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第55章

villa rubein and other stories-第55章

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was in the street。









II



A voice said in English; 〃God bless you; brother!〃



Swithin looked round; and saw the tall Hungarian holding out his

hand。  He took it; thinking; 'What a fool I've been!'  There was

something in the Hungarian's gesture which said; 〃You are worthy of

me!'



It was annoying; but rather impressive。  The man seemed even taller

than before; there was a cut on his cheek; the blood from which was

trickling down his beard。  〃You English!〃 he said。  〃I saw you stone

HaynauI saw you cheer Kossuth。  The free blood of your people cries

out to us。〃  He looked at Swithin。  〃You are a big man; you have a

big souland strong; how you flung them down! Ha!〃  Swithin had an

impulse to take to his heels。  〃My name;〃 said the Hungarian; 〃is

Boleskey。  You are my friend。〃  His English was good。



'Bulsh…kai…ee; Burlsh…kai…ee;' thought Swithin; 'what a devil of a

name!'  〃Mine;〃 he said sulkily; 〃is Forsyte。〃



The Hungarian repeated it。



〃You've had a nasty jab on the cheek;〃 said Swithin; the sight of the

matted beard was making him feel sick。  The Hungarian put his fingers

to his cheek; brought them away wet; stared at them; then with an

indifferent air gathered a wisp of his beard and crammed it against

the cut。



〃Ugh!〃 said Swithin。  〃Here! Take my handkerchief!〃



The Hungarian bowed。  〃Thank you!〃 he said; 〃I couldn't think of it!

Thank you a thousand times!〃



〃Take it!〃 growled Swithin; it seemed to him suddenly of the first

importance。  He thrust the handkerchief into the Hungarian's hand;

and felt a pain in his arm。  'There!' he thought; 'I've strained a

muscle。'



The Hungarian kept muttering; regardless of passers…by; 〃Swine! How

you threw them over!  Two or three cracked heads; anywaythe

cowardly swine!〃



〃Look here!〃 said Swithin suddenly; 〃which is my way to the Goldene

Alp?〃



The Hungarian replied; 〃But you are coming with me; for a glass of

wine?〃



Swithin looked at the ground。  'Not if I know it!' he thought。



〃Ah!〃 said the Hungarian with dignity; 〃you do not wish for my

friendship!〃



'Touchy beggar!' thought Swithin。  〃Of course;〃 he stammered; 〃if you

put it in that way〃



The Hungarian bowed; murmuring; 〃Forgive me!〃



They had not gone a dozen steps before a youth; with a beardless face

and hollow cheeks; accosted them。  〃For the love of Christ;

gentlemen;〃 he said; 〃help me!〃



〃Are you a German?〃 asked Boleskey。



〃Yes;〃 said the youth。



〃Then you may rot!〃



〃Master; look here!〃 Tearing open his coat; the youth displayed his

skin; and a leather belt drawn tight round it。  Again Swithin felt

that desire to take to his heels。  He was filled with horrid

forebodingsa sense of perpending intimacy with things such as no

gentleman had dealings with。



The Hungarian crossed himself。  〃Brother;〃 he said to the youth;

〃come you in!〃



Swithin looked at them askance; and followed。  By a dim light they

groped their way up some stairs into a large room; into which the

moon was shining through a window bulging over the street。  A lamp

burned low; there was a smell of spirits and tobacco; with a faint;

peculiar scent; as of rose leaves。  In one corner stood a czymbal; in

another a great pile of newspapers。  On the wall hung some old…

fashioned pistols; and a rosary of yellow beads。  Everything was

tidily arranged; but dusty。  Near an open fireplace was a table with

the remains of a meal。  The ceiling; floor; and walls were all of

dark wood。  In spite of the strange disharmony; the room had a sort

of refinement。  The Hungarian took a bottle out of a cupboard and;

filling some glasses; handed one to Swithin。  Swithin put it gingerly

to his nose。  'You never know your luck! Come!' he thought; tilting

it slowly into his mouth。  It was thick; too sweet; but of a fine

flavour。



〃Brothers!〃 said the Hungarian; refilling; 〃your healths!〃



The youth tossed off his wine。  And Swithin this time did the same;

he pitied this poor devil of a youth now。  〃Come round to…morrow!〃 he

said; 〃I'll give you a shirt or two。〃  When the youth was gone;

however; he remembered with relief that he had not given his address。



'Better so;' he reflected。  'A humbug; no doubt。'



