the garden of allah-第4节

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considered　likely　to　rouse　into　life　and　attention　the　two　unshaven
men　in　smocks；　who　were　smoking　cigarettes；　and　staring　vaguely　at　the
metal　sheet　on　which　the　luggage　was　placed　to　be　weighed。　Suzanne
remained　expectantly　in　attendance；　and　Domini；　having　nothing　to　do；
and　seeing　no　bench　to　rest　on；　walked　slowly　up　and　down　the　hall
near　the　entrance。

It　was　now　half…past　four　in　the　morning；　and　in　the　air　Domini
fancied　that　she　felt　the　cold　breath　of　the　coming　dawn。　Beyond　the
opening　of　the　station；　as　she　passed　and　repassed　in　her　slow　and
aimless　walk；　she　saw　the　soaking　tarpaulin　curtains　of　the　carriage
she　had　just　left　glistening　in　the　faint　lamp…light。　After　a　few
minutes　the　Arabs　she　had　noticed　on　the　road　entered。　Their　brown；
slipperless　feet　were　caked　with　sticky　mud；　and　directly　they　found
themselves　under　shelter　in　a　dry　place　they　dropped　the　robes　they
had　been　holding　up；　and；　bending　down；　began　to　flick　it　off　on　to
the　floor　with　their　delicate　fingers。　They　did　this　with
extraordinary　care　and　precision；　rubbed　the　soles　of　their　feet
repeatedly　against　the　boards；　and　then　put　on　their　yellow　slippers
and　threw　back　the　hoods　which　had　been　drawn　over　their　heads。

A　few　French　passengers　straggled　in；　yawning　and　looking　irritable。
The　touts　surrounded　them；　with　noisy　offers　of　assistance。　The　men　in
smocks　still　continued　to　smoke　and　to　stare　at　the　metal　sheet　on　the
floor。　Although　the　luggage　now　extended　in　quite　a　long　line　upon　the
counter　they　paid　no　attention　to　it；　or　to　the　violent　and　reiterated
cries　of　the　Arabs　who　stood　behind　it；　anxious　to　earn　a　tip　by
getting　it　weighed　and　registered　quickly。　Apparently　they　were
wrapped　in　savage　dreams。　At　length　a　light　shone　through　the　small
opening　of　the　ticket…office；　the　men　in　smocks　stirred　and　threw　down
their　cigarette　stumps；　and　the　few　travellers　pressed　forward　against
the　counter；　and　pointed　to　their　boxes　with　their　sticks　and　hands。
Suzanne　Charpot　assumed　an　expression　of　attentive　suspicion；　and
Domini　ceased　from　walking　up　and　down。　Several　of　the　recruits　came
in　hastily；　accompanied　by　two　Zouaves。　They　were　wet；　and　looked
dazed　and　tired　out。　Grasping　their　bags　and　bundles　they　went　towards
the　platform。　A　train　glided　slowly　in；　gleaming　faintly　with　lights。
Domini's　trunks　were　slammed　down　on　the　weighing　machine；　and
Suzanne；　drawing　out　her　purse；　took　her　stand　before　the　shining　hole
of　the　ticket…office。

In　the　wet　darkness　there　rose　up　a　sound　like　a　child　calling　out　an
insulting　remark。　This　was　followed　immediately　by　the　piping　of　a
horn。　With　a　jerk　the　train　started；　passed　one　by　one　the　station
lamps；　and；　with　a　steady　jangling　and　rattling；　drew　out　into　the
shrouded　country。　Domini　was　in　a　wretchedly…lit　carriage　with　three
Frenchmen；　facing　the　door　which　opened　on　to　the　platform。　The　man
opposite　to　her　was　enormously　fat；　with　a　coal…black　beard　growing　up
to　his　eyes。　He　wore　black　gloves　and　trousers；　a　huge　black　cloth
hat；　and　a　thick　black　cloak　with　a　black　buckle　near　the　throat。　His
eyes　were　shut；　and　his　large；　heavy　head　drooped　forward。　Domini
wondered　if　he　was　travelling　to　the　funeral　of　some　relative。　The　two
other　men；　one　of　whom　looked　like　a　commercial　traveller；　kept
shifting　their　feet　upon　the　hot…water　tins　that　lay　on　the　floor；
clearing　their　throats　and　sighing　loudly。　One　of　them　coughed；　let
down　the　window；　spat；　drew　the　window　up；　sat　sideways；　put　his　legs
suddenly　up　on　the　seat　and　groaned。　The　train　rattled　more　harshly；
and　shook　from　side　to　side　as　it　got　up　speed。　Rain　streamed　down　the
window…panes；　through　which　it　was　impossible　to　see　anything。

Domini　still　felt　alert；　but　an　overpowering　sensation　of　dreariness
had　come　to　her。　She　did　not　attribute　this　sensation　to　fatigue。　She
did　not　try　to　analyse　it。　She　only　felt　as　if　she　had　never　seen　or
heard　anything　that　was　not　cheerless；　as　if　she　had　never　known
anything　that　was　not　either　sad；　or　odd；　or　inexplicable。　What　did
she　remember？　A　train　of　trifles　that　seemed　to　have　been　enough　to
fill　all　her　life；　the　arrival　of　the　nervous　and　badly…dressed
recruits　at　the　wharf；　their　embarkation；　their　last　staring　and
pathetic　look　at　France；　the　stormy　voyage；　the　sordid　illness　of
almost　everyone　on　board；　the　approach　long　after　sundown　to　the　small
and　unknown　town；　of　which　it　was　impossible　to　see　anything　clearly；
the　marshalling　of　the　recruits　pale　with　sickness；　their　pitiful
attempt　at　cheerful　singing；　angrily　checked　by　the　Zouaves　in　charge
of　them；　their　departure　up　the　hill　carrying　their　poor　belongings；
the　sleepless　night；　the　sound　of　the　rain　falling；　the　scents　rising
from　the　unseen　earth。　The　tap　of　the　Italian　waiter　at　the　door；　the
damp　drive　to　the　station；　the　long　wait　there；　the　sneering　signal；
followed　by　the　piping　horn；　the　jerking　and　rattling　of　the　carriage；
the　dim　light　within　it　falling　upon　the　stout　Frenchman　in　his
mourning；　the　streaming　water　upon　the　window…panes。　These　few　sights；
sounds；　sensations　were　like　the　story　of　a　life　to　Domini　just　then；
were　more；　were　like　the　whole　of　life；　always　dull　noise；　strange；
flitting；　pale　faces；　and　an　unknown　region　that　remained　perpeturally
invisible；　and　that　must　surely　be　ugly　or　terrible。

