a dream of armageddom-第7章

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〃'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



〃Overhead　in　the　sky　flashed　something　and　burst；　and　all

about　us　I　heard　the　bullets　making　a　noise　like　a　handful　of　peas

suddenly　thrown。　　They　chipped　the　stones　about　us；　and　whirled

fragments　from　the　bricks　and　passed　。　。　。　。〃



He　put　his　hand　to　his　mouth；　and　then　moistened　his　lips。　　



〃At　the　flash　I　had　turned　about　。　。　。



〃You　knowshe　stood　up



〃She　stood　up；　you　know；　and　moved　a　step　towards　meas

though　she　wanted　to　reach　me



〃And　she　had　been　shot　through　the　heart。〃



He　stopped　and　stared　at　me。　　I　felt　all　that　foolish


incapacity　an　Englishman　feels　on　such　occasions。　　I　met　his　eyes

for　a　moment；　and　then　stared　out　of　the　window。　　For　a　long　space

we　kept　silence。　　When　at　last　I　looked　at　him　he　was　sitting　back

in　his　corner；　his　arms　folded；　and　his　teeth　gnawing　at　his

knuckles。



He　bit　his　nail　suddenly；　and　stared　at　it。



〃I　carried　her；〃　he　said；　〃towards　the　temples；　in　my　armsas

though　it　mattered。　　I　don't　know　why。　　They　seemed　a　sort　of

sanctuary；　you　know；　they　had　lasted　so　long；　I　suppose。



〃She　must　have　died　almost　instantly。　　OnlyI　talked　to　her

all　the　way。〃



Silence　again。



〃I　have　seen　those　temples；〃　I　said　abruptly；　and　indeed　he

had　brought　those　still；　sunlit　arcades　of　worn　sandstone　very

vividly　before　me。



〃It　was　the　brown　one；　the　big　brown　one。　　I　sat　down　on　a

fallen　pillar　and　held　her　in　my　arms　。　。　。　Silent　after　the　first

babble　was　over。　　And　after　a　little　while　the　lizards　came　out　and

ran　about　again；　as　though　nothing　unusual　was　going　on；　as　though

nothing　had　changed　。　。　。　　It　was　tremendously　still　there；　the　sun

high　and　the　shadows　still；　even　the　shadows　of　the　weeds　upon　the

entablature　were　stillin　spite　of　the　thudding　and　banging　that

went　all　about　the　sky。



〃I　seem　to　remember　that　the　aeroplanes　came　up　out　of　the

south；　and　that　the　battle　went　away　to　the　west。　　One　aeroplane

was　struck；　and　overset　and　fell。　　I　remember　thatthough　it

didn't　interest　me　in　the　least。　　It　didn't　seem　to　signify。　　It

was　like　a　wounded　gull；　you　knowflapping　for　a　time　in　the

water。　　I　could　see　it　down　the　aisle　of　the　templea　black　thing

in　the　bright　blue　water。



〃Three　or　four　times　shells　burst　about　the　beach；　and　then

that　ceased。　　Each　time　that　happened　all　the　lizards　scuttled　in

and　hid　for　a　space。　　That　was　all　the　mischief　done；　except　that

once　a　stray　bullet　gashed　the　stone　hard　bymade　just　a　fresh

bright　surface。



〃As　the　shadows　grew　longer；　the　stillness　seemed　greater。



〃The　curious　thing；〃　he　remarked；　with　the　manner　of　a　man　who

makes　a　trivial　conversation；　〃is　that　I　didn't　THINKat

all。　　I　sat　with　her　in　my　arms　amidst　the　stonesin　a　sort　of

lethargystagnant。



〃And　I　don't　remember　waking　up。　　I　don't　remember　dressing

that　day。　　I　know　I　found　myself　in　my　office；　with　my　letters　all

slit　open　in　front　of　me；　and　how　I　was　struck　by　the　absurdity　of

being　there；　seeing　that　in　reality　I　was　sitting；　stunned；　in　that

Paestum　Temple　with　a　dead　woman　in　my　arms。　　I　read　my　letters

like　a　machine。　　I　have　forgotten　what　they　were　about。〃



He　stopped；　and　there　was　a　long　silence。



Suddenly　I　perceived　that　we　were　running　down　the　incline

from　Chalk　Farm　to　Euston。　　I　started　at　this　passing　of　time。　　I

turned　on　him　with　a　brutal　question；　with　the　tone　of　〃Now　or

never。〃



〃And　did　you　dream　again？〃



〃Yes。〃



He　seemed　to　force　himself　to　finish。　　His　voice　was　very　low。



〃Once　more；　and　as　it　were　only　for　a　few　instants。　　I　seemed

to　have　suddenly　awakened　out　of　a　great　apathy；　to　have　risen　into

a　sitting　position；　and　the　body　lay　there　on　the　stones　beside　me。



A　gaunt　body。　　Not　her；　you　know。　　So　soonit　was　not　her　。　。　。　。



〃I　may　have　heard　voices。　　I　do　not　know。　　Only　I　knew　clearly

