永别了,武器(英文版)海明威著-第25部分

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〃I'll　try　not　to。〃
〃Good…night；　priest。〃
〃Good…night；　Signor　Maggiore。〃
He　went　off　into　his　office。




26


I　went　to　the　door　and　looked　out。　It　had　stopped　raining　but　there　was　a　mist。
〃Should　we　go　upstairs？〃　I　asked　the　priest。
〃I　can　only　stay　a　little　while。〃
〃e　on　up。〃
We　climbed　the　stairs　and　went　into　my　room。　I　lay　down　on　Rinaldi's　bed。　The　priest　sat　on　my　cot　that　the　orderly　had　set　up。　It　was　dark　in　the　room。
〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃how　are　you　really？〃
〃I'm　all　right。　I'm　tired　to…night。〃
〃I'm　tired　too；　but　from　no　cause。〃
〃What　about　the　war？〃
〃I　think　it　will　be　over　soon。　I　don't　know　why；　but　I　feel　it。〃
〃How　do　you　feel　it？〃
〃You　know　how　your　major　is？　Gentle？　Many　people　are　like　that　now。〃
〃I　feel　that　way　myself；〃　I　said。
〃It　has　been　a　terrible　summer；〃　said　the　priest。　He　was　surer　of　himself　now　than　when　I　had　gone　away。　〃You　cannot　believe　how　it　has　been。　Except　that　you　have　been　there　and　you　know　how　it　can　be。　Many　people　have　realized　the　war　this　summer。　Officers　whom　I　thought　could　never　realize　it　realize　it　now。〃
〃What　will　happen？〃　Istroked　the　blanket　with　my　hand。
〃I　do　not　know　but　I　do　not　think　it　can　go　on　much　longer。〃
〃What　will　happen？〃
〃They　will　stop　fighting。〃
〃Who？〃
〃Both　sides。〃
〃I　hope　so；〃　I　said。
〃You　don't　believe　it？〃
〃I　don't　believe　both　sides　will　stop　fighting　at　once。〃
〃I　suppose　not。　It　is　too　much　to　expect。　But　when　I　see　the　changes　in　men　I　do　not　think　it　can　go　on。〃
〃Who　won　the　fighting　this　summer？〃
〃No　one。〃
〃The　Austrians　won；〃　I　said。　〃They　kept　them　from　taking　San　Gabriele。　They've　won。　They　won't　stop　fighting。〃
〃If　they　feel　as　we　feel　they　may　stop。　They　have　gone　through　the　same　thing。〃
〃No　one　ever　stopped　when　they　were　winning。〃
〃You　discourage　me。〃
〃I　can　only　say　what　I　think。〃
〃Then　you　think　it　will　go　on　and　on？　Nothing　will　ever　happen？〃
〃I　don't　know。　I　only　think　the　Austrians　will　not　stop　when　they　have　won　a　victory。　It　is　in　defeat　that　we　bee　Christian。〃
〃The　Austrians　are　Christians……except　for　the　Bosnians。〃
〃I　don't　mean　technically　Christian。　I　mean　like　Our　Lord。〃
He　said　nothing。
〃We　are　all　gentler　now　because　we　are　beaten。　How　would　Our　Lord　have　been　if　Peter　had　rescued　him　in　the　Garden？〃
〃He　would　have　been　just　the　same。〃
〃I　don't　think　so；〃　I　said。
〃You　discourage　me；〃　he　said。　〃I　believe　and　I　pray　that　something　will　happen。　I　have　felt　it　very　close。〃
〃Something　may　happen；〃　I　said。　〃But　it　will　happen　only　to　us。　If　they　felt　the　way　we　do；　it　would　be　all　right。　But　they　have　beaten　us。　They　feel　another　way。〃
〃Many　of　the　soldiers　have　always　felt　this　way。　It　is　not　because　they　were　beaten。〃
〃They　were　beaten　to　start　with。　They　were　beaten　when　they　took　them　from　their　farms　and　put　them　in　the　army。　That　is　why　the　peasant　has　wisdom；　because　he　is　defeated　from　the　start。　Put　him　in　power　and　see　how　wise　he　is。〃
He　did　not　say　anything。　He　was　thinking。
〃Now　I　am　depressed　myself；〃　I　said。　〃That's　why　I　never　think　about　these　things。　I　never　think　and　yet　when　I　begin　to　talk　I　say　the　things　I　have　found　out　in　my　mind　without　thinking。〃
〃I　had　hoped　for　something。〃
〃Defeat？〃
〃No。　Something　more。〃
〃There　isn't　anything　more。　Except　victory。　It　may　be　worse。〃
〃I　hoped　for　a　long　time　for　victory。〃
〃Me　too。〃
〃Now　I　don't　know。〃
〃It　has　to　be　one　or　the　other。〃
〃I　don't　believe　in　victory　any　more。〃
〃I　don't。　But　I　don't　believe　in　defeat。　Though　it　may　be　better。〃
〃What　do　you　believe　in？〃
〃In　sleep；〃　I　said。　He　stood　up。
〃I　am　very　sorry　to　have　stayed　so　long。　But　I　like　so　to　talk　with　you。〃
〃It　is　very　nice　to　talk　again。　I　said　that　about　sleeping；　meaning　nothing。〃
We　stood　up　and　shook　hands　in　the　dark。
〃I　sleep　at　307　now；〃　he　said。
〃I　go　out　on　post　early　to…morrow。〃
〃I'll　see　you　when　you　e　hack。〃
〃We'll　have　a　walk　and　talk　together。〃　I　walked　with　him　to　the　door。
〃Don't　go　down；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　very　nice　that　you　are　back。　Though　not　so　nice　for　you。〃　He　put　his　hand　on　my　shoulder。
〃It's　all　right　for　me；〃　I　said。　〃Good…night。〃
〃Good…night。　Ciaou！〃
〃Ciaou！〃　I　said。　I　was　deadly　sleepy。




