a dream of armageddom-第6章

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was　nothing　but　War　and　Death！〃



I　had　an　inspiration。　　〃　After　all；〃　I　said；　〃it　could　have

been　only　a　dream。〃



〃A　dream！〃　he　cried；　flaming　upon　me；　〃a　dreamwhen；　even

now〃



For　the　first　time　he　became　animated。　　A　faint　flush　crept

into　his　cheek。　　He　raised　his　open　hand　and　clenched　it；　and

dropped　it　to　his　knee。　　He　spoke；　looking　away　from　me；　and　for

all　the　rest　of　the　time　he　looked　away。　　〃We　are　but　phantoms！〃　he

said；　〃and　the　phantoms　of　phantoms；　desires　like　cloud…shadows　and

wills　of　straw　that　eddy　in　the　wind；　the　days　pass；　use　and　wont

carry　us　through　as　a　train　carries　the　shadow　of　its　lightsso　be

it！　　But　one　thing　is　real　and　certain；　one　thing　is　no　dream…

stuff；　but　eternal　and　enduring。　　It　is　the　centre　of　my　life；　and

all　other　things　about　it　are　subordinate　or　altogether　vain。　　I

loved　her；　that　woman　of　a　dream。　　And　she　and　I　are　dead　together！



〃A　dream！　　How　can　it　be　a　dream；　when　it　drenched　a　living

life　with　unappeasable　sorrow；　when　it　makes　all　that　I　have　lived

for　and　cared　for；　worthless　and　unmeaning？



〃Until　that　very　moment　when　she　was　killed　I　believed　we　had

still　a　chance　of　getting　away；〃　he　said。　　〃All　through　the　night

and　morning　that　we　sailed　across　the　sea　from　Capri　to　Salerno；　we

talked　of　escape。　　We　were　full　of　hope；　and　it　clung　about　us　to

the　end；　hope　for　the　life　together　we　should　lead；　out　of　it　all；

out　of　the　battle　and　struggle；　the　wild　and　empty　passions；　the

empty　arbitrary　'thou　shalt'　and　'thou　shalt　not'　of　the　world。　　We

were　uplifted；　as　though　our　quest　was　a　holy　thing；　as　though　love

for　another　was　a　mission　。　。　。　。



〃Even　when　from　our　boat　we　saw　the　fair　face　of　that　great

rock　Caprialready　scarred　and　gashed　by　the　gun　emplacements　and

hiding…places　that　were　to　make　it　a　fastnesswe　reckoned　nothing

of　the　imminent　slaughter；　though　the　fury　of　preparation　hung

about　in　the　puffs　and　clouds　of　dust　at　a　hundred　points　amidst

the　gray；　but；　indeed；　I　made　a　text　of　that　and　talked。　　There；

you　know；　was　the　rock；　still　beautiful　for　all　its　scars；　with　its

countless　windows　and　arches　and　ways；　tier　upon　tier；　for　a

thousand　feet；　a　vast　carving　of　gray；　broken　by　vine…clad

terraces；　and　lemon　and　orange　groves；　and　masses　of　agave　and

prickly　pear；　and　puffs　of　almond　blossom。　　And　out　under　the

archway　that　is　built　over　the　Piccola　Marina　other　boats　were

coming；　and　as　we　came　round　the　cape　and　within　sight　of　the

mainland；　another　little　string　of　boats　came　into　view；　driving

before　the　wind　towards　the　south…west。　　In　a　little　while　a

multitude　had　come　out；　the　remoter　just　little　specks　of

ultramarine　in　the　shadow　of　the　eastward　cliff。



〃'It　is　love　and　reason；'　I　said；　'fleeing　from　all　this

madness　of　war。'



〃And　though　we　presently　saw　a　squadron　of　aeroplanes　flying

across　the　southern　sky　we　did　not　heed　it。　　There　it　wasa　line

of　little　dots　in　the　skyand　then　more；　dotting　the　south…eastern

horizon；　and　then　still　more；　until　all　that　quarter　of　the　sky　was

stippled　with　blue　specks。　　Now　they　were　all　thin　little　strokes

of　blue；　and　now　one　and　now　a　multitude　would　heel　and　catch　the

sun　and　become　short　flashes　of　light。　　They　came；　rising　and

falling　and　growing　larger；　like　some　huge　flight　of　gulls　or　rooks

or　such…like　birds；　moving　with　a　marvellous　uniformity；　and　ever

as　they　drew　nearer　they　spread　over　a　greater　width　of　sky。　　The

southward　wind　flung　itself　in　an　arrow…headed　cloud　athwart　the

sun。　　And　then　suddenly　they　swept　round　to　the　eastward　and

streamed　eastward；　growing　smaller　and　smaller　and　clearer　and

clearer　again　until　they　vanished　from　the　sky。　　And　after　that　we

noted　to　the　northward　and　very　high　Evesham's　fighting　machines

hanging　high　over　Naples　like　an　evening　swarm　of　gnats。



〃It　seemed　to　have　no　more　to　do　with　us　than　a　flight　of

birds。



〃Even　the　mutter　of　guns　far　away　in　the　south…east　seemed　to

us　to　signify　nothing　。　。　。



〃Each　day；　each　dream　after　that；　we　were　still　exalted；　still

seeking　that　refuge　where　we　might　live　and　love。　　Fatigue　had　come

upon　us；　pain　and　many　distresses。　　For　though　we　were　dusty　and

stained　by　our　toilsome　tramping；　and　half　starved　and　with　the

horror　of　the　dead　men　we　had　seen　and　the　flight　of　the

peasantsfor　very　soon　a　gust　of　fighting　swept　up　the

peninsulawith　these　things　haunting　our　minds　it　still　resulted

only　in　a　deepening　resolution　to　escape。　　Oh；　but　she　was　brave

and　patient！　　She　who　had　never　faced　hardship　and　exposure　had

courage　for　herself　and　me。　　We　went　to　and　fro　seeking　an　outlet；

over　a　country　all　commandeered　and　ransacked　by　the　gathering

hosts　of　war。　　Always　we　went　on　foot。　　At　first　there　were　other

fugitives；　but　we　did　not　mingle　with　them。　　Some　escaped

northward；　some　were　caught　in　the　torrent　of　peasantry　that　swept

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