The Complete Works of Stephen Crane (27 page)

The minister, left alone, wrote steadily and did not even look up when Peter Tounley and two others entered, in response to his cry of permission. How ever, he presently found time to speak over his shoulder to them. “Hear the news?”

“No, sir,” they answered.

“Well, be good boys, now, and read the papers and look at pictures until I finish this letter. Then I will tell you.”

They surveyed him keenly. They evidently judged that the news was worth hearing, but, obediently, they said nothing. Ultimately the minister affixed a rapid signature to the letter, and turning, looked at the students with a smile. “ Haven’t heard the news, eh?”

“No, Sir.”

“Well, Marjory Wainwright is engaged to marry Coleman.”

The minister was amazed to see the effect of this announcement upon the three students. He had expected the crows and cackles of rather absurd merriment with which unbearded youth often greets, such news. But there was no crow or cackle. One young man blushed scarlet and looked guiltily at the floor. With a great effort he muttered: “ Shes too good for him.” Another student had turned ghastly pate and was staring. It was Peter Tounley who relieved the minister’s mind, for upon that young man’s face was a broad jack-o-lantern grin, and the minister saw that, at any rate, he had not made a complete massacre.

Peter Tounley said triumphantly: “I knew it!”

The minister was anxious over the havoc he had wrought with the two other students, but slowly the colour abated in one face and grew in the other. To give them opportunity, the minister talked busily to Peter Tounley. “And how did you know it, you young scamp?”

Peter was jubilant. “ Oh, -I knew it! I knew it I I am very clever.”

The student who had blushed now addressed the minister in a slightly strained voice. “ Are you positive that it is true, Mr. Gordner?,”

“I had it on the best authority,” replied the minister gravely.

The student who had turned pale said: “ Oh, it’s true, of course.”

“Well,” said crudely the one who had blushed, she’s a great sight too good for Coleman or anybody like him. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

“Oh, Coleman is a good fellow,” said Peter Tounley, reproachfully. “ You’ve no right to say that-exactly. You don’t know where you’d. be now if it were not for Coleman.”

The, response was, first, an angry gesture. “ Oh, don’t keep everlasting rubbing that in. For heaven’s sake, let up. - Supposing I don’t. know where I’d be now if,it were not for Rufus Coleman? What of it? For the rest of my life have I got to—”

The minister saw. that this was the embittered speech of a really defeated youth, so, to save scenes, he gently ejected the trio. “ There, there, now! Run along home like good boys. I’ll be busy until luncheon. And I -dare say you won’t find Coleman such a bad chap.”’

In the corridor, one of the students said offensively to Peter Tounley : “ Say, how in hell did you find out all this so early?”

Peter’s reply was amiable in tone. “ You are a damned bleating little kid and you made a holy show of yourself before Mr. Gordner. There’s where you stand. Didn’t you see that he turned us out because he didn’t know but what you were going to blubber or something. - you are a sucking pig, and if you want to know how I find out things go ask the Delphic Oracle, you blind ass.”

“You better look out or you may get a punch in the eye!,”

“You take one punch in the general direction of my eye, me son,” said -Peter cheerfully, “ and I’ll distribute your remains, over this hotel in a way that will cause your, friends years of trouble to collect you. Instead of anticipating an attack upon my eye, you had much better be engaged in improving your mind, which is at present not a fit machine to cope with exciting situations. There’s Coke! Hello, Coke, hear the news? Well, Marjory Wainwright and Rufus Coleman , are engaged.. Straight? Certainly! Go ask the minister.”

Coke did not take Peter’s word. “Is that so? “ he asked the others.

“So the minister told us,” they answered, and then these two, who seemed so unhappy, watched Coke’s face to see if they could not find surprised misery there. But Coke coolly said: “ Well, then, I suppose it’s true.”

It soon became evident that the students did not care for each other’s society. Peter Tounley was probably an exception, but the others seemed to long for quiet corners. They were distrusting each other, and, in a boyish way, they were even capable of maligant things. Their excuses for separation were badly made.

“I-I think I’ll go for a walk.” “ I’m going up stairs to read.” “ Well, so long, old man.’ “ So long.” There was no heart to it.

Peter Tounley went to Coleman’s door, where he knocked with noisy hilarity. “ Come in I “ The correspondent apparently had just come from the street, for his hat was on his head and a light top-coat was on his back. He was searching hurriedly through some, papers. “ Hello, you young devil What are you doing here?

Peter’s entrance was a somewhat elaborate comedy which Coleman watched in icy silence. Peter after a long,and impudent pantomime halted abruptly and fixing Coleman with his eye demanded: “Well?”

“Well-what?.” said Coleman, bristling a trifle.

