the garden of allah-第35节

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arcade；　and　the　horse；　with　a　short；　whining　neigh　that　was　like　a　cry
of　temper；　bolted　between　the　trunks　of　the　trees；　heading　for　the
desert；　and　disappeared　in　a　flash。

〃He　will　be　killed；〃　said　the　priest。

Bous…Bous　barked　frantically。

〃It　is　his　own　fault；〃　said　the　poet。　〃He　told　me　himself　just　now
that　he　did　not　know　how　to　ride。〃

〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me　so？〃　Domini　exclaimed。

〃Madame〃

But　she　was　gone；　following　Androvsky　at　a　slow　canter　lest　she　should
frighten　his　horse　by　coming　up　behind　it。　She　came　out　from　the　shade
of　the　palms　into　the　sun。　The　desert　lay　before　her。　She　searched　it
eagerly　with　her　eyes　and　saw　Androvsky's　horse　far　off　in　the　river
bed；　still　going　at　a　gallop　towards　the　south；　towards　that　region　in
which　she　had　told　him　on　the　tower　she　thought　that　peace　must　dwell。
It　was　as　if　he　had　believed　her　words　blindly　and　was　frantically　in
chase　of　peace。　And　she　pursued　him　through　the　blazing　sunlight。　She
was　out　in　the　desert　at　length；　beyond　the　last　belt　of　verdure；
beyond　the　last　line　of　palms。　The　desert　wind　was　on　her　cheek　and　in
her　hair。　The　desert　spaces　stretched　around　her。　Under　her　horse's
hoofs　lay　the　sparkling　crystals　on　the　wrinkled；　sun…dried　earth。　The
red　rocks；　seamed　with　many　shades　of　colour　that　all　suggested
primeval　fires　and　the　relentless　action　of　heat；　were　heaped　about
her。　But　her　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　far…off　moving　speck　that　was　the
horse　carrying　Androvsky　madly　towards　the　south。　The　light　and　fire；
the　great　airs；　the　sense　of　the　chase　intoxicated　her。　She　struck　her
horse　with　the　whip。　It　leaped；　as　if　clearing　an　immense　obstacle；
came　down　lightly　and　strained　forward　into　the　shining　mysteries　at　a
furious　gallop。　The　black　speck　grew　larger。　She　was　gaining。　The
crumbling；　cliff…like　bank　on　her　left　showed　a　rent　in　which　a　faint
track　rose　sharply　to　the　flatness　beyond。　She　put　her　horse　at　it　and
came　out　among　the　tiny　humps　on　which　grew　the　halfa　grass　and　the
tamarisk　bushes。　A　pale　sand　flew　up　here　about　the　horse's　feet。
Androvsky　was　still　below　her　in　the　difficult　ground　where　the　water
came　in　the　floods。　She　gained　and　gained　till　she　was　parallel　with
him　and　could　see　his　bent　figure；　his　arms　clinging　to　the　peak　of
his　red　saddle；　his　legs　set　forward　almost　on　to　his　horse's　withers
by　the　short　stirrups　with　their　metal　toecaps。　The　animal's　temper
was　nearly　spent。　She　could　see　that。　The　terror　had　gone　out　of　his
pace。　As　she　looked　she　saw　Androvsky　raise　his　arms　from　the　saddle
peak；　catch　at　the　flying　rein；　draw　it　up；　lean　against　the　saddle
back　and　pull　with　all　his　force。　The　horse　stopped　dead。

〃His　strength　must　be　enormous；〃　Domini　thought　with　a　startled
admiration。

She　pulled　up　too　on　the　bank　above　him　and　gave　a　halloo。　He　turned
his　head；　saw　her；　and　put　his　horse　at　the　bank；　which　was　steep　here
and　without　any　gap。　〃You　can't　do　it；〃　she　called。

