第18部分(第6/7 頁)

e　are　walks　you　can　take　and　you　can　troll　for　trout　in　the　lake。　It　would　have　been　better　than　Stresa　because　there　are　fewer　people　at　Pallanza。　Stresa　is　so　easy　to　get　to　from　Milan　that　there　are　always　people　you　know。　There　is　a　nice　village　at　Pallanza　and　you　can　row　out　to　the　islands　where　the　fishermen　live　and　there　is　a　restaurant　on　the　biggest　island。　But　we　did　not　go。

One　day　while　I　was　in　bed　with　jaundice　Miss　Van　Campen　came　in　the　room；　opened　the　door　into　the　armoire　and　saw　the　empty　bottles　there。　I　had　sent　a　load　of　them　down　by　the　porter　and　I　believe　she　must　have　seen　them　going　out　and　e　up　to　find　some　more。　They　were　mostly　vermouth　bottles；　marsala　bottles；　capri　bottles；　empty　chianti　flasks　and　a　few　cognac　bottles。　The　porter　had　carried　out　the　large　bottles；　those　that　had　held　vermouth；　and　the　straw…covered　chianti　flasks；　and　left　the　brandy　bottles　for　the　last。　It　was　the　brandy　bottles　and　a　bottle　shaped　like　a　bear；　which　had　held　k黰mel；　that　Miss　Van　Campen　found。　The　bear　shaped　bottle　enraged　her　particularly。　She　held　it　up；　the　bear　was　sitting　up　on　his　haunches　with　his　paws　up；　there　was　a　cork　in　his　glass　head　and　a　few　sticky　crystals　at　the　bottom。　I　laughed。

〃It　is　k黰mel；〃　I　said。　〃The　best　k黰mel　es　in　those　bearshaped　bottles。　It　es　from　Russia。〃

〃Those　are　all　brandy　bottles；　aren't　they？〃　Miss　Van　Campen　asked。

〃I　can't　see　them　all；〃　I　said。　〃But　they　probably　are。〃

〃How　long　has　this　been　going　on？〃

〃I　bought　them　and　brought　them　in　myself；〃　I　said。　〃I　have　had　Italian　officers　visit　me　frequently　and　I　have　kept　brandy　to　offer　them。〃

〃You　haven't　been　drinking　it　yourself？〃　she　said。

〃I　have　also　drunk　it　myself。〃

〃Brandy；〃　she　said。　〃El