27


I　woke　when　Rinaldi　came　in　but　he　did　not　talk　and　I　went　back　to　sleep　again。　In　the　morning　I　was　dressed　and　gone　before　it　was　light。　Rinaldi　did　not　wake　when　I　left。
I　had　not　seen　the　Bainsizza　before　and　it　was　strange　to　go　up　the　slope　where　the　Austrians　had　been；　beyond　the　place　on　the　river　where　I　had　been　wounded。　There　was　a　steep　new　road　and　many　trucks。　Beyond；　the　road　flattened　out　and　I　saw　woods　and　steep　hills　in　the　mist。　There　were　woods　that　had　been　taken　quickly　and　not　smashed。　Then　beyond　where　the　road　was　not　protected　by　the　hills　it　was　screened　by　matting　on　the　sides　and　over　the　top。　The　road　ended　in　a　wrecked　village。　The　lines　were　up　beyond。　There　was　much　artillery　around。　The　houses　were　badly　smashed　but　things　were　very　well　organized　and　there　were　signboards　everywhere。　We　found　Gino　and　he　got　us　some　coffee　and　later　I　went　with　him　and　met　various　people　and　saw　the　posts。　Gino　said　the　British　cars　were　working　further　down　the　Bainsizza　at　Ravne。　He　had　great　admiration　for　the　British。　There　was　still　a　certain　amount　of　shelling；　he　said；　but　not　many　wounded。　There　would　be　many　sick　now　the　rains　had　started。　The　Austrians　were　supposed　to　attack　but　he　did　not　believe　it。　We　were　supposed　to　attack　too；　but　they　had　not　brought　up　any　new　troops　so　he　thought　that　was　off　too。　Food　was　scarce　and　he　would　be　glad　to　get　a　full　meal　in　Gorizia。　What　kind　of　supper　had　I　had？　I　told　him　and　he　said　that　would　be　wonderful。　He　was　especially　impressed　by　the　dolce。　I　did　not　describe　it　in　detail；　only　said　it　was　a　dolce；　and　I　think　he　believed　it　was　something　more　elaborate　than　bread　pudding。
Did　I　know　where　he　was　going　to　go？　I　said　I　didn't　but　that　some　of　the　other　cars　were　at　Caporetto。　He　hoped　he　would　go　up　that　way。　It　was　a　nice　little　place　and　he　liked　the　high　mountain　hauling　up　beyond。　He　was　a　nice　boy　and　every　one　seemed　to　like　him。　He　said　where　it　really　had　been　hell　was　at　San　Gabriele　and　the　attack　beyond　Lom　that　had　gone　bad。　He　said　the　Austrians　had　a　great　amount　of　artillery　in　the　woods　along　Ternova　ridge　beyond　and　above　us；　and　shelled　the　roads　badly　at　night。　There　was　a　battery　of　naval　guns　that　had　gotten　on　his　nerves。　I　would　recognize　them　because　of　their　flat　trajectory。　You　heard　the　report　and　then　the　shriek　menced　almost　instantly。　They　usually　fired　two　guns　at　once；　one　right　after　the　other；　and　the　fragments　from　the　burst　were　enormous。　He　showed　me　one；　a　smoothly　jagged　piece　of　metal　over　a　foot　long。　It　looked　like　babbitting　metal。
〃I　don't　suppose　they　are　so　effective；〃　Gino　said。　〃But　they　scare　me。　They　all　sound　as　though　they　came　directly　for　you。　There　is　the　boom；　then　instantly　the　shriek　and　burst。　What's　the　use　of　not　being　wounded　if　they　scare　you　to　death？〃
He　said　there　were　Croats　in　the　lines　opposite　us　now　and　some　Magyars。　Our　troops　were　still　in　the　attacking　positions。　There　was　no　wire　to　speak　of　and　no　place　to　fall　back　to　if　there　should　be　an　Austrian　attack。　There　were　fine　positions　for　defense　along　the　low　mountains　that　came　up　out　of　the　plateau　but　nothing　had　been　done　about　organizing　them　for　defense。　What　did　I　think　about　the　Bainsizza　anyway？
