Carlyon Sahib Part 14

[_He places the chair nearer her._

VERA.

[_Forcing a smile._] I am not afraid.

CARLYON.

I believe you have enough knowledge of me, and enough courage, to see that what I did was right.

VERA.

Thank you for trusting me, father.

CARLYON.

It was when I was in Koreb's town, almost alone, just before the war.

The place was full of his men; they came streaming in every day.

VERA.

It was in time of peace, was it?

CARLYON.

It was called peace, but we all knew what was coming. War would have been better. A frank declaration of war was the one thing wanted; but--[_watching her keenly_]--of course it was my duty to avoid war as long as possible.

VERA.

[_Simply._] Of course.

[CARLYON _seems about to speak angrily, but changes his mind_.

CARLYON.

I sent to Government for advice and Government advised--our waiting patiently to have our throats cut.

VERA.

[_Shuddering._] Poor father, what did you do?

CARLYON.

[_Darkly._] You remember the little hospital I had there?

VERA.

Yes.

CARLYON.

I utilised my infectious cases.

VERA.

[_After a moment's pause._] What do you mean?

CARLYON.

You know the natives have no idea about infection and that sort of thing.

VERA.

Of course. You used to have such trouble to get even the infected clothes burnt.

CARLYON.

Exactly, in ordinary times. Well, at this time I didn't take so much trouble, I took a little trouble the other way.

VERA.

But--What do you mean? What did you want?

CARLYON.

[_Harshly._] I wanted the tribes who were crowding round us to disperse.

And I knew that cholera would disperse them.

VERA.

Do you mean that you deliberately----?

CARLYON.

Don't trouble about the details. My servant Selim did most of it. There was always a case or two of cholera in Bhojal, and it's not hard to make such things spread if you want to.

VERA.

I don't understand. What did you do?

CARLYON.

I poisoned the well. It only took ten days and the tribes began to disperse. It was a regular panic. So we took our opportunity and cut our way back to Rajpoor. I only lost two men; and Selim for a third.

[_Rising, with a sigh of relief._] Then the war broke out.

VERA.

[_Shuddering uneasily._] Of course you were right! But there was always cholera there. It may not have come from anything you did.