Between Snow and Fire — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

. 98 preay ‘SNOW ope grants ube he ab | Though they were at all times the best of friends, the welcome Eustace met with at the hands of Mrs. Hoste on this occasion was of doubtful cordiality. And the reason for this was twofold. First, the fact of his arrival in com- pany with Eanswyth went to confirm her rapidly develop- ing suspicions. Of course, it was a preconcerted arrange- : ment. , Narrowly she scrutinized the pair, and failed not to . discern traces of agitation and anxiety in the demeanour and appearance of, at any rate, one of them, ‘Then, again, ; she had just learned, to her dismay, the intention of her . husband to proceed to the front in a few hours. With this ay defection she did not hesitate to connect Eustace, and she : was right. Wherefore, she regarded him as a treacherous . friend at best and scrupled not to tell him as much. “Tt’s all very well for you, Mr. Milne,” she said. ‘“ You have only got yourself to please. But others haven't, and you ought to have more sense than to aid and abet a couple of responsible fathers of families like Mr. Payne there and my stupid husband in any such foily.” “Ought he?” guffawed the stupid husband aforesaid, from another room where he was cleaning a gun. ‘“ But I say, Ada? How is he to get to the front by himself? It 3 wouldn’t be altogether safe. So, you see, he’s absolutely es dependent on our escort. Eh, Payne?” * Ja,” replied that worthy, laconically. You should be more patriotic, Mrs. Hoste,’ murmured Eustace. ‘ You see, you give us precious poor encourage- ment to die for our country—which process is defined by the poet as a sweet and decorous one.”’ “ Die for your fiddlestick! "” was the half-laughing, half- angry reply. ‘* But, as I said before, it’s all very well for you. Nobody is dependent on you. Nobody cares what becomes of you.” Did they not? There was one in that room to whom his safety was dearer than a hundred lives, whose heart was . well-nigh bursting with unspoken agony at the prospect of the parting which was drawing so near—that parting which should send him forth for weeks, for months perhaps, with | peril and privation for daily companions, Yet she must keep up appearances—must maintain a smooth and un- troubled aspect. Nobody cared for him! The three men were to start an hour before midnight, and with two more whom they were to meet just outside ve ‘ se GEomilecbooks.com