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第42节

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dreaming of; that old fellow; whose cigar…ash grew so long?  Of

youth; of his battles; of those things that must be done by those who

try to be gentlemen; perhaps only of his dinner; anyway of something

gilded in vague fashion as the light was gilding the branches of the

plane…tree。



Jules pulled my sleeve: 〃He sleeps。〃  He had smilingly dropped off;

the cigar…ashthat feathery tower of his dreamshad broken and

fallen on his sleeve。  He awoke; and fell to dusting it。



The little tables round us began to fill。  One of the bandsmen played

a czardas on the czymbal。  Two young Frenchmen; talking loudly; sat

down at the adjoining table。  They were discussing the lady who had

been at the concert that afternoon。



〃It's a bet;〃 said one of them; 〃but there's the present man。  I take

three weeks; that's enough elle est declassee; ce n'est que le

premier pas'



My old friend's cigar fell on the table。  〃Monsieur;〃 he stammered;

〃you speak of a lady so; in a public place?〃



The young man stared at him。  〃Who is this person?〃 he said to his

companion。



My guest took up Jules's glove that lay on the table; before either

of us could raise a finger; he had swung it in the speaker's face。

〃Enough!〃 he said; and; dropping the glove; walked away。



We all jumped to our feet。  I left Jules and hurried after him。  His

face was grim; his eyes those of a creature who has been struck on a

raw place。  He made a movement of his fingers which said plainly。

〃Leave me; if you please!〃



I went back to the cafe。  The two young men had disappeared; so had

Jules; but everything else was going on just as before; the bandsman

still twanging out his czardas; the waiters serving drinks; the

orientals trying to sell their carpets。  I paid the bill; sought out

the manager; and apologised。  He shrugged his shoulders; smiled and

said: 〃An eccentric; your friend; nicht wahr?〃  Could he tell me

where M。 Le Ferrier was?  He could not。  I left to look for Jules;

could not find him; and returned to my hotel disgusted。  I was sorry

for my old guest; but vexed with him too; what business had he to

carry his Quixotism to such an unpleasant length?  I tried to read。

Eleven o'clock struck; the casino disgorged a stream of people; the

Place seemed fuller of life than ever; then slowly it grew empty and

quite dark。  The whim seized me to go out。  It was a still night;

very warm; very black。  On one of the seats a man and woman sat

embraced; on another a girl was sobbing; on a thirdstrange sighta

priest dozed。  I became aware of some one at my side; it was my old

guest。



〃If you are not too tired;〃 he said; 〃can you give me ten minutes?〃



〃Certainly; will you come in?〃



〃No; no; let us go down to the Terrace。  I shan't keep you long。〃



He did not speak again till we reached a seat above the pigeon…

shooting grounds; there; in a darkness denser for the string of

lights still burning in the town; we sat down。



〃I owe you an apology;〃 he said; 〃first in the afternoon; then again

this eveningyour guestyour friend's glove!  I have behaved as no

gentleman should。〃  He was leaning forward with his hands on the

handle of a stick。  His voice sounded broken and disturbed。



〃Oh!〃 I muttered。  〃It's nothing!〃'



〃You are very good;〃 he sighed; 〃but I feel that I must explain。  I

consider I owe this to you; but I must tell you I should not have the

courage if it were not for another reason。  You see I have no

friend。〃  He looked at me with an uncertain smile。  I bowed; and a

minute or two later he began。。。。









III



〃You will excuse me if I go back rather far。  It was in '74; when I

had been ill with Cuban fever。  To keep me alive they had put me on

board a ship at Santiago; and at the end of the voyage I found myself

in London。  I had very little money; I knew nobody。  I tell you; sir;

