Anstice

“ Then, as though half afraid he might have angered her by his last impetuous speech, Anstice spoke abruptly in another tone.
"Odd, isn't it, how an action carried through in a moment may have such tremendous consequences? I mean if I had stayed my hand long ago in that Indian hut you and I would not be here now, faced with this rather—difficult—situation. It makes one realize that one should never act too hastily—without looking all round the subject, so to speak." ”

“ He beckoned to a tall, pock-marked Arab in a dusty fez and faded blue djibbeh, and by dint of lavish promises secured his noisy but efficient services, with the result that in an incredibly short space of time the luggage was safely tumbled into the train and Anstice and Sir Richard faced each other, exhausted but triumphant, in an otherwise empty carriage.
"By Jove, but those beggars make me hot!" Anstice threw himself back into his corner and drew a long breath. "It's always a mystery to me how people who live in hot climates are so beastly energetic! ”

“ The tone in which she made this remarkable statement was too much for Anstice's gravity; and he gave way to a fit of unrestrained laughter which mightily offended his small friend.
"I don't see anything to laugh at," she observed icily. "Seems to me people being dead ought to make you cry 'stead of laugh."
"Quite so, Cherry," returned Anstice, wiping his eyes ostentatiously. "But you see in this case there wasn't anybody dead—at least, so I understood from Mrs. Carstairs." ”

“ Although he admitted to himself that he had absolutely no grounds for believing that Anstice had been in love with Iris he could never rid himself of the notion; and in any case he felt quite certain that Anstice had no warmer feeling for Mrs. Carstairs than a very genuine and chivalrous friendliness.
Watching the younger man as he stood with bent head examining the papers Sir Richard was struck by the change in Anstice's face during the last few months. Always thin, it was now positively haggard, and the black hair which clustered round his brow was touched, here and there, with grey. ”

“ Sir Richard hesitated, then spoke rapidly. "Anstice, are you alone—and disengaged? I mean—could your stay in Cairo be postponed for a few days? I want—I came down here to look for a doctor—never thinking I'd have the luck to find you——"
"A doctor?" Beneath the spur of his quick mind Anstice grew pale. "Is someone ill? Not—not your daughter?"
"No, not Iris." Unconsciously Anstice breathed a sigh of relief and the older man glanced at him curiously. "It is Bruce—my son-in-law—who's ill; and I've come down here to find a doctor. ”

“ After all, too, these people are not doing them any harm by living in their midst."
"You are right, Anstice, and I'm a silly old fool for letting my imagination run riot in this way." Sir Richard sat upright and gazed out at the world of sun and sand through which they were passing. "As you say, they would not dare—and in any case as soon as Bruce can travel we will bring them back to civilization."
"By the way, how soon can we start?" The bare thought of meeting Iris sent the blood humming wildly through Anstice's veins; and he awaited Sir Richard's reply with barely-concealed impatience. ”

“ Sir Richard interrogated him with interest. "Pretty sort of document, eh? I suppose the writing conveys nothing to your mind?"
"Nothing at all." Holding the paper to the light, Anstice examined the ill-formed characters more closely. "It does not resemble any handwriting I know. But I suppose"—he smiled rather grimly—"the test of a successful anonymous correspondent is to disguise his writing efficiently."
"Yes." Sir Richard stretched out his hand for the paper and Anstice yielded it to him without regret. "Well, it is pretty evident that someone has—to put it vulgarly—got his knife into you. ”

“ Anstice glanced towards the two who still stood, hand-in-hand, on the top step, and Mrs. Carstairs performed the ceremony of introduction in the deep, rich voice which was somehow part of her personality.
"Iris, let me introduce Dr. Anstice ... Miss Wayne."
Anstice bowed, but the girl held out her hand with a youthful friendliness which was attractive.
"How d'you do? I'm glad I didn't know your car was behind me as we came up the avenue. I don't mind what I meet, but I always hate things coming up behind my cycle," she said pleasantly. ”

“ And as with wildly beating pulses Anstice bent forward to catch a glimpse of the mysterious visitor he knew that his surmise, unlikely as it had seemed, had been correct; that by a stroke of luck the expert, Clive, had been able to point unerringly to the clue which was to solve the mystery of those vile letters and restore to an innocent woman the fair name which had been so unjustly smirched. ”

