a dream of armageddom-第6节

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along　the　main　roads；　many　gave　themselves　into　the　hands　of　the

soldiery　and　were　sent　northward。　　Many　of　the　men　were　impressed。　

But　we　kept　away　from　these　things；　we　had　brought　no　money　to

bribe　a　passage　north；　and　I　feared　for　my　lady　at　the　hands　of

these　conscript　crowds。　　We　had　landed　at　Salerno；　and　we　had　been

turned　back　from　Cava；　and　we　had　tried　to　cross　towards　Taranto　by

a　pass　over　Mount　Alburno；　but　we　had　been　driven　back　for　want　of

food；　and　so　we　had　come　down　among　the　marshes　by　Paestum；　where

those　great　temples　stand　alone。　　I　had　some　vague　idea　that　by

Paestum　it　might　be　possible　to　find　a　boat　or　something；　and　take

once　more　to　sea。　　And　there　it　was　the　battle　overtook　us。



〃A　sort　of　soul…blindness　had　me。　　Plainly　I　could　see　that　we

were　being　hemmed　in；　that　the　great　net　of　that　giant　Warfare　had

us　in　its　toils。　　Many　times　we　had　seen　the　levies　that　had　come

down　from　the　north　going　to　and　fro；　and　had　come　upon　them　in　the

distance　amidst　the　mountains　making　ways　for　the　ammunition　and

preparing　the　mounting　of　the　guns。　　Once　we　fancied　they　had　fired

at　us；　taking　us　for　spiesat　any　rate　a　shot　had　gone　shuddering

over　us。　　Several　times　we　had　hidden　in　woods　from　hovering

aeroplanes。



〃But　all　these　things　do　not　matter　now；　these　nights　of

flight　and　pain　。　。　。　　We　were　in　an　open　place　near　those　great

temples　at　Paestum；　at　last；　on　a　blank　stony　place　dotted　with

spiky　bushes；　empty　and　desolate　and　so　flat　that　a　grove　of

eucalyptus　far　away　showed　to　the　feet　of　its　stems。　　How　I　can　see

it！　　My　lady　was　sitting　down　under　a　bush　resting　a　little；　for

she　was　very　weak　and　weary；　and　I　was　standing　up　watching　to　see

if　I　could　tell　the　distance　of　the　firing　that　came　and　went。　

They　were　still；　you　know；　fighting　far　from　each　other；　with　those

terrible　new　weapons　that　had　never　before　been　used：　guns　that

would　carry　beyond　sight；　and　aeroplanes　that　would　doWhat　they

would　do　no　man　could　foretell。



〃I　knew　that　we　were　between　the　two　armies；　and　that　they

drew　together。　　I　knew　we　were　in　danger；　and　that　we　could　not

stop　there　and　rest！



〃Though　all　these　things　were　in　my　mind；　they　were　in　the

background。　　They　seemed　to　be　affairs　beyond　our　concern。　

Chiefly；　I　was　thinking　of　my　lady。　　An　aching　distress　filled　me。　

For　the　first　time　she　had　owned　herself　beaten　and　had　fallen

a…weeping。　　Behind　me　I　could　hear　her　sobbing；　but　I　would　not

turn　round　to　her　because　I　knew　she　had　need　of　weeping；　and　had

held　herself　so　far　and　so　long　for　me。　　It　was　well；　I　thought；

that　she　would　weep　and　rest　and　then　we　would　toil　on　again；　for

I　had　no　inkling　of　the　thing　that　hung　so　near。　　Even　now　I　can

see　her　as　she　sat　there；　her　lovely　hair　upon　her　shoulder；　can

mark　again　the　deepening　hollow　of　her　cheek。



〃'If　we　had　parted；'　she　said；　'if　I　had　let　you　go。'



〃'No；'　said　I。'　Even　now；　I　do　not　repent。　I　will　not　repent；

I　made　my　choice；　and　I　will　hold　on　to　the　end。'



