In Honour's Cause Part 22

"No, he hates it," said Frank hastily.

"Enough to make him," muttered the captain. "But never mind; you must both come and dine with us another time, when we are all Englishmen present. This is a dreary business; but we must make the best of it."

He turned to say something courteous to the heavy, silent officer on his right, but it was coldly received, and after a few words the German turned to converse with one of his fellow-countrymen, others joined in, and the colonel looked more troubled and chagrined than ever.

The dinner went slowly on; and at last, with the conversation princ.i.p.ally carried on by the German guests, who were on more than one occasion almost insolent to their entertainers, the dessert was commenced, several of the officers drawing their chairs closer, and a young ensign, who looked very little older than Frank, whispered to him:

"I heard your father say that you were coming into the army."

"Yes, I hope to," replied the lad.

"Then you set to at once to study German. We shall be having everything German soon."

"Then I shall not join," said Andrew across the table; and the officer on his right laughed.

Sir Robert and Captain Murray were too much occupied now to pay any attention to their young guests, who found the officers below them eager to make up for this, and they began chatting freely, so that this was the pleasantest part of the evening. But at the upper part of the table matters were getting more strained. The colonel and his friends, whom he had placed with the foreign guests, after trying hard all through to make themselves agreeable and to entertain the visitors, had received so many rebuffs that they became cold and silent, while the Germans grew more and more loud in their remarks across the table to each other.

Many of these remarks were broad allusions to the country in which they were and its people, and the annoyance he felt was plainly marked on Sir Robert's brow in deeply cut parallel lines.

Ignoring their hosts, the visitors now began to cut jokes about what they had seen, and from a word here and there which, thanks to his mother, Frank was able to grasp, they were growing less and less particular about what they said.

Baron Steinberg had had a great deal to say in a haughtily contemptuous manner, and Frank noticed that whenever he spoke his friends listened to him with a certain amount of deference, as if he were the most important man present. He noted, too, that when the baron was speaking his father looked more and more stern, but whenever it fell to his lot to interpret something said by the colonel he was most studiously courteous to the guest.

Frank had grown interested in an anecdote being related for his and Andrew's benefit by one of the young officers below, and as it was being told very humorously his back was half turned to the upper part of the table, and he was leaning forward so as not to miss a word. At the same time, though, he was half-conscious that the baron on the colonel's right was talking loudly, and saying something which greatly amused his compatriots, when all at once Sir Robert Gowan sprang to his feet, and Captain Murray cried across the table to him:

"Gowan! for Heaven's sake take no notice."

Frank's heart began to throb violently, as he saw his father dart a fierce look at his brother-officer, and then take a couple of strides up the side of the table to where the baron sat on the colonel's right.

"Gowan, what is the matter?" cried the colonel. "What has he said?"

"I'll interpret afterwards, sir," said Sir Robert, in a deep, hoa.r.s.e voice, "when we are alone;" then fiercely to the baron in German: "Take back those words, sir. It is an insult--a lie!"

The baron sprang to his feet, his example being followed by his brother-officers, and, leaning forward, he seemed about to strike, but with a brutally contemptuous laugh he bent down, caught up his gla.s.s, and threw it and its contents in Sir Robert's face.

Every one had risen now, and Captain Murray made a rush to reach the other side; but before he was half-way there, Frank had seen his father dart forward, there was the sound of a heavy blow, and the German baron fell back with his chair, the crash resounding through the room, but only to be drowned by the fierce roar of voices, as the German officers clapped their hands to their swordless sides, and then made a rush to seize Sir Robert.

The colonel could not speak a word of German, but his looks and gestures sufficed as he sprang before them.

"Keep back, gentlemen!" he said; "I am in ignorance of the cause of all this."

"A most gross insult, sir!" cried Captain Murray angrily.

"Silence, sir!" cried the colonel. "These gentlemen were _my_ guests, and whatever was said Captain Sir Robert Gowan has committed an unpardonable breach of social duty. To your quarters, sir, without a word."

"Right, colonel," replied Sir Robert quietly, as he stood pale and stern, returning the vindictive looks of the German guests, who would have attacked him but for the action taken by his brother-officers.

What took place afterward was confused to Frank by the giddy excitement in his brain; but he was conscious of seeing the baron a.s.sisted to a chair, and then talking in savage anger to his compatriots, while at the other end of the room there was another knot where the younger officers and Captain Murray were with Sir Robert.

"It was a mad thing to do, Gowan," cried the former.

"Flesh and blood could not bear it, lad," replied Frank's father. "Mad?

What would you have done if in the presence of your son those words had been uttered?"

"As you did, old lad," cried Captain Murray, with his face flus.h.i.+ng, "and then stamped my heel upon his face."

There was a low murmur of satisfaction from the young officers around.

"Hah!" said Sir Robert, "I thought so." Then with a quiet smile he caught Andrew's and Frank's hands: "So sorry, my dear boys, to have spoiled your evening. Go now.--Murray, old lad, see them off, and then come to my quarters."

"Oh, Sir Robert," whispered Andrew, clinging to his hand, and speaking in a low, pa.s.sionate voice, "I am glad. That did me good."

"What! You understood his words?"

"I? No."

"That's right! Go now, Frank boy. One moment, my lad. You are suddenly called upon to act like a man."

"Yes, father! What do you want me to do?"

"Keep silence, my lad. Not a word about this must reach your mother's ears."

"Come, Frank, my lad," said Captain Murray gently. "You are better away from here."

The words seemed to come from a distance, but the lad started and followed the captain outside, where the young officers gathered about him, eager to shake hands and tell him that they were all so glad; but he hardly heard them, and it was in a strangely confused way that he parted from Captain Murray, who said that he could go no farther, as he wanted to hurry back to Sir Robert.

Then the two lads were alone.

"What does it all mean, Drew?" cried Frank pa.s.sionately. "Oh, I must go back. It's cowardly to come away from my father now."

"You can't go to him. He'll be under arrest."

"Arrest!" cried Frank.

"Yes, for certain. But don't look like that, lad. It's glorious--it's grand."

"But arrest? He said it was an insult. They can't punish him for that."

"Punishment? Pooh! What does that matter? Every gentleman in the army will shout for him, and the men throw up their caps. Oh, it's grand-- it's grand! And they'll meet, of course; and Sir Robert must--he shall--he will too. He'll run the miserable German through."

"What? Fight! My father fight--with him?"

"Yes, as sure as we should have done after such a row at school."

"But--with swords?"

"Officers don't fight with fists."

"Oh!" cried Frank wildly; "then that's what he meant when he said that my mother must not know."