“ As a medical man Anstice was something of a student of physiognomy; and although Mrs. Carstairs' face was not one to be easily read, the shape of her brow and the classical outline of her features seemed to Anstice to preclude any possibility of the morbid and degenerate taint which must have inspired the communications of whose authorship she had been accused. ”

“ Anstice at once took the hint, but Justin remained on his knees. Anstice saw his lips were moving, and she knew that he was praying. And then the nurse drew nearer.
"He is sleeping," she said. "Leave him to me; if he sleeps, he may wake the better for it."
Husband and wife reluctantly left the room, Anstice to go to the little girls, Justin to pace up and down the terrace outside beneath his boy's bedroom. All that night they watched and waited, and then towards morning, the child's pulse seemed stronger and his temperature rose. When the doctor came, he heard the good news with a smile. ”

“ Cheniston is lying——"
"It is unfortunate that he should be in one of the rooms where there is a possibility of trouble," said Anstice, rather worried by the notion. "I suppose the others are really uninhabitable?"
"Well, there is no possibility of admitting sufficient air," said Mrs. Wood practically. "There is a little hole where we snatch a moment's rest now and then, but for a man with fever——"
"No, I suppose he must stay where he is." Anstice genuinely regretted the necessity. "The only thing to do is to try to draw the enemy's fire to the other window, if occasion arises. ”

“ Anstice's room was lighted only by a couple of candles, placed on the writing-table; but neither man desired a brilliant light to-night—Anstice because he realized that this interview was a fateful one, Cheniston because, although he had come here with the intention of making havoc of a man's life, he was not particularly anxious to watch that man's face during the process. ”

“ In the hall the manservant waited, and Anstice, pitying his evident anxiety, spoke reassuringly to him as he took his coat. "Your mistress is much better now—with a little care she will soon be all right, I hope."
"Thank you, sir." The man's voice quivered with feeling. "We—we are all very anxious when our lady is not well."
"Of course." Anstice took the hat the servant held and moved to the door. "Is that nine striking? ”

“ Chloe herself, sitting in a corner of the chintz-covered couch, looked, in spite of the strenuous hours through which she had passed, the embodiment of youth and radiant happiness.
In all his life Anstice had never seen so striking a testimony to the power of soul over body as in this rejuvenation, this new birth, as it were, which had taken place under his eyes.
The whole woman was transformed. The classic features had lost their slight austerity of outline, the sapphire-blue eyes were no longer cold and indifferent, but danced bewitchingly in the softly-tinted face. ”

“ Anstice's eyes flashed, and he pulled himself together resolutely. "And if I can help it, she shan't suffer! Just look here, Sir Richard, the first thing to do is to find out if anyone else has been, as you say, victimized."
"Yes." Sir Richard spoke rather dubiously. "And it will be rather hard to find out that, I fear. You see, naturally a decent man wouldn't spread the fact abroad; and we can hardly go about making open inquiries." ”

“ Anstice—why on earth should she have any spite against you?"
"Dr. Anstice tells me she much resented the presence of the hospital nurse in the house," chimed in Sir Richard. "Of course she has always been absurdly jealous of any claim to Cherry's affection—even Iris noticed that and used to say she hardly dared to pet the child before Tochatti."
"Yes." Chloe assented reluctantly. "That is quite true. She has always been jealous; and I confess I once or twice saw her look at Dr. Anstice with a—well, rather malignant expression. ”

“ I brought an egg on purpose; it's so strengthening, you know.'
'Don't!' cried Paul, with a short howl of distress at this suggestion. 'Don't talk about the—the flogging, I can't bear it.'
'But it's not papa's new cane, you know, Dick,' said Dulcie consolingly. 'I've hidden that; it's only the old one, and you always said that didn't hurt so very much, after a little while. It isn't as if it was the horsewhip, either. Papa lost that out riding in the holidays.'
'Oh, the horsewhip's worse, is it?' said Paul, with a sickly smile.
'Tom says so,' said Dulcie. ”

