’I’mtryingtogetthegeographyofmynewpossessions，’saidhe。
　　’D’yourememberthatniggeryougougedinthesquare？Pityyoudidn’tkeeptheoddeyeItwouldhavebeenusefulAnylettersforme？Givemealltheonesinfatgrayenvelopeswithasortofcrownthingoutside。
　　They’reofnoimportance。’
　　TorpenhowgavehimaletterwithablackMontheenvelopeflap。
　　DickputitintohispocketTherewasnothinginitthatTorpenhowmightnothaveread，butitbelongedtohimselfandtoMaisie，whowouldneverbelongtohim。
　　’WhenshefindsthatIdon’twrite，she’llstopwritingIt’sbettersoI
　　couldn’tbeanyusetohernow，’Dickargued，andthetemptersuggestedthatheshouldmakeknownhisconditionEverynerveinhimrevolted’I
　　havefallenlowenoughalreadyI’mnotgoingtobegforpity。
　　Besides，itwouldbecrueltoher。’HestrovetoputMaisieoutofhisthoughts；
　　buttheblindhavemanyopportunitiesforthinking，andasthetidesofhisstrengthcamebacktohiminthelongemploylessdaysofdeaddarkness，Dick’ssoulwastroubledtothecoreAnotherletter，andanother，camefromMaisieThentherewassilence，andDicksatbythewindow，thepulseofsummerintheair，andpicturedherbeingwonbyanotherman，strongerthanhimselfHisimagination，thekeenerforthedarkbackgrounditworkedagainst，sparedhimnosingledetailthatmightsendhimragingupanddownthestudio，tostumbleoverthestovethatseemedtobeinfourplacesatonceWorstofall，tobaccowouldnottasteinthedarknessThearroganceofthemanhaddisappeared，andinitsplaceweresettleddespairthatTorpenhowknew，andblindpassionthatDickconfidedtohispillowatnightTheintervalsbetweentheparoxysmswerefilledwithintolerablewaitingandtheweightofintolerabledarkness。
　　’ComeoutintothePark，’saidTorpenhow’Youhaven’tstirredoutsincethebeginningofthings。’
　　’What’stheuse？There’snomovementinthedark；and，besides，’——hepausedirresolutelyattheheadofthestairs，——’somethingwillrunoverme。’
　　’NotifI’mwithyouProceedgingerly。’
　　TheroarofthestreetsfilledDickwithnervousterror，andheclungtoTorpenhow’sarm’Fancyhavingtofeelforagutterwithyourfoot！’
　　hesaidpetulantly，asheturnedintothePark’Let’scurseGodanddie。’
　　’SentriesareforbiddentopayunauthorisedcomplimentsByJove，therearetheGuards！’
　　Dick’sfigurestraightened’Let’sgetnear’emLet’sgoinandlook。
　　Let’sgetonthegrassandrunIcansmellthetrees。’
　　’MindthelowrailingThat’sallright！’Torpenhowkickedoutatuftofgrasswithhisheel’Smellthat，’hesaid’Isn’titgood？’Dicksniffedluxuriously’Nowpickupyourfeetandrun。’TheyapproachedasneartotheregimentaswaspossibleTheclankofbayonetsbeingunfixedmadeDick’snostrilsquiver。
　　’Let’sgetnearerThey’reincolumn，aren’tthey？’
　　’YesHowdidyouknow？’
　　’FeltitOh，mymen！——mybeautifulmen！’Heedgedforwardasthoughhecouldsee’IcoulddrawthosechapsonceWho’lldraw’emnow？’
　　’They’llmoveoffinaminuteDon’tjumpwhenthebandbegins。’
　　’Huh！I’mnotanewchargerIt’sthesilencesthathurtNearer，Torp！——nearer！Oh，myGod，whatwouldn’tIgivetosee’emforaminute！——onehalf-minute！’
　　Hecouldhearthearmedlifealmostwithinreachofhim，couldheartheslingstightenacrossthebandsman’schestasheheavedthebigdrumfromtheground。
　　’Stickscrossedabovehishead，’whisperedTorpenhow。
　　’IknowIknow！WhoshouldknowifIdon’t？H’sh！’
　　Thedrum-sticksfellwithaboom，andthemenswungforwardtothecrashofthebandDickfeltthewindofthemassedmovementinhisface，heardthemaddeningtrampoffeetandthefrictionofthepouchesonthebeltsThebigdrumpoundedoutthetuneItwasamusic-hallrefrainthatmadeaperfectquickstep——
　　Hemustbeamanofdecentheight，Hemustbeamanofweight，HemustcomehomeonaSaturdaynightInathoroughlysoberstate；
