A Corner in a Market
AT last Jean was coming. Henry Winton was waiting for her on the platform at Tinapur railway station. The agony of separation, the anxiety of waiting for a ship in wartime were fast drawing to a close.
'ullo, Mr. Wilson,' said someone. "'ow far?"
Even without turning, Henry knew it was Mr. Henderson, the station-master. He will always go on calling me Wilson, thought Henry. But to-day he did not mind.
I'm not going anywhere myself; I'm expecting my wife," he said proudly.
'I 'ear Eddie Trevor has got his King's commission." 'I don't know. I know he went up for the interview. The results
have not been announced yet." 'It's all over the colony, said Henderson. 'Ah, there she is, the Calcutta Mail right on time!"
There she was, right on time, and there was Jean, hatless and wearing tweed tailor-mades and looking just a little unfamiliar, way- ing wildly from a first-class window. He got her things out and had them stacked in the back seat of the Austin, and she sat in front with him, still clutching a cardboard box. She was full of the war and talked of little else besides the submarine scare and the no- smoking, no-lights rule on the ship, and how they were digging shelters all over Regent's Park, and how London was cluttered up with sandbags, and how they were putting up ack-ack sites all over the country because of the bombers. Is that your gas-mask?' asked Henry as soon as they were on their way.
They call them respirators now. Everyone was issued with one at home. When will you be called up. Henry? You must join the Green Howards--such a pretty hat-badge! I've got one, I'll show you. We had a whole lot of Green Howards with us on the Strarl more. And did you know the whole of the Suez Canal area is guarded by our Indian boys?"
Indian boys!" '
Dogras and Punjabis, y'know. I'm sure some of the jawans in Daddy's battalion were there. It was wonderful to see them, Henry, and to think how safe everything was, just because they were out there, guarding the canal. So stern, so straight, so disciplined; living in tents on those hot, hot sands!"
'I expect they're all used to it, you know, said Henry. "They like the heat.
"Once we were su close, we threw things to them from the boat...'
"You what?"
"Gifts, you know; tins of fruit and biscuits and cigarettes and magazines. That's what the Green Howards said the Indian boys would relish. And you know what happened, Henry?"
'No.'
Well, the sepoys stood just as they were, like Guardsmen, nut even looking at our gifts, and a whole lot of scruffy-looking Arabs rushed forward and began to help themselves. And then do you know what happened, Henry?"
"I wasn't there, darling, Henry pointed out.
The Punjabi subahdar, a big, hefty man with a fierce moustache, yelled at them in Hindi. and the whole crowd slunk back as though they had been whipped. Oh, how we cheered! The Green Howards asked me what he said to them. But I couldn't very well tell them, you know. It was... it was one of those terribly unprintable things the Indian boys are for every saying.. The one about the sister molester?"
That, and the one about the mother too. I couldn't tell the Green Howards, could 1. Henry?... such foul language. But I could have jumped out and hugged that subahdar."
What about hugging me instead?' suggested Henry.
'Don't be silly; not while you're driving. It's not safe. I don't want to go down into the khud just when our honeymoon is begin- ning. Would you like to join the Green Howards, Henry? Because Major Cameron said he could easily get you m. All we have to do is to write to String. He's a fine chap, String; not thirty yet, and a major on the staff at GHQ. And absolutely crazy about me. It was
String who gave me his silver hat-badge.
*String?"
'Major Cameron; everyone calls him String."
And were you crazy about him too?"
I'm crazy about you, darling! And I had no time to be crazy about anyone else! Tell me, there can be hardly anyone I know at Chinnal. I expect everyone must have gone by now..
'Gone where?"
"Why, joined up, of course!"
'No, they're all there, waiting for the call up, just like me. At least, nearly all. One man's desested, a man called Barnet
"He's gone and joined the army?
The Navy. But all of us take tather a dun view of such thrusting. Sudden was furious. It is very important to stay put where you are and go on doing your job until they send for you."
Texpect it is. Did you know Daddy's voluntoried again?"
'Besides, tea's a very important weapon of war
"Tea"
Troops cant fight without tea. British troops,
" Good old Tommy' So no one from your garden has gone?"
