villa rubein and other stories-第15章

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and　had　some　beer。　　When　I　came　out　I　sat　on　the　same　seat　in　the

Square。　　I　meant　to　wait　till　dark　and　then　walk　out　of　the　city　and

take　the　train　at　some　little　station；　but　while　I　was　sitting　there

I　went　to　sleep。　　A　policeman　woke　me。　　He　had　my　wig　in　his　hand。



〃'Why　do　you　wear　a　wig？'　he　said。



〃I　answered：　'Because　I　am　bald。'



〃'No；'　he　said；　'you're　not　bald；　you've　been　shaved。　　I　can　feel　the

hair　coming。'



〃He　put　his　finger　on　my　head。　　I　felt　reckless　and　laughed。



〃'Ah！'　he　said；　'you'll　come　with　me　and　explain　all　this；　your　nose

and　eyes　are　looked　for。'



〃I　went　with　him　quietly　to　the　police…station。。。。〃



Harz　seemed　carried　away　by　his　story。　　His　quick　dark　face　worked；

his　steel…grey　eyes　stared　as　though　he　were　again　passing　through

all　these　long…past　emotions。



The　hot　sun　struck　down；　Christian　drew　herself　together；　sitting

with　her　hands　clasped　round　her　knees。









X



〃I　didn't　care　by　then　what　came　of　it。　　I　didn't　even　think　what　I

was　going　to　say。　　He　led　me　down　a　passage　to　a　room　with　bars

across　the　windows　and　long　seats；　and　maps　on　the　walls。　　We　sat　and

waited。　　He　kept　his　eye　on　me　all　the　time；　and　I　saw　no　hope。

Presently　the　Inspector　came。　　'Bring　him　in　here；'　he　said；　I

remember　feeling　I　could　kill　him　for　ordering　me　about！　　We　went

into　the　next　room。　　It　had　a　large　clock；　a　writing…table；　and　a

window；　without　bars；　looking　on　a　courtyard。　　Long　policemen's　coats

and　caps　were　hanging　from　some　pegs。　　The　Inspector　told　me　to　take

off　my　cap。　　I　took　it　off；　wig　and　all。　　He　asked　me　who　I　was；　but

I　refused　to　answer。　　Just　then　there　was　a　loud　sound　of　voices　in

the　room　we　had　come　from。　　The　Inspector　told　the　policeman　to　look

after　me；　and　went　to　see　what　it　was。　　I　could　hear　him　talking。　　He

called　out：　'Come　here；　Becker！'　　I　stood　very　quiet；　and　Becker　went

towards　the　door。　　I　heard　the　Inspector　say：　'Go　and　find　Schwartz；

I　will　see　after　this　fellow。'　　The　policeman　went；　and　the　Inspector

stood　with　his　back　to　me　in　the　half…open　door；　and　began　again　to

talk　to　the　man　in　the　other　room。　　Once　or　twice　he　looked　round　at

me；　but　I　stood　quiet　all　the　time。　　They　began　to　disagree；　and

their　voices　got　angry。　　The　Inspector　moved　a　little　into　the　other

room。　　'Now！'　I　thought；　and　slipped　off　my　cloak。　　I　hooked　off　a

policeman's　coat　and　cap；　and　put　them　on。　　My　heart　beat　till　I　felt

sick。　　I　went　on　tiptoe　to　the　window。　　There　was　no　one　outside；　but

at　the　entrance　a　man　was　holding　some　horses。　　I　opened　the　window　a

little　and　held　my　breath。　　I　heard　the　Inspector　say：　'I　will　report

you　for　impertinence！'　and　slipped　through　the　window。　　The　coat　came

down　nearly　to　my　heels；　and　the　cap　over　my　eyes。　　I　walked　up　to

the　man　with　the　horses；　and　said：　'Good…evening。'　　One　of　the　horses

had　begun　to　kick；　and　he　only　grunted　at　me。　　I　got　into　a　passing

tram；　it　was　five　minutes　to　the　West　Bahnhof；　I　got　out　there。

There　was　a　train　starting；　they　were　shouting　'Einsteigen！'　　I　ran。

The　collector　tried　to　stop　me。　　I　shouted：　'Businessimportant！'

