Chapter 18
Book II, Part III. At two o'clock the rain lessened its fury. At half-past two the obscured moon shone forth, And at three Havel awoke. The blind had not been pulled down overnight,
And the moonlight streamed into the room, Across the bed whereon Dare was sleeping. He lay on his back, his arms thrown out, And his well-curved youthful form Looked like an unpedestalled Dionysus
In the colourless lunar rays. Sleep had cleared Havel's mind From the drowsy effects of the last night's sitting, And he thought of Dare's mysterious manner In speaking of himself.
This lad resembled the Etruscan youth Tejys In one respect, that of being a boy With, seemingly, the wisdom of a sage, And the effect of his presence was now heightened By all those sinister and mystic attributes
Which were lent by a nocturnal environment. He who in broad daylight Might be but a young Chevalier d'unstri Was now an unlimited possibility in social phenomena. Havel remembered how the lad pointed to his breast
And said that his secret was literally kept there. The architect was too much of a provincial To have quenched the common curiosity That was part of his nature By the acquired metropolitan indifference
To other people's lives, which, in essence, Was more unworthy even than the former, Causes less practical inconvenience in its exercise. Dare was breathing profoundly. Instigated, as above mentioned,
Havel got out of bed and stood beside the sleeper. After a moment's pause, he gently pulled back The unfastened collar of Dare's night-shirt And saw a word tattooed in distinct characters on his breast. Before there was time for Havel to decipher it,
Dare moved slightly, as if conscious of disturbance, When Havel hastened back to bed. Dare bestirred himself yet more, Whereupon Havel breathed heavily, Though keeping an intent glance on the lad
To his half-closed eyes, To learn if he had been aware of the investigation. Dare was certainly conscious of something, For he sat up, rubbed his eyes, And gazed about the room.
Then, after a few moments of reflection, He drew some article from beneath his pillow. A blue gleam shone from the object As Dare held it in the moonlight. Havel perceived that it was a small revolver.
A clammy dew broke out upon the face and body of the architect, When, stepping out of bed with the weapon in his hand, Dare looked under the bed, behind the curtains, Out of the window, and into a closet, As if convinced that something had occurred,
But in doubt as to what it was. He then came across to where Havel was lying, And still keeping up the appearance of sleep. Watching him a while, And mistrusting the reality of this semblance,
Dare brought it to the test By holding the revolver within a few inches of Havel's forehead. Havel could stand no more. Crystallized with terror, he said, Without however moving more than his lips,
In dread of hasty action on the part of Dare, O good Lord Dare, Dare, I have done nothing! The youth smiled, and lured the pistol. I was only finding out whether it was you, Or some burglar who had been playing tricks upon me.
I find it was you. Do put away that thing. It's too ghastly to produce in a respectable bedroom. Why do you carry it? Cosmopolites always do.
Now answer my questions. What were you up to? Dare, as he spoke, played with the pistol again. Havel had recovered some coolness. You do not use it upon me, he said sardonically, watching Dare.
It would be risking your neck for too little an object. I did not think you were shrewd enough to see that, Replied Dare carelessly, As he returned the revolver to its place. Well, whether you have outmitted me or no,
You will keep the secret as long as I choose. Why, said Havel, Because I keep your secret of the letter abusing Miss B, And of the pilfered tracing you carry in your pocket. It is quite true, said Havel.
They went to bed again. Dare was soon asleep, But Havel did not attempt to disturb him again. The elder man slept but fitfully. He was aroused in the morning by a heavy rumbling and jingling along the highway overlooked
by the window, The front wall of the house being shaken by the reverberation. No rest for me here, he said, Rising and going to the window, Carefully avoiding the neighbourhood of Mr Dare.
When Havel had glanced out, he returned to dress himself. What's that noise? said Dare, awakened by the same rumble. It is the artillery going away. From where? Markton Barracks.
Hurrah! said Dare, jumping up in bed. I've been waiting for that these six weeks. Havel did not ask questions as to the meaning of this unexpected remark. When they were downstairs, Dare's first act was to ring the bell and ask if his army and navy gazette had arrived.
