小说妹妹网

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the　road　had　small　leaves　and　a　breeze　came　from　the　sea。　I　saw　the　town　with　the　hill　and　the　old　castle　above　it　in　a　cup　in　the　hills　with　the　mountains　beyond；　brown　mountains　with　a　little　green　on　their　slopes。　In　the　town　there　were　more　guns；　there　were　some　new　hospitals；　you　met　British　men　and　sometimes　women；　on　the　street；　and　a　few　more　houses　had　been　hit　by　shell　fire。　Jt　was　warm　and　like　the　spring　and　I　walked　down　the　alleyway　of　trees；　warmed　from　the　sun　on　the　wall；　and　found　we　still　lived　in　the　same　house　and　that　it　all　looked　the　same　as　when　I　had　left　it。　The　door　was　open；　there　was　a　soldier　sitting　on　a　bench　outside　in　the　sun；　an　ambulance　was　waiting　by　the　side　door　and　inside　the　door；　as　I　went　in；　there　was　the　smell　of　marble　floors　and　hospital。　It　was　all　as　I　had　left　it　except　that　now　it　was　spring。　I　looked　in　the　door　of　the　big　room　and　saw　the　major　sitting　at　his　desk；　the　window　open　and　the　sunlight　ing　into　the　room。　He　did　not　see　me　and　I　did　not　know　whether　to　go　in　and　report　or　go　upstairs　first　and　clean　up。　I　decided　to　go　on　upstairs。

The　room　I　shared　with　the　lieutenant　Rinaldi　looked　out　on　the　courtyard。　The　window　was　open；　my　bed　was　made　up　with　blankets　and　my　things　hung　on　the　wall；　the　gas　mask　in　an　oblong　tin　can；　the　steel　helmet　on　the　same　peg。　At　the　foot　of　the　bed　was　my　flat　trunk；　and　my　winter　boots；　the　leather　shiny　with　oil；　were　on　the　trunk。　My　Austrian　snipers　rifle　with　its　blued　octagon　barrel　and　the　lovely　dark　walnut；　cheek…fitted；　schutzen　stock；　hung　over　the　two　beds。　The　telescope　that　fitted　it　was；　I　remembered；　locked　in　the　trunk。　The　lieutenant；　Rinaldi；　lay　asleep　on　the　other　bed。　He　woke　when　he　heard　me　in　the　room　and　sat　up。

〃Ciaou！〃　he　said。　〃What　kind　of　time　did　you　have？〃

〃Magnificent。〃

We　shook　hands　and　he　put　his　arm　around　my　neck　and　kissed　me。

〃Oughf；〃　I　said。

〃Youre　dirty；〃　he　said。　〃You　ought　to　wash。　Where　did　you　go　and　what　did　you　do？　Tell　me　everything　at　once。〃

〃I　went　everywhere。　Milan；　Florence；　Rome；　Naples；　Villa　San　Giovanni；　Messina；　Taormina……〃

〃You　talk　like　a　time…table。　Did　you　have　any　beautiful　adventures？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Where？〃

〃Milano；　Firenze；　Roma；　Napoli……〃

〃Thats　enough。　Tell　me　really　what　was　the　best。〃

〃In　Milano。〃

〃That　was　because　it　was　first。　Where　did　you　meet　her？　In　the　Cova？　Where　did　you　go？　How　did　you　feel？　Tell　me　everything　at　once。　Did　you　stay　all　night？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Thats　nothing。　Here　now　we　have　beautiful　girls。　New　girls　never　been　to　the　front　before。〃

〃Wonderful。〃

〃You　dont　believe　me？　We　will　go　now　this　afternoon　and　see。　And　in　the　town　we　have　beautiful　English　girls。　I　am　now　in　love　with　Miss　Barkley。　I　will　take　you　to　call。　I　will　probably　marry　Miss　Barkley。〃

〃I　have　to　get　washed　and　report。　Doesnt　anybody　work　now？〃

〃Since　you　are　gone　we　have　nothing　but　frostbites；　chilblains；　jaundice；　gonorrhea；　self…inflicted　wounds；　pneumonia　and　hard　and　soft　chancres。　Every　week　some　one　gets　wounded　by　rock　fragments。　There　are　a　few　real　wounded。　Next　week　the　war　starts　again。　Perhaps　it　start　again。　They　say　so。　Do　you　think　I　would　do　right　to　marry　Miss　Barkley……after　the　war　of　course？〃

〃Absolutely；〃　I　said　and　poured　the　basin　full　of　water。

〃To…night　you　will　tell　me　everything；〃　said　Rinaldi。　〃Now　I　must　go　back　to　sleep　to　be　fresh　and　beautiful　for　Miss　Barkley。〃

