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g　this　appeal。　In　fact；　his　fellow　students　had　worried　among　themselves　over　Coke；　and　their　desire　to　see　him　come　out　of　his　troubles　in　fair　condition　was　intensified　by　the　fact　that　they　had　lately　concentrated　much　thought　upon　him。　There　was　a　somewhat　comic　pretense　of　　speaking　so　that　only　Coke　could　hear。　Their　chorus　was　law　sung。　〃　Oh；　cheese　it；　Coke。　Let　up　on　your…self；　　you　blind　ass。　Wait　till　you　get　to　Athens　and　then　go　and　act　like　a　monkey。　All　this　is　no　good…〃

The　advice　which　came　from　the　carriage　was　all　in　one　direction；　and　there　was　so　much　of　it　that　the　hum　of　voices　sounded　like　a　wind　blowing　through　a　forest。

Coke　spun　suddenly　and　said　something　to　Nora　Black。　Nora　laughed　rather　loudly；　and　then　the　two　turned　squarely　and　the　Wainwright　party　contemplated　　what　were　surely　at　that　time　the　two　most　insolent　　backs　in　the　world。

The　professor　looked　as　if　he　might　be　going　to　have　a　fit。　Mrs。　Wainwright　lifted　her　eyes　toward　heaven；　and　flinging　out　her　trembling　hands；　cried：　〃　Oh；　what　an　outrage。　What　an　outrage！　That　minx…〃　The　concensus　of　opinion　in　the　first　carriage　　was　perfectly　expressed　by　Peter　Tounley；　who　with　a　deep　drawn　breath；　said　：　〃　Well；　I'm　damned！　〃　Marjory　had　moaned　and　lowered　her　head　as　from　a　sense　of　complete　personal　shame。　Coleman　lit　his　cigar　and　mounted　his　horse。　〃　Well；　I　suppose　there　is　nothing　for　it　but　to　be　off；　professor？　〃　His　tone　was　full　of　regret；　with　sort　of　poetic　regret。　For　a　moment　the　professor　looked　at　him　blankly；　and　then　gradually　recovered　part　of　his　usual　manner。　〃　Yes；〃　he　said　sadly；　〃　there　is　nothing　for　it　but　to　go　on。〃　At　a　word　from　the　dragoman；　the　two　impatient　drivers　spoke　gutturally　to　their　horses　and　the　car…　riages　whirled　out　of　Arta。　Coleman；　his　dragoman　and　the　groom　trotted　in　the　dust　from　the　wheels　of　the　Wainwright　carriage。　The　correspondent　always　found　his　reflective　faculties　improved　by　the　constant　pounding　of　a　horse　on　the　trot；　and　he　was　not　sorry　to　have　now　a　period　for　reflection；　as　well　as　this　　artificial　stimulant。　As　he　viewed　the　game　he　had　in　his　hand　about　all　the　cards　that　were　valuable。　In　fact；　he　considered　that　the　only　ace　against　him　was　Mrs。　Wainwright。　He　had　always　regarded　her　as　a　stupid　person；　concealing　herself　behind　a　mass　of　trivialities　which　were　all　conventional；　but　he　thought　now　that　the　more　stupid　she　was　and　the　more　conventional　in　her　triviality　the　more　she　approached　to　being　the　very　ace　of　trumps　itself。　She　was　just　the　sort　of　a　card　that　would　come　upon　the　table　mid　the　neat　play　of　experts　and　by　some　inexplicable　arrangement　of　circumstance；　lose　a　whole　game　for　the　wrong　man。　After　Mrs。　Wainwright　he　worried　over　the　students。　　He　believed　them　to　be　reasonable　enough；　in　fact；　he　honoured　them　distinctly　in　regard　to　their　powers　of　reason；　but　he　knew　that　people　generally　hated　a　row。　It；　put　them　off　their　balance；　made　them　sweat　over　a　lot　of　pros　and　cons；　and　prevented　them　from　thinking　for　a　time　at　least　only　of　themselves。　　Then　they　came　to　resent　the　principals　in　a　row。　Of　course　the　principal；　who　was　thought　to　be　in　the　wrong；　was　the　most　rescnted；　but　Coleman　be…　lieved　that；　after　all；　people　always　came　to　resent　the　other　principal；　or　at　least　be　impatient　and　suspicious　　of　him。　If　he　was　a　correct　person；　why　was　he　in　a　row　at　all？　The　principal　who　had　been　in　the　right　often　brought　this　impatience　and　suspicion　upon　himself；　no　doubt；　by　never　letting　the　matter　end；　continuing　to　yawp　about　his　virtuous　suffering；　and　not　allowing　people　to　return　to　the　steady　　contemplation　of　their　own　affairs。　As　a　precautionary　measure　he　decided　to　say　nothing　at　all　about　the　late　trouble；　unless　some　one　addressed　him　upon　it。　Even　then　he　would　be　serenely　laconic。　He　felt　that　he　must　be　popular　with　the　seven　students。　In　the　first　place；　it　was　nice　that　in　the　presence　of　Marjory　they　should　like　him；　and　in　the　second　place　he　feared　to　displease　them　as　a　body　because　he　believed　that　he　had　some　dignity。　Hoodlums　are　seldom　dangerous　to　other　hoodlums；　but　if　they　catch　　pomposity　alone　in　the　field；　pomposity　is　their　prey。　They　tear　him　to　mere　bloody　ribbons；　amid　heartless　shrieks。　When　Coleman　put　himself　on　the　same　basis　with　the　students；　he　could　cope　with　them　easily；　but　he　did　not　want　the　wild　pack　after　him　when　Marjory　could　see　the　chase。　And　so　be　rea…　soned　that　his　best　attitude　was　to　be　one　of　rather　taciturn　serenity。

