The laugh perforce escaped him. The convincing Apostle Oddris had called on him at official headquarters that day, to inquire whether, as the said Oddris's wife and children were going to the Women's Laager, his place as a husband and father was not by their side? Being informed that able-bodied male beings were not included in the list of the defenceless, he had become importunate in the matter of at least a bomb-proof shelter to be erected in his back-yard.
"I had rather sit under Hammy and hear about Noah, with Berta on the other knee."
Her heart went out wholly to him.... 'Out of the mouths of babes.' ... Wasn't that one of the texts with promise?...
"You love children?"
"Bless the little beggars!" he said heartily, "they're the jolliest company in the world."
She leaned towards him, palpitating between her shyness of the Commander of the Garrison and her womanly curiosity to know more about the man.
"Hammond—the Mayor has told me—I hope it is not indiscreet to mention it—that the first thing you did, on joining your regiment in India as a young subaltern, was to gather all the European children in cantonments together and march them through the place, playing 'The Girl I Left Behind Me' on the flute."
His brow grew black as thunder. The utterance came, terse and sharp.
"Ma'am, you have been gravely misinformed."
She jumped in terror.