brideshead+revisited-第47章

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　　　　'The　other　thing；　of　course；　you　have　guessed　…　Sebastian。　She　wants　him。　I　don't　know　if　that's　possible。　Is　it？'
　　　　'I　hear　he's　in　a　very　bad　way。'
　　　　'We　heard　that；　too。　We　cabled　to　the　last　address　we　had；　but　there　was　no　answer。　There　still　may　be　time　for　him　to　see　her。　I　thought　of　you　as　the　only　hope；　as　soon；　as　I　heard　you　were　in　England。　Will　you　try　and　get　him？　It's　an　awful　lot　to　ask；　but　I　think　Sebastian　would　want　it；　too；　if　he　realized。'
　　　　'I'll　try。'
　　　　'There's　no　one　else　we　can　ask。　Rex　is　so　busy。'
　　　　'Yes。　I　heard　reports　of　all　he's　been　doing　organizing　the　gas　works。'
　　　　'Oh　yes；'　Julia　said　with　a　touch　of　her　old　dryness。　'He's　made　a　lot　of　kudos　out　of　the　strike。'
　　　　Then　we　talked　for　a　few　minutes　about　the　Bratt's　squad。　She　told　me　Brideshead　had　refused　to　take　any　public　service　because　he　was　not　satisfied　with　the　justice　of　the　cause；　Cordelia　was　in　London；　in　bed　now；　as　she　had　been　watching　by　her　mother　all　night。　I　told　her　I　had　taken　up　architectural　painting　and　that　I　enjoyed　it。　All　this　talk　was　nothing；　we　had　said　all　we　had　to　say　in　the　first　two　minutes；　I　stayed　for　tea　and　then　left　her。

　　　　Air　France　ran　a　service　of　a　kind　to　Casablanca；　there　I　took　the　bus　to　Fez；　starting　at　dawn　and　arriving　in　the　new　town　at　evening。　I　telephoned　from　the　hotel　to　the　British　Consul　and　dined　with　him　that　evening；　in　his　charming　house　by　the　walls　of　the　old　town。　He　was　a　kind；　serious　man。
　　　　'I'm　delighted　someone　has　e　to　took　after　young　Flyte　at　last；'　he　said。　'He's　been　something　of　a　thorn　in　our　sides　here。　This　is　no　place　for　a　remittance　man。　The　French　don't　understand　him　at　all。　They　think　everyone　who's　not　engaged　in　trade　is　a　spy。　It's　not　as　though　he　lived　like　a　Milord。　Things　aren't　easy　here。　There's　war　going　on　not　thirty　miles　from　this　house；　though　you　might　not　think　it。　We　had　some　young　fools　on　bicycles　only　last　week　who'd　e　to　volunteer　for　Abdul　Krim's　army。
　　　　'Then　the　Moors　are　a　tricky　lot；　they　don't　hold　with　drink　and　our　young　friend；　as　you　may　know；　spends　most　of　his　day　drinking。　What　does　he　want　to　e　here　for？　There's　plenty　of　room　for　him　at　Rabat　or　Tangier；　where　they　cater　for　tourists。　He's　taken　a　house　in　the　native　town；　you　know。　I　tried　to　stop　him；　but　he　got　it　from　a　Frenchman　in　the　Department　of　Arts。　I　don't　say　there's　any　harm　in　him；　but　he's　an　anxiety。　There's　an　awful　fellow　sponging　on　him　…　a　German　out　of　the　Foreign　Legion。　A　thoroughly　bad　hat　by　all　accounts。　There's　bound　to　be　trouble。
　　　　'Mind　you；　I　like　Flyte。　I　don't　see　much　of　him。　He　used　to　e　here　for　baths　until　he　got　fixed　up　at　his　house。　He　was　always　perfectly　charming；　and　my　wife　took　a　great　fancy　to　him。　What　he　needs　is　occupation。'
　　　　I　explained　my　errand。
　　　　'You'll　probably　find　him　at　home　now。　Goodness　knows　there's　nowhere　to　go　in　the　evenings　in　the　old　town。　If　you　like　I'll　send　the　porter　to　show　you　the　way。'
　　　　So　I　set　out　after　dinner；　with　the　consular　porter　going　ahead　lantern　in　hand。　Morocco　was　a　new　and　strange　country　to　me。　Driving　that　day；　mile　after　mile；　up　the　smooth；　strategic　road；　past　the　vineyards　and　military　posts　and　the　new；　white　settlements　and　the　early　crops　already　standing　high　in　the　vast；　open　fields；　and　the　hoardings　advertising　the　staples　of　France　…　Dubonnet；　Michelin；　Magasin　du　Louvre　…　I　had　thought　it　all　very　suburban　and　up…to…date；　now；　under　the　stars；　in　the　walled　city；　whose　streets　were　gentle；　dusty　stairways；　and　whose　walls　rose　windowless　on　either　side；　closed　overhead；　then　opened　again　to　the　stars；　where　the　dust　lay　thick　among　the　smooth　paving　stones　and　figures　passed　silently；　robed　in　white；　on　soft　slippers　or　hard；　bare　soles；　where　the　air　was　scented　with　cloves　and　incense　and　wood　smoke　…　now　I　knew　what　had　drawn…　Sebastian　here　and　held　him　so　long。
　　　　The　consular　porter　strode　arrogantly　ahead　with　his　light　swinging　and　his　tall　cane　banging；　sometimes　an　open　doorway　revealed　a　silent　group　seated　in　golden　lamplight　round　a　brazier。