The　train　stopped　frequently　at　lonely　little　stations。　Domini　looked
out；　letting　down　the　window　for　a　moment。　At　each　station　she　saw　a
tiny　house　with　a　peaked　roof；　a　wooden　railing　dividing　the　platform
from　the　country　road；　mud；　grass　bending　beneath　the　weight　of　water…
drops；　and　tall；　dripping；　shaggy　eucalyptus　trees。　Sometimes　the
station…master's　children　peered　at　the　train　with　curious　eyes；　and
depressed…looking　Arabs；　carefully　wrapped　up；　their　mouths　and　chins
covered　by　folds　of　linen；　got　in　and　out　slowly。

Once　Domini　saw　two　women；　in　thin；　floating　white　dresses　and
spangled　veils；　hurrying　by　like　ghosts　in　the　dark。　Heavy　silver
ornaments　jangled　on　their　ankles；　above　their　black　slippers　splashed
with　mud。　Their　sombre　eyes　stared　out　from　circles　of　Kohl；　and；　with
stained；　claret…coloured　hands；　whose　nails　were　bright　red；　they
clasped　their　light　and　bridal　raiment　to　their　prominent　breasts。
They　were　escorted　by　a　gigantic　man；　almost　black；　with　a　zigzag　scar
across　the　left　side　of　his　face；　who　wore　a　shining　brown　burnous
over　a　grey　woollen　jacket。　He　pushed　the　two　women　into　the　train　as
if　he　were　pushing　bales；　and　got　in　after　them；　showing　enormous　bare
legs；　with　calves　that　stuck　out　like　lumps　of　iron。

The　darkness　began　to　fade；　and　presently；　as　the　grey　light　grew
slowly　stronger；　the　rain　ceased；　and　it　was　possible　to　see　through
the　glass　of　the　carriage　window。

The　country　began　to　discover　itself；　as　if　timidly；　to　Domini's　eyes。
She　had　recently　noticed　that　the　train　was　going　very　slowly；　and　she
could　now　see　why。　They　were　mounting　a　steep　incline。　The　rich；　damp
earth　of　the　plains　beyond　Robertville；　with　its　rank　grass；　its　moist
ploughland　and　groves　of　eucalyptus；　was　already　left　behind。　The
train　was　crawling　in　a　cup　of　the　hills；　grey；　sterile　and　abandoned；
without　roads　or　houses；　without　a　single　tree。　Small；　grey…green
bushes　flourished　here　and　there　on　tiny　humps　of　earth；　but　they
seemed　rather　to　emphasise　than　to　diminish　the　aspect　of　poverty
presented　by　the　soil；　over　which　the　dawn；　rising　from　the　wet　arms
of　night；　shed　a　cold　and　reticent　illumination。　By　a　gash　in　the
rounded　hills；　where　the　earth　was　brownish　yellow；　a　flock　of　goats
with　flapping　ears　tripped　slowly；　followed　by　two　Arab　boys　in　rags。
One　of　the　boys　was　playing　upon　a　pipe　coverd　with　red　arabesques。
Domini　heard　two　or　three　bars　of　the　melody。　They　were　ineffably　wild
and　bird…like；　very　clear　and　sweet。　They　seemed　to　her　to　match
exactly　the　pure　and　ascetic　light　cast　by　the　dawn　over　these　bare；
grey　hills；　and　they　stirred　her　abruptly　from　the　depressed　lassitude
in　which　the　dreary　chances　of　recent　travel　had　drowned　her。　She
began；　with　a　certain　faint　excitement；　to　realise　that　these　low；
round…backed　hills　were　Africa；　that　she　was　leaving　behind　the　sea；
so　many　of　whose　waves　swept　along　European　shores；　that　somewhere；
beyond　the　broken　and　near　horizon　line　toward　which　the　train　was
creeping；　lay　the　great　desert；　her　destination；　with　its　pale　sands
and　desolate　cities；　its　sunburnt　tribes　of　workers；　its　robbers；
warriors　and　priests；　its　ethereal　mysteries　of　mirage；　its　tragic
splendours　of　colour；　of　tempest　and　of　heat。　A　sense　of　a　wider　world
than　the　compressed　world　into　which　physical　fatigue　had　decoyed　her
woke　in　her　brain　and　heart。　The　little　Arab；　playing　carelessly　upon
his　pipe　with　the　red　arabesques；　was　soon　invisible　among　his　goats
beside　the　dry　water…course　that　was　probably　the　limit　of　his
journeying；　but　Domini　felt　that　like　a　musician　at　the　head　of　a
procession　he　had　played　her　bravely　forward　into　the　dawn　and　Africa。

At　Ah…Souf　Domini　changed　into　another　train　and　had　the　carriage　to
herself。　The　recruits　had　reached　their　destination。　Hers　was