A short cry of mirth broke from the Major, and Gertie smiled.

Frank said nothing at all.  He lay down on the road, plunged his arm into the drain and drew up the potted meat; it had some disagreeable-looking moist substance adhering to it, which he wiped off on to his sleeve, and then regretted having done so.  Again he packed his things; again he drew the string tight, and again it snapped.

“Lord! man, don’t be so hard on it.”

Frank looked up with a kind of patient fury.  His instinct was to kick every single object that lay before him on the path as hard as possible in every direction.

“Have you any more string?” he said.

“No.  Stick the things in your pocket and come on.”

Frank made no answer.  He went to the hedge and drew out a long supple twig of hazel, stripped it of its leaves, and once more tried, with it, to tie up his parcel.  But the angle was too acute, and just as the twig tightened satisfactorily it snapped, and this time the razor slid out sideways into a single minute puddle that lay on the path.

The Major snorted in mirthful impatience.

“But—­”

“Kindly let me alone,” said Frank icily.  “The thing’s got to go like this, or not at all.”

He drew out the razor from the puddle, opened it and dried the blade on his sleeve.  During the process Gertie moved suddenly, and he looked up.  When he looked down again be perceived that he had slit a neat slice into the cloth of his jacket.

He remained quite still for one moment.  Then he sat down on the bank, and examined the twine once more.

The Major began to make slightly offensive comments.  Then Frank looked up.

“You can go to hell!” he said quite softly, “or anywhere else you like.  But I’m going to do up the bundle in my way and not yours.”

* * * * *

Now that is a sort of parable.  It really happened, for it was reported to a witness by Frank himself exactly as I have told it, and it seems to me a very good little symbol of his state of mind.  It is quite indefensible, of course—­and especially his regrettable language that closed the interview; but it gives a pleasant little glimpse, I think, of Frank’s character just now, in section.  The things had to go in a certain way:  he saw no adequate reason to change that way, and ultimately, of course, the twine held.  It must have been a great satisfaction to him.

(III)

It seems that Frank must have been allowed just now to sample several different kinds of moods, for he had a very different kind of awakening a day or two later.

They had come to some piece of open country that I am unable to identify, and for some reason or other determined to spend the night out of doors.  There was a copse a hundred yards away from the road, and in the copse a couple of small shelters built, probably, for wood-pigeon shooting.  The Major and Gertie took possession of one, and Frank of the other, after they had supped in the dark under the beeches.