His hilarity,
too, had an artificial air. He had sat at the table constraining himself
to the semblance of high spirits. Calder lit his pipe, and sat for a
long while by the empty table.
Then he took his helmet and crossed the sand to Durrance's office. He
lifted the latch noiselessly; as noiselessly he opened the door, and he
looked in. Durrance was sitting at his desk with his head bowed upon his
arms and all his letters unopened at his side. Calder stepped into the
room and closed the door loudly behind him. At once Durrance turned his
face to the door.
"Well?" said he.
"I have a paper, Colonel, which requires your signature," said Calder.
"It's the authority for the alterations in C barracks. You remember?"
"Very well. I will look through it and return it to you, signed, at
lunch-time. Will you give it to me, please?"
He held out his hand towards Calder. Calder took his pipe from his
mouth, and, standing thus in full view of Durrance, slowly and
deliberately placed it into Durrance's outstretched palm. It was not
until the hot bowl burnt his hand that Durrance snatched his arm away.
The pipe fell and broke upon the floor. Neither of the two men spoke for
a few moments, and then Calder put his arm round Durrance's shoulder,
and asked in a voice gentle as a woman's:--
"How did it happen?"
Durrance buried his face in his hands.
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