a dream of armageddom-第5章

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the　silly　way　of　these　ingenious　sort　of　men　who　make　these　things；

they　turn　'em　out　as　beavers　build　dams；　and　with　no　more　sense　of

the　rivers　they're　going　to　divert　and　the　lands　they're　going　to

flood！



〃As　we　went　down　the　winding　stepway　to　our　hotel　again；　in

the　twilight；　I　foresaw　it　all：　I　saw　how　clearly　and　inevitably

things　were　driving　for　war　in　Evesham's　silly；　violent　hands；　and

I　had　some　inkling　of　what　war　was　bound　to　be　under　these　new

conditions。　　And　even　then；　though　I　knew　it　was　drawing　near　the

limit　of　my　opportunity；　I　could　find　no　will　to　go　back。〃



He　sighed。



〃That　was　my　last　chance。



〃We　didn't　go　into　the　city　until　the　sky　was　full　of　stars；

so　we　walked　out　upon　the　high　terrace；　to　and　fro；　andshe

counselled　me　to　go　back。



〃'My　dearest；'　she　said；　and　her　sweet　face　looked　up　to　me；

'this　is　Death。　　This　life　you　lead　is　Death。　　Go　back　to　them；　go

back　to　your　duty'



〃She　began　to　weep；　saying；　between　her　sobs；　and　clinging　to

my　arm　as　she　said　it；　'Go　backGo　back。'



〃Then　suddenly　she　fell　mute；　and；　glancing　down　at　her　face；

I　read　in　an　instant　the　thing　she　had　thought　to　do。　　It　was　one

of　those　moments　when　one　sees。



〃'No！'　I　said。



〃'No？'　she　asked；　in　surprise　and　I　think　a　little　fearful　at

the　answer　to　her　thought。



〃'Nothing；'　I　said；　'shall　send　me　back。　　Nothing！　　I　have

chosen。　　Love；　I　have　chosen；　and　the　world　must　go。　　Whatever

happens　I　will　live　this　lifeI　will　live　for　you！　　Itnothing

shall　turn　me　aside；　nothing；　my　dear　one。　　Even　if　you　diedeven

if　you　died'



〃'Yes？'　she　murmured；　softly。



〃'ThenI　also　would　die。'