While the servant was gone, Havel cleared his throat and said, I'm an architect, and I take in the architect. You are an architect, and you take in the army and navy gazette. I'm not an architect any more than I am a soldier, but I've taken in the army and navy gazette these many weeks.
When they were at breakfast, the paper came in. Dare hastily tore it open and glanced at the pages. I'm going to Markton after breakfast, he said suddenly, before looking up. We will walk together, if you like. They walked together as planned, and entered Markton about ten o'clock.
I have just to make a call here, said Dare, when they were opposite the barrack entrance on the outskirts of the town, where wheel tracks and a regular chain of hoof marks left by the departed batteries were imprinted in the gravel between the open gates. I shall not be a Mormon. Havel stood still while his companion entered and asked the commissary in charge, or somebody
representing him, when the new batteries would arrive to take the place of those which had gone away. He was informed that it would be about noon. Now I am at your service, said Dare, and will help you to rearrange your design by the new intellectual light we have acquired.
They entered Havel's office and set to work. When contrasted with the tracing from Somerset's plan, Havel's design, which was not far advanced, revealed all its weaknesses to him. After seeing Somerset's scheme, the bands of Havel's imagination were loosened. He laid his own previous efforts aside, got fresh sheets of drawing paper, and drew with
vigour. I may as well stay and help you, said Dare. I have nothing to do till twelve o'clock, not much of them. So there he remained. At a quarter to twelve, children and idlers began to gather against the railings of Havel's
house. A few minutes past twelve, the noise of an arriving host was heard at the entrance to the town. Thereupon Dare and Havel went to the window. The X and Y batteries of the Z-begrade Royal Horse Artillery were entering Markton, each
headed by the Major with his bugler behind him. In a moment they came abreast and passed, every man in his place. That is to say, six shining horses in pairs, harnessed by rope-traces white as milk, with a driver on each near horse. Two gunners on the lead-coloured stout-wielded willimba, their carcasses jolted to a jelly
for lack of springs. Two gunners on the lead-coloured stout-wielded gun carriage in the same personal condition. The nine-pounder gun, dipping its heavy head to earth as if ashamed of its office in these enlightened times. The compliment of jingling and prancing troopers riding at the wheels and elsewhere.
Six shining horses with their drivers and traces white as milk as before. Two more gallant jolted men on another jolting limba, and more stout-wheels and lead-coloured paint. Two more jolted men on another drooping gun, more jingling troopers on horseback. Again six shining draft-horses, traces, drivers, gun, gunners, lead-paint, stout-wheels and
troopers as before. So each detachment lumbered slowly by, all eyes marshally forward, except when wandering in quest of female beauty. "'He's a fine fellow, is he not?' said Dare, denoting by a nod a mounted officer with a sallow, yet handsome face and black moustache, who came up on a bay gelding with the men
of his battery. "'What is he?' said Haddell. "'A captain who lacks advancement. Do you know him?' "'I know him.'
"'Yes, do you?' Dare made no reply, and then watched the captain as he rode past with his drawn sword in his hand, the sun making a little sun upon its blade, and upon his brilliantly polished long boots and bright spurs, also warming his gold cross-belt and braiding, white gloves, busby with its red bag and tall white plume.
"'Haddell seemed to be too indifferent to press his questioning, and when all the soldiers had passed by, Dare observed to his companion that he should leave him for a short time, but would return in the afternoon, or next today. After this he walked up the street in the rear of the artillery, following them to the barracks.
On reaching the gates he found a crowd of people gathered outside, looking with admiration of the guns and gunners drawn up within the enclosure. When the soldiers were dismissed to their quarters, the sightseers dispersed, and Dare went through the gates to the barrack yard. The guns were standing on the green, the soldiers and horses were scattered about, and the handsome
captain whom Dare had pointed out to Haddell was inspecting the buildings and the company of the quartermaster. Dare made a mental note of these things, and, apparently changing a previous intention, went out from the barracks and returned to the town.