〃And　then



〃Overhead　in　the　sky　flashed　something　and　burst；　and　all

about　us　I　heard　the　bullets　making　a　noise　like　a　handful　of　peas

suddenly　thrown。　　They　chipped　the　stones　about　us；　and　whirled

fragments　from　the　bricks　and　passed　。　。　。　。〃



He　put　his　hand　to　his　mouth；　and　then　moistened　his　lips。　　



〃At　the　flash　I　had　turned　about　。　。　。



〃You　knowshe　stood　up



〃She　stood　up；　you　know；　and　moved　a　step　towards　meas

though　she　wanted　to　reach　me



〃And　she　had　been　shot　through　the　heart。〃



He　stopped　and　stared　at　me。　　I　felt　all　that　foolish


incapacity　an　Englishman　feels　on　such　occasions。　　I　met　his　eyes

for　a　moment；　and　then　stared　out　of　the　window。　　For　a　long　space

we　kept　silence。　　When　at　last　I　looked　at　him　he　was　sitting　back

in　his　corner；　his　arms　folded；　and　his　teeth　gnawing　at　his

knuckles。



He　bit　his　nail　suddenly；　and　stared　at　it。



〃I　carried　her；〃　he　said；　〃towards　the　temples；　in　my　armsas

though　it　mattered。　　I　don't　know　why。　　They　seemed　a　sort　of

sanctuary；　you　know；　they　had　lasted　so　long；　I　suppose。



〃She　must　have　died　almost　instantly。　　OnlyI　talked　to　her

all　the　way。〃



Silence　again。



〃I　have　seen　those　temples；〃　I　said　abruptly；　and　indeed　he

had　brought　those　still；　sunlit　arcades　of　worn　sandstone　very

vividly　before　me。



〃It　was　the　brown　one；　the　big　brown　one。　　I　sat　down　on　a

fallen　pillar　and　held　her　in　my　arms　。　。　。　Silent　after　the　first

babble　was　over。　　And　after　a　little　while　the　lizards　came　out　and

ran　about　again；　as　though　nothing　unusual　was　going　on；　as　though

nothing　had　changed　。　。　。　　It　was　tremendously　still　there；　the　sun

high　and　the　shadows　still；　even　the　shadows　of　the　weeds　upon　the

entablature　were　stillin　spite　of　the　thudding　and　banging　that

went　all　about　the　sky。



〃I　seem　to　remember　that　the　aeroplanes　came　up　out　of　the

south；　and　that　the　battle　went　away　to　the　west。　　One　aeroplane

was　struck；　and　overset　and　fell。　　I　remember　thatthough　it

didn't　interest　me　in　the　least。　　It　didn't　seem　to　signify。　　It

was　like　a　wounded　gull；　you　knowflapping　for　a　time　in　the

water。　　I　could　see　it　down　the　aisle　of　the　templea　black　thing

in　the　bright　blue　water。



〃Three　or　four　times　shells　burst　about　the　beach；　and　then

that　ceased。　　Each　time　that　happened　all　the　lizards　scuttled　in

and　hid　for　a　space。　　That　was　all　the　mischief　done；　except　that

once　a　stray　bullet　gashed　the　stone　hard　bymade　just　a　fresh

bright　surface。



〃As　the　shadows　grew　longer；　the　stillness　seemed　greater。



〃The　curious　thing；〃　he　remarked；　with　the　manner　of　a　man　who

makes　a　trivial　conversation；　〃is　that　I　didn't　THINKat

all。　　I　sat　with　her　in　my　arms　amidst　the　stonesin　a　sort　of

lethargystagnant。



〃And　I　don't　remember　waking　up。　　I　don't　remember　dressing

that　day。　　I　know　I　found　myself　in　my　office；　with　my　letters　all

slit　open　in　front　of　me；　and　how　I　was　struck　by　the　absurdity　of

being　there；　seeing　that　in　reality　I　was　sitting；　stunned；　in　that

Paestum　Temple　with　a　dead　woman　in　my　arms。　　I　read　my　letters

like　a　machine。　　I　have　forgotten　what　they　were　about。〃



He　stopped；　and　there　was　a　long　silence。



Suddenly　I　perceived　that　we　were　running　down　the　incline

from　Chalk　Farm　to　Euston。　　I　started　at　this　passing　of　time。　　I

turned　on　him　with　a　brutal　question；　with　the　tone　of　〃Now　or

never。〃



〃And　did　you　dream　again？〃



〃Yes。〃



He　seemed　to　force　himself　to　finish。　　His　voice　was　very　low。



〃Once　more；　and　as　it　were　only　for　a　few　instants。　　I　seemed

to　have　suddenly　awakened　out　of　a　great　apathy；　to　have　risen　into

a　sitting　position；　and　the　body　lay　there　on　the　stones　beside　me。



A　gaunt　body。　　Not　her；　you　know。　　So　soonit　was　not　her　。　。　。　。



〃I　may　have　heard　voices。　　I　do　not　know。　　Only　I　knew　clearly

that　men　were　coming　into　the　solitude　and　that　that　was　a　last

outrage。



〃I　stood　up　and　walked　through　the　temple；　and　then　there　came

into　sightfirst　one　man　with　a　yellow　face；　dressed　in　a　uniform

of　dirty　white；　trimmed　with　blue；　and　then　several；　climbing　to

the　crest　of　the　old　wall　of　the　vanished　city；　and　crouching

there。　　They　were　little　bright　figures　in　the　sunlight；　and　there

they　hung；　weapon　in　hand；　peering　cautiously　before　them。



〃And　further　away　I　saw　others　and　then　more　at　another　point

in　the　wall。　　It　was　a　long　lax　line　of　men　in　open　order。



〃Presently　the　man　I　had　first　seen　stood　up　and　shouted　a

command；　and　his　men　came　tumbling　down　the　wall　and　into　the　high

weeds　towards　the　temple。　　He　scrambled　down　with　them　and　led

them。　　He　came　facing　towards　me；　and　when　he　saw　me　he　stopped。



〃At　first　I　had　watched　these　men　with　a　mere　curiosity；　but

when　I　had　seen　they　meant　to　come　to　the　temple　I　was　moved　to

forbid　them。　　I　shouted　to　the　officer。



〃'You　must　not　come　here；'　I　cried；　'_I_　am　here。　　I　am

here　with　my　dead。'



〃He　stared；　and　then　shouted　a　question　back　to　me　in　some

unknown　tongue。



〃I　repeated　what　I　had　said。



〃He　shouted　again；　and　I　folded　my　arms　and　stood　still。　

Presently　he　spoke　to　his　men　and　came　forward。　　He　carried　a　drawn

sword。



〃I　signed　to　him　to　keep　away；　but　he　continued　to　advance。　

I　told　him　again　very　patiently　and　clearly：　'You　must　not　come

here。　　These　are　old　temples　and　I　am　here　with　my　dead。'



〃Presently　he　was　so　close　I　could　see　his　face　clearly。　　It

was　a　narrow　face；　with　dull　gray　eyes；　and　a　black　moustache。　　He

had　a　scar　on　his　upper　lip；　and　he　was　dirty　and　unshaven。　　He

kept　shouting　unintelligible　things；　questions；　perhaps；　at　me。



〃I　know　now　that　he　was　afraid　of　me；　but　at　the　time　that　did

not　occur　to　me。　　As　I　tried　to　explain　to　him；　he　interrupted　me

in　imperious　tones；　bidding　me；　I　suppose；　stand　aside。



〃He　made　to　go　p