“ Bultitude, panting and desperate. 'I'm pressed for time.'
'Now you've gone and put me out, little boy,' said the old lady fussily. 'I shall have to begin all over again. Young man, will you take and count the other end and see if it adds up right? There's a halfpenny wrong somewhere; I know there is.'
'Now then,' shouted the guard from the platform. 'Any more going on?'
'I'm going on!' said Paul. 'Wait for me. First single to St. Pancras, quick!'
'Drat the boy!' said the old lady angrily. 'Do you think the world's to give way for you? Such impidence! Mind your manners, little boy, can't you? ”

“ Grimstone's face would be splendid when he saw two of us. Do come!'
'That's ridiculous nonsense you're talking,' said Paul, 'and you know it. What should I do at school at my age? I tell you I'm the same as ever inside, though I may have shrunk into a little rascally boy to look at. And it's simply an abominable nuisance, Dick, that's what it is! Why on earth couldn't you let the stone alone? Just see what mischief you've done by meddling now—put me to all this inconvenience!'
'You shouldn't have wished,' said Dick.
'Wished!' echoed Mr. Bultitude. ”

“ Oh, Bultitude, this is well—vastly well indeed! So I have nourished one more viper in my bosom, have I? A crawling reptile which curries favour by denouncing the very crime it conceals in its playbox! Oh, this black duplicity! Bultitude, I was not prepared for this!'
'I—I swear I never put them in!' protested the unhappy Paul. 'I—I never touch such things: they would bring on my gout in half-an-hour. It's ridiculous to punish me. I never knew they were there!'
'Then why were you so anxious to avoid opening the box?' rejoined the Doctor. 'No, sir, you're too ingenious; your guilt is clear. ”

“ Mr. Bultitude had meant to achieve a double stroke of diplomacy—to undeceive Dulcie and conciliate the lovesick Tipping. But whatever his success may have been in the former respect, the latter object failed conspicuously.
'You shan't get off by a shabby trick like that,' said Tipping, exasperated by the sight of Dulcie's emotion; 'you've made her cry now, and you shall smart for it. So, now, are you going to stand up to me like a man, or will you take a licking?'
'I'm not going to help you to commit a breach of the peace,' said Paul with great dignity. 'Go away, you quarrelsome young ruffian! ”

“ There was a suspicious hubbub and hum of voices from within; but as they entered every boy was bent over his books with the rapt absorption of the devoted student—an absorption that was the direct effect of the sound the door-handle made in turning.
'Our workshop,' said the Doctor airily, looking round. 'My first form, Mr. Bultitude. Some good workers here, and some idle ones.'
Dick stood in the doorway, looking (if the truth must be told) uncommonly foolish. ”

“ Bultitude sharply, struck by something sinister and peculiar in the boy's manner.
'Well, I don't mind telling you,' said Dick, 'it's fairer. You see, you wished to be a boy just like me, didn't you?'
'I didn't mean it,' protested Paul.
'Ah, you couldn't expect a stone to know that; at any rate, it made you into a boy like me directly. Now, if I wish myself a man just like you were ten minutes ago, before you took the stone, that will put things all right again, won't it?'
'Is the boy mad?' cried Paul, horrified at this proposal. ”

“ Why should you stand between me and my rights in this currish way? I didn't know there were boys like you in the world, sir; you're a young monster!'
'I don't mean you to tell the Doctor anything at all,' said Chawner. 'I shall do what I said.'
'Then do your worst!' said Paul, stung to defiance.
'Very well, then,' returned Chawner meekly, 'I will—and we'll see who wins!'
And they went back to the schoolroom again, where Mr. Bultitude, boiling with rage and seriously alarmed as well, tried to sit down and appear as if nothing had happened. ”

“ Bultitude as he appeared at the doorway.
'Stand there, sir,' said the Doctor, who was standing at his writing-table in an attitude; 'out there in the middle, where your schoolfellows can see you.' Paul obeyed and stood where he was told, looking, as he felt, absolutely boneless.
'Some of those here,' began the Doctor in an impressive bass, 'may wonder why I have called you all together on this, the first day of the week; most of those who reside under my roof are acquainted with, and I trust execrate, the miserable cause of my doing so. ”