The Devil's Garden

a foot and nearly come down when he entered the room and bowed to his judges; an

is fate lay in their hands; and the other one was a secretary-not the General Secretary-not even a gentleman, if one could draw any inference from his

om. He had given Dale a half smile, and it had been welcome as a ray of sunlight on the darkest day of winter. Instinct

e. His blood was hurrying thickly, his heart beat laboriously, his collar stuck clammily to his perspiring neck. His sense of bodily fatigue was as great as if he had run a mil

stinctly-spoken by the one they called Sir John; and the one that Sir

in. Were they talking of him and not of the soldier? He caught a few other broken phrases of enigmatic import-such as "storm in t

of the room. Clock, map, and calendar; some busts on top of a bookless bookcase; red turkey carpet, the treacherous parquetry, and these stiff-looking chairs-really that was all. The emptiness and tidiness surprised him, and he began to wonder what the Postmaster-General's room was like. Surely there would be

him to the table. He slowly marched acro

ters handed to him by the secretary. "We have gone into this matter very car

ar his throat before uttering the two words.

t of trouble-really an i

ght this time. "Trouble, sir, is a thing we can't none of us get a

d taking trouble, and there is

ad unexpectedly raised his eyes-"are those who take most and make

Here it is. We have gone through it carefully-and there's plenty of it. Well, the p

o hear i

f your letters does not appear

hought I followed

t the spirit. There is an arrogance-

e was offe

that you would not in any

knew I hadn't

ubordination becomes impo

terrupted h

rds will be more comprehens

d, and spok

ws. I won the Rowland Hill Fourth Class Annual a

e, making a clumsy bow, went on very submissively. "However you

he opinion I have derived from the correspondence is that you w

hould be your

Sir John sharply. "The impudence of a little

no such expr

ng to your superiors, any more than you could i

ad raised his voice to a high pitch. "That's wha

an you can keep your temper now;" and he leaned back

pened and shut his mouth

le, if by my bruskness and apparent lack of consideration I put you to a little test. But

a whisper. "Do they lodge a charge a

onfidential, and it is not perhaps my

ccused, he should at least

n efficient servant, but that your efficiency-at any rate, in the position you have held of late-has been marred by what seem

Ridgett, he said he found everything in apple-p

Mr. Ri

sir-what you se

ecessity of avoiding friction with the public. We have to remember that we are the servants of the public, and

s,

e required; a dictatorial method is not so much resented. But in a country village, in a residential neighborhood, where high and low

assure you I am not a bully, nor o

ession of irascibility ju

g lost sight of; they seemed to have drifted away into a discussion of good and bad manners, while he wanted to get back to the great issue of right and wrong, justice or

if I spoke up too hot. But, sir," and he bowed to Sir John, "you were wishi

accepting the smiles as a happy aug

eat deal; and that it has dragged on until-naturally-it begins to prey on one's mind. I am like to that extent shaken and off my balance; but I beg, as no more than is due, gentlemen, that you won't take me for quite the man u

? They appear to have shown an incli

ed with me, sir-and perhaps with them too. They mayn't have be

el spoke inste

nst you from the village. Your neighbors, Mr. D

he moved his hands spasmodically-"Of course I've long expected I'd enemies." Then he snorted. "But

him, and to others

st me, there's a many more

t done so," said

ively necessary, and no answer could evolve itself. Hesitation would be interpreted as the sign of a guilty conscience. And in this

perceptible: "From the vicar downwards, there's many would have spok

l, w

ted out here. From the hour I knew I was to be heard at headquarters, I said this is now between

said the Colonel, wi

ence that, having heard me, you'd bear me out as d

confidence had gone, and only his courage remained. These men were hostile to him; they had prejudged him; their deadly politeness and their airs

e great personage who might have spoken up for him. Oh, why hadn't he allowed Mavis to write a second time imploring aid? "Gentlemen-" He echoed the word twice, and then was able to go on. "My desire has ever bin to conduct t

nce and prevail; and instinct told him that he would speak in vain. Nevertheless, he succeeded in

o. It was seven-thirty-five P.M. Miss Yorke was at the instrument. I was here"-and he moved

Sir John, "you are going

ith determination, "I must commence at the co

have be

have examined me, but I

e other two, assumed an attitude of pati

brave. He struggled on stanchly. With a throbbing at his temples, a prickly heat on his chest, a clammy coldness in his spine-with his voice sounding harsh and querulous, or dull

t reaching his man-to-man finale

ment, M

in, and was talking both t

. Just for

Dale had gone ba

nerves relaxed, and a wave of sick despair came rolling upward from viscera to brain. He knew now with absolute certain

ughed genially-"he said I w

understand it. Somebody, as he gathered dully, was demanding an inter

ldn't take 'No'

Sir John said to the young

her chair to the table. Then footsteps sounded in the corridor, and Sir John and the Colonel smilingly tu

er was Mr.

to them pleasantly and chaffingly, and there was more laughter; then he nodded to Dale; then

proaching aid. He had been going down in the deep, cruel waters, with the longed-for lights of home, the adored face o

ck of to-day's appointment, he determined to go right down there and beard the lions in their den. He had also spoken of a nephew of Sir John's, who was coming to have a bang at the Abbey partridges in September. He further remi

t had been melted, and as if it was streaming

is quite true that I know Mr. Dale personally. Indeed, he and his wife ha

d by the noble turn of that last phrase. Friends! Nothing mo

want my friend to come out of it all right-as I

there mingled a cowardly joy that he had not been left to fight things out alone and be beaten, that succor had come at the supreme moment. Ardent

ot admire s

tuously as if he had been wearing all the gold and glitter of his Privy Councilor's uniform. His face seemed to Dale like the mask of a Roman emperor-a high-bridged delicate nose, thin gray hair combed back from a low forehead, a ridge like a straight bar above the tired eyes and a puffiness of flesh below them, a moustache that showed the lose curves of

term it-he seemed to be taking out of the atmosphere every element of discomfort, all the passionate excitement, the hot throbs of indignati

motives, has in the exercise of his judgment done so and so. Now, admitting for the sake of argument, that he ha

aying, "I never will admit it;" but the words would not com

s at Rodhaven-good intentions, over-zeal, a mistake, if you care to call it so;-but from these lips it fell on Dale'

ughed. "Our member-we agree in politics; but, well, you know, he and I do not altogether hit it off. We are both of u

you show any marked symptoms of it. B

the right hand. "One can't have two kings at Brentford. And hone

y dear

is presence, or they might have banished him before. It was the Colonel who sud

heard the footsteps of clerks going to and coming from the midday meal. Bigwigs no doubt would take their

o one in it except the secretary-looking hot and red after a copious repast, speaking jovially and familiarl

pulled A1 for you. It's decided to stretch a point in your favor. Not to make a secret, they don't

but did not

er to allow the talk to blow over-you will not resume your duties for

rinsically a defeat. But the strength had gone from him; and in its place there was only joy-weak b