Mr. Standfast byJohnBuchan StyledbyLimpidSoft Contents PART1 4 CHAPTER 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CHAPTER 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 CHAPTER 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 CHAPTER 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 CHAPTER 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 CHAPTER 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 CHAPTER 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 CHAPTER 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 CHAPTER 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 CHAPTER 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 CHAPTER 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 2 CONTENTS PART2 285 CHAPTER 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 CHAPTER 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 CHAPTER 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 CHAPTER 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376 CHAPTER 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 CHAPTER 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 CHAPTER 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 CHAPTER 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475 CHAPTER 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491 CHAPTER 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518 CHAPTER 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556 3 Thepresentdocumentwasderivedfromtext provided by Project Gutenberg (document m00016) which was made available free of charge.Thisdocumentisalsofreeofcharge. PART 1 5 CHAPTER 1 THEWICKET-GATE Ispentone-thirdofmyjourneylookingoutofthewin- dowofafirst-classcarriage,thenextinalocalmotor-car followingthecourseofatroutstreaminashallowvalley, andthelasttrampingoveraridgeofdownlandthrough great beech-woods to my quarters for the night. In the first part I was in an infamous temper; in the second I was worried and mystified; but the cool twilight of the thirdstagecalmedandheartenedme, andIreachedthe gatesofFosseManorwithamightyappetiteandaquiet mind. As we slipped up the Thames valley on the smooth GreatWesternlineIhadreflectedruefullyonthethorns inthepathofduty.FormorethanayearIhadneverbeen outofkhaki,exceptthemonthsIspentinhospital. They gavememybattalionbeforetheSomme,andIcameout ofthatwearybattleafterthefirstbigSeptemberfighting with a crack in my head and a D.S.O. I had received a C.B. for the Erzerum business, so what with these and my Matabele and South African medals and the Legion PART 1 ofHonour,IhadachestliketheHighPriest’sbreastplate. IrejoinedinJanuary,andgotabrigadeontheeveofAr- ras. There we had a star turn, and took about as many prisonersasweputinfantryoverthetop. Afterthatwe werehauledoutforamonth, andsubsequentlyplanted inabadbitontheScarpewithahintthatwewouldsoon be used for a big push. Then suddenly I was ordered hometoreporttotheWarOffice,andpassedonbythem toBullivantandhismerrymen. SohereIwassittingin arailwaycarriageinagreytweedsuit, withaneatnew suitcase on the rack labelled C.B. The initials stood for CorneliusBrand,forthatwasmynamenow. Andanold boyinthecornerwasaskingmequestionsandwonder- ingaudiblywhyIwasn’tfighting,whileayoungbloodof asecondlieutenantwithawoundstripewaseyeingme withscorn. Theoldchapwasoneofthecross-examiningtype,and afterhehadborrowedmymatcheshesettoworktofind out all about me. He was a tremendous fire-eater, and abitofapessimistaboutourslowprogressinthewest. I told him I came from South Africa and was a mining engineer. ‘BeenfightingwithBotha?’heasked. 7 PART 1 ‘No,’ I said. ‘I’m not the fighting kind.’ The second lieutenantscreweduphisnose. ‘IstherenoconscriptioninSouthAfrica?’ ‘Thank God there isn’t,’ I said, and the old fellow beggedpermissiontotellmealotofunpalatablethings. Iknewhiskindanddidn’tgivemuchforit. Hewasthe sortwho,ifhehadbeenunderfifty,wouldhavecrawled on his belly to his tribunal to get exempted, but being over age was able to pose as a patriot. But I didn’t like the second lieutenant’s grin, for he seemed a good class oflad. Ilookedsteadilyoutofthewindowfortherestof theway,andwasn’tsorrywhenIgottomystation. I had had the queerest interview with Bullivant and Macgillivray.TheyaskedmefirstifIwaswillingtoserve again in the old game, and I said I was. I felt as bitter assin,forIhadgotfixedinthemilitarygroove,andhad madegoodthere.HerewasI—abrigadierandstillunder forty,andwithanotheryearofthewartherewasnosay- ingwhereImightend.Ihadstartedoutwithoutanyam- bition,onlyagreatwishtoseethebusinessfinished. But now I had acquired a professional interest in the thing, I had a nailing good brigade, and I had got the hang of our new kind of war as well as any fellow from Sand- 8 PART 1 hurstandCamberley. TheywereaskingmetoscrapallI hadlearnedandstartagaininanewjob. Ihadtoagree, fordiscipline’sdiscipline,butIcouldhaveknockedtheir headstogetherinmyvexation. What was worse they wouldn’t, or couldn’t, tell me anythingaboutwhattheywantedmefor. Itwastheold gameofrunningmeinblinkers. Theyaskedmetotake itontrustandputmyselfunreservedlyintheirhands. I wouldgetmyinstructionslater,theysaid. Iaskedifitwasimportant. Bullivantnarrowedhiseyes.‘Ifitweren’t,doyousup- posewecouldhavewrunganactivebrigadieroutofthe WarOffice?Asitwas,itwaslikedrawingteeth.’ ‘Isitrisky?’wasmynextquestion. ‘inthelongrun—damnably,’wastheanswer. ‘Andyoucan’ttellmeanythingmore?’ ‘Nothing as yet. You’ll get your instructions soon enough. You know both of us, Hannay, and you know wewouldn’twastethetimeofagoodmanonfolly. We aregoingtoaskyouforsomethingwhichwillmakeabig callonyourpatriotism. Itwillbeadifficultandarduous task,anditmaybeaverygrimonebeforeyougettothe 9 PART 1 end of it, but we believe you can do it, and that no one elsecan... Youknowusprettywell. Willyouletusjudge foryou?’ I looked at Bullivant’s shrewd, kind old face and Macgillivray’s steady eyes. These men were my friends andwouldn’tplaywithMe. ‘Allright,’Isaid.‘I’mwilling.What’sthefirststep?’ ‘Getoutofuniformandforgetyoueverwereasoldier. Changeyourname. Youroldone,CorneliusBrandt,will do,butyou’dbetterspellit“Brand”thistime.Remember thatyouareanengineerjustbackfromSouthAfrica,and thatyoudon’tcarearushaboutthewar.Youcan’tunder- standwhatallthefoolsarefightingabout,andyouthink wemighthavepeaceatoncebyalittlefriendlybusiness talk. You needn’t be pro-German—if you like you can berathersevereontheHun. Butyoumustbeindeadly earnestaboutaspeedypeace.’ I expect the corners of my mouth fell, for Bullivant burstoutlaughing. ‘Hang it all, man, it’s not so difficult. I feel some- times inclined to argue that way myself, when my din- nerdoesn’tagreewithme. It’snotsohardastowander 10