On　the　hard　military　road　the　hoofs　of　the　horses　made　such　clatter　that　it　was　practically　impossible　to　hold　talk　between　the　carriages　and　the　horsemen　without　all　parties　bellowing。　The　professor；　how…　ever；　strove　to　overcome　the　difficulties。　He　was　　apparently　undergoing　a　great　amiability　toward　　Coleman。　Frequently　he　turned　with　a　bright　face；　and　pointing　to　some　object　in　the　landscape；　obviously　tried　to　convey　something　entertaining　to　Coleman's　mind。　Coleman　could　see　his　lips　mouth　the　words。　He　always　nodded　cheerily　in　answer　and　yelled。

The　road　ultimately　became　that　straight　lance…handle　　which　Coleman…it　seemed　as　if　many　years　had　passed…had　traversed　with　his　dragoman　and　the　funny　little　carriers。　He　was　fixing　in　his　mind　a　possible　story　to　the　Wainwrights　about　the　snake　and　his　first　dead　Turk。　But　suddenly　the　carriages　left　this　road　and　began　a　circuit　of　the　Gulf　of　Arta；　winding　about　an　endless　series　of　promontories。　The　journey　developed　into　an　excess　of　dust　whirling　from　a　road；　which　half　circled　the　waist　of　cape　after　cape。　All　dramatics　were　lost　in　the　rumble　of　wheels　and　in　the　click　of　hoofs。　They　passed　a　little　soldier　leading　a　prisoner　by　a　string。　They　passed　more　frightened　peasants；　who　seemed　resolved　to　flee　down　into　the　very　boots　of　Greece。　And　people　looked　at　them　with　scowls；　envying　them　their　speed。　At　the　little　town　from　which　Coleman　embarked　at　one　stage　of　the　upward　journey；　they　found　crowds　in　the　streets。　There　was　no　longer　any　laughter；　any　confidence；　any　vim。　All　the　spirit　of　the　visible　Greek　nation　seemed　to　have　been　knocked　out　of　it　in　two　blows。　But　still　they　talked　and　never　ceased　talking。　Coleman　noticed　that　the　most　curious　changes　had　come　upon　them　since　his　journey　to　the　frontier。　They　no　longer　approved　of　foreigners。　They　seemed　to　blame　the　travellers　for　something　which　had　　transpired　in　the　past　few　days。　It　was　not　that　they　really　blamed　the　travellers　for　the　nation's　calamity：　It　was　simply　that　their　minds　were　half　stunned　by　the　news　of　defeats；　and；　not　thinking　for　a　moment　to　blame　themselves；　or　even　not　thinking　to　attribute　the　defeats　to　mere　numbers　and　skill；　they　were　　savagely　eager　to　fasten　it　upon　something　near　enough　at　hand　for　the　operation　of　vengeance。

