永别了,武器(英文版)海明威著-第22部分

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ugh　to　be　a　second…class　corporal。〃
〃Thank　God　I　don't　have　to　be；〃　Simmons　said。
〃Maybe　you　will　if　they　round　up　all　you　slackers。　Oh；　boy；　I'd　like　to　have　you　two　in　my　platoon。　Mac　too。　I'd　make　you　my　orderly；　Mac。〃
〃You're　a　great　boy；　Ettore；〃　Mac　said。　〃But　I'm　afraid　you're　a　militarist。〃
〃I'll　be　a　colonel　before　the　war's　over；〃　Ettore　said。
〃If　they　don't　kill　you。〃
〃They　won't　kill　me。〃　He　touched　the　stars　at　his　collar　with　his　thumb　and　forefinger。　〃See　me　do　that？　We　always　touch　our　stars　if　anybody　mentions　getting　killed。〃
〃Let's　go；　Sim；〃　said　Saunders　standing　up。
〃All　right。〃
〃So　long；〃　I　said。　〃I　have　to　go　too。〃　It　was　a　quarter　to　six　by　the　clock　inside　the　bar。　〃Ciaou；　Ettore。〃
〃Ciaou；　Fred；〃　said　Ettore。　〃That's　pretty　fine　you're　going　to　get　the　silver　medal。〃
〃I　don't　know　I'll　get　it。〃
〃You'll　get　it　all　right；　Fred。　I　heard　you　were　going　to　get　it　all　right。〃
〃Well；　so　long；〃　I　said。　〃Keep　out　of　trouble；　Ettore。〃
〃Don't　worry　about　me。　I　don't　drink　and　I　don't　run　around。　I'm　no　boozer　and　whorehound。　I　know　what's　good　for　me。〃
〃So　long；〃　I　said。　〃I'm　glad　you're　going　to　be　promoted　captain。〃
〃I　don't　have　to　wait　to　be　promoted。　I'm　going　to　be　a　captain　for　merit　of　war。　You　know。　Three　stars　with　the　crossed　swords　and　crown　above。　That's　me。〃
〃Good　luck。〃
〃Good　luck。　When　you　going　back　to　the　front？〃
〃Pretty　soon。〃
〃Well；　I'll　see　you　around。〃
〃So　long。〃
〃So　long。　Don't　take　any　bad　nickels。〃
I　walked　on　down　a　back　Street　that　led　to　a　cross…cut　to　the　hospital。　Ettore　was　twenty…three。　He　had　been　brought　up　by　an　uncle　in　San　Francisco　and　was　visiting　his　father　and　mother　in　Torino　when　war　was　declared。　He　had　a　sister；　who　had　been　sent　to　America　with　him　at　the　same　time　to　live　with　the　uncle；　who　would　graduate　from　normal　school　this　year。　He　was　a　legitimate　hero　who　bored　every　one　he　met。　Catherine　could　not　stand　him。
〃We　have　heroes　too；〃　she　said。　〃But　usually；　darling；　they're　much　quieter。〃
〃I　don't　mind　him。〃
〃I　wouldn't　mind　him　if　he　wasn't　so　conceited　and　didn't　bore　me；　and　bore　me；　and　bore　me。〃
〃He　bores　me。〃
〃You're　sweet　to　say　so；　darling。　But　you　don't　need　to。　You　can　picture　him　at　the　front　and　you　know　he's　useful　but　he's　so　much　the　type　of　boy　I　don't　care　for。〃
〃I　know。〃
〃You're　awfully　sweet　to　know；　and　I　try　and　like　him　but　he's　a　dreadful；　dreadful　boy　really。〃
〃He　said　this　afternoon　he　was　going　to　be　a　captain。〃
〃I'm　glad；〃　said　Catherine。　〃That　should　please　him。〃
〃Wouldn't　you　like　me　to　have　some　more　exalted　rank？〃
〃No；　darling。　I　only　want　you　to　have　enough　rank　so　that　we're　admitted　to　the　better　restaurants。〃
〃That's　just　the　rank　I　have。〃
〃You　have　a　splendid　rank。　I　don't　want　you　to　have　any　more　rank。　It　might　go　to　your　head。　Oh；　darling；　I'm　awfully　glad　you're　not　conceited。　I'd　have　married　you　even　if　you　were　conceited　but　it's　very　restful　to　have　a　husband　who's　not　conceited。〃
We　were　talking　softly　out　on　the　balcony。　The　moon　was　supposed　to　rise　but　there　was　a　mist　over　the　town　and　it　did　not　e　up　and　in　a　little　while　it　started　to　drizzle　and　we　came　in。　Outside　the　mist　turned　to　rain　and　in　a　little　while　it　was　raining　hard　and　we　heard　it　drumming　on　the　roof。　I　got　up　and　stood　at　the　door　to　see　if　it　was　raining　in　but　it　wasn't；　so　I　left　the　door　open。
〃Who　else　did　you　see？〃　Catherine　asked。
〃Mr。　and　Mrs。　Meyers。〃
〃They're　a　strange　lot。〃
〃He's　supposed　to　have　been　in　the　penitentiary　at　home。　They　let　him　out　to　die。〃
〃And　he　lived　happily　in　Milan　forever　after。〃
〃I　don't　know　how　happily。〃
〃Happily　enough　after　jail　I　should　think。〃
〃She's　bringing　some　things　here。〃
〃She　brings　splendid　things。　Were　you　her　dear　boy？〃
〃One　of　them。〃
〃You　are　all　her　dear　boys；〃　Catherine　said。　〃She　prefers　the　dear　boys。　Listen　to　it　rain。〃
〃It's　raining　hard。〃
〃And　you'll　always　love　me；　won't　you？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃And　the　rain　won't　make　any　difference？〃
〃No。〃
〃That's　good。　Because　I'm　afraid　of　the　rain。〃
〃Why？〃　I　was　sleepy。　Outside　the　rain　was　falling　steadily。
〃I　don't　know；　darling。　I've　always　been　afraid　of　the　rain。〃
〃I　like　it。〃
〃I　like　to　walk　in　it。　But　it's　very　hard　on　loving。〃
〃I'll　love　you　always。〃
〃I'll　love　you　in　the　rain　and　in　the　snow　and　in　the　hail　and……　what　else　is　there？〃
〃I　don't　know。　I　guess　I'm　sleepy。〃
〃Go　to　sleep；　darling；　and　I'll　love　you　no　matter　how　it　is。〃
〃You're　not　really　afraid　of　the　rain　are　you？〃
〃Not　when　I'm　with　you。〃
〃Why　are　you　afraid　of　it？〃
〃I　don't　know。〃
〃Tell　me。〃
〃Don't　make　me。〃
〃Tell　me。〃
〃No。〃
〃Tell　me。〃
〃All　right。　I'm　afraid　of　the　rain　because　sometimes　I　see　me　dead　in　it。〃
〃No。〃
〃And　sometimes　I　see　you　dead　in　it。〃
〃That's　more　likely。〃
〃No；　it's　not；　darling。　Because　I　can　keep　you　safe。　I　know　I　can。　But　nobody　can　help　themselves。〃
〃Please　stop　it。　I　don't　want　you　to　get　Scotch　and　crazy　tonight。　We　won't　be　together　much　longer。〃
〃No；　but　I　am　Scotch　and　crazy。　But　I'll　stop　it。　It's　all　nonsense。〃
〃Yes　it's　all　nonsense。〃
〃It's　all　nonsense。　It's　only　nonsense。　I'm　not　afraid　of　the　rain。　I'm　not　afraid　of　the　rain。　Oh；　oh；　God；　I　wish　I　wasn't。〃　She　was　crying。　I　forted　her　and　she　stopped　crying。　But　outside　it　kept　on　raining。




