FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146  
147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   >>   >|  
ent, and when she went away with him Challoner saw Mrs. Chudleigh approaching. Obeying her sign he followed her to a seat in the recess in the hall. "Mr. Greythorpe came down yesterday," she said. "I suppose you have already had a talk with him." "Last night. As you anticipated, he asked my opinion about the African matter. Several names have been submitted; trustworthy men." "Come to the point," she told him sharply. "What did you do about Captain Sedgwick?" Challoner gravely met her insistent gaze. "I felt compelled to suggest that he was not the best man for the post." Mrs. Chudleigh's eyes sparkled and the blood swept into her face. Her pose grew tense and she looked dangerous, but with an obvious effort she controlled her anger. "Then if I were a revengeful person, I would warn you that you must take the consequences." "I suppose that follows, but I would prefer to think you are fair enough to make allowances for a man who tried to do the right thing in a difficult situation." She was silent for a moment, watching him with a curious, half-ashamed feeling. Then she made an abrupt movement. "It's hard to do so. A word or two, which you would not speak, would have led to the appointment of the most talented man. I'm not a saint; you mustn't expect a higher standard from me than I'm capable of." She dismissed him with an angry gesture and got up as Mrs. Foster came in with Greythorpe. When the latter left his hostess she beckoned him and led him to a seat near the hearth. "How far does Colonel Challoner's opinion go with you?" she asked boldly. "That depends," he answered, smiling. "On some matters it goes a long way." "On the choosing of a West African officer, for instance?" "Ah!" said Greythorpe, "now I begin to understand. If I am not indiscreet in mentioning it, I thought my old friend was rather in disgrace with you." "You are keen," she told him. "I must warn you that Challoner is prejudiced." "If that is so, there is probably a reason for it." "There is," she said coolly. "I'm afraid it is my fault. I made a mistake in trying to force the Colonel to speak in favour of one of the candidates." "It was unwise," Greythorpe agreed. "Our friend is by no means amenable to treatment of the kind." "Still you would not let a good officer suffer because of my tactlessness?" "Certainly not; the only thing that could count against any of the men we are consid
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146  
147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Challoner
 

Greythorpe

 

African

 

opinion

 

friend

 
Colonel
 
suppose
 

Chudleigh

 
officer
 

boldly


smiling

 

answered

 
depends
 

matters

 
dismissed
 

capable

 
gesture
 
higher
 

expect

 

standard


consid

 

beckoned

 

hearth

 

hostess

 

Foster

 

thought

 

amenable

 

agreed

 

unwise

 

favour


candidates

 
treatment
 

tactlessness

 

Certainly

 

suffer

 
mistake
 

indiscreet

 
mentioning
 

understand

 
instance

reason
 

coolly

 
afraid
 
prejudiced
 

disgrace

 

choosing

 
silent
 

Captain

 
Sedgwick
 

gravely