I thought that perhaps she feared that her refusal to let me accompany her earlier in the afternoon might have hurt my feelings.
I wanted her to know that I wasnt the touchy kind, so I accepted at once.
It was a lovely evening.
A path led between barley fields and then through some flowering fruit trees. Finally we came to the edge of the Tigris.
Immediately on our left was the Tell with the workmen singing in their queer monotonous chant.
A little to our right was a big water-wheel which made a queer groaning noise. It used to set my teeth on edge at first. But in the end I got fond of it and it had a queer soothing effect on me.
Beyond the water-wheel was the village from which most of the workmen came.
Its rather beautiful, isnt it? said Mrs Leidner.
Its very peaceful, I said.
It seems funny to me to be so far away from everywhere.
Far from everywhere, repeated Mrs Leidner.
Yes. Here at least one might expect to be safe.
I glanced at her sharply, but I think she was speaking more to herself than to me, and I dont think she realized that her words had been revealing.
We began to walk back to the house.
Suddenly Mrs Leidner clutched my arm so violently that I nearly cried out.
Whos that, nurse?
Whats he doing?
Some distance ahead of us, just where the path ran near the expedition house, a man was standing.
He wore European clothes and he seemed to be standing on tiptoe and trying to look in at one of the windows.
As we watched he glanced round, caught sight of us, and immediately continued on the path towards us.
I felt Mrs Leidners clutch tighten.
Nurse, she whispered. Nurse
Its all right, my dear, its all right, I said reassuringly.
The man came along and passed us.
He was an Iraqi, and as soon as she saw him near to, Mrs Leidner relaxed with a sigh.
Hes only an Iraqi after all, she said.
We went on our way.
I glanced up at the windows as I passed.
Not only were they barred, but they were too high from the ground to permit of anyone seeing in, for the level of the ground was lower here than on the inside of the courtyard.
It must have been just curiosity, I said.
Mrs Leidner nodded.
Thats all.
But just for a minute I thought
She broke off.
I thought to myself. You thought what?
Thats what Id like to know.What did you think?
But I knew one thing now that Mrs Leidner was afraid of a definite flesh-and-blood person.
Chapter 8.
Night Alarm
Its a little difficult to know exactly what to note in the week that followed my arrival at Tell Yarimjah.
Looking back as I do from my present standpoint of knowledge I can see a good many little signs and indications that I was quite blind to at the time.
To tell the story properly, however, I think I ought to try to recapture the point of view that I actually held puzzled, uneasy and increasingly conscious of something wrong.
For one thing was certain, that curious sense of strain and constraint was not imagined. It was genuine.
Even Bill Coleman the insensitive commented upon it. This place gets under my skin, I heard him say.
Are they always such a glum lot?
It was David Emmott to whom he spoke, the other assistant.
I had taken rather a fancy to Mr Emmott, his taciturnity was not, I felt sure, unfriendly.
There was something about him that seemed very steadfast and reassuring in an atmosphere where one was uncertain what anyone was feeling or thinking.
No, he said in answer to Mr Coleman.
It wasnt like this last year.