第32部分(第6/7 頁)

　one　of　them　and　read　until　the　barman　came　in。　The　army　had　not　stood　at　the　Tagliamento。　They　were　falling　back　to　the　Piave。　I　remembered　the　Piave。　The　railroad　crossed　it　near　San　Dona　going　up　to　the　front。　It　was　deep　and　slow　there　and　quite　narrow。　Down　below　there　were　mosquito　marshes　and　canals。　There　were　some　lovely　villas。　Once；　before　the　war；　going　up　to　Cortina　D'Ampezzo　I　had　gone　along　it　for　several　hours　in　the　hills。　Up　there　it　looked　like　a　trout　stream；　flowing　swiftly　with　shallow　stretches　and　pools　under　the　shadow　of　the　rocks。　The　road　turned　off　from　it　at　Cadore。　I　wondered　how　the　army　that　was　up　there　would　e　down。　The　barman　came　in。

〃Count　Greffi　was　asking　for　you；〃　he　said。

〃Who？〃

〃Count　Greffi。　You　remember　the　old　man　who　was　here　when　you　were　here　before。〃

〃Is　he　here？〃

〃Yes；　he's　here　with　his　niece。　I　told　him　you　were　here。　He　wants　you　to　play　billiards。〃

〃Where　is　he？〃

〃He's　taking　a　walk。〃

〃How　is　he？〃

〃He's　younger　than　ever。　He　drank　three　champagne　cocktails　last　night　before　dinner。〃

〃How's　his　billiard　game？〃

〃Good。　He　beat　me。　When　I　told　him　you　were　here　he　was　very　pleased。　There's　nobody　here　for　him　to　play　with。〃

Count　Greffi　was　ninety…four　years　old。　He　had　been　a　contemporary　of　Metternich　and　was　an　old　man　with　white　hair　and　mustache　and　beautiful　manners。　He　had　been　in　the　diplomatic　service　of　both　Austria　and　Italy　and　his　birthday　parties　were　the　great　social　event　of　Milan。　He　was　living　to　be　one　hundred　years　old　and　played　a　smoothly　fluent　game　of　billiards　that　contrasted　with　his　own　ninety…four…year…old　brittleness。　I　had　met　him　when　I　had　been　at　Stresa　once　before　out　of　season　and　while　we　played　billia