Oue man has put in for a commission, chap called Trevor."
'Treve Do I know him? Was he at the Wcek? The name sounds Lanuliar
'No, you're not likely to have met ham."
'But how wonderful Shall I write and tell Sting to take him into the Green Howards?"
The Green Howards wouldnt take him He's a Eurasian. Be- sides, he's tather the bounder type, not the type one recommends."
"You don't like him much, do you, Hemv "No. Rather cheek, this, wanting to go off without giving a damn. Poot Sudden will have a hell of unie trving to find a replacement. Just when I had recommended him for promotion too."
"When is he going
He went before the interview board last week. He's just returned, cocksure that he's been accepted Dained cheek, I think, going in for a commission, but they can't be too particular in wartime
'Think they'll take l
I don't know. He hasn't the educational qualifications. They want them at least to have matriculated, and they don't usually make any exceptions But you never know. Do you know what the Brigadier chap, the President of the interview board, asked him? Whether he played any games 'Did he?--I mean, does he?'
He only played for India at the Berlin Olympics!-hockey. But he plays cricket and football too. So he just produced a file of his press cuttings, and that was that. They never asked him another question."
"So they might take him; I do hope they do."
As I said, only if they are prepared to make a special case. As fat as I'm concerned, the sooner he goes the better. After all... oh. damn-Damn!"
Henry was just taking the last, left-handed hairpin bend into the Silent Hill township when from the opposite direction came a monstrous red motor-cycle driven at great speed by a rider who had put both his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.
'Damn! Henry cursed again, 'Disgraceful! Bloody shocking driving""
As he flashed past them, manoeuvring his motorcycle cleanly through the just-wide-enough gap between their car and the para pet wall, riding with body and legs as though he were mounted on a horse, the rider held up both his hands and waved at then car.
That's the man. said Henry. That's Eddie Trevor You shouldn't have waved back at him."
Oh, but I do know him,' said Jean He was on the Rawalpindi when Daddy went home on retirement. I remember now, the Indian Hockey team travelled with us in the same boat. He was very popu lar with everyone. We even won a competition together. He's wonderful dancer.
Later the same evening, in the privacy of then bedroom over looking the valley. Eddie Trevor once again came breaking into their lives. They were lying side by side, spent and relaxed, and Henry had just lit a cigarette. She was wearing the sheerest and shortest of night gowns he had been able to buy in Icwiss store at Port Said. There was only the famt blue night light beside the bed,
the rest was darkness. 'I want a drink,' said Henry. "What about you?"
'No, thank you .'
'I'm going to get myself a whisky-and-water. Mind if I put on the light?"
'Don't be silly, of course I don't.'
Jean did not seem to mind the light In a sense, it represented her whole attitude to love-making. Henry found himself thinking, altogether different from Ruby Miranda's. It was a wilder, less restrained, even more aggressive, more demanding, more exhausting kind of love-making-not the kind which throve only in darkness. Even to think of it sent a delightful tingle through his body. He switched on the light and gazed at her fondly, gold-limbed, patchily: tanned during her voyage, lying with her legs curled up, her flimsy. pale-yellow night-gown well above her waist, and her gold, shoulder- length hair shining brightly in the harsh light. He came back with his whisky-and-water and sat down by her side. 'You've lost a little weight,' he remarked.
'Oh, good! I've been trying to. Where?"
'Here, and here."
"Oooh, your hand's cold" No, no, don't take it away. dailing. Let me warm it for you. Give me the other hand too. I his one's even colder.'
T've been holding the dunk in that one. This is the nicest way of warming one's hands I can think of. Shall I put the light out?
"No. I like to look at you, darling. Don't you like to look at me I went to such trouble to get my tan
I love the untanned parts best." said Henry
I shall try to get an all ovet brown now, went on Jean
"You have to be careful of the sun in the hills, Henty warned her
What's that?" she asked suddenly, holding up her hand Listen" Somewhere far away, someone was playing a concertina, and the clear mountain air was carrying its strains right into the room
"Damn" said Henry. "Oh. damn!"