20


One　day　in　the　afternoon　we　went　to　the　races。　Ferguson　went　too　and　Crowell　Rodgers；　the　boy　who　had　been　wounded　in　the　eyes　by　the　explosion　of　the　shell　nose…cap。　The　girls　dressed　to　go　after　lunch　while　Crowell　and　I　sat　on　the　bed　in　his　room　and　read　the　past　performances　of　the　horses　and　the　predictions　in　the　racing　paper。　Crowell's　head　was　bandaged　and　he　did　not　care　much　about　these　races　but　read　the　racing　paper　constantly　and　kept　track　of　all　the　horses　for　something　to　do。　He　said　the　horses　were　a　terrible　lot　but　they　were　all　the　horses　we　had。　Old　Meyers　liked　him　and　gave　him　tips。　Meyers　won　on　nearly　every　race　but　disliked　to　give　tips　because　it　brought　down　the　prices。　The　racing　was　very　crooked。　Men　who　had　been　ruled　off　the　turf　everywhere　else　were　racing　in　Italy。　Meyers'　information　was　good　but　I　hated　to　ask　him　because　sometimes　he　did　not　answer；　and　always　you　could　see　it　hurt　him　to　tell　you；　but　he　felt　obligated　to　tell　us　for　some　reason　and　he　hated　less　to　tell　Crowell。　Crowell's　eyes　had　been　hurt；　one　was　hurt　badly；　and　Meyers　had　trouble　with　his　eyes　and　so　he　liked　Crowell。　Meyers　never　told　his　wife　what　horses　he　was　playing　and　she　won　or　lost；　mostly　lost；　and　talked　all　the　time。
We　four　drove　out　to　San　Siro　in　an　open　carriage。　It　was　a　lovely　day　and　we　drove　out　through　the　park　and　out　along　the　tramway　and　out　of　town　where　the　road　was　dusty。　There　were　villas　with　iron　fences　and　big　overgrown　gardens　and　ditches　with　water　flowing　and　green　vegetable　gardens　with　dust　on　the　leaves。　We　could　look　across　the　plain　and　see　farmhouses　and　the　rich　green　farms　with　their　irrigation　ditches　and　the　mountains　to　the　north。　There　were　many　carriages　going　into　the　race　track　and　the　men　at　the　gate　let　us　in　without　cards　because　we　were　in　uniform。　We　left　the　carriage；　bought　programmes；　and　walked　across　the　infield　and　then　across　the　smooth　thick　turf　of　the　course　to　the　paddock。　The　grand…stands　were　old　and　made　of　wood　and　the　betting　booths　were　under　the　stands　and　in　a　row　out　near　the　stables。　There　was　a　crowd　of　soldiers　along　the　fence　in　the　infield。　The　paddock　was　fairly　well　filled　with　people　and　they　were　walking　the　horses　around　in　a　ring　under　the　trees　behind　the　grandstand。　We　saw　people　we　knew　and　got　chairs　for　Ferguson　and　Catherine　and　watched　the　horses。
They　went　around；　one　after　the　other；　their　heads　down；　the　grooms　leading　them。　One　horse；　a　purplish　black；　Crowell　swore　was　dyed　that　color。　We　watched　him　and　it　seemed　possible。　He　had　only　e　out　just　before　the　bell　rang　to　saddle。　We　looked　him　up　in　the　programme　from　the　number　on　the　groom's　arm　and　it　was　listed　a　black　gelding　named　Japalac。　The　race　was　for　horses　that　had　never　won　a　race　worth　one　thousand　lire　or　more。　Catherine　was　sure　his　color　had　been　changed。　Ferguson　said　she　c