They wont let me in, old chap; no such luck. Its a ghastly outlook. What on earth am I to do with myself while the war lasts?
My dear chap, I exclaimed, it wont be as bad as all that. There will be thousands of men who wont go to the war. I shant be surprised if you see very little difference about town even when the wars in full swing. You cant go, although you want to, and its jolly bad luck, old man. Dont think I dont understand, but, believe me, you wont be the only man left in London by a million or two.
I know, he said penitently, Im grousing and worrying you. Sorry! But I can see you setting out for the Temple in the morning and leaving your house on fire. It wouldnt make it easier simply because you knew you werent able to do anything to put out the fire. In fact, it would make it a jolly lot worse. Still, well cut that and change the subject. When you get back from Invermalluch give me a look up. I expect I shall be here. And, of course, give my kindest regards to Miss McLeod oh, and the General, he added, as an afterthought.
I will, indeed, I promised readily, and Ill wire you the train Im coming back by. I should like you to meet it, and we can spend the few remaining days I have together. If you dont get past the doctor I should like you to keep your eye on one or two things for me while Im away.
Of course, anything you like. The more the merrier, he answered readily; and the poor fellow brightened visibly at the thought of being able to do something for a pal.
We taxied round the corner with my kit, and joined the others at the grill room. They were both in the highest of spirits, Jack, of course, in particular. He had been told that his intimate knowledge of motors and motor-cycles would be of great advantage to him, and he had been advised on all hands to join as a despatch-rider. In imagination he already saw himself up to the most weird pranks on his machine, many of which, much to the gratification of his friends, and just as much to his own astonishment, were proved later to have a solid foundation in fact. Over dinner we discussed the question of applying for commissions.
Oh, dash it, no, said Jack; Im going to Berlin on the old snorter.
Commissions are off quite out of the question, Tommy agreed with emphasis. To begin with, it means waiting, which is absurd; and in the second place I object to any attempt to travel first-class. Its silly and snobbish, to put the kindest construction on it. If Ive got to join this excursion Im willing to go where they like to put me, and if necessary Ill hang on behind.
I record this remark because it was the last that I ever heard poor Tommy Evans make in this connection; and I think the reader will agree it was just what one would have expected of him.
We said good-bye after dinner. They all wanted to come to the station to see me off, but I was anxious to be alone with Dennis.
The others in any case had plenty to do, and I could scarcely let them sacrifice their last few hours of liberty to come and see me off. I rather expected that the excitement of the war would have prevented a lot of people travelling, but the reverse was the case. There seemed to be more people than ever on the platform, and I could not get a corner seat even in the Fort William coach. I bundled my things into a carriage and took up as much room as I could, and then Dennis and I strolled about the platform until the train was due to start.
Strange mixtures of humanity you see on a railway platform, Dennis remarked presently.
Very, I agreed. I daresay there are some very curious professions represented here.
This chap, for instance, said Dennis, indicating a youth in a tweed jacket and flannel trousers. He might be anything from an M.P.s private secretary to an artists model, for all we know. I should say hes a journalist; he knows his way through a crowd as only journalists do.
A typical Yorkshire cattle-dealer in his Sunday best, I suggested, as we passed another passenger. And so we went the length of the platform making rough guesses as to the professions of my fellow travellers. Suddenly I noticed a tall man, wearing a tweed cap and a long covert-coat, his hands in his pockets, a stumpy cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth. His hair was gray, and his face bore signs of a tough struggle in early youth. His complexion was of that curious gray-yellow one sees frequently in America and occasionally in Denmark something quite distinct from the bronze-gray of many colonials. I nudged Dennis.
What did you make of that? I asked him after we had passed.
I should be much more interested to know what that made of us, he replied.
Nothing, I should think, I answered carelessly. Why, the mans eyes were nearly closed, he was half asleep. I bet he hasnt taken the slightest notice of anyone for the past ten minutes. You could commit a murder under his nose and he wouldnt see it.
I think not, said Dennis quietly. I fancy that if you took out a cigarette-case as you passed him he would be able to tell you afterwards how many cigarettes you had left in the case, what brand they were, and what the monogram on the front was. If youve any murders to commit, Ronnie, I should be careful to see that our American friend is some thousands of miles away.
Good heavens, you old sleuth! I exclaimed in astonishment. I never saw a more innocent-looking man in my life.
I hate innocent people, said Dennis emphatically; they are usually dangerous, and seldom half as innocent as they look.
But what makes you think this man is only pretending to look like a dreaming, unobservant idiot, and why do you call him American so definitely?
He may or may not be American; but we have to give him a name for purposes of classification, Dennis explained. In any case his overcoat was made in the States; the cut of the lapels is quite unmistakable. I knew an American who tried everywhere to get a coat cut like that over here, and failed. As to his being observant, you seem to have overlooked one important fact. There the man stands, apparently half asleep. Occasionally he displays a certain amount of life tucks his papers more tightly under his arms, and so on. Now, the man who has been dreaming on a station platform and is obviously going by the train would wake up to look at the clock, or glance round to see how many are travelling, and generally take an interest in the bustle of the station. But this man doesnt. Why? Because he only wakes up when his interest wanders, and that is only when he has seen all he wants to see for the moment. When we pass him the second time he will probably appear to be more awake, unless there is someone else passing him in the other direction, simply because he has seen us and sized us up and dismissed us as of no interest; or, more likely, stowed us away in his capacious memory, and, having no further use for us, he forgets to appear disinterested.
Good Lord, Dennis! I exclaimed, Id no idea you ever noticed things so keenly. What do you think he is a detective?
Either that or a criminal. They are the same type of mind. One is positive and the other negative, thats all. Well turn back and test him as we pass him. Talk golf, or fishing, or something.
So we commenced a half-hearted conversation on trout flies, and as we approached the American I was explaining the deadly nature of the Red Palmer after a spate and the advisability of including Greenwells Glory on the same cast. Unfortunately, as we passed our man there were three other people coming towards us, and he was gazing over the top of the carriage with the same dreaming look that had, according to Dennis, deceived me before. But we were hardly abreast of him when his stick shot up in front of us. His arm never moved at all; it was done with a quick jerk of the wrist.