第 13 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-20 18:44      字数:9322
  the same now if it were to come again?〃
  〃Yes; it drives me mad even now to think of people fatted with
  prosperity; sneering and holding up their hands at poor devils who
  have suffered ten times more than the most those soft animals could
  bear。  I'm older; I've livedI know things can't be put right by
  violencenothing will put things right; but that doesn't stop my
  feeling。〃
  〃Did you do anything?  You must tell me all now。〃
  〃We talkedwe were always talking。〃
  〃No; tell me everything!〃
  Unconsciously she claimed; and he seemed unconsciously to admit her
  right to this knowledge。
  〃There's not much to tell。  One day we began talking in low voices
  Garin began it; he had been in some affair in Russia。  We took an
  oath; after that we never raised our voices。  We had a plan。  It was
  all new to me; and I hated the whole thingbut I was always hungry;
  or sick from taking charity; and I would have done anything。  They
  knew that; they used to look at me and Schonborn; we knew that no one
  else had any courage。  He and I were great friends; but we never
  talked of that; we tried to keep our minds away from the thought of
  it。  If we had a good day and were not so hungry; it seemed
  unnatural; but when the day had not been goodthen it seemed natural
  enough。  I wasn't afraid; but I used to wake up in the night; I hated
  the oath we had taken; I hated every one of those fellows; the thing
  was not what I was made for; it wasn't my work; it wasn't my nature;
  it was forced on meI hated it; but sometimes I was like a madman。〃
  〃Yes; yes;〃 she murmured。
  〃All this time I was working at the Academie; and learning all I
  could。。。。  One evening that we met; Paunitz was not there。  Misek was
  telling us how the thing had been arranged。  Schonborn and I looked
  at each otherit was warmperhaps we were not hungryit was
  springtime; too; and in the Spring it's different。  There is
  something。〃
  Christian nodded。
  〃While we were talking there came a knock at the door。  Lendorf put
  his eye to the keyhole; and made a sign。  The police were there。
  Nobody said anything; but Misek crawled under the bed; we all
  followed; and the knocking grew louder and louder。  In the wall at
  the back of the bed was a little door into an empty cellar。  We crept
  through。  There was a trap…door behind some cases; where they used to
  roll barrels in。  We crawled through that into the back street。  We
  went different ways。〃
  He paused; and Christian gasped。
  〃I thought I would get my money; but there was a policeman before my
  door。  They had us finely。  It was Paunitz; if I met him even now I
  should wring his neck。  I swore I wouldn't be caught; but I had no
  idea where to go。  Then I thought of a little Italian barber who used
  to shave me when I had money for a shave; I knew he would help。  He
  belonged to some Italian Society; he often talked to me; under his
  breath; of course。  I went to him。  He was shaving himself before
  going to a ball。  I told him what had happened; it was funny to see
  him put his back against the door。  He was very frightened;
  understanding this sort of thing better than I didfor I was only
  twenty then。  He shaved my head and moustache and put me on a fair
  wig。  Then he brought me macaroni; and some meat; to eat。  He gave me
  a big fair moustache; and a cap; and hid the moustache in the lining。
  He brought me a cloak of his own; and four gulden。  All the time he
  was extremely frightened; and kept listening; and saying: 'Eat!'
