ItwouldhavebeencheaperforPeythroppetohaveassaultedaCommissionerwithadog-whip，ortohaveburnedtherecordsofaDeputyCommissioner’sOffice，thantohavecontractedanalliancewiththeCastriesItwouldhaveweightedhisafter-careerless——
evenunderaGovernmentwhichneverforgetsandNEVER
forgives。
EverybodysawthisbutPeythroppeHewasgoingtomarryMissCastries，hewas——beingofageanddrawingagoodincome——andwoebetidethehousethatwouldnotafterwardsreceiveMrsVirginieSaulezPeythroppewiththedeferenceduetoherhusband’srank。
ThatwasPeythroppe’sultimatum，andanyremonstrancedrovehimfrantic。
ThesesuddenmadnessesmostafflictthesanestmenTherewasacaseonce——butIwilltellyouofthatlateronYoucannotaccountforthemania，exceptunderatheorydirectlycontradictingtheoneaboutthePlacewhereinmarriagesaremadePeythroppewasburninglyanxioustoputamillstoneroundhisneckattheoutsetofhiscareerandargumenthadnottheleasteffectonhimHewasgoingtomarryMissCastries，andthebusinesswashisownbusiness。
HewouldthankyoutokeepyouradvicetoyourselfWithamaninthiscondition，merewordsonlyfixhiminhispurposeOfcoursehecannotseethatmarriageoutheredoesnotconcerntheindividualbuttheGovernmentheserves。
DoyourememberMrsHauksbee——themostwonderfulwomaninIndia？
ShesavedPlufflesfromMrsReiver，wonTarrionhisappointmentintheForeignOffice，andwasdefeatedinopenfieldbyMrsCusack-
BremmilSheheardofthelamentableconditionofPeythroppe，andherbrainstruckouttheplanthatsavedhimShehadthewisdomoftheSerpent，thelogicalcoherenceoftheMan，thefearlessnessoftheChild，andthetripleintuitionoftheWomanNever——no，never——
aslongasatongabucketsdowntheSolondip，orthecouplesgoa-
ridingatthebackofSummerHill，willtherebesuchageniusasMrsHauksbeeSheattendedtheconsultationofThreeMenonPeythroppe’scase；andshestoodupwiththelashofherriding-whipbetweenherlipsandspake……
Threeweekslater，PeythroppedinedwiththeThreeMen，andtheGazetteofIndiacameinPeythroppefoundtohissurprisethathehadbeengazettedamonth’sleaveDon’taskmehowthiswasmanagedIbelievefirmlythatifMrsHauksbeegavetheorder，thewholeGreatIndianAdministrationwouldstandonitshead。
TheThreeMenhadalsoamonth’sleaveeachPeythroppeputtheGazettedownandsaidbadwordsThentherecamefromthecompoundthesoft“pad-pad“ofcamels——“thieves’camels。”thebikaneerbreedthatdon’tbubbleandhowlwhentheysitdownandgetup。
AfterthatIdon’tknowwhathappenedThismuchiscertain。
Peythroppedisappeared——vanishedlikesmoke——andthelongfoot-restchairinthehouseoftheThreeMenwasbrokentosplintersAlsoabedsteaddepartedfromoneofthebedrooms。
MrsHauksbeesaidthatMrPeythroppewasshootinginRajputanawiththeThreeMen；sowewerecompelledtobelieveher。
Attheendofthemonth，Peythroppewasgazettedtwentydays’
extensionofleave；buttherewaswrathandlamentationinthehouseofCastriesThemarriage-dayhadbeenfixed，butthebridegroomnevercame；andtheD’Silvas，Pereiras，andDuckettsliftedtheirvoicesandmockedHonoraryLieutenantCastriesasonewhohadbeenbaselyimposeduponMrsHauksbeewenttothewedding，andwasmuchastonishedwhenPeythroppedidnotappearAftersevenweeks，PeythroppeandtheThreeMenreturnedfromRajputana。
Peythroppewasinhard，toughcondition，ratherwhite，andmoreself-containedthanever。
OneoftheThreeMenhadacutonhisnose，causebythekickofagunTwelve-boreskickrathercuriously。
ThencameHonoraryLieutenantCastries，seekingforthebloodofhisperfidiousson-in-lawtobeHesaidthings——vulgarand“impossible“thingswhichshowedtherawrough“ranker“belowthe“Honorary。”andIfancyPeythroppe’seyeswereopenedAnyhow，heheldhispeacetilltheend；whenhespokebrieflyHonoraryLieutenantCastriesaskedfora“peg“beforehewentawaytodieorbringasuitforbreachofpromise。
MissCastrieswasaverygoodgirlShesaidthatshewouldhavenobreachofpromisesuitsShesaidthat，ifs...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：