　　　　'Very　dirty　peoples；'　the　porter　said　scornfully；　over　his　shoulder。　'No　education。　French　leave　them　dirty。　Not　like　British　peoples。　My　peoples；'　he　said；　'always　very　British　peoples。'
　　　　For　he　was　from　the　Sudan　Police；　and　regarded　this　ancient　centre　of　his　culture　as　a　New　Zealander　might　regard　Rome。
　　　　At　length　we　came　to　the　last　of　many　studded　doors；　and　the　porter　beat　on　it　with　his　stick。
　　　　'British　Lord's　house；'　he　said。
　　　　Lamplight　and　a　dark　face　appeared　at　the　grating。　The　consular　porter　spoke　peremptorily；　bolts　were　withdrawn　and　we　entered　a　small　courtyard　with　a　well　in　its　centre　and　a　vine　trained　overhead。
　　　　'I　wait　here；'　said　the　porter。　'You　go　with　this　native　fellow。'　I　entered　the　house；　down　a　step　and　into　the　living…room　I　found　a　gramophone；　an　oil…stove　and；　between　them；　a　young　man。　Later；　when　I　looked　about　me；　I　noticed　other；　more　agreeable　things　…　the　rugs　on　the　floor；　the　embroidered　silk　on　the　walls；　the　carved　and　painted　beams　of　the　ceiling；　the　heavy；　pierced　lamp　that　hung　from　a　chain　and　cast　soft　shadows　of　its　own　tracery　about　the　room。　But　on　first　entering　these　three　things；　the　gramophone　for　its　noise　…　it　was　playing　a　French　record　of　jazz　band　…　the　stove　for　its　smell；　and　the　young　man　for　his　wolfish　look；　struck　my　senses。　He　was　lolling　in　a　basket　chair；　with　a　bandaged　foot　stuck　forward　on　a　box；　he　was　dressed　in　a　kind　of　thin；　mid…European　imitation　tweed　with　a　tennis　shirt　open　at　the　neck；　the　unwounded　foot　wore　a　brown　canvas　shoe。　There　was　a　brass　tray　by　his　side　on　wooden　legs；　and　on　it　were　two　beer　bottles；　a　dirty　plate；　and　a　saucer　full　of　cigarette　ends；　he　held　a　glass　of　beer　in　his　hand　and　a　cigarette　lay　on　his　lower　lip　and　stuck　there　when　he　spoke。　He　had　long　fair　hair　bed　back　without　a　parting　and　a　face　that　was　unnaturally　lined　for　a　man　of　his　obvious　youth；　one　of　his　front　teeth　was　missing；　so　that　his　sibilants　came　sometimes　with　a　lisp；　sometimes　with　a　disconcerting　whistle；　which　he　covered　with　a　giggle；　the　teeth　he　had　were　stained　with　tobacco　and　set　far　apart。
　　　　This　was　plainly　the　'thoroughly　bad　hat'　of　the　consul's　description；　the　film　footman　of　Anthony's。
　　　　'I'm　looking　for　Sebastian　Flyte。　This　is　his　house；　is　it　not？'　I　spoke　loudly　to　make　myself　heard　above　the　dance　music；　but　he　answered　softly　in　English　fluent　enough　to　suggest　that　it　was　now　habitual　to　him。
　　　　'Yeth。　But　he　isn't　here。　There's　no　one　but　me。'
　　　　'I've　e　from　England　to　see　him　on　important　business。　Can　you　tell　me　where　I　can　find　him？'
　　　　The　record　came　to　its　end。　The　German　turned　it　over；　wound　up　the　machine　and　started　it　playing　again　before　answering。
　　　　'Sebastian's　sick。　The　brothers　took　him　away　to　the　Infirmary。　Maybe　they'll　let　you　thee　him；　maybe　not。　I　got　to　go　there　myself　one　day　thoon　to　have　my　foot　dressed。　I'll　ask　them　then。　When　he's　better　they'll　let　you　thee　him；　maybe。'
　　　　There　was　another　chair　and　I　sat　down　on　it。　Seeing　that　I　meant　to　stay；　the　German　offered　me　some　beer。
　　　　'You're　not　Thebastian's　brother？'　he　said。　'Cousin　maybe？　Maybe　you　married　hith　thister？'
　　　　'I'm　only　a　friend。　We　were　at　the　university　together。'
　　　　'I　had　a　friend　at　the　university。　We　studied　History。　My　friend　was　cleverer　than　me；　a　little　weak　fellow　…　I　used　to　pick　him　up　and　shake　him　when　I　was　angry　…　but　tho　clever。　Then　one　day　we　said：　〃What　the　hell？　There　is　no　work　in　Germany。　Germany　is　down　the　drain；〃　so　we　said　good…bye　to　our　professors；　and　they　said：　〃Yes；　Germany　is　down　the　drain。　There　is　nothing　for　a　student　to　do　here　now；〃　and　we　went　away　and　walked　and　walked　and　at　last　we　came　here。　Then　we　said；　〃There　is　no　army　in　Germany　now；　but　we　must　be　tholdiers；〃　so　we　joined　the　Legion。　My　friend　died　of　dysentery　last　year；　campaigning　in　the　Atlas。　When　he　was　dead；　I　said；　〃What　the　hell？〃　so　I　shot　my　foot。　It　is　now　full　of　pus；　though　I　have　done　it　one　year。'
　　　　'Yes；'　I　said。　'That's　very　interesting。　But　my　immediate　concern　is　with　Sebastian。　Perhaps　you　would　tell