第 41 节
作者:连过十一人      更新:2021-02-20 18:45      字数:9322
  that time learning banking; Garibaldi was a wonderful man!  One could
  not help it。〃  He spoke quite simply。  〃You might say it was like
  seeing a little man stand up to a ring of great hulking fellows; I
  went; just as you would have gone; if you'd been there。  I was not
  long with themour war began; I had to go back home。〃  He said this
  as if there had been but one war since the world began。  〃In '60;〃 he
  mused; 〃till '65。  Just think of it!  The poor country。  Why; in my
  State; South CarolinaI was through it allnobody could be spared
  therewe were one to three。〃
  〃I suppose you have a love of fighting?〃
  〃H'm!〃 he said; as if considering the idea for the first time。
  〃Sometimes I fought for a living; and sometimesbecause I was
  obliged; one must try to be a gentleman。  But won't you have some
  more?〃
  I refused more tea and took my leave; carrying away with me a picture
  of the old fellow looking down from the top of the steep staircase;
  one hand pressed to his back; the other twisting up those little
  white moustaches; and murmuring; 〃Take care; my dear sir; there's a
  step there at the corner。〃
  〃To be a gentleman!〃  I repeated in the street; causing an old French
  lady to drop her parasol; so that for about two minutes we stood
  bowing and smiling to each other; then separated full of the best
  feeling。
  II
  A week later I found myself again seated next him at a concert。  In
  the meantime I had seen him now and then; but only in passing。  He
  seemed depressed。  The corners of his lips were tightened; his tanned
  cheeks had a greyish tinge; his eyes were restless; and; between two
  numbers of the programme; he murmured; tapping his fingers on his
  hat; 〃Do you ever have bad days?  Yes?  Not pleasant; are they?〃
  Then something occurred from which all that I have to tell you
  followed。  There came into the concert…hall the heroine of one of
  those romances; crimes; follies; or irregularities; call it what you
  will; which had just attracted the 〃world's〃 stare。  She passed us
  with her partner; and sat down in a chair a few rows to our right。
  She kept turning her head round; and at every turn I caught the gleam
  of her uneasy eyes。  Some one behind us said: 〃The brazen baggage!〃
  My companion turned full round; and glared at whoever it was who had
  spoken。  The change in him was quite remarkable。  His lips were drawn
  back from his teeth; he frowned; the scar on his temple had reddened。
  〃Ah!〃 he said to me。  〃The hue and cry!  Contemptible!  How I hate
  it!  But you wouldn't understand! 〃he broke off; and slowly
  regained his usual air of self…obliteration; he even seemed ashamed;
  and began trying to brush his moustaches higher than ever; as if
  aware that his heat had robbed them of neatness。
  〃I'm not myself; when I speak of such matters;〃 he said suddenly; and
  began reading his programme; holding it upside down。  A minute later;
  however; he said in a peculiar voice: 〃There are people to be found
  who object to vivisecting animals; but the vivisection of a woman;
  who minds that?  Will you tell me it's right; that because of some
  tragedy like thisbelieve me; it is always a tragedywe should hunt
  down a woman?  That her fellow…women should make an outcast of her?
