interlude(玛丽罗茨莱因哈特惊人的幕间表演)-第6节
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Harvey groaned over it； and got it out at night and scolded it wildly； and
then slept with it under his pillows； when he slept at all。
Not Sara Lee； and certainly not Harvey； knew what was calling her。
And even later； when waves of homesickness racked her with wild
remorse； she knew that she had had to go and that she could not return
until she had done the thing for which she had been sent； whatever that
might be。
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THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
CHAPTER III
The first thing that struck Sara Lee was the way she was saying her
nightly prayers in all sorts of odd places。 In trains and in hotels and； after
sufficient interval； in the steamer。 She prayed under these novel
circumstances to be made a better girl； and to do a lot of good over there；
and to be forgiven for hurting Harvey。 She did this every night； and then
got into her narrow bed and studied French nouns … because she had
decided that there was no time for verbs … and numbers； which put her to
sleep。
〃Un； deux； trois； quatre； cinq；〃 Sara Lee would begin； and go on；
rocking gently in her berth as the steamer roIled； 〃Vingt； vii gt…et…un；
vingt…deux； trente； trente …et… un … 〃 Her voice would die away。 The book
on the floor and Harvey's picture on the tiny table； Sara Lee would sleep。
And as the ship trembled the light over her bead would shine on Harvey's
ring； and it glistened like a tear。
One thing surprised her as she gradually met some of her fellow
passengers。 She was not alone on her errand。 Others there were on board；
young and old women； an4 men； too who had felt the call of mercy and
were going； as ignorant as she； to help。 As ignorant； but not so friendless。
Most of them were accredited somewhere。 They had definite objectives。
But what was more alarming … they talked in big figures。 Great
organizations were behind them。 She heard of the rehabilitation of
Belgium； and portable hospitals； and millions of dollars； and Red Cross
trains。
Not once did Sara Lee hear of anything so humble as a soup kitchen。
The war was a vast thing； they would observe。 It could only be touched by
great organizations。 Individual effort was negligible。
Once she took her courage in her hands。
〃But I should think；〃 she said； 〃that even great organizations depend
on the … on individual efforts。〃
The portable hospital woman turned to her patronizingly。
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THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
〃Certainly； my dear；〃 she said。 〃But coordinated … coordinated。〃
It is hard to say just when the lights went down on Sara Lee's quiet
stage and the interlude began。 Not on the steamer； for after three days of
discouragement and good weather they struck a storm； and Sara Lee's fine
frenzy died for a time； of nausea。 She did not appear again until the boat
entered the Mersey； a pale and shaken angel of mercy； not at all sure of her
wings； and most terribly homesick。
That night Sara Lee made a friend； one that Harvey would have
approved of； an elderly Englishman named Travers。 He was standing by
the rail in the rain looking out at the blinking signal lights on both sides of
the river。 The ship for the first time had abandoned its policy of darkness
and the decks were bathed in light。
Overhead the yardarm blinkers were signaling； and directly over Sara
Lee's head a great white searchlight swept the water ahead。 The wind was
blowing a gale； and the red and green lights of the pilot boat swung in
great arcs that seemed to touch the waves on either side。
Sara Lee stood beside Mr。 Travers； for companionship only。 He had
preserved a typically British aloofness during the voyage； and he had
never spoken to her。 But there was something forlorn in Sara Lee that
night as she clutched her hat with both hands and stared out at the shore
lights。 And if he had been silent during the voyage he had not been deaf。
So he knew why almost every woman on the ship was making the voyage；
but he knew nothing about Sara Lee。
〃Bad night；〃 said Mr。 Travers。
〃I was wondering what they are trying to do with that little boat。〃
Mr。 Travers concealed the surprise of a man who was making his
seventy…second voyage。
〃That's the pilot boat；〃 he explained。 〃We are picking up a pilot。〃
〃But；〃 marveled Sara Lee rather breathlessly； 〃have we come all the
way without any pilot？〃
He explained that to her； and showed her a few moments later how the
pilot came with incredible rapidity up the swaying rope ladder and over
the side。
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THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
To be honest； he had been watching for the pilot boat； not to see what
to Sara Lee was the thrilling progress of the pilot up the ladder； but to get
the newspapers he would bring on with him。 It is perhaps explanatory of
the way things went for Sara Lee from that time on that he quite forgot his
newspapers。
The chairs were gone from the decks； preparatory to the morning
landing； so they walked about and Sara Lee at last told him her story … the
ladies of the Methodist Church； and the one hundred dollars a month she
was to have； outside of her traveling expenses； to found and keep going a
soup kitchen behind the lines。
〃A hundred dollars a month；〃 he said。 〃That's twenty pounds。 Humph！
Good God！〃
But this last was under his breath。
Then she told him of Mabel Andrews' letter； and at last read it to him。
He listened attentively。 〃Of course；〃 she said when she had put the letter
back into her bag； 〃I can't feed a lot； even with soup。 But if I only help a
few； it's worth doing； isn't it？〃
〃Very much worth doing；〃 he said gravely。 〃I suppose you are not； by
any chance； going to write a weekly article for one of your newspapers
about what you are doing？〃
〃I hadn't thought of it。 Do you think I should？〃
Quite unexpectedly Mr。 Travers patted her shoulder。
〃My dear child；〃 he said； 〃now and then I find somebody who helps to
revive my faith in human nature。 Thank you。〃
Sara Lee did not understand。 The touch on the shoulder had made her
think suddenly of Uncle James； and her chin quivered。
〃I'm just a little frightened；〃 she said in a small voice。
〃Twenty pounds！〃 repeated Mr。 Travers to himself。 〃Twenty pounds！〃
And aloud： 〃Of course you speak French？〃
〃Very little。 I've had six lessons； and I can count … some。〃
The sense of unreality which the twenty pounds had roused in Mr。
Travers' cautious British mind grew。 No money； no French； no objective；
just a great human desire to be useful in her own small way … this was a
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THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
new type to him。 What a sporting chance this frail bit of a girl was taking！
And he noticed now something that had escaped him before … a
dauntlessness； a courage of the spirit rather than of the body； that was in
the very poise of her head。
〃I'm not afraid about the language；〃 she was saying。 〃I have a phrase
book。 And a hungry man； maybe sick or wounded； can understand a bowl
of soup in any language； I should think。 And I can cook！〃
It was a perplexed and thoughtful Mr。 Travers who sipped his Scotch…
and…soda in the smoking room before retiring； lie took the problem to bed
with him and woke up in the night saying： 〃Twenty pounds！ Good God！〃
In the morning they left the ship。 He found Sara Lee among the K's；
waiting to have her passport examined； and asked her where she was
stopping in London。 She had read somewhere of Claridge's … in a novel
probably。
〃I shouldn't advise Claridge's；〃 he said； reflecting rather grimly on the
charges of that very exclusive hotel。 〃Suppose you let me make a
suggestion。〃
So he wrote out the name of a fine old English house on Trafalgar
Square； where she could stay until she went to France。 There would be the
matter of a passport to cross the Channel。 It might take a day or two。
Perhaps he could help her。 He would give himself the pleasure of calling
on her very soon。
Sara Lee go