In　reply　he　dug　the　heels　of　his　heavy　boots　into　the　horse's　flanks
and　came　on　recklessly。　She　thought　the　horse　would　either　refuse　or
try　to　get　up　and　roll　back　on　its　rider。　It　sprang　at　the　bank　and
mounted　like　a　wild　cat。　There　was　a　noise　of　falling　stones；　a　shower
of　scattered　earth…clods　dropping　downward；　and　he　was　beside　her；
white　with　dust；　streaming　with　sweat；　panting　as　if　the　labouring
breath　would　rip　his　chest　open；　with　the　horse's　foam　on　his
forehead；　and　a　savage　and　yet　exultant　gleam　in　his　eyes。

They　looked　at　each　other　in　silence；　while　their　horses；　standing
quietly；　lowered　their　narrow；　graceful　heads　and　touched　noses　with
delicate　inquiry。　Then　she　said：

〃I　almost　thought〃

She　stopped。

〃Yes？〃　he　said；　on　a　great　gasping　breath　that　was　like　a　sob。

〃that　you　were　off　to　the　centre　of　the　earth；　orI　don't　know　what
I　thought。　You　aren't　hurt？〃

〃No。〃

He　could　only　speak　in　monosyllables　as　yet。　She　looked　his　horse
over。

〃He　won't　give　much　more　trouble　just　now。　Shall　we　ride　back？〃

As　she　spoke　she　threw　a　longing　glance　at　the　far　desert；　at　the
verge　of　which　was　a　dull　green　line　betokening　the　distant　palms　of
an　oasis。

Androvsky　shook　his　head。

〃But　you〃　She　hesitated。　〃Perhaps　you　aren't　accustomed　to　horses；
and　with　that　saddle〃

He　shook　his　head　again；　drew　a　tremendous　breath　and　said

〃I　don't　care；　I'll　go　on；　I　won't　go　back。〃

He　put　up　one　hand；　brushed　the　foam　from　his　streaming　forehead；　and
said　again　fiercely：

〃I　won't　go　back。〃

His　face　was　extraordinary　with　its　dogged；　passionate　expression
showing　through　the　dust　and　the　sweat；　like　the　face　of　a　man　in　a
fight　to　the　death；　she　thought；　a　fight　with　fists。　She　was　glad　at
his　last　words　and　liked　the　iron　sound　in　his　voice。

〃Come　on　then。〃

And　they　began　to　ride　towards　the　dull　green　line　of　the　oasis；
slowly　on　the　sandy　waste　among　the　little　round　humps　where　the　dusty
cluster　of　bushes　grew。

〃You　weren't　hurt　by　the　fall？〃　she　said。　〃It　looked　a　bad　one。〃

〃I　don't　know　whether　I　was。　I　don't　care　whether　I　was。〃

He　spoke　almost　roughly。

〃You　asked　me　to　ride　with　you；〃　he　added。　〃I'll　ride　with　you。〃

She　remembered　what　Batouch　had　said。　There　was　pluck　in　this　man；
pluck　that　surged　up　in　the　blundering　awkwardness；　the　hesitation；
the　incompetence　and　rudeness　of　him　like　a　black　rock　out　of　the　sea。
She　did　not　answer。　They　rode　on；　always　slowly。　His　horse；　having　had
its　will；　and　having　known　his　strength　at　the　end　of　his
incompetence；　went　quietly；　though　always　with　that　feathery；　light；
tripping　action　peculiar　to　purebred　Arabs；　an　action　that　suggests
the　treading　of　a　spring　board　rather　than　of　the　solid　earth。　And
Androvsky　seemed　a　little　more　at　home　on　it；　although　he　sat
awkwardly　on　the　chair…like　saddle；　and　grasped　the　rein　too　much　as
the　drowning　man　seizes　the　straw。　Domini　rode　without　looking　at　him；
lest　he　might　think　she　was　criticising　his　performance。　When　he　had
rolled　in　the　dust　she　had　been　conscious　of　a　sharp　sensation　of
contempt。　The　men　she　had　been　accustomed　to　meet　all　her　life　rode；
shot；　played　games　as　a　matter　of　course。　She　was　herself　an　athlete；
and；　like　nearly　all　athletic　women；　inclined　to　be　pitiless　towards
any　man　who　was　not　so　strong　and　so　agile　as　herself。　But　this　man
had　killed　her　contempt　at　once　by　his　desperate　determination　not　to
be　beaten。　She　knew　by　the　look　she　had　just　seen　in　his　eyes　that　if
to　ride　with　her　that　day　meant　death　to　him　he　would　have　done　it
nevertheless。

