第10部分(第3/7 頁)

　your　mother？〃

〃Yes；　I　must　have　loved　my　mother。〃

〃Did　you　always　love　God？〃

〃Ever　since　I　was　a　little　boy。〃

〃Well；〃　I　said。　I　did　not　know　what　to　say。　〃You　are　a　fine　boy；〃　I　said。

〃I　am　a　boy；〃　he　said。　〃But　you　call　me　father。〃

〃That's　politeness。〃

He　smiled。

〃I　must　go；　really；〃　he　said。　〃You　do　not　want　me　for　anything？〃　he　asked　hopefully。

〃No。　Just　to　talk。〃

〃I　will　take　your　greetings　to　the　mess。〃

〃Thank　you　for　the　many　fine　presents。〃

〃Nothing。〃

〃e　and　see　me　again。〃

〃Yes。　Good…by；〃　he　patted　my　hand。

〃So　long；〃　I　said　in　dialect。

〃Ciaou；〃　he　repeated。

It　was　dark　in　the　room　and　the　orderly；　who　had　sat　by　the　foot　of　the　bed；　got　up　and　went　out　with　him。　I　liked　him　very　much　and　I　hoped　he　would　get　back　to　the　Abruzzi　some　time。　He　had　a　rotten　life　in　the　mess　and　he　was　fine　about　it　but　I　thought　how　he　would　be　in　his　own　country。　At　Capracotta；　he　had　told　me；　there　were　trout　in　the　stream　below　the　town。　It　was　forbidden　to　play　the　flute　at　night。　When　the　young　men　serenaded　only　the　flute　was　forbidden。　Why；　I　had　asked。　Because　it　was　bad　for　the　girls　to　hear　the　flute　at　night。　The　peasants　all　called　you　〃Don〃　and　when　you　met　them　they　took　off　their　hats。　His　father　hunted　every　day　and　stopped　to　eat　at　the　houses　of　peasants。　They　were　always　honored。　For　a　foreigner　to　hunt　he　must　present　a　certificate　that　he　had　never　been　arrested。　There　were　bears　on　the　Gran　Sasso　D'Italia　but　it　was　a　long　way。　Aquila　was　a　fine　town。　It　was　cool　in　the　summer　at　night　and　the　spring　in　Abruzzi　was　the　most　beautiful　in　Italy。　But　what　was　lovely　was　the　fall　to　go　hunting　through　the　chestnut　woods。　The　birds　were　all　good　b