I　had　expected　it　to　be　flatter；　more　like　a　plateau。　I　had　not　realized　it　was　so　broken　up。
〃Alto　piano；〃　Gino　said；　〃but　no　piano。〃
We　went　back　to　the　cellar　of　the　house　where　he　lived。　I　said　I　thought　a　ridge　that　flattened　out　on　top　and　had　a　little　depth　would　be　easier　and　more　practical　to　hold　than　a　succession　of　small　mountains。　It　was　no　harder　to　attack　up　a　mountain　than　on　the　level；　I　argued。　〃That　depends　on　the　mountains；〃　he　said。　〃Look　at　San　Gabriele。〃
〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃but　where　they　had　trouble　was　at　the　top　where　it　was　flat。　They　got　up　to　the　top　easy　enough。〃
〃Not　so　easy；〃　he　said。
〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃but　that　was　a　special　case　because　it　was　a　fortress　rather　than　a　mountain；　anyway。　The　Austrians　had　been　fortifying　it　for　years。〃　I　meant　tactically　speaking　in　a　war　where　there　was　some　movement　a　succession　of　mountains　were　nothing　to　hold　as　a　line　because　it　was　too　easy　to　turn　them。　You　should　have　possible　mobility　and　a　mountain　is　not　very　mobile。　Also；　people　always　over…shoot　downhill。　If　the　flank　were　turned；　the　best　men　would　be　left　on　the　highest　mountains。　I　did　not　believe　in　a　war　in　mountains。　I　had　thought　about　it　a　lot；　I　said。　You　pinched　off　one　mountain　and　they　pinched　off　another　but　when　something　really　started　every　one　had　to　get　down　off　the　mountains。
What　were　you　going　to　do　if　you　had　a　mountain　frontier？　he　asked。
I　had　not　worked　that　out　yet；　I　said；　and　we　both　laughed。　〃But；〃　I　said；　〃in　the　old　days　the　Austrians　were　always　whipped　in　the　quadrilateral　around　Verona。　They　let　them　e　down　onto　the　plain　and　whipped　them　there。〃
〃Yes；〃　said　Gino。　〃But　those　were　Frenchmen　and　you　can　work　out　military　problems　clearly　when　you　are　fighting　in　somebody　else's　country。〃
〃Yes；〃　I　agreed；　〃when　it　is　your　own　country　you　cannot　use　it　so　scientifically。〃
〃The　Russians　did；　to　trap　Napoleon。〃
〃Yes；　but　they　had　plenty　of　country。　If　you　tried　to　retreat　to　trap　Napoleon　in　Italy　you　would　find　yourself　in　Brindisi。〃
〃A　terrible　place；〃　said　Gino。　〃Have　you　ever　been　there？〃
〃Not　to　stay。〃
〃I　am　a　patriot；〃　Gino　said。　〃But　I　cannot　love　Brindisi　or　Taranto。〃
〃Do　you　love　the　Bainsizza？〃　I　asked。
〃The　soil　is　sacred；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　wish　it　grew　more　potatoes。　You　know　when　we　came　here　we　found　fields　of　potatoes　the　Austrians　had　planted。〃
〃Has　the　food　really　been　short？〃
〃I　myself　have　never　had　enough　to　eat　but　I　am　a　big　eater　and　I　have　not　starved。　The　mess　is　average。　The　regiments　in　the　line　get　pretty　good　food　but　those　in　support　don't　get　so　much。　Something　is　wrong　somewhere。　There　should　be　plenty　of　food。〃
〃The　dogfish　are　selling　it　somewhere　else。〃
〃Yes；　they　give　the　battalions　in　the　front　line　as　much　as　they　ca