One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

George Meredith
did frivolities came to her by nature to kindle the nature of
the gentleman on the other bank of the stream, and witch
him to the plunge, so greatly mutually regretted after taken:
an old duet to the moon.
Dartrey escaped to the Club, where he had a friend. The
friend was Colonel Sudley, one of the modern studious officers,
not in good esteem with the authorities. He had not
forgiven Dartrey for the intemperateness which cut off a brilliant
soldier from the service. He was reduced to acknowledge,
however, that there was a sparkling defence for him to
reply with, in the shape of a fortune gained and where we
have a Society forcing us to live up to an expensive level,
very trying to a soldier’s income, a fortune gained will offer
excuses for misconduct short of disloyal or illegal. They talked
of the state of the Army: we are moving. True, and at the last
Review, the ‘march past’ was performed before a mounted
generalissimo profoundly asleep, head on breast. Our English
military ‘moving’ may now be likened to Somnolency
on Horseback. ‘Oh, come, no rancour,’ said the colonel; ‘you
know he’s a kind old boy at heart; nowhere a more affectionate
man alive!’
‘So the sycophants are sure of posts!’
‘Come, I say! He’s devoted to the Service.’
‘Invalid him, and he shall have a good epitaph.’
‘He’s not so responsible as the taxpayer.’
‘There you touch home. Mother Goose can’t imagine the
need for defence until a hand’s at her feathers.’
‘What about her shrieks now and then?’
‘Indigestion of a surfeit?’
They were in a laughing wrangle when two acquaintances
of the colonel’s came near. One of them recognized Dartrey.
He changed a prickly subject to one that is generally as acceptable
to the servants of Mars. His companion said: ‘Who
is the girl out with Judith Marsett?’ He flavoured eulogies of
the girl’s good looks in easy garrison English. She was praised
for sitting her horse well. One had met her on the parade, in
the afternoon, walking with Mrs. Marsett. Colonel Sudley
had seen them on horseback. He remarked to Dartrey:
‘And by the way, you’re a clean stretch ahead of us. I’ve
seen you go by these windows, with the young lady on one
side, and a rather pretty woman on the other too.’
‘Nothing is unseen in this town!’ Dartrey rejoined.
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