　　Hemustknowhowtoloveme，Andhemustknowhowtokiss；
　　Andifhe’senoughtokeepusbothIcan’trefusehimbliss。
　　’What’sthematter？’saidTorpenhow，ashesawDick’sheadfallwhenthelastoftheregimenthaddeparted。
　　’NothingIfeelalittlebitoutoftherunning，——that’sallTorp，takemebackWhydidyoubringmeout？’
　　CHAPTERXII
　　Therewerethreefriendsthatburiedthefourth，ThemouldinhismouthandthedustinhiseyesAndtheywentsouthandeast，andnorth，——
　　Thestrongmanfights，butthesickmandies。
　　Therewerethreefriendsthatspokeofthedead，——
　　Thestrongmanfights，butthesickmandies——
　　’Andwouldhewerewithusnow，’theysaid，’Thesuninourfaceandthewindinoureyes。’——
　　Ballad。
　　THENILGHAIwasangrywithTorpenhowDickhadbeensenttobed，——blindmenareeverundertheordersofthosewhocansee，——andsincehehadreturnedfromtheParkhadfluentlyswornatTorpenhowbecausehewasalive，andalltheworldbecauseitwasaliveandcouldsee，whilehe，Dick，wasdeadinthedeathoftheblind，who，atthebest，areonlyburdensupontheirassociatesTorpenhowhadsaidsomethingaboutaMrsGummidge，andDickhadretiredinablackfurytohandleandre-handlethreeunopenedlettersfromMaisie。
　　TheNilghai，fat，burly，andaggressive，wasinTorpenhow’srooms。
　　BehindhimsattheKeneu，theGreatWarEagle，andbetweenthemlayalargemapembellishedwithblack-and-white-headedpins。
　　’IwaswrongabouttheBalkans，’saidtheNilghai’ButI’mnotwrongaboutthisbusinessThewholeofourworkintheSouthernSoudanmustbedoneoveragainThepublicdoesn’tcare，ofcourse，butthegovernmentdoes，andtheyaremakingtheirarrangementsquietly。
　　YouknowthataswellasIdo。’
　　’IrememberhowthepeoplecurseduswhenourtroopswithdrewfromOmdurmanItwasboundtocropupsoonerorlaterButIcan’tgo，’
　　saidTorpenhowHepointedthroughtheopendoor；itwasahotnight。
　　’Canyoublameme？’
　　TheKeneupurredabovehispipelikealargeandveryhappycat——
　　’Don’tblameyouintheleastIt’suncommonlygoodofyou，andalltherestofit，buteveryman——evenyou，Torp——mustconsiderhiswork。
　　Iknowitsoundsbrutal，butDick’soutoftherace，——down，——gastadosexpended，finished，doneforHehasalittlemoneyofhisownHewon’tstarve，andyoucan’tpulloutofyourslideforhissakeThinkofyourownreputation。’
　　’Dick’swasfivetimesbiggerthanmineandyoursputtogether。’
　　’ThatwasbecausehesignedhisnametoeverythinghedidIt’sallendednowYoumustholdyourselfinreadinesstomoveoutYoucancommandyourownprices，andyoudobetterworkthananythreeofus。’
　　’Don’ttellmehowtemptingitisI’llstayheretolookafterDickforawhileHe’sascheerfulasabearwithasorehead，butIthinkhelikestohavemenearhim。’
　　TheNilghaisaidsomethinguncomplimentaryaboutsoft-headedfoolswhothrowawaytheircareersforotherfoolsTorpenhowflushedangrilyTheconstantstrainofattendanceonDickhadwornhisnervesthin。
　　’Thereremainsathirdfate，’saidtheKeneu，thoughtfully’Considerthis，andbenotlargerfoolsthannecessaryDickis——orratherwas——anable-bodiedmanofmoderateattractionsandacertainamountofaudacity。’
　　’Oho！’saidtheNilghai，whorememberedanaffairatCairo’Ibegintosee，——Torp，I’msorry。’
　　Torpenhownoddedforgiveness：’Youweremoresorrywhenhecutyouout，though——Goon，Keneu。’
　　’I’veoftenthought，whenI’veseenmendieoutinthedesert，thatifthenewscouldbesentthroughtheworld，andthemeansoftransportwerequickenough，therewouldbeonewomanatleastateachman’sbedside。’
　　’TherewouldbesomemightyquaintrevelationsLetusbegratefulthingsareastheyare，’saidtheNilghai。
　　’LetusratherreverentlyconsiderwhetherTorp’sthree-corneredministrationsareexactlywhatDickneedsjustnow——Whatdoyouthinkyourself，Torp？’
