Crossan stalked into the room. He was the last man I wanted to see.

His appearance and manner are, at the best of times, tragic.

c.l.i.thering had been with me, off and on, most of the day, so I had got rather tired of tragedy.

”I think it right to inform your lords.h.i.+p,” said Crossan, ”that Mr.

G.o.dfrey D'Aubigny has just been arrested in the streets.”

”Good!” I said. ”I hope that whoever has him won't let him go.”

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