"Inferior animals can dispense with a member more or less," he replied,
giving her the other corner of the paper, on which they bore their
capture to the window, and shook it till it took wing, with various legs
streaming behind it. "That venerable animal is apparently indifferent to
having left a third of two legs behind him," and as he spoke he removed
the already half drawn-off left-hand glove, and let Rachel see for a
moment that it had only covered the thumb, forefinger, two joints of the
middle, and one of the third; the little finger was gone, and the whole
hand much scarred. She was still so much dismayed that she gasped out
the first question she had ever asked him-"Where--?"
"Not under the handkerchief," he answered, picking it up as if he
thought she wanted convincing. "At Delhi, I imagine."
At that moment, Grace, as an act of general beneficence certainly
pleasing to her mother, began to sing. It was a stop to all
conversation, for Mrs. Curtis particularly disliked talking during
singing, and Rachel had to digest her discoveries at her leisure, as
soon as she could collect herself after the unnatural and strangely
lasting sensation of the solid giving way. So Grace was right, he was
no boy, but really older than Fanny, the companion of her childhood, and
who probably would have married her had not the general come in the way!
Here was, no doubt, the real enemy, while they had all been thinking of
Colonel Keith. A man only now expecting his company! It would sound more
absurd. Yet Rachel was not wont to think how things would sound! And
this fresh intense dislike provoked her. Was it the unsuitability of the
young widow remarrying? "Surely, surely, it must not be that womanhood
in its contemptible side is still so strong that I want to keep all for
myself! Shame! And this may be the true life love, suppressed, now able
to revive! I have no right to be disgusted, I will watch minutely, and
judge if he will be a good guide and father to the boys, though it
may save the colonel trouble. Pish! what have I to do with either? Why
should I think about them? Yet I must care for Fanny, I must dislike to
see her lower herself even in the eyes of the world. Would it really be
lowering herself? I cannot tell, I must think it out. I wish that game
was over, or that Grace would let one speak."
But songs and whist both lasted till the evening was ended by Lady
Temple coming up to the curate with her winnings and her pretty smile,
"Please, Mr. Touchett, let this go towards some treat for the school
children. I should not like to give it in any serious way, you know, but
just for some little pleasure for them."