〃And　before　she　could　speak　again　I　began　to　talk；　talking

eloquentlyas　I　could　do　in　that　lifetalking　to　exalt　love；　to

make　the　life　we　were　living　seem　heroic　and　glorious；　and　the

thing　I　was　deserting　something　hard　and　enormously　ignoble　that　it

was　a　fine　thing　to　set　aside。　　I　bent　all　my　mind　to　throw　that

glamour　upon　it；　seeking　not　only　to　convert　her　but　myself　to

that。　　We　talked；　and　she　clung　to　me；　torn　too　between　all　that

she　deemed　noble　and　all　that　she　knew　was　sweet。　　And　at　last　I

did　make　it　heroic；　made　all　the　thickening　disaster　of　the　world

only　a　sort　of　glorious　setting　to　our　unparalleled　love；　and　we

two　poor　foolish　souls　strutted　there　at　last；　clad　in　that

splendid　delusion；　drunken　rather　with　that　glorious　delusion；

under　the　still　stars。



〃And　so　my　moment　passed。



〃It　was　my　last　chance。　　Even　as　we　went　to　and　fro　there；　the

leaders　of　the　south　and　east　were　gathering　their　resolve；　and　the

hot　answer　that　shattered　Evesham's　bluffing　for　ever；　took　shape

and　waited。　　And；　all　over　Asia；　and　the　ocean；　and　the　South；　the

air　and　the　wires　were　throbbing　with　their　warnings　to　prepare

prepare。



〃No　one　living；　you　know；　knew　what　war　was；　no　one　could

imagine；　with　all　these　new　inventions；　what　horror　war　might

bring。　　I　believe　most　people　still　believed　it　would　be　a　matter

of　bright　uniforms　and　shouting　charges　and　triumphs　and　flags　and

bandsin　a　time　when　half　the　world　drew　its　food　supply　from

regions　ten　thousand　miles　away〃



The　man　with　the　white　face　paused。　　I　glanced　at　him；　and　his

face　was　intent　on　the　floor　of　the　carriage。　　A　little　railway

station；　a　string　of　loaded　trucks；　a　signal…box；　and　the　back　of

a　cottage；　shot　by　the　carriage　window；　and　a　bridge　passed　with　a

clap　of　noise；　echoing　the　tumult　of　the　train。



〃After　that；〃　he　said；　〃I　dreamt　often。　　For　three　weeks　of

nights　that　dream　was　my　life。　　And　the　worst　of　it　was　there　were

nights　when　I　could　not　dream；　when　I　lay　tossing　on　a　bed　in　this

accursed　life；　and　theresomewhere　lost　to　methings　were

happeningmomentous；　terrible　things　。　。　。　I　lived　at　nightsmy

days；　my　waking　days；　this　life　I　am　living　now；　became　a　faded；

far…away　dream；　a　drab　setting；　the　cover　of　the　book。〃



He　thought。



〃I　could　tell　you　all；　tell　you　every　little　thing　in　the

dream；　but　as　to　what　I　did　in　the　daytimeno。　　I　could　not

tellI　do　not　remember。　　My　memorymy　memory　has　gone。　　The

business　of　life　slips　from　me〃



He　leant　forward；　and　pressed　his　hands　upon　his　eyes。　　For　a

long　time　he　said　nothing。



〃And　then？〃　said　I。



〃The　war　burst　like　a　hurricane。〃



He　stared　before　him　at　unspeakable　things。



〃And　then？〃　I　urged　again。



〃One　touch　of　unreality；〃　he　said；　in　the　low　tone　of　a　man

who　speaks　to　himself；〃　and　they　would　have　been　nightmares。　　But

they　were　not　nightmaresthey　were　not　nightmares。　　No！〃



He　was　silent　for　so　long　that　it　dawned　upon　me　that　there

was　a　danger　of　losing　the　rest　of　the　story。　　But　he　went　on

talking　again　in　the　same　tone　of　questioning　self…communion。



〃What　was　there　to　do　but　flight？　　I　had　not　thought　the　war

would　touch　CapriI　had　seemed　to　see　Capri　as　being　out　of　it

all；　as　the　contrast　to　it　all；　but　two　nights　after　the　whole

place　was　shouting　and　bawling；　every　woman　almost　and　every　other

man　wore　a　badgeEvesham's　badgeand　there　was　no　music　but　a

jangling　war…song　over　and　over　again；　and　everywhere　men

enlisting；　and　in　the　dancing　halls　they　were　drilling。　　The　whole

island　was　awhirl　with　rumours；　it　was　said；　again　and　again；　that

fighting　had　begun。　　I　had　not　expected　this。　　I　had　seen　so　little

of　the　life　of　pleasure　that　I　had　failed　to　reckon　with　this

violence　of　the　amateurs。　　And　as　for　me；　I　was　out　of　it。　　I　was

like　the　man　who　might　have　prevented　the　firing　of　a　magazine。　

The　time　had　gone。　　I　was　no　one；　the　vainest　stripling　with　a

badge　counted　for　more　than　I。　　The　crowd　jostled　us　and　bawled　in

our　ears；　that　accursed　song　deafened　us；　a　woman　shrieked　at　my

lady　because　no　badge　was　on　her；　and　we　two　went　back　to　our　own

place　again；　ruffled　and　insultedmy　lady　white　and　silent；　and　I

aquiver　with　rage。　　So　furious　was　I；　I　could　have　quarrelled　with

her　if　I　could　have　found　one　shade　of　accusation　in　her　eyes。



〃All　my　magnificence　had　gone　from　me。　　I　walked　up　and　down

our　rock　cell；　and　outside　was　the　darkling　sea　and　a　light　to　the

southward　that　flared　and　passed　and　came　again。



〃'We　must　get　out　of　this　place；'　I　said　over　and　over。　　'I

have　made　my　choice；　and　I　will　have　no　hand　in　these　troubles。　　I

will　have　nothing　of　this　war。　　We　have　taken　our　lives　out　of　all

these　things。　　This　is　no　refuge　for　us。　　Let　us　go。'



〃And　the　next　day　we　were　already　in　flight　from　the　war　that

covered　the　world。



〃And　all　the　rest　was　Flightall　the　rest　was　Flight。〃



He　mused　darkly。



〃How　much　was　there　of　it？〃



He　made　no　answer。



〃How　many　days？〃



His　face　was　white　and　drawn　and　his　hands　were　clenched。　　He

took　no　heed　of　my　curiosity。



I　tried　to　draw　him　back　to　his　story　with　questions。



〃Where　did　you　go？〃　I　said。



〃When？〃



〃When　you　left　Capri。〃



〃South…west；〃　he　said；　and　glanced　at　me　for　a　second。　　〃We

went　in　a　boat。〃



〃But　I　should　have　thought　an　aeroplane？〃



〃They　had　been　seized。〃



I　questioned　him　no　more。　Presently　I　thought　he　was　beginning

again。　　He　broke　out　in　an　argumentative　monotone：



〃But　why　should　it　be？　　If；　indeed；　this　battle；　this

slaughter　and　stress　is　life；　why　have　we　this　craving　for　pleasure

and　beauty？　　If　there　is　no　refuge；　if　there　is　no　place　of　peace；

and　if　all　our　dreams　of　quiet　places　are　a　folly　and　a　snare；　why

have　we　such　dreams？　　Surely　it　was　no　ignoble　cravings；　no　base

intentions；　had　brought　us　to　this；　it　was　Love　had　isolated　us。　

Love　had　come　to　me　with　her　eyes　and　robed　in　her　beauty；　more

glorious　than　all　else　in　life；　in　the　very　shape　and　colour　of

life；　and　summoned　me　away。　　I　had　silenced　all　the　voices；　I　had

answered　all　the　questionsI　had　come　to　her。　　And　suddenly　there

was　nothing　but　War　and　Death！〃



I　had　an　inspiration。　　〃　Afte