The　womanhood　in　her　liked　the　tribute；　almost　more　than　liked　it。

〃Your　horse　goes　better　now；〃　she　said　at　last　to　break　the　silence。

〃Does　it？〃　he　said。

〃You　don't　know！〃

〃Madame；　I　know　nothing　of　horses　or　riding。　I　have　not　been　on　a
horse　for　twenty…three　years。〃

She　was　amazed。

〃We　ought　to　go　back　then；〃　she　exclaimed。

〃Why？　Other　men　rideI　will　ride。　I　do　it　badly。　Forgive　me。〃

〃Forgive　you！〃　she　said。　〃I　admire　your　pluck。　But　why　have　you　never
ridden　all　these　years？〃

After　a　pause　he　answered：

〃II　did　notI　had　not　the　opportunity。〃

His　voice　was　suddenly　constrained。　She　did　not　pursue　the　subject；
but　stroked　her　horse's　neck　and　turned　her　eyes　towards　the　dark
green　line　on　the　horizon。　Now　that　she　was　really　out　in　the　desert
she　felt　almost　bewildered　by　it；　and　as　if　she　understood　it　far　less
than　when　she　looked　at　it　from　Count　Anteoni's　garden。　The　thousands
upon　thousands　of　sand　humps；　each　crowned　with　its　dusty　dwarf　bush；
each　one　precisely　like　the　others；　agitated　her　as　if　she　were
confronted　by　a　vast　multitude　of　people。　She　wanted　some　point　which
would　keep　the　eyes　from　travelling　but　could　not　find　it；　and　was
mentally　restless　as　the　swimmer　far　out　at　sea　who　is　pursued　by　wave
on　wave；　and　who　sees　beyond　him　the　unceasing　foam　of　those　that　are
pressing　to　the　horizon。　Whither　was　she　riding？　Could　one　have　a　goal
in　this　immense　expanse？　She　felt　an　overpowering　need　to　find　one；
and　looked　once　more　at　the　green　line。

〃Do　you　think　we　could　go　as　far　as　that？〃　she　asked　Androvsky；
pointing　with　her　whip。

〃Yes；　Madame。〃

〃It　must　be　an　oasis。　Don't　you　think　so？〃

〃Yes。　I　can　go　faster。〃

〃Keep　your　rein　loose。　Don't　pull　his　mouth。　You　don't　mind　my　telling
you。　I've　been　with　horses　all　my　life。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　he　answered。

〃And　keep　your　heels　more　out。　That's　much　better。　I'm　sure　you　could
teach　me　a　thousand　things；　it　will　be　kind　of　you　to　let　me　teach　you
this。〃

He　cast　a　strange　look　at　her。　There　was　gratitude　in　it；　but　much
more；　a　fiery　bitterness　and　something　childlike　and　helpless。

〃I　have　nothing　to　teach；〃　he　said。

Their　horses　broke　into　a　canter；　and　with　the　swifter　movement　Domini
felt　more　calm。　There　was　an　odd　lightness　in　her　brain；　as　if　her
thoughts　were　being　shaken　out　of　it　like　feathers　out　of　a　bag。　The
power　of　concentration　was　leaving　her；　and　a　sensation　of
carelessnesssurely　gipsy…likecame　over　her。　Her　body；　dipped　in
the　dry　and　thin　air　as　in　a　clear；　cool　bath；　did　not　suffer　from　the
burning　rays　of　the　sun；　but　felt　radiant　yet　half　lazy　too。　They　went
on