“Is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“Is it true? “ Peter was extremely solemn. “ Say, me bucko,” said Coleman suddenly, “ if you’ve. come up here to twist the beard of the patriarch, don’t you think you are running a chance?”

“All right. I’ll be good,” said Peter, and he sat on the bed. “ But-is it true?

“Is what true?”

“What the whole hotel is saying.”

] “I haven’t heard the hotel making any remarks lately. Been talking to the other buildings, I sup- pose.”

“Well, I want to tell you that everybody knows that you and Marjory have done gone and got yourselves engaged,” said Peter bluntly.

“And well? “ asked Coleman imperturbably.

“Oh, nothing,” replied Peter, waving his hand. “ Only-I thought it might interest you.”

Coleman was silent for some time. He fingered his papers. At last he burst out joyously. “And so they know it already, do they? Well-damn them- let them know it. But you didn’t tell them yourself?”

“I! “ quoth Peter wrathfully. “ No! The minister told us.”

Then Coleman was again silent for a time and Peter Tounley sat on the. bed reflectively looking at the ceiling. “ Funny thing, Marjory ‘way over here in Greece, and then you happening over here the way you did.”

“It isn’t funny at all.”

“Why isn’t it?”

“Because,” said Coleman impressively,, “ that is why I came to Greece. It was all planned. See?”

“Whirroo,” exclaimed Peter. “This here is magic.”

“No magic at all.” Coleman displayed some complacence. “ No magic at all. just pure, plain — whatever you choose to call it.”

“Holy smoke,” said Peter, admiring the situation. “Why, this is plum romance, Coleman. I’m blowed if it isn’t.”

Coleman was grinning with delight. He took a fresh cigar and his bright eyes looked at Peter through the smoke., “Seems like it, don’t it? Yes. Regular romance. Have a drink, my boy, just to celebrate my good luck. And be patient if I talk a great deal of my-my-future. My head spins with it.” He arose to pace the room flinging out bis arms in a great gesture. “ God! When I think yesterday was not like to-day I wonder how I stood it.” There was a knock at the door and a waiter left a note in Coleman’s hand

“Dear Ruf us:-We are going for a drive this afternoon at three, and mother wishes you to come, if you. care to. I too wish it, if you care to. Yours, “ MARJORY.”

With a radiant face, Coleman gave the note a little crackling flourish in the air. “ Oh, you don’t know what life is, kid.”

“S-steady the Blues,” said Peter Tounley seriously. You’ll lose your head if you don’t watch out.”

“Not I” cried Coleman with irritation. “ But a man must turn loose some times, mustn’t he?”

When the four, students had separated in the corri- dor, Coke had posted at once to Nora Black’s sitting room. His entrance was somewhat precipitate, but he cooled down almost at once, for he reflected that he was not bearing good news. He ended by perching in awkward fashion on the brink of his chair and fumbling his hat uneasily. Nora floated to him in a cloud of a white dressing gown. She gave him a plump hand. “Well, youngman? “she said, with a glowing smile. She took a chair, and the stuff of her gown fell in curves over the arms of it.,

Coke looked hot and bothered, as if he could have more than half wanted to retract his visit. “ I-aw- we haven’t seen much of you lately,” he began, sparing. He had expected to tell his news at once.

No,” said Nora, languidly. “ I have been resting after that horrible journey-that horrible journey. Dear, dear! Nothing,will ever induce me to leave London, New York and Paris. I am at home there. But here I Why, it is worse than living in Brooklyn. And that journey into the wilds! No. no; not for me!”

“I suppose we’ll all be glad to get home,” said Coke, aimlessly.

At the moment a waiter entered the room and began to lay the table for luncheon. He kept open the door to the corridor, and he had the luncheon at a point just outside the door. His excursions to the trays were flying ones, so that, as far as Coke’s purpose was concerned, the waiter was always in the room. Moreover, Coke was obliged, naturally, to depart at once. He had bungled everything.

As he arose he whispered hastily: “ Does this waiter understand English?”

“Yes,” answered Nora. “Why?”

“Because I have something to tell you-important.”

“What is it? “ whispered Nora, eagerly.

He leaned toward her and replied: “ Marjory Wainwright and Coleman are engaged.”

To his unfeigned astonishment, Nora Black burst into peals of silvery laughter, “ Oh, indeed? And so this is your tragic story, poor, innocent lambkin? And what did you expect? That I would faint?” -

“I thought-I don’t know-” murmured Coke in confusion.

Nora became suddenly business-like. “ But how do you know? Are you sure? Who told you? Anyhow, stay to luncheon. Do-like a good boy. Oh, you must.”

Coke dropped again into his chair. He studied her in some wonder. “ I thought you’d be surprised,” he said, ingenuously.