villa rubein and other stories-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