第10部分(第1/7 頁)

〃No。　This　is　only　the　spring。　I　feel　very　low。〃

〃You　have　the　war　disgust。〃

〃No。　But　I　hate　the　war。〃

〃I　don't　enjoy　it；〃　I　said。　He　shook　his　head　and　looked　out　of　the　window。

〃You　do　not　mind　it。　You　do　not　see　it。　You　must　forgive　me。　I　know　you　are　wounded。〃

〃That　is　an　accident。〃

〃Still　even　wounded　you　do　not　see　it。　I　can　tell。　I　do　not　see　it　myself　but　I　feel　it　a　little。〃

〃When　I　was　wounded　we　were　talking　about　it。　Passini　was　talking。〃

The　priest　put　down　the　glass。　He　was　thinking　about　something　else。

〃I　know　them　because　I　am　like　they　are；〃　he　said。

〃You　are　different　though。〃

〃But　really　I　am　like　they　are。〃

〃The　officers　don't　see　anything。〃

〃Some　of　them　do。　Some　are　very　delicate　and　feel　worse　than　any　of　us。〃

〃They　are　mostly　different。〃

〃It　is　not　education　or　money。　It　is　something　else。　Even　if　they　had　education　or　money　men　like　Passini　would　not　wish　to　be　officers。　I　would　not　be　an　officer。〃

〃You　rank　as　an　officer。　I　am　an　officer。〃

〃I　am　not　really。　You　are　not　even　an　Italian。　You　are　a　foreigner。　But　you　are　nearer　the　officers　than　you　are　to　the　men。〃

〃What　is　the　difference？〃

〃I　cannot　say　it　easily。　There　are　people　who　would　make　war。　In　this　country　there　are　many　like　that。　There　are　other　people　who　would　not　make　war。〃

〃But　the　first　ones　make　them　do　it。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　I　help　them。〃

〃You　are　a　foreigner。　You　are　a　patriot。〃

〃And　the　ones　who　would　not　make　war？　Can　they　stop　it？〃　I　do　not　know。

He　looked　out　of　the　window　again。　I　watched　his　face。

〃Have　they　ever　been　able　to　stop　it？〃

〃They　are　not　organized　to　stop　things　and　when　the