第31部分(第6/7 頁)

the　town？　They　came　here　day　before　yesterday。〃

〃They　are　not　at　the　hotel。〃

〃They　are　nurses。〃

〃I　have　seen　two　nurses。　Wait　a　minute；　I　will　find　out　where　they　are。〃

〃One　of　them　is　my　wife；〃　I　said。　〃I　have　e　here　to　meet　her。〃

〃The　other　is　my　wife。〃

〃I　am　not　joking。〃

〃Pardon　my　stupid　joke；〃　he　said。　〃I　did　not　understand。〃　He　went　away　and　was　gone　quite　a　little　while。　I　ate　olives；　salted　almonds　and　potato　chips　and　looked　at　myself　in　civilian　clothes　in　the　mirror　behind　the　bar。　The　bartender　came　back。　〃They　are　at　the　little　hotel　near　the　station；〃　he　said。

〃How　about　some　sandwiches？〃

〃I'll　ring　for　some。　You　understand　there　is　nothing　here；　now　there　are　no　people。〃

〃Isn't　there　really　any　one　at　all？〃

〃Yes。　There　are　a　few　people。〃

The　sandwiches　came　and　I　ate　three　and　drank　a　couple　more　martinis。　I　had　never　tasted　anything　so　cool　and　clean。　They　made　me　feel　civilized。　I　had　had　too　much　red　wine；　bread；　cheese；　bad　coffee　and　grappa。　I　sat　on　the　high　stool　before　the　pleasant　mahogany；　the　brass　and　the　mirrors　and　did　not　think　at　all。　The　barman　asked　me　some　question。

〃Don't　talk　about　the　war；〃　I　said。　The　war　was　a　long　way　away。　Maybe　there　wasn't　any　war。　There　was　no　war　here。　Then　I　realized　it　was　over　for　me。　But　I　did　not　have　the　feeling　that　it　was　really　over。　I　had　the　feeling　of　a　boy　who　thinks　of　what　is　happening　at　a　certain　hour　at　the　schoolhouse　from　which　he　has　played　truant。

Catherine　and　Helen　Ferguson　were　at　supper　when　I　came　to　their　hotel。　Standing　in　the　hallway　I　saw　them　at　table。　Catherine's　face　was　away　from　me　and　I　saw　the　line　of　her　hair　and　her　cheek　and　her　lovely　neck　and　shoulders。　Ferguson　was　talk