that　men　were　coming　into　the　solitude　and　that　that　was　a　last

outrage。



〃I　stood　up　and　walked　through　the　temple；　and　then　there　came

into　sightfirst　one　man　with　a　yellow　face；　dressed　in　a　uniform

of　dirty　white；　trimmed　with　blue；　and　then　several；　climbing　to

the　crest　of　the　old　wall　of　the　vanished　city；　and　crouching

there。　　They　were　little　bright　figures　in　the　sunlight；　and　there

they　hung；　weapon　in　hand；　peering　cautiously　before　them。



〃And　further　away　I　saw　others　and　then　more　at　another　point

in　the　wall。　　It　was　a　long　lax　line　of　men　in　open　order。



〃Presently　the　man　I　had　first　seen　stood　up　and　shouted　a

command；　and　his　men　came　tumbling　down　the　wall　and　into　the　high

weeds　towards　the　temple。　　He　scrambled　down　with　them　and　led

them。　　He　came　facing　towards　me；　and　when　he　saw　me　he　stopped。



〃At　first　I　had　watched　these　men　with　a　mere　curiosity；　but

when　I　had　seen　they　meant　to　come　to　the　temple　I　was　moved　to

forbid　them。　　I　shouted　to　the　officer。



〃'You　must　not　come　here；'　I　cried；　'_I_　am　here。　　I　am

here　with　my　dead。'



〃He　stared；　and　then　shouted　a　question　back　to　me　in　some

unknown　tongue。



〃I　repeated　what　I　had　said。



〃He　shouted　again；　and　I　folded　my　arms　and　stood　still。　

Presently　he　spoke　to　his　men　and　came　forward。　　He　carried　a　drawn

sword。



〃I　signed　to　him　to　keep　away；　but　he　continued　to　advance。　

I　told　him　again　very　patiently　and　clearly：　'You　must　not　come

here。　　These　are　old　temples　and　I　am　here　with　my　dead。'



〃Presently　he　was　so　close　I　could　see　his　face　clearly。　　It

was　a　narrow　face；　with　dull　gray　eyes；　and　a　black　moustache。　　He

had　a　scar　on　his　upper　lip；　and　he　was　dirty　and　unshaven。　　He

kept　shouting　unintelligible　things；　questions；　perhaps；　at　me。



〃I　know　now　that　he　was　afraid　of　me；　but　at　the　time　that　did

not　occur　to　me。　　As　I　tried　to　explain　to　him；　he　interrupted　me

in　imperious　tones；　bidding　me；　I　suppose；　stand　aside。



〃He　made　to　go　past　me；　and　I　caught　hold　of　him。



〃I　saw　his　face　change　at　my　grip。



〃'You　fool；'　I　cried。　　'Don't　you　know？　　She　is　dead！'



〃He　started　back。　　He　looked　at　me　with　cruel　eyes。　　I　saw　a

sort　of　exultant　resolve　leap　into　themdelight。　　Then；　suddenly；

with　a　scowl；　he　swept　his　sword　backSOand　thrust。〃



He　stopped　abruptly。



I　became　aware　of　a　change　in　the　rhythm　of　the　train。　　The

brakes　lifted　their　voices　and　the　carriage　jarred　and　jerked。　

This　present　world　insisted　upon　itself；　became　clamourous。　　I　saw

through　the　steamy　window　huge　electric　fights　glaring　down　from

tall　masts　upon　a　fog；　saw　rows　of　stationary　empty　carriages

passing　by；　and　then　a　signal…box　hoisting　its　constellation　of

green　and　red　into　the　murky　London　twilight；　marched　after　them。　

I　looked　again　at　his　drawn　features。



〃He　ran　me　through　the　heart。　　It　was　with　a　sort　of

astonishmentno　fear；　no　painbut　just　amazement；　that　I　felt　it

pierce　me；　felt　the　sword　drive　home　into　my　body。　　It　didn't　hurt；

you　know。　　It　didn't　hurt　at　all。〃



The　yellow　platform　lights　came　into　the　field　of　view；

passing　first　rapidly；　then　slowly；　and　at　last　stopping　with　a

jerk。　　Dim　shapes　of　men　passed　to　and　fro　without。



〃Euston！〃　cried　a　voice。



〃Do　you　mean？〃



〃There　was　no　pain；　no　sting　or　smart。　　Amazement　and　then

darkness　sweeping　over　everything。　　The　hot；　brutal　face　before　me；

the　face　of　the　man　who　had　killed　me；　seemed　to　recede。　　It　swept

out　of　existence〃



〃Euston！〃　clamoured　the　voices　outside；　〃Euston！〃



The　carriage　door　opened　admitting　a　flood　of　sound；　and　a

porter　stood　regarding　us。　　The　sounds　of　doors　slamming；　and　the

hoof…clatter　of　cab…horses；　and　behind　these　things　the　featureless

remote　roar　of　the　London　cobble…stones；　came　to　my　ears。　　A

truckload　of　lighted　lamps　blazed　along　the　platform。



〃A　darkness；　a　flood　of　darkness　that　opened　and　s