〃What was that you said to him?〃 he asked of the Hungarian。



〃I said;〃 answered BoLeskey; 〃'You have eaten and drunk; and now you

are my enemy!'〃



〃Quite right!〃 said Swithin; 〃quite right! A beggar is every man's

enemy。〃



〃You do not understand;〃 the Hungarian replied politely。  〃While he

was a beggarI; too; have had to beg〃 (Swithin thought; 'Good God!

this is awful!'); 〃but now that he is no longer hungry; what is he

but a German?  No Austrian dog soils my floors!〃



His nostrils; as it seemed to Swithin; had distended in an unpleasant

fashion; and a wholly unnecessary raucousness invaded his voice。  〃I

am an exileall of my blood are exiles。  Those Godless dogs!〃

Swithin hurriedly assented。



As he spoke; a face peeped in at the door。



〃Rozsi!〃 said the Hungarian。  A young girl came in。  She was rather

short; with a deliciously round figure and a thick plait of hair。

She smiled; and showed her even teeth; her little; bright; wide…set

grey eyes glanced from one man to the other。  Her face was round;

too; high in the cheekbones; the colour of wild roses; with brows

that had a twist…up at the corners。  With a gesture of alarm; she put

her hand to her cheek; and called; 〃Margit!〃  An older girl appeared;

taller; with fine shoulders; large eyes; a pretty mouth; and what

Swithin described to himself afterwards as a 〃pudding〃 nose。  Both

girls; with little cooing sounds; began attending to their father's

face。



Swithin turned his back to them。  His arm pained him。



'This is what comes of interfering;' he thought sulkily; 'I might

have had my neck broken!' Suddenly a soft palm was placed in his; two

eyes; half…fascinated; half…shy; looked at him; then a voice called;

〃Rozsi!〃 the door was slammed; he was alone again with the Hungarian;

harassed by a sense of soft disturbance。



〃Your daughter's name is Rosy?〃 he said; 〃we have it in Englandfrom

rose; a flower。〃



〃Rozsi (Rozgi);〃 the Hungarian replied; 〃your English is a hard

tongue; harder than French; German; or Czechish; harder than Russian;

or RoumanianI know no more。〃



〃What?〃 said Swithin; 〃six languages?〃  Privately he thought; 'He

knows how to lie; anyway。'



〃If you lived in a country like mine;〃 muttered the Hungarian; 〃with

all men's hands against you!  A free peopledyingbut not dead!〃



Swithin could not imagine what he was talking of。  This man's face;

with its linen bandage; gloomy eyes; and great black wisps of beard;

his fierce mutterings; and hollow cough; were all most unpleasant。

He seemed to be suffering from some kind of mental dog…bite。  His

emotion indeed appeared so indecent; so uncontrolled and open; that

its obvious sincerity produced a sort of awe in Swithin。  It was like

being forced to look into a furnace。  Boleskey stopped roaming up and

down。  〃You think it's over?〃 he said; 〃I tell you; in the breast of

each one of us Magyars there is a hell。  What is sweeter than life?

What is more sacred than each breath we draw?  Ah! my country!〃

These words were uttered so slowly; with such intense mournfulness;

that Swithin's jaw relaxed; he converted the movement to a yawn。



〃Tell me;〃 said Boleskey; 〃what would you do if the French conquered

you?〃



Swithin smiled。  Then suddenly; as though something had hurt him; he

grunted; 〃The 'Froggies'?  Let 'em try!〃



〃Drink!〃 said Boleskey〃there is nothing like it〃; he filled

Swithin's glass。  〃I will tell you my story。〃



Swithin rose hurriedly。  〃It's late;〃 he said。  〃This is good stuff;

though; have you much of it?〃



〃It is the last bottle。〃



〃What?〃 said Swithin; 〃and you gave it to a beggar?〃



〃My name is BoleskeyStefan;〃

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