But fantasy proved no consolation to Patricia when, once again, she bade her man good-bye!
PART TWENTY-TWO
“SUNFLOWERS”
§ 1
Peter Jameson returned to his unit in a very peculiar frame of mind: a mixture of gladness at having left his business annoyances behind him, regret for missed enjoyments, and determination not to allow anything that might happen at home to interfere with his work as a soldier—a determination slightly tinged with fanaticism, which did not improve his temper.
He detrained at Steenwerck, in pitch darkness, after a nine-hour train-journey; was accosted by his groom at the exit from the station.
“Hope you had a good leaf, sir.” The squat little man saluted awkwardly.
“Thanks, Jelks. Quite good. Where are the horses?”
“Just over there, sir. I tied them up to the fence.”
“Both of them all right?”