Blue Lights: Hot Work in the Soudan Part 29

"Sure am I, madam," said the sergeant, "that they have never forgotten _you_ and your kind--kind--"

"Yes, my husband was _very_ kind to you all," said the widow, observing the delicacy of feeling which stopped the soldier's utterance; "he was kind to every one. But we have heard some rumours that have made me and my daughter very sad. Is it true that a great many men of your regiment were killed and wounded at the battle fought by General McNeill?"

"Quite true, madam," answered the sergeant, glancing at the daughter with some surprise; for Marion was gazing at him with an intensely anxious look and parted lips. "But, thank G.o.d, many were spared!"

"And--and--how are the two fine-looking young men that were so fond of each other--like twins almost--"

"Sure, didn't I tell ye, misthress, that they was both ki--"

"Hold your tongue, Flynn," interrupted the widow, with a forced smile.

"You are one of my most talkative patients! I want to hear the truth of this matter from a man who has come more recently from the scene of action than yourself. What do you think, Mr Hardy?"

"You refer to John Miles and William Armstrong, no doubt, madam," said the sergeant, in a somewhat encouraging tone. "Well, if Flynn says they were killed he has no ground whatever for saying so. They are only reported missing. Of course that is bad enough, but as long as a man is only missing there is plenty of room for hope. You see, they may have managed to hide, or been carried off as prisoners into the interior; and you may be sure the Arabs would not be such fools as to kill two men like Miles and Armstrong; they'd rather make slaves of 'em, in which case there will be a chance of their escaping, or, if we should become friendly again wi' these fellows, they'd be set free."

"I'm so glad to hear you say so, and I felt sure that my desponding patient here was taking too gloomy a view of the matter," said Mrs Drew, with a significant glance at Marion, who seemed to breathe more freely and to lose some of her anxious expression after the sergeant's remarks.

Perhaps at this point a little conversation that took place between Mrs Drew and her daughter that same evening may not be out of place.

"Dear May," said the former, "did I not tell you that Flynn took too gloomy a view of the case of these young soldiers, in whom your dear father was so much interested? But, darling, is it not foolish in you to think so much about Miles?"

"It may be foolish, mother, but I cannot help it," said Marion, blus.h.i.+ng deeply; for she was very modest as well as simple.

"May, dear, I wonder that you can make such an admission!" said the mother remonstratively.

"Is it wrong to make such an admission to one's own mother, when it is true?" asked Marion, still blus.h.i.+ng, but looking straight in her mother's eyes; for she was very straightforward as well as modest and simple!

"Of course not, dear, but--but--in short, Miles is only a--a--soldier, you know, and--"

"_Only_ a soldier!" interrupted Marion, with a flash from her soft brown eyes; for she was an enthusiast as well as straightforward, modest, and simple! "I suppose you mean that he is only a private, but what then?

May not the poorest private in the army rise, if he be but n.o.ble-minded and worthy and capable, to the rank of a general, or higher--if there is anything higher? Possibly the Commander-in-Chief-s.h.i.+p may be open to him!"

"True, my love, but in the meantime his social position is--"

"Is quite as good as our own," interrupted Marion; for she was a desperate little radical as well as an enthusiast, straightforward, modest, and simple!

"You know he let out something about his parents and position, and _of course_ he told the truth. Besides, I repeat that I cannot _help_ loving him, and surely we are not responsible for our affections. We cannot love and hate to order. I might fall in love with--with--well, it's no good talking; but, anyhow, I could not help it. I could be silent if you like, but I could not help myself."

Mrs Drew seemed a little puzzled how to deal with her impetuous daughter, and had begun to reply, when May interrupted her. Flus.h.i.+ng deeply, for she was very sensitive, and with a feeling that amounted almost to indignation, she continued--

"I wonder at you, mother--it's so unlike you; as if those unworthy considerations of difference of rank and station could influence, or ought to influence, one in such a question as this!"

Mrs Drew paused for a moment. She knew that her daughter gave expression to the views that had marked the dealings of the husband and father, so lately lost to them, in every action of his life. Marion's happiness, too, during the remainder of her days, might be involved in the result of the present conversation, and she was moved to say--

"My dear, has John Miles ever spoken to you?"

"Oh! mother, how can you ask me? If he had done so, would I have delayed one minute in letting you know?"

"Forgive me, dearest. I did you wrong in admitting the thought even for a moment. But you spoke so earnestly--as if you might have some reason for thinking that he cared for you."

"Don't you know," answered Marion, looking down, and a little confused, "that men can speak with their eyes as well as their lips? I not only feel sure that he cares for me, but I feel sure, from the sentiments he expressed to me on the voyage, that _nothing_ would induce him to talk to me of love while in his present position."

