But there was nothing of the kind. They were just ordinary prosaic
regimental officers. Doesn't it seem strange to you, too? Here were men
who could deal out misery and estrangement and years of suffering,
without so much as a single word spoken, and they went about their
business, and you never knew them from other men until a long while
afterwards some consequence of what they did, and very likely have
forgotten, rises up and strikes you down."
"Yes," said Sutch. "That thought has occurred to me." He fell to
wondering again what object had brought Durrance into Hampshire, since
he did not come for information; but Durrance did not immediately
enlighten him. They reached the lieutenant's house. It stood alone by
the roadside looking across a wide country of downs. Sutch took Durrance
over his stable and showed him his horses, he explained to him the
arrangement of his garden and the grouping of his flowers. Still
Durrance said nothing about the reason of his visit; he ceased to talk
of Harry Feversham and assumed a great interest in the lieutenant's
garden. But indeed the interest was not all pretence. These two men had
something in common, as Sutch had pointed out at the moment of their
meeting--the abrupt termination of a promising career.
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