there are times when it's hard for a fighting man to get anything to

do。  People would say to me: 'Afraid we've nothing for a man like you

in our business。'  I tried people of all sorts; but it was trueI

had been fighting here and there since '60; I wasn't fit for

anything〃  He shook his head。  〃In the South; before the war; they

had a saying; I remember; about a dog and a soldier having the same

value。  But all this has nothing to do with what I have to tell you。〃

He sighed again and went on; moistening his lips: 〃I was walking

along the Strand one day; very disheartened; when I heard my name

called。  It's a queer thing; that; in a strange street。  By the way;〃

he put in with dry ceremony; 〃you don't know my name; I think: it is

BruneRoger Brune。  At first I did not recognise the person who

called me。  He had just got off an omnibusa square…shouldered man

with heavy moustaches; and round spectacles。  But when he shook my

hand I knew him at once。  He was a man called Dalton; who was taken

prisoner at Gettysburg; one of you Englishmen who came to fight with

usa major in the regiment where I was captain。  We were comrades

during two campaigns。  If I had been his brother he couldn't have

seemed more pleased to see me。  He took me into a bar for the sake of

old times。  The drink went to my head; and by the time we reached

Trafalgar Square I was quite unable to walk。  He made me sit down on

a bench。 I was in factdrunk。  It's disgraceful to be drunk; but

there was some excuse。  Now I tell you; sir〃 (all through his story

he was always making use of that expression; it seemed to infuse

fresh spirit into him; to help his memory in obscure places; to give

him the mastery of his emotions; it was like the piece of paper a

nervous man holds in his hand to help him through a speech); 〃there

never was a man with a finer soul than my friend Dalton。  He was not

clever; though he had read much; and sometimes perhaps he was too

fond of talking。  But he was a gentleman; he listened to me as if I

had been a child; he was not ashamed of meand it takes a gentleman

not to be ashamed of a drunken man in the streets of London; God

knows what things I said to him while we were sitting there!  He took

me to his home and put me to bed himself; for I was down again with

fever。〃  He stopped; turned slightly from me; and put his hand up to

his brow。  〃 Well; then it was; sir; that I first saw her。  I am not

a poet and I cannot tell you what she seemed to me。  I was delirious;

but I always knew when she was there。  I had dreams of sunshine and

cornfields; of dancing waves at sea; young treesnever the same

dreams; never anything for long together; and when I had my senses I

was afraid to say so for fear she would go away。  She'd be in the

corner of the room; with her hair hanging about her neck; a bright

gold colour; she never worked and never read; but sat and talked to

herself in a whisper; or looked at me for a long time together out of

her blue eyes; a little frown between them; and her upper lip closed

firm on her lower lip; where she had an uneven tooth。  When her

father came; she'd jump up and hang on to his neck until he groaned;

then run away; but presently come stealing back on tiptoe。  I used to

listen for her footsteps on the stairs; then the knock; the door

flung back or opened quietlyyou never could tell which; and her

voice; with a little lisp; 'Are you better today; Mr。 Brune?  What

funny things you say when you're delirious!  Father says you've been

in heaps of battles!〃'



He got up; paced restlessly to and fro; and sat down again。  〃I

remember every word as if it were yesterday; all the things she said;

and did; I've had a long time to think them over; you see。  Well; I

must tell you; the first morning that I was able to get up; I missed

her。  Dalton came in her place; and I asked him where she was。  'My

dear fellow;' he answered; 'I've sent Eilie away to her old nurse's

inn down on the river; she's better there at this time of year。'  We

looked at each other; and I saw that he had sent her away because he

didn't trust me。  I was hurt by this。  Illness spoils one。  He was

right; he was quite right; for all he knew about me was that I could

fight and had got drunk; but I am very quick…tempered。  I made up my

mind at once to leave him。  But I was too weakhe had to put me to

bed again。  The very next morning he came and proposed that I should

go into partnership with him。  He kept a fencing…school and pistol…

gallery。  It seemed like the finger of God; and perhaps it waswho

knows?〃  He fell into a reverie; and taking out his caporal; rolled

himself a cigarette; having lighted it; he went on suddenly: 〃There;

in the room above the school; we used to sit in the evenings; one on

each side of the grate。  The room was on the second floor;

I remember; with two windows; and a view of nothing but the houses

opposite。  The furniture was covered up with chintz。  The things on

the bookshelf were never disturbed; they were Eilie'shalf…broken

cases with butterflies; a dead frog in a

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