A story about patience, perseverance in the face of unfortunate gossip and an army man' s enduring promise to love. In Birchespool, England, an esteemed army general Colonel Percy Bolsover is besotted by a lady twenty years his junior. But that is not what is keeping the provincial town unhappy.
Hilda Thornton is popular in the aristocratic English society as a great beauty and sought after by many generals and army officials. Naturally the common people make her the subject of unnecessary gossip, associating her with this Tom and many Harrys.
Despite all these baseless rumors, Bolsover gets engaged to Miss Thornton and marries her soon.
Almost two happy blissful married years later, an old friend of Hilda emerges. Captain Tresillian of the Madras Staff Corps is an attractive man and seems to take a rather keen interest in the married Mrs. Bolsover. This is noticed by the Colonel at a house party but he ignores it. His magnanimity, gracious self and kind behaviour is what is really the key part of the story.
Even the rumor tongues across the provincial towns have started wagging. Yet he trusts his wife completely and doesn't read much into the whole matter.
Some days later he finds that his wife and Tresillian meet in ambiguous situations. Though the Colonel does not want to question Hilda and insult her, the actions of Tresllian and abrupt behaviour of his wife starts to drill a hole in his mind. Finally he questions her with as much gentleness and hesitation that an upright gentlemanly husband can.
Hilda confesses she knew Tresilian before her marriage and gives a blank answer when questioned by the now despairing Colonel if she loves that man still. The poor Colonel is crushed internally but doesn't express it. Ofcourse he has lost his trust in her but doesn't go about talking ill of her, drinking himself in melancholy or giving into bitterness. He asks the War Office to be incorporated in India as he wants to keep a distance between them as well as to probably give her freedom quietly before the town sings of her.
But very soon after, during an unfortunate fire in the house, he gives the ultimate sacrifice for her. Though I am still confused whether he killed himself out of sorrow or ended his life in happiness in order to give her her choice.
Bolsover succeeds in evacuating the maids and his wife by the upstairs window, but he decides not to jump and stays in the flames and perishes. That was the Colonel's choice.
Illustrations from PostPics
No comments:
Post a Comment