Page:The Prussian officer, and other stories, Lawrence, 1914.djvu/22

 The young man stood at attention, unmoving, shut off.

The meal went in silence. But the orderly seemed eager. He made a clatter with the dishes.

“Are you in a hurry?” asked the officer, watching the intent, warm face of his servant. The other did not reply.

“Will you answer my question?” said the Captain.

“Yes, sir,” replied the orderly, standing with his pile of deep Army plates. The Captain waited, looked at him, then asked again:

“Are you in a hurry?”

“Yes, sir,” came the answer, that sent a flash through the listener.

“For what?”

“I was going out, sir.”

“I want you this evening.”

There was a moment’s hesitation. The officer had a curious stiffness of countenance.

“Yes, sir,” replied the servant, in his throat.

“I want you to-morrow evening also—in fact, you may consider your evenings occupied, unless I give you leave.”

The mouth with the young moustache set close.

“Yes, sir,” answered the orderly, loosening his lips for a moment.

He again turned to the door.

“And why have you a piece of pencil in your ear?”

The orderly hesitated, then continued on his way without answering. He set the plates in a pile outside the door, took the stump of pencil from his ear,