"How does all this consist, my love," asked Mrs Drew, "with your knowledge of the fact that he left home in anger, and would not be persuaded, even by your dear father, to write home a penitent letter?"

Marion was silent. This had not occurred to her before. But love is not to be turned from its object by trifles. She was all that we have more than once described her to be; but she was not a meta-physician or a philosopher, capable of comprehending and explaining occult mysteries.

Enough for her if she loved Miles and Miles loved her, and then, even if he did not deserve her love, she would remain true--secretly but unalterably true--to him as the needle is to the pole!

"Has it not occurred to you, dear," said her mother, pursuing her advantage in a meditative tone, "that if Miles has been so plain-spoken and eloquent with his blue eye, that your pretty brown ones may have said something to _him_?"

"Never!" exclaimed the girl, with an indignant flash. "Oh! mother, can you believe me capable of--of--no, I never looked at him except with the air of a perfect stranger--at least of a--a--but why should I try to deny what could not possibly be true?"

Mrs Drew felt that nothing was to be gained from pursuing the subject-- or one aspect of it--further.

"At any rate," she said, "I am glad, for his own sake, poor young fellow, that Sergeant Hardy spoke so hopefully."

"And for his comrades' sakes as well," said Marion. "You know, mother, that his friend Armstrong is also reported as missing, and Stevenson the marine, as well as that dear big bluff sailor, Jack Molloy. By the way, do you feel well enough to go to the lecture to-night? It is to be a very interesting one, I am told, with magic-lantern ill.u.s.trations, and I don't like to go alone."

"I am going to-night, so you may make your mind easy," said her mother.

"I would not miss this lecturer, because I am told that he is a remarkably good one, and the hall is likely to be quite full."

In regard to this lecture and some other things connected with the Alexandrian Inst.i.tute, our friend Sergeant Hardy learned a good deal from the lady at the head of it, not long after the time that Mrs Drew had the foregoing conversation with Marion.

It is scarcely needful to say that the Lady-Superintendent was a capable Christian as well as an enthusiast in her work.

"Come to my room, Sergeant Hardy, and I'll tell you all about it," she said, leading the way to her apartment, where the sergeant placed himself upon a chair, bolt upright, as if he were going to have a tooth drawn, or were about to ill.u.s.trate some new species of sitting-drill.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

SHOWS HOW THE LADY OF THE INSt.i.tUTE DISCOURSES TO THE SERGEANT, HOW JACK-TARS GO OUT ON THE SPREE, AND HOW MUSIC CONQUERS WARRIORS.

"It seems wonderful to me, madam," said Sergeant Hardy, looking round the lady's room with an admiring gaze, "how quickly you have got things into working order here. When I remember that last year this place was a heap of rubbish, it seems like magic."

"Ah! the work of G.o.d on earth seems magical the more we reflect on it,"

returned the lady. "The fact that our Inst.i.tute was conceived, planned, and carried into successful operation by an invalid lady, in spite of discouragement, and, at first, with inadequate means, is itself little short of miraculous, but what is even more surprising is the fact that the Government, which began by throwing cold water on her Portsmouth work, has ended by recognising it and by affording us every facility here in Alexandria."

"Well, you see, madam, I suppose it's because they see that we soldiers and sailors likes it, an' it does a power o' good--don't you think?"

"No doubt, but whatever may be the reason, Sergeant, we are very thankful for the encouragement. I suppose you have heard what a grand occasion our opening day was?"

"No, madam, I haven't. You see, away at Suakim we was so constantly taken up with the attentions of Osman Digna that we had little time for anything but eatin' and sleepin' when we wasn't on sentry an' fightin', so that we often missed bits of news. Was there a great turn-out o'

men?"

"Indeed there was," returned the lady, with animation; "and not only of men, but of all the Alexandrian notables. It was on the 23rd of February last (1885) that our Inst.i.tute was opened by Major-General Lennox, V.C., C.B., who was in command of the garrison. This was not the first time by any means that the soldiers had paid us a visit. A number of men, who, like yourself, Sergeant Hardy, sympathise with our work in its spiritual aspects, had been frequently coming to see how we were getting on, and many a pleasant hour's prayer and singing we had enjoyed with them, accompanied by our little harmonium, which had been sent to us by kind friends in England; and every Sunday evening we had had a little service in the midst of the shavings and carpenters'

benches.

"But on this grand opening day the men came down in hundreds, and a great surprise some of them got--especially the sceptical among them.

The entrance was decorated with palms. At the further end of the reading-room the trophy of Union Jacks and the Royal Standard, which you see there now, was put up by a band of Jack-tars who had come to help us as well as to see the fun. Over the trophy was our text, `In the name of the Lord will we set up our banners,' for we liked to feel that we had taken possession of this little spot in Egypt for G.o.d--and we believe that it will always be His.