  〃When I had done; he just said: 'Go away; I refuse to know anything
  more of you。'
  〃I thanked him and went out。  I walked about all that night; for I
  couldn't think of anything to do or anywhere to go。  In the morning I
  slept on a seat in one of the squares。  Then I thought I would go to
  the Gallerien; and I spent the whole day looking at the pictures。
  When the Galleries were shut I was very tired; so I went into a cafe;
  and had some beer。  When I came out I sat on the same seat in the
  Square。  I meant to wait till dark and then walk out of the city and
  take the train at some little station; but while I was sitting there
  I went to sleep。  A policeman woke me。  He had my wig in his hand。
  〃'Why do you wear a wig?' he said。
  〃I answered: 'Because I am bald。'
  〃'No;' he said; 'you're not bald; you've been shaved。  I can feel the
  hair coming。'
  〃He put his finger on my head。  I felt reckless and laughed。
  〃'Ah!' he said; 'you'll come with me and explain all this; your nose
  and eyes are looked for。'
  〃I went with him quietly to the police…station。。。。〃
  Harz seemed carried away by his story。  His quick dark face worked;
  his steel…grey eyes stared as though he were again passing through
  all these long…past emotions。
  The hot sun struck down; Christian drew herself together; sitting
  with her hands clasped round her knees。
  X
  〃I didn't care by then what came of it。  I didn't even think what I
  was going to say。  He led me down a passage to a room with bars
  across the windows and long seats; and maps on the walls。  We sat and
  waited。  He kept his eye on me all the time; and I saw no hope。
  Presently the Inspector came。  'Bring him in here;' he said; I
  remember feeling I could kill him for ordering me about!  We went
  into the next room。  It had a large clock; a writing…table; and a
  window; without bars; looking on a courtyard。  Long policemen's coats
  and caps were hanging from some pegs。  The Inspector told me to take
  off my cap。  I took it off; wig and all。  He asked me who I was; but
  I refused to answer。  Just then there was a loud sound of voices in
  the room we had come from。  The Inspector told the policeman to look
  after me; and went to see what it was。  I could hear him talking。  He
  called out: 'Come here; Becker!'  I stood very quiet; and Becker went
  towards the door。  I heard the Inspector say: 'Go and find Schwartz;
  I will see after this fellow。'  The policeman went; and the Inspector
  stood with his back to me in the half…open door; and began again to
  talk to the man in the other room。  Once or twice he looked round at
  me; but I stood quiet all the time。  They began to disagree; and
  their voices got angry。  The Inspector moved a little into the other
  room。  'Now!' I thought; and slipped off my cloak。  I hooked off a
  policeman's coat and cap; and put them on。  My heart beat till I felt
  sick。  I went on tiptoe to the window。  There was no one outside; but
  at the entrance a man was holding some horses。  I opened the window a
  little and held my breath。  I heard the Inspector say: 'I will report
  you for impertinence!' and slipped through the window。  The coat came
  down nearly to my heels; and the cap over my eyes。  I walked up to
  the man with the horses; and said: 'Good…evening。'  One of the horses
  had begun to kick; and he only grunted at me。  I got into a passing
  tram; it was five minutes to the West Bahnhof; I got out there。
  There was a train starting; they were shouting 'Einsteigen!'  I ran。
  The collector tried to stop me。  I shouted: 'Businessimportant!'
  He let me by。  I jumped into a carriage。  The train started。〃
  He paused; and Christian heaved a sigh。
  Harz went on; twisting a twig of ivy in his hands: 〃There was another
  man in the carriage reading a paper。  Presently I said to him; 'Where
  do we stop first?'  'St。 Polten。'  Then I knew it was the Munich
  expressSt。 Polten; Amstetten; Linz; and Salzburgfour stops before
  the frontier。  The man put down his paper and looked at me; he had a
  big fair moustache and rather shabby clothes。  His looking at me
  disturbed me; for I thought every minute he would say: 'You're no
  policeman!'  And suddenly it came into my mind that if they looked
  for me in this train; it would be as a policeman!they would know;
  of course; at the station that a policeman had run past at the last
  minute。  I wanted to get rid of the coat and cap; but the man was
  there; and I didn't like to move out of the carriage for other people
  to notice。  So I sat on。  We came to St。 Polten at last。  The man in
  my carriage took his bag; got out; and left his paper on the seat。
  We started again; I breathed at last; and as soon as I could took the
  cap and coat and threw them out into the darkness。  I thought: 'I
  shall get across the frontier now。'  I took my own cap out and found
  the moustache Luigi gave me; rubbed my clothes as clean as possible;
  stuck on the moustache; and with some little ends of chalk in my
  pocket made my eyebrows light; then drew some lines in my face to
  make it older; and pulled my cap well down above my wig。  I did it
  pretty wellI was quite like the man who had got out。  I sat in his
  corner; took up his newspaper; and waited for Amstetten。  It seemed a
  tremendous time before we got there。  From behind my paper I could
  see five or six policemen on the platform; one quite close。  He
  opened the door; looked at me; and walked through