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?