“The General Superintendent must have known something about this place,” Julie reflected; “since he sent you.”
“Oh, I know him very well,” Miss Hope declared. “He is a very busy man, and cannot be expected to know everything. This is the world’s end—but I came here on my own request. I have a project which obliges me to teach in at least one remote island. My plan is to teach in every country around the world, as far as I can get. In addition to teaching in the States, I have already put in one term in Honolulu, one in Yokohama, another in a girls’ school in Pekin. From here, I project India and Ceylon, a course of English in a Greek School, ending up in a college in Madrid.”
Everybody over here, Julie reminded herself, had a separate and astonishing thing to do.
The rain had stopped when they set out to climb the hill to the Mess for dinner. There was one general military mess where most of the white colony ate, Miss Hope explained.
In the inky blackness Julie could form no impression of the town. There was the usual plaza inevitable to every Spanish town, on a plateau at the top of the hill. On a corner of the plaza loomed the large house of the august Commandant.
Dinner was almost over when they arrived. Here in this one room, closed against the elements like some Monte Cristo world, were nearly all the white inhabitants of the place. A hush fell as the newcomer stepped in among them.
In a community like this everybody was potential. The girl looked about her, stirred at the encounter with these beings who were to become the companions of her life; and when she was stirred the singular, characteristic inner gleam came out and lighted her features. These people, huddled together to keep their spirits alive in their neglected corner of the world, woke up as if they had received a message from their lost existence.
Major Landon, the Commandant, a tall, stern-looking man of swarthy complexion, rose and greeted her, with the greatest possible courtesy, Julie thought. He was in fact kind to her at once. That this graciousness did not extend to every one, she soon learned. His deep utterance rolled around in his throat like a growl, and seldom got completely out. “You are the first American girl to visit Nahal,” he rumbled. “We hope you’ll stay!”
Miss Hope looked vexed, and resumed her introductions.
The Smiths were the only married couple. Theirs was a very recent and spectacular marriage—any reference to which seemed excessively to annoy the Major.