Coleman　perceived　that　the　dragoman；　all　his　former　plumage　gone；　was　whining　and　snivelling　as　he　argued　to　a　dark…browed　crowd　that　was　running　beside　the　cavalcade。　The　groom；　who　always　had　been　a　　miraculously　laconic　man；　was　suddenly　launched　forth　　garrulously。　The；　drivers；　from　their　high　seats；　palavered　like　mad　men；　driving　with　oat　hand　and　gesturing　with　the　other；　explaining　evidently　their　own　great　innocence。

Coleman　saw　that　there　was　trouble；　but　he　only　sat　more　stiffly　in　his　saddle。　The　eternal　gabble　moved　him　to　despise　the　situation。　At　any　rate；　the　travellers　would　soon　be　out　of　this　town　and　on　to　a　more　sensible　region。

However　he　saw　the　driver　of　the　first　carriage　sud…　denly　pull　up　boforg　a　little　blackened　coffee　shop　and　inn。　The　dragman　spurred　forward　and　began　wild　expostulation。　The　second　carriage　pulled　close　behind　　the　other。　The　crowd；　murmuring　like　a　Roman　mob　in　　Nero's　time；　closed　around　them。



。

CHAPTER　XXI。

COLEMAN　pushed　his　horse　coolly　through　to　the　dragoman；s　side。　〃　What　is　it　？　〃　he　demanded。　The　dragoman　was　broken…voiced。　〃　These　peoples；　they　say　you　are　Germans；　all　Germans；　and　they　are　angry；〃　he　wailed。　〃　I　can　do　nossing…nossing。〃

〃　Well；　tell　these　men　to　drive　on；〃　said　Coleman；　〃tell　them　theymust　drive　on。〃

〃　They　will　not　drive　on；〃　wailed　the　dragoman；　still　more　loudly。　〃　I　can　do　nossing。　They　say　here　is　place　for　feed　the　horse。　It　is　the　custom　and　they　will　note　drive　on。〃

〃　Make　them　drive　on。〃

〃　They　will　note；〃　shrieked　the　agonised　servitor。　Coleman　looked　from　the　men　waving　their　arms　and　chattering　on　the　box…seats　to　the　men　of　the　crowd　who　also　waved　their　arms　and　chattered。　In　this　throng　far　to　the　rear　of　the　fighting　armies　there　did　not　seem　to　be　a　single　man　who　was　not　　ablebodied；　who　had　not　been　free　to　enlist　as　a　soldier。　They　were　of　that　scurvy　behind…the…rear…guard　which　every　nation　has　in　degree　proportionate　to　its　worth。　The　manhood　of　Greece　had　gone　to　the　frontier；　leaving　at　home　this　rabble　of　talkers；　most　of　whom　were　armed　with　rifles　for　mere　pretention。　Coleman　loathed　them　to　the　end　of　his　soul。　He　thought　them　a　lot　of　infants　who　would　like　to　prove　their　courage　upon　eleven　innocent　travellers；　all　but　　unarmed；　and　in　this　fact　he　was　quick　to　see　a　great　danger　to　the　Wainwright　party。　One　could　deal　with　soldiers；　soldiers　would　have