a charmed life-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


life。〃

The　Spaniard　regarded　him　curiously；　fixing　him　with　his　eyes　as
though　deep　in　consideration。　　At　last　he　smiled　gravely。

〃You　are　right；〃　he　said。　　〃Let　us　both　remember　her　in　our
prayers。〃

As　Chesterton　rode　away　the　words　remained　gratefully　in　his　memory
and　filled　him　with　pleasant　thoughts。　　〃The　world；〃　he　mused；　〃is
full　of　just　such　kind　and　gentle　souls。〃


After　an　interminable　delay　he　reached　Newport；　and　they　escaped
from　the　others；　and　Miss　Armitage　and　he　ran　down　the　lawn　to　the
rocks；　and　stood　with　the　waves　whispering　at　their　feet。

It　was　the　moment　for　which　each　had　so　often　longed；　with　which
both　had　so　often　tortured　themselves　by　living　in　imagination；
that　now；　that　it　was　theirs；　they　were　fearful　it　might　not　be
true。

Finally；　he　said：　〃And　the　charm　never　failed！　　Indeed；　it　was
wonderful！　　It　stood　by　me　so　obviously。　　For　instance；　the　night
before　San　Juan；　in　the　mill　at　El　Poso；　I　slept　on　the　same　poncho
with　another　correspondent。　　I　woke　up　with　a　raging　appetite　for
bacon　and　coffee；　and　he　woke　up　out　of　his　mind；　and　with　a
temperature　of　one　hundred　and　four。　　And　again；　I　was　standing　by
Capron's　gun　at　El　Caney；　when　a　shell　took　the　three　men　who
served　it；　and　only　scared　ME。　　And　there　was　another　time〃　　He
stopped。　　〃Anyway；〃　he　laughed；　〃here　I　am。〃

〃But　there　was　one　night；　one　awful　night；〃　began　the　girl。　　She
trembled；　and　he　made　this　an　added　excuse　for　drawing　her　closer
to　him。　　〃When　I　felt　you　were　in　great　peril；　that　you　would
surely　die。　　And　all　through　the　night　I　knelt　by　the　window　and
looked　toward　Cuba　and　prayed；　and　prayed　to　God　to　let　you　live。〃

Chesterton　bent　his　head　and　kissed　the　tips　of　her　fingers。　　After
a　moment　he　said：　〃Would　you　know　what　night　it　was？　　It　might　be
curious　if　I　had　been〃

〃Would　I　know！〃　cried　the　girl。　　〃It　was　eight　days　ago。　　The　night
of　the　twelfth。　　An　awful　night！〃

〃The　twelfth！〃　exclaimed　Chesterton；　and　laughed　and　then　begged
her　pardon　humbly。　　〃I　laughed　because　the　twelfth；〃　he　exclaimed；
〃was　the　night　peace　was　declared。　　The　war　was　over。　　I'm　sorry；
but　THAT　night　I　was　riding　toward　you；　thinking　only　of　you。　　I
was　never　for　a　moment　in　danger。〃






End