General Dysone was himself not only dull, but even a little stiff, as
became a good Briton who had said too much to too great a stranger
overnight. His natural courtesy had become conspicuous; he played
punctilious host all day; and Dollar was allowed to feel that, if he had
come down as a doctor, he was staying on as an ordinary guest, and in a
house where guests were expected to observe the Sabbath. So they all
marched off together to the village church, where the General trumpeted
the tune in his own octave, read the lessons, and kept waking up during
the sermon. There were the regulation amenities with other devout gentry
of the neighborhood; there was the national Sunday sirloin at the
midday meal, and no more untoward topics to make the host's forehead
glisten or the hostess gleam and lower. In the afternoon the whole party
inspected every animal and vegetable on the premises; and after tea the
visitor's car came round.
Originally there had been much talk of his staying till the Monday; the
General went through the form of pressing him once more, but was not
backed up by his wife, who had shadowed them suspiciously all day. Nor
did he comment on this by so much as a sidelong glance at Dollar, or
contrive to get another word with him alone. And the crime doctor,
instead of making any excuse to remain and penetrate these new
mysteries, showed a sensitive alacrity to leave.
Of the nephew, who looked terribly depressed at his departure, he had
seen something more, and had even asked two private favors. One, that he
would keep out of that haunted garden for the next few nights, and try
going to bed earlier; the other an odd request for an almost middle-aged
man about town, but rather flattering to the young fellow. It was for
the loan of his Panama, so that Dollar's hatter might see if he could
not get him as good a one. Paley's was the kind that might be carried up
a sleeve, like the modern handkerchief; he explained that the old
General had given it him.
Dollar tried it on almost as soon as the car was out of sight of
Valsugana--while his young chauffeur was still wondering what he had
done to make the governor sit behind. It was funny of him, just when a
chap might have been telling him a thing or two that he had heard down
there at the coachman's place. But it was all the more interesting when
they got back to town at seven in the evening, and he was ordered to
fill up with petrol and be back at nine, to make the same trip over
again.
"I needn't ask you," the doctor added, "to hold your tongue about
anything you may have heard at General Dysone's. I know you will,
Albert."
And almost by lighting-up time they were shoulder to shoulder on the
road once more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account