第91部分(第3/7 頁)

g　time　before　he　came　to

himself。　He　was　aware　of　an　unusual　motion　of　her　breast。　He

looked　up。　Her　face　lay　like　an　image　in　the　moonlight；　the　eyes

wide　open；　rigid。　But　out　of　the　eyes；　slowly；　there　rolled　a

tear；　that　glittered　in　the　moonlight　as　it　ran　down　her

cheek。

He　felt　as　if　as　the　knife　were　being　pushed　into　his　already

dead　body。　With　head　strained　back；　he　watched；　drawn　tense；　for

some　minutes；　watched　the　unaltering；　rigid　face　like　metal　in

the　moonlight；　the　fixed；　unseeing　eye；　in　which　slowly　the

water　gathered；　shook　with　glittering　moonlight；　then

surcharged；　brimmed　over　and　ran　trickling；　a　tear　with　its

burden　of　moonlight；　into　the　darkness；　to　fall　in　the　sand。

He　drew　gradually　away　as　if　afraid；　drew　away……she　did

not　move。　He　glanced　at　her……she　lay　the　same。　Could　he

break　away？　He　turned；　saw　the　open　foreshore；　clear　in　front　of

him；　and　he　plunged　away；　on　and　on；　ever　farther　from　the

horrible　figure　that　lay　stretched　in　the　moonlight　on　the　sands

with　the　tears　gathering　and　travelling　on　the　motionless；

eternal　face。

He　felt；　if　ever　he　must　see　her　again；　his　bones　must　be

broken；　his　body　crushed；　obliterated　for　ever。　And　as　yet；　he

had　the　love　of　his　own　living　body。　He　wandered　on　a　long；　long

way；　till　his　brain　drew　dark　and　he　was　unconscious　with

weariness。　Then　he　curled　in　the　deepest　darkness　he　could　find；

under　the　sea…grass；　and　lay　there　without　consciousness。

She　broke　from　her　tense　cramp　of　agony　gradually；　though

each　movement　was　a　goad　of　heavy　pain。　Gradually；　she　lifted

her　dead　body　from　the　sands；　and　rose　at