“No, and the worser of it is, there is no discharge in this war. Dick must learn his lesson like the rest of us. Talking of war, there’ll be trouble in the Balkans in the spring.”
“That trouble is long coming. I wonder if we could drag Dick out there when it comes off?”
Dick entered the room soon afterwards, and the question was put to him.
“Not good enough,” he said shortly. “I’m too comf’y where I am.”
“Surely you aren’t taking all the stuff in the papers seriously?” said the Nilghai. “Your vogue will be ended in less than six months,—the public will know your touch and go on to something new,—and where will you be then?”
“Here, in England.”
“When you might be doing decent work among us out there? Nonsense! I shall go, the Keneu will be there, Torp will be there, Cassavetti will be there, and the whole lot of us will be there, and we shall have as much as ever we can do, with unlimited fighting and the chance for you of seeing things that would make the reputation of three Verestchagins.”
“Um!” said Dick, pulling at his pipe.
“You prefer to stay here and imagine that all the world is gaping at your pictures? Just think how full an average man’s life is of his own pursuits and pleasures. When twenty thousand of him find time to look up between mouthfuls and grunt something about something they aren’t the least interested in, the net result is called fame, reputation, or notoriety, according to the taste and fancy of the speller my lord.”
“I know that as well as you do. Give me credit for a little gumption.”