　　’Iknowtheyaren’tButwhatcanIdo？’
　　’LaythematterbeforetheboardWeareallDick’sfriendshere。
　　You’vebeenmostinhislife。’
　　’ButIpickeditupwhenhewasoffhishead。’
　　’ThegreaterchanceofitsbeingtrueIthoughtweshouldarrive。
　　Whoisshe？’
　　ThenTorpenhowtoldataleinplainwords，asaspecialcorrespondentwhoknowshowtomakeaverbalprecisshouldtellitThemenlistenedwithoutinterruption。
　　’Isitpossiblethatamancancomebackacrosstheyearstohiscalf-love？’
　　saidtheKeneu’Isitpossible？’
　　’IgivethefactsHesaysnothingaboutitnow，buthesitsfumblingthreelettersfromherwhenhethinksI’mnotlookingWhatamItodo？’
　　’Speaktohim，’saidtheNilghai。
　　’Ohyes！Writetoher，——Idon’tknowherfullname，remember，——andaskhertoaccepthimoutofpityIbelieveyouoncetoldDickyouweresorryforhim，NilghaiYourememberwhathappened，eh？GointothebedroomandsuggestfullconfessionandanappealtothisMaisiegirl，whoeversheisIhonestlybelievehe’dtrytokillyou；andtheblindnesshasmadehimrathermuscular。’
　　’Torpenhow’scourseisperfectlyclear，’saidtheKeneu’HewillgotoVitry-sur-Marne，whichisontheBezieres-LandesRailway，——singletrackfromTourgasThePrussiansshelleditoutin’70becausetherewasapoplaronthetopofahilleighteenhundredyardsfromthechurchspireThere’sasquadronofcavalryquarteredthere，——oroughttobe。
　　WherethisstudioTorpspokeaboutmaybeIcannottellThatisTorp’sbusinessIhavegivenhimhisrouteHewilldispassionatelyexplainthesituationtothegirl，andshewillcomebacktoDick，——themoreespeciallybecause，touseDick’swords，“thereisnothingbutherdamnedobstinacytokeepthemapart。”’
　　’Andtheyhavefourhundredandtwentypoundsayearbetween’em。
　　Dickneverlosthisheadforfigures，eveninhisdeliriumYouhaven’ttheshadowofanexcusefornotgoing，’saidtheNilghai。
　　Torpenhowlookedveryuncomfortable’Butit’sabsurdandimpossibleI
　　can’tdragherbackbythehair。’
　　’Ourbusiness——thebusinessforwhichwedrawourmoney——istodoabsurdandimpossiblethings，——generallywithnoreasonwhateverexcepttoamusethepublicHerewehaveareasonTherestdoesn’tmatterI
　　shallsharetheseroomswiththeNilghaitillTorpenhowreturns。
　　Therewillbeabatchofunbridled“specials“comingtotowninalittlewhile，andthesewillserveastheirheadquartersAnotherreasonforsendingTorpenhowawayThusProvidencehelpsthosewhohelpothers，and’——heretheKeneudroppedhismeasuredspeech——’wecan’thaveyoutiedbythelegtoDickwhenthetroublebeginsIt’syouronlychanceofgettingaway；andDickwillbegrateful。’
　　’Hewill，——worseluck！IcanbutgoandtryIcan’tconceiveawomaninhersensesrefusingDick。’
　　’TalkthatoutwiththegirlIhaveseenyouwheedleanangryMahdiehwomanintogivingyoudatesThiswon’tbeatitheasdifficult。
　　Youhadbetternotbehereto-morrowafternoon，becausetheNilghaiandI
　　willbeinpossessionItisanorderObey。’
　　’Dick，’saidTorpenhow，nextmorning，’canIdoanythingforyou？’
　　’No！LeavemealoneHowoftenmustIremindyouthatI’mblind？’
　　’NothingIcouldgofortofetchfortocarryfortobring？’
　　’NoTakethoseinfernalcreakingbootsofyoursaway。’
　　’Poorchap！’saidTorpenhowtohimself’ImusthavebeensittingonhisnerveslatelyHewantsalighterstep。’Then，aloud，’Verywell。
　　Sinceyou’resoindependent，I’mgoingoffforfourorfivedaysSaygood-byeatleastThehousekeeperwilllookafteryou，andKeneuhasmyrooms。’
　　Dick’sfacefell’Youwon’tbelongerthanaweekattheoutside？I
　　knowI’mtouchedinthetemper，butIcan’tgetonwithoutyou。’
　　’Can’tyou？You’llhavetodowithoutmeinalittletime，andyou’llbegladI’mgone。’。