Part 5 (1/2)
One lovely summer evening, a few days before Chung's holiday was to end, and his chief at the Emba.s.sy expected him back again, Marian and I had gone out for a stroll together, and in coming home happened to walk above the little arbour in the shrubbery by the upper path. A seat let into the hedge bank overhung the summer-house, and here we both sat down silently to rest after our walking. As we did so, we heard Chung's voice in the arbour close below, so near and so clear that every word was quite distinctly audible.
”For the last time in England,” he was saying, with a softly regretful cadence in his tone, as we came upon him.
”The _last_ time, Mr. Chung!” The other voice was Effie's. ”What on earth do you mean by that?”
”What I say, Miss Walters. I am recalled to China; I got the letters of recall the day before yesterday.”
”The day before yesterday, and you never told us! Why didn't you let us know before?”
”I did not know you would interest yourselves in my private affairs.”
”Mr. Chung!” There was a deep air of reproach in Effie's tone.
”Well, Miss Walters, that is not quite true. I ought not to have said it to friends so kind as you have all shown yourselves to be. No; my real reason was that I did not wish to grieve you unnecessarily, and even now I would not have done so, only----”
”Only----?”
At this moment I for my part felt we had heard too much. I blushed up to my eyes at the thought that we should have unwittingly played the spy upon these two innocent young people. I was just going to call out and rush down the little path to them; but as I made a slight movement forward, Marian held my wrist with an imploring gesture, and earnestly put her finger on my lips. I was overborne, and I regret to say I stopped and listened. Marian did not utter a word, but speaking rapidly on her fingers, as we all had learnt to do for poor Tom, she said impressively, ”For G.o.d's sake, not a sound. This is serious. We must and ought to hear it out.” Marian is a very clever woman in these matters; and when she thinks anything a point of duty to poor Tom's girl, I always give way to her implicitly. But I confess I didn't like it.
”Only----?” Effie had said.
”Only I felt compelled to now. I could not leave without telling you how deeply I had appreciated all your kindness.”
”But, Mr. Chung, tell me one thing,” she asked earnestly; ”why have they recalled you to Pekin?”
”I had rather not tell you.”
”I insist.”
”Because they are displeased with my foreign tastes and habits, which have been reported to them by some of my fellow-_attaches_.”
”But, Mr. Chung, Uncle says there is no knowing what they will do to you. They may kill you on some absurd charge or other of witchcraft or something equally meaningless.”
”I am afraid,” he answered imperturbably, ”that may be the case. I don't mind at all on my own account--we Chinese are an apathetic race, you know--but I should be sorry to be a cause of grief to any of the dear friends I have made in England.”
”Mr. Chung!” This time the tone was one of unspeakable horror.
”Don't speak like that,” Chung said quickly. ”There is no use in taking trouble at interest. I may come to no harm; at any rate, it will not matter much to any one but myself. Now let us go back to the house. I ought not to have stopped here with you so long, and it is nearly dinner time.”
”No,” said Effie firmly; ”we will not go back. I must understand more about this. There is plenty of time before dinner: and if not, dinner must wait.”
”But, Miss Walters, I don't think I ought to have brought you out here, and I am quite sure I ought not to stay any longer. Do return. Your Aunt will be annoyed.”
”Bother Aunt! She is the best woman in the world, but I must hear all about this. Mr. Chung, why don't you say you won't go, and stay in England in spite of them?”
n.o.body ever disobeys Effie, and so Chung wavered visibly. ”I will tell you why,” he answered slowly; ”because I cannot. I am a servant of the Chinese Government, and if they choose to recall me, I must go.”
”But they couldn't enforce their demand.”
”Yes, they could. Your Government would give me up.”