  That we; who are men; should make a prey of her?  If I thought
  that。。。。〃  Again he broke off; staring very hard in front of him。
  〃It is we who make them what they are; and even if that is not so
  why! if I thought there was a woman in the world I could not take my
  hat off toIIcouldn't sleep at night。〃  He got up from his seat;
  put on his old straw hat with trembling fingers; and; without a
  glance back; went out; stumbling over the chair…legs。
  I sat there; horribly disturbed; the words; 〃One must try to be a
  gentleman!〃 haunting me。  When I came out; he was standing by the
  entrance with one hand on his hip and the other on his dog。  In that
  attitude of waiting he was such a patient figure; the sun glared down
  and showed the threadbare nature of his clothes and the thinness of
  his brown hands; with their long forgers and nails yellow from
  tobacco。  Seeing me he came up the steps again; and raised his hat。
  〃I am glad to have caught you; please forget all that。〃  I asked if
  he would do me the honour of dining at my hotel。
  〃Dine?〃 he repeated with the sort of smile a child gives if you offer
  him a box of soldiers; 〃with the greatest pleasure。  I seldom dine
  out; but I think I can muster up a coat。  Yesyesand at what time
  shall I come?  At half…past seven; and your hotel is?  Good! I
  shall be there。  Freda; mia cara; you will be alone this evening。
  You do not smoke caporal; I fear。  I find it fairly good; though it
  has too much bite。〃  He walked off with Freda; puffing at his thin
  roll of caporal。
  Once or twice he stopped; as if bewildered or beset by some sudden
  doubt or memory; and every time he stopped; Freda licked his hand。
  They disappeared round the corner of the street; and I went to my
  hotel to see about dinner。  On the way I met Jules le Ferrier; and
  asked him to come too。
  〃My faith; yes!〃 he said; with the rosy pessimism characteristic of
  the French editor。  〃Man must dine!〃
  At half…past six we assembled。  My 〃Cosmopolitan〃 was in an old
  frock…coat braided round the edges; buttoned high and tight; defining
  more than ever the sharp lines of his shoulders and the slight kink
  of his back; he had brought with him; too; a dark…peaked cap of
  military shape; which he had evidently selected as more fitting to
  the coat than a straw hat。  He smelled slightly of some herb。
  We sat down to dinner; and did not rise for two hours。  He was a
  charming guest; praised everything he atenot with commonplaces; but
  in words that made you feel it had given him real pleasure。  At
  first; whenever Jules made one of his caustic remarks; he looked
  quite pained; but suddenly seemed to make up his mind that it was
  bark; not bite; and then at each of them he would turn to me and say;
  〃Aha! that's goodisn't it?〃  With every glass of wine he became
  more gentle and more genial; sitting very upright; and tightly
  buttoned…in; while the little white wings of his moustache seemed
  about to leave him for a better world。
  In spite of the most leading questions; however; we could not get him
  to talk about himself; for even Jules; most cynical of men; had
  recognised that he was a hero of romance。  He would answer gently and
  precisely; and then sit twisting his moustaches; perfectly
  unconscious that we wanted more。  Presently; as the wine went a
  little to his head; his thin; high voice grew thinner; his cheeks
  became flushed; his eyes brighter; at the end of dinner he said: 〃I
  hope I have not been noisy。〃
  We assured him that he had not been noisy enough。  〃You're laughing
  at me;〃 he answered。  〃Surely I've been talking all the time!〃
  〃Mon Dieu!〃 said Jules; 〃we have been looking for some fables of your
  wars; but nothingnothing; not enough to feed a frog!〃
  The old fellow looked troubled。
  〃To be sure!〃 he mused。  〃Let me think! there is that about Colhoun
  at Gettysburg; and there's the story of Garibaldi and the Miller。〃
  He plunged into a tale; not at all about himself; which would have
  been extremely dull; but for the conviction in his eyes; and the way
  he stopped and commented。  〃So you see;〃 he ended; 〃that's the sort
  of man Garibaldi was!  I could tell you another tale of him。〃
  Catching an introspective look in Jules's eye; however; I proposed
  taking our cigars over to the cafe opposite。
  〃Delightful!〃 the old fellow said: 〃We shall have a band and the
  fresh air; and clear consciences for our cigars。  I cannot like this
  smoking in a room where there are ladies dining。〃
  He walked out in front of us; smoking with an air of great enjoyment。
  Jules; glowing above his candid shirt and waistcoat; whispered to me;
  〃Mon cher Georges; how he is good!〃 then sighed; and added darkly:
  〃The poor man!〃
  We sat down at a little table。  Close by; the branches of a plane…
  tree rustled faintly; their leaves hung lifeless; speckled like the
  breasts of birds; or black against the sky; then; caught by the
  breeze; fluttered suddenly。
  The old fellow sat; with head thrown back; a smile on his face;
  coming now and then out of his enchanted dreams to drink coffee;
  answer our questions; or hum the tune that the band was playing。  The
  ash of his cigar grew very long。  One of those bizarre figures in
  Oriental garb; who; night after night; offer their doubtful wares at
  a great price; appeared in the white glare of a lamp; looked with a
  furtive smile at his face; and glided back; discomfited by its
  unconsciousness。  It was a night for dreams!  A faint; half…eastern
  scent in the air; of black tobacco and spice; few people as yet at
  the little tables; the waiters leisurely; the band soft!  What was he
  dreaming of; that old fellow; whose cigar…ash grew so long?