The music became cleares and louder, as though it were being tuned in, and then a nch batone voice joined it in song
A com in a casket. A hird in a basket. A corner in a market Falling down, falling down
"Shall I shut the window?" asked Henry,
'Oh, no, please, darling. It's lovely."
What on earth is it?""
"A Corner in a Market. Everyone's singing it at home. Wonder how it got here, all the way to Silent Hill. And he's singing it beautifully. Who is it?
That man Eddie Trevor."
'He sang at the ship's concert, I remember. He was very good. D'you think we could hear better from the verandah? Let's go and see.
She pushed Henry's hands away and got up from her bed 'Please gne me my house-coat
Out in the verandah, the music could be heard much more clearly. It was coming from the opposite hill. The valley below them was flooded in moonlight
I think he's sitting on top of Wallach's Folly, said Hemiy
Wallach's Folly
That hill there Man who was the manager here before me - chap called Wallach- put up steps for going to the top Before that it was schmhable But the company refused to reimburse the money he had spent quite rightly too That's why it's called Wallach s Folly
'How far is it?"
About a mile by the path hardly five hundred yards straight across the valley, as the crow thes
"Will you take me up one day? How clear it sounds "Any day you choove To morrow if you like
They had put cushions on the stone steps of the verandah and they sat facing the dark, conical hill looming beyond the silver valley Jean listened aptly to the song her eyes closed and then she picked up the tune herself and began to hum
'Let's go in said Henry I'm beginning to feel cold
A Corner in a Market, falling down, falling down,' Jean was singing in a clear, silvery voice
Shush whispered Henry He might hear you darling "Couldn't we call him over oi go and join him, and then we could all sit down and have a proper sing song" He'll be going away on d Henry, if they take him for the first course at the officers' training school at Belgaum Ought we to ask him ove before he goes, if they do take him? Make a little fuss?' As him over? Make a fuss!
'But darling' He'll be the first man from Silent Hill to be going to the wars a sort of hero really You don't know how all the fight- ing men get fussed over at home. Mother is on one of the committees with Lady Havesell as the chan man to arrange for soldiers and sailors to spend week-ends with the hoity-toities. Everyone is clamouring to be allowed to entertain soldiers....
'But this is India: it's slightly different here. Besides, sahibs don't go getting all social with Turasians, here. Sudden would throw a fit if he got to hear of it."
"Oh, to hell with Sudden, Jean snapped with a vehemence that rook Henry aback. You don't have to go treating him as though you were still at school and Sudden was the headmaster Sudden's got to realize there's a war on, that it makes no difference whether the blood you spill is English or only half English or not at all Eng- lish. Think how safe I felt coming to jom you here because of ou Indian boys guarding the Caual
I do wish you wouldn't keep refering to them as "om Indian boys"
Why not Laddy was Indus army Besides
'Somehow it doesn't sound night. Our boys will be our hoy yours and mine, and thank God they won't be Indim box Will be two boys and two girls... 'Only two and two?
Henry leaned close to her. Come to bed, he whispered Pull me up
Henry stood er her and pullet her ap ind held hes tightly m his arms, and she drew has head down and kissed bim, and agnn was one of those long, breathless kisses that went on and on hut guly, banking up the fires within him and filling him with a del ous, uncontrollable longing "Come to hed, he whispered "now."
Take me in your arms. she orderes, potting how arms tightly around his neck me up in the bid see and you didn't carry me into your house when we came this morning
"This morning all the servants were waiting to wel ons vout with garlands.
You can carry me in now, there are no servants with garlands He picked her up in his arms and she snuggled close to his body. wrapping herself about him he aims still clinging tightly tound his shoulders She was light and soft and warm his hands, and fragrant, and she was singing softly to herself
A con in a casket, A bird in a basket, A corner in a market, Falling down falling down He carried her into the house in triumph, like a prize won in battle, through the verandah and the passage, and then all the way through the sitting-room and into their bedroom, and gently de posited her on the bed. But even then Jean did not release her hold. 'Kiss me first,' she whispered, pulling his head down, another kiss like that last one."