He　let　me　by。　　I　jumped　into　a　carriage。　　The　train　started。〃



He　paused；　and　Christian　heaved　a　sigh。



Harz　went　on；　twisting　a　twig　of　ivy　in　his　hands：　〃There　was　another

man　in　the　carriage　reading　a　paper。　　Presently　I　said　to　him；　'Where

do　we　stop　first？'　　'St。　Polten。'　　Then　I　knew　it　was　the　Munich

expressSt。　Polten；　Amstetten；　Linz；　and　Salzburgfour　stops　before

the　frontier。　　The　man　put　down　his　paper　and　looked　at　me；　he　had　a

big　fair　moustache　and　rather　shabby　clothes。　　His　looking　at　me

disturbed　me；　for　I　thought　every　minute　he　would　say：　'You're　no

policeman！'　　And　suddenly　it　came　into　my　mind　that　if　they　looked

for　me　in　this　train；　it　would　be　as　a　policeman！they　would　know；

of　course；　at　the　station　that　a　policeman　had　run　past　at　the　last

minute。　　I　wanted　to　get　rid　of　the　coat　and　cap；　but　the　man　was

there；　and　I　didn't　like　to　move　out　of　the　carriage　for　other　people

to　notice。　　So　I　sat　on。　　We　came　to　St。　Polten　at　last。　　The　man　in

my　carriage　took　his　bag；　got　out；　and　left　his　paper　on　the　seat。

We　started　again；　I　breathed　at　last；　and　as　soon　as　I　could　took　the

cap　and　coat　and　threw　them　out　into　the　darkness。　　I　thought：　'I

shall　get　across　the　frontier　now。'　　I　took　my　own　cap　out　and　found

the　moustache　Luigi　gave　me；　rubbed　my　clothes　as　clean　as　possible；

stuck　on　the　moustache；　and　with　some　little　ends　of　chalk　in　my

pocket　made　my　eyebrows　light；　then　drew　some　lines　in　my　face　to

make　it　older；　and　pulled　my　cap　well　down　above　my　wig。　　I　did　it

pretty　wellI　was　quite　like　the　man　who　had　got　out。　　I　sat　in　his

corner；　took　up　his　newspaper；　and　waited　for　Amstetten。　　It　seemed　a

tremendous　time　before　we　got　there。　　From　behind　my　paper　I　could

see　five　or　six　policemen　on　the　platform；　one　quite　close。　　He

opened　the　door；　looked　at　me；　and　walked　through　the　carriage　into

the　corridor。　　I　took　some　tobacco　and　rolled　up　a　cigarette；　but　it

shook；　〃Harz　lifted　the　ivy　twig；　〃like　this。　　In　a　minute　the

conductor　and　two　more　policemen　came。　　'He　was　here；'　said　the

conductor；　'with　this　gentleman。'　　One　of　them　looked　at　me；　and

asked：　'Have　you　seen　a　policeman　travelling　on　this　train？'　　'Yes；'

I　said。　　'Where？'　　'He　got　out　at　St。　　Polten。'　　The　policeman　asked

the　conductor：　'Did　you　see　him　get　out　there？'　　The　conductor　shook

his　head。　　I　said：　'He　got　out　as　the　train　was　moving。'　　'Ah！'　said

the　policeman；　'what　was　he　like？'　　'Rather　short；　and　no　moustache。

Why？'　　'　Did　you　notice　anything　unusual？'　　'No；'　I　said；　'only　that

he　wore　coloured　trousers。　　What's　the　matter？'　　One　policeman　said

to　the　other：　'That's　our　man！　　Send　a　telegram　to　St。　Polten；　he　has

more　than　an　hour's　start。'　　He　asked　me　where　I　was　going。　　I　told

him：　'Linz。'　　'Ah！'　he　said；　'you'll　have　to　give　evidence；　your　name

and　address　please？'　　'Josef　Reinhardt；　17　Donau　Strasse。'　　He　wrote

it　down。　　The　conductor　said：　'We　are　late；　can　we　start？'　　They　shut

the　door。　　I　heard　them　say　to　the　conductor：　'Search　again　at　Linz；

and　report　to　the　Inspector　there。'　　They　hurried　on　to　the　platform；

and　we　started。　　At　first　I　thought　I　would　get　out　as　soon　as　the

train　had　left　the　station。　　Then；　that　I　should　be　too　far　from　the

frontier；　better　to　go　on　to　Linz　and　take　my　chance　there。　　I　sat

still　and　tried　not　to　think。



After　a　long　time；　we　began　to　run　more　slowly。　　I　put　my　head　out

and　could　see　in　the　distance　a　ring　of　lights　hanging　in　the

blackness。　　I　loosened　the　carriage　door　and　waited　for　the　train　to

run　slower　still；　I　didn't　mean　to　go　into　Linz　like　a　rat　into　a

trap。　　At　last　I　could　wait　no　longer；　I　opened　the　door；　jumped　and

fell　into　some　bushes。　　I　was　not　much　hurt；　but　bruised；　and　the

breath　knocked　out　of　me。　　As　soon　as　I　could；　I　crawled　out。　　It　was

very　dark。　　I　felt　heavy　and　sore；　and　for　some　time　went　stumbling

in　and　out　amongst　trees。　　Presently　I　came　to　a　clear　space；　on　one

side　I　could　see　the　town's　shape　drawn　in　lighted　lamps；　and　on　the

other　a　dark　mass；　which　I　think　was　forest；　in　the　distance　too　was

a　thin　chain　of　lights。　　I　thought：　'They　must　be　the　lights　of　a

bridge。'　　Just　then　the　moon　came　out；　and　I　could　see　the　river

shining　below。　　It　was　cold　and　damp；　and　I　walked　quickly。　　At　last

I　came　out　on　a　road；　past　houses　and　barking　dogs；　down　to　the　river

bank；　there　I　sat　against　a　shed　and　went　to　sleep。　　I　woke　very

stiff。　　It　was　darker　than　before；　the　moon　was　gone。　　I　could　just

see　the　river。　　I　stumbled　on；　to　get　through　the　town　before　dawn。

It　was　all　black　shapes…houses　and　sheds；　and　the　smell　of　the　river；

the　smell　of　rotting　hay；　apples；　tar；　mud；　fish；　and　here　and　there

on　a　wharf　a　lantern。　　I　stumbled　over　casks　and　ropes　and　boxes；　I

saw　I　should　never　get　clearthe　dawn　had　beg