A. E. W. Mason

Name: The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List
Author: A. E. W. Mason

The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

Summary

“The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List”, published in 1902, is a work by A. E. W. Mason. It explores elements such as Durrance, Sutch and Harry Feversham.

Quotes from The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (A. E. W. Mason)

A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ After all, he thought, it would not be difficult to hoodwink a blind man. Ethne herself had had the same thought and felt much the same relief as Sutch felt now. The lieutenant, indeed, was so relieved that he found room for an impulse of pity.
"I was very sorry, Durrance, to hear of your bad luck," he said, as he drove off up the hill. "I know what it is myself to be suddenly stopped and put aside just when one is making way and the world is smoothing itself out, though my wound in the leg is nothing in comparison to your blindness. I don't talk to you about compensations and patience. ”

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A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ He is brought up short, stopped in his career, perhaps disgraced." Sutch started a little at the word. "Yes, perhaps—disgraced," Durrance repeated. "Well, the shock of the disgrace is, after all, his opportunity. Don't you see that? It's his opportunity to know himself at last. Up to the moment of disgrace his life has all been sham and illusion; the man he believed himself to be, he never was, and now at the last he knows it. Once he knows it, he can set about to retrieve his disgrace. Oh, there are compensations for such a man. ”

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Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ You may be sure I will let both you and Miss Eustace know how the attempt progresses."
"Let me know," said Durrance, "but not a whisper of it to Ethne. She knows nothing of my plan, and she must know nothing until Feversham comes back himself. She has her point of view, as I have mine. Two lives shall not be spoilt because of her. That's her resolve. She believes that to some degree she was herself the cause of Harry Feversham's disgrace—that but for her he would not have resigned his commission." ”

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Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ So neither life will be spoilt at all.'"
"I understand," said Sutch. "It's the way a man should speak. So till Feversham comes back the pretence remains. She pretends to care for you, you pretend you do not know she thinks of Harry. While I go eastwards to bring him home, you go back to her."
"No," said Durrance, "I can't go back. The strain of keeping up the pretence was telling too much on both of us. I go to Wiesbaden. An oculist lives there who serves me for an excuse. I shall wait at Wiesbaden until you bring Harry home."
Sutch opened the door, and the two men went out into the hall. ”

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Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ It was on that account chiefly that Sutch did not affect any ignorance as to Durrance's allusion. The passage of the years had not diminished his great regard for Harry; he cared for him indeed with a woman's concentration of love, and he could not endure that his memory should be slighted.
"The case you and I know of is not quite in point," he argued. "You are speaking of Harry Feversham."
"Who believed himself a coward, and was not one. He commits the fault which stops his career, he finds out his mistake, he sets himself to the work of retrieving his disgrace. ”

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Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ That's the gabble of people who are comfortable and haven't suffered. We know that for a man who is young and active, and who is doing well in a career where activity is a necessity, there are no compensations if his career's suddenly cut short through no fault of his."
"Through no fault of his," repeated Durrance. "I agree with you. It is only the man whose career is cut short through his own fault who gets compensations."
Sutch glanced sharply at his companion. Durrance had spoken slowly and very thoughtfully. Did he mean to refer to Harry Feversham, Sutch wondered. ”

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Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ Durrance laughed, and not at all unpleasantly. "I like you the better for being glad," he said.
"But how does Miss Eustace know?" asked Sutch. "Who told her? I did not, and there is no one else who could tell her."
"You are wrong. There is Captain Willoughby. He came to Devonshire six weeks ago. He brought with him a white feather which he gave to Miss Eustace, as a proof that he withdrew his charge of cowardice against Harry Feversham." ”

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Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ Marriage between a man blind like myself and any woman, let alone Ethne, could not be fair or right unless upon both sides there was more than friendship. Harry must return to England. He must return to Ethne, too. You must go to Egypt and do what you can to bring him back."
Sutch was relieved of his suspense. He had obeyed his conscience and yet done Harry Feversham no disservice.
"I will start to-morrow," he said. "Harry is still in the Soudan?"
"Of course."
"Why of course?" asked Sutch. "Willoughby withdrew his accusation; Castleton is dead—he was killed at Tamai ”

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Source: Wikisource

A. E. W. Mason, The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (1902)

“ But he did not wish to be thanked for it. "At Suakin you must take the Greek merchant's advice and organise a rescue as best you can. It will be a long business, and you will have many disappointments before you succeed. But you must stick to it until you do."
Upon that the two men fell to a discussion of the details of the length of time which it would take for a message from Suakin to be carried into Omdurman, of the untrustworthiness of some Arab spies, and of the risks which the trustworthy ran. ”

A. E. W. Mason

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Quotes from The Four Feathers — XXV: Lieutenant Sutch Comes off the Half-pay List (A. E. W. Mason)

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