I　took　off　my　tunic　and　shirt　and　washed　in　the　cold　water　in　the　basin。　While　I　rubbed　myself　with　a　towel　I　looked　around　the　room　and　out　the　window　and　at　Rinaldi　lying　with　his　eyes　closed　on　the　bed。　He　was　good…looking；　was　my　age；　and　he　came　from　Amalfi。　He　loved　being　a　surgeon　and　we　were　great　friends。　While　I　was　looking　at　him　he　opened　his　eyes。

〃Have　you　any　money？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Loan　me　fifty　lire。〃

I　dried　my　hands　and　took　out　my　pocket…book　from　the　inside　of　my　tunic　hanging　on　the　wall。　Rinaldi　took　the　note；　folded　it　without　rising　from　the　bed　and　slid　it　in　his　breeches　pocket。　He　smiled；　〃I　must　make　on　Miss　Barkley　the　impression　of　a　man　of　sufficient　wealth。　You　are　my　great　and　good　friend　and　financial　protector。〃

〃Go　to　hell；〃　I　said。

That　night　at　the　mess　I　sat　next　to　the　priest　and　he　was　disappointed　and　suddenly　hurt　that　I　had　not　gone　to　the　Abruzzi。　He　had　written　to　his　father　that　I　was　ing　and　they　had　made　preparations。　I　myself　felt　as　badly　as　he　did　and　could　not　understand　why　I　had　not　gone。　It　was　what　I　had　wanted　to　do　and　I　tried　to　explain　how　one　thing　had　led　to　another　and　finally　he　saw　it　and　understood　that　I　had　really　wanted　to　go　and　it　was　almost　all　right。　I　had　drunk　much　wine　and　afterward　coffee　and　Strega　and　I　explained；　winefully；　how　we　did　not　do　the　things　we　wanted　to　do；　we　never　did　such　things。

We　two　were　talking　while　the　others　argued。　I　had　wanted　to　go　to　Abruzzi。　I　had　gone　to　no　place　where　the　roads　were　frozen　and　hard　as　iron；　where　it　was　clear　cold　and　dry　and　the　snow　was　dry　and　powdery　and　hare…tracks　in　the　snow　and　the　peasants　took　off　their　hats　and　called　you　Lord　and　there　was　good　hunting。　I　had　gone　to　no　such　place　but　to　the　smoke　of　caf閟　and　nights　when　the　room　whirled　and　you　needed　to　look　at　the　wall　to　make　it　stop；　nights　in　bed；　drunk；　when　you　knew　that　that　was　all　there　was；　and　the　strange　excitement　of　waking　and　not　knowing　who　it　was　with　you；　and　the　world　all　unreal　in　the　dark　and　so　exciting　that　you　must　resume　again　unknowing　and　not　caring　in　the　night；　sure　that　this　was　all　and　all　and　all　and　not　caring。　Suddenly　to　care　very　much　and　to　sleep　to　wake　with　it　sometimes　morning　and　all　that　had　been　there　gone　and　everything　sharp　and　hard　and　clear　and　sometimes　a　dispute　about　the　cost。　Sometimes　still　pleasant　and　fond　and　warm　and　breakfast　and　lunch。　Sometimes　all　niceness　gone　and　glad　to　get　out　on　the　street　but　always　another　day　starting　and　then　another　night。　I　tried　to　tell　about　the　night　and　the　difference　between　the　night　and　the　day　and　how　the　night　was　better　unless　the　day　was　very　clean　and　cold　and　I　could　not　tell　it；　as　I　cannot　tell　it　now。　But　if　you　have　had　it　you　know。　He　had　not　had　it　but　he　understood　that　I　had　really　wanted　to　go　to　the　Abruzzi　but　had　not　gone　and　we　were　still　friends；　with　many　tastes　alike；　but　with　the　difference　between　us。　He　had　always　known　what　I　did　not　know　and　what；　when　I　learned　it；　I　was　always　able　to　forget。　But　I　did　not　know　that　then；　although　I　learned　it　later。　In　the　meantime　we　were　all　at　the　mess；　the　meal　was　finished；　and　the　argument　went　on。　We　two　stopped　talking　and　the　captain　shouted；　〃Priest　not　happy。　Priest　not　happy　without　girls。〃

〃I　am　happy；〃　said　the　priest。

〃Priest　not　happy。　Priest　wants　Austrians　to　win　the　war；〃　the　captain　said。　The　others　listened。　The　priest　shook　his　head。

〃No；〃　he　said。

〃Priest　wants　us　never　to　attack。　Dont　you　want　us　never　to　attack？〃

〃No。　If　there　is　a　war　I　suppose　we　must　attack。〃

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