the garden of allah-第76部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


Batouch's　peculiar　guttural　chuckle；　which　had　something　negroid　in
it；　was　audible；　prolonging　itself　in　a　loneliness　that　spoke　his
pertinacious　sense　of　humour。

〃Certainly；〃　said　Androvsky；　still　in　the　same　strained　and　unnatural
voice　which　had　surprised　Domini　when　she　introduced　the　two　men。　〃We
are　accustomed　to　gaiety　round　the　camp　fire。〃

〃You　are　making　a　long　stay　in　the　desert；　Monsieur？〃　asked　De
Trevignac。

〃I　hope　so；　Monsieur。　It　depends　on　myit　depends　on　Madame
Androvsky。〃

〃Why　didn't　he　say　'my　wife'？〃　thought　De　Trevignac。　And　again　he
searched　his　memory。　Had　he　ever　met　this　man？　If　so；　where？〃

〃I　should　like　to　stay　in　the　desert　for　ever；〃　Domini　said　quickly；
with　a　long　look　at　her　husband。

〃I　should　not；　Madame；〃　De　Trevignac　said。

〃I　understand。　The　desert　has　shown　you　its　terrors。〃

〃Indeed　it　has。〃

〃But　to　us　it　has　only　shown　its　enchantment。　Hasn't　it？〃　She　spoke　to
Androvsky。　After　a　pause　he　replied：

〃Yes。〃

The　word；　when　it　came；　sounded　like　a　lie。

For　the　first　time　since　her　marriage　Domini　felt　a　cold；　like　a　cold
of　ice　about　her　heart。　Was　it　possible　that　Androvsky　had　not　shared
her　joy　in　the　desert？　Had　she　been　alone　in　her　happiness？　For　a
moment　she　sat　like　one　stunned　by　a　blow。　Then　knowledge；　reason；
spoke　in　her。　She　knew　of　Androvsky's　happiness　with　her；　knew　it
absolutely。　There　are　some　things　in　which　a　woman　cannot　be　deceived。
When　Androvsky　was　with　her　he　wanted　no　other　human　being。　Nothing
could　take　that　certainty　from　her。

〃Of　course；〃　she　said；　recovered；　〃there　are　places　in　the　desert　in
which　melancholy　seems　to　brood；　in　which　one　has　a　sense　of　the
terrors　of　the　wastes。　Mogar；　I　think；　is　one　of　them；　perhaps　the
only　one　we　have　been　in　yet。　This　evening；　when　I　was　sitting　under
the　tower；　even　I〃and　as　she　said　〃even　I〃　she　smiled　happily　at
Androvsky〃knew　some　forebodings。〃

〃Forebodings？〃　Androvsky　said　quickly。　〃Why　should　you？〃　He　broke
off。

〃Not　of　coming　misfortune；　I　hope；　Madame？〃　said　De　Trevignac　in　a
voice　that　was　now　irresistibly　cheerful。

He　was　helping　himself　to　some　gazelle；　which　sent　forth　an　appetising
odour；　and　Ouardi　was　proudly　pouring　out　for　him　the　first　glass　of
blithely　winking　champagne。

〃I　hardly　know；　but　everything　looked　sad　and　strange；　I　began　to
think　about　the　uncertainties　of　life。〃

Domini　and　De　Trevignac　were　sipping　their　champagne。　Ouardi　came
behind　Androvsky　to　fill　his　glass。

〃Non！　non！〃　he　said；　putting　his　hand　over　it　and　shaking　his　head。

De　Trevignac　started。

Ouardi　looked　at　Domini　and　made　a　distressed　grimace；　pointing　with　a
brown　finger　at　the　glass。

〃Oh；　Boris！　you　must　drink　champagne　to…night！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃I　would　rather　not；〃　he　answered。　〃I　am　not　accustomed　to　it。〃

〃But　to　drink　our　guest's　health　after　his　escape　from　death！〃

Androvsky　took　his　hand　from　the　glass　and　Ouardi　filled　it　with　wine。

Then　Domini　raised　her　glass　and　drank　to　De　Trevignac。　Androvsky
followed　her　example；　but　without　geniality；　and　when　he　put　his　lips
to　the　wine　he　scarcely　tasted　it。　Then　he　put　the　glass　down　and　told
Ouardi　to　give　him　red　wine。　And　during　the　rest　of　the　evening　he
drank　no　more　champagne。　He　also　ate　very　little；　much　less　than
usual；　for　in　the　desert　they　both　had　the　appetites　of　hunters。

After　thanking　them　cordially　for　drinking　his　health；　De　Trevignac
said：

〃I　was　nearly　experiencing　the　certainty　of　death。　But　was　it　Mogar
that　turned　you　to　such　thoughts；　Madame？〃

〃I　think　so。　There　is　something　sad；　even　portentous　about　it。〃

She　looked　towards　the　tent　door；　imagining　the　immense　desolation
that　was　hidden　in　the　darkness　outside；　the　white　plains；　the　mirage
sea；　the　sand　dunes　like　monsters；　the　bleached　bones　of　the　dead
camels　with　the　eagles　hovering　above　them。

〃Don't　you　think　so；　Boris？　Don't　you　think　it　looks　like　a　place　in
whichlike　a　tragic　place；　a　place　in　which　tragedies　ought　to
occur？〃

〃It　is　not　places　that　make　tragedies；〃　he　said；　〃or　at　least　they
make　tragedies　far　more　seldom　than　the　people　in　them。〃

He　stopped；　seemed　to　make　an　effort　to　throw　off　his　taciturnity；　and
suddenly　to　be　able　to　throw　it　off；　at　least　partially。　For　he
continued　speaking　with　greater　naturalness　and　ease；　even　with　a
certain　dominating　force。

〃If　people　would　use　their　wills　they　need　not　be　influenced　by　place；
they　need　not　be　governed　by　a　thousand　things；　by　memories；　by　fears；
by　fanciesyes；　even　by　fancies　that　are　the　merest　shadows；　but　out
of　which　they　make　phantoms。　Half　the　terrors　and　miseries　of　life　lie
only　in　the　minds　of　men。　They　even　cause　the　very　tragedies　they
would　avoid　by　expecting　them。〃

He　said　the　last　words　with　a　sort　of　strong　contemptthen；　more
quietly；　he　added：

〃You；　Domini；　why　should　you　feel　the　uncertainty　of　life；　especially
at　Mogar？　You　need　not。　You　can　choose　not　to。　Life　is　the　same　in　its
chances　here　as　everywhere？〃

〃But　you；〃　she　answered〃did　you　not　feel　a　tragic　influence　when　we
arrived　here？　Do　you　remember　how　you　looked　at　the　tower？〃

〃The　tower！〃　he　said；　with　a　quick　glance　at　De　Trevignac。　〃Iwhy
should　I　look　at　the　tower？〃

〃I　don't　know；　but　you　did；　almost　as　if　you　were　afraid　of　it。〃

〃My　tower！〃　said　De　Trevignac。

Another　roar　of　laughter　reached　them　from　the　camp　fire。　It　made
Domini　smile　in　sympathy；　but　De　Trevignac　and　Androvsky　looked　at
each　other　for　a　moment；　the　one　with　a　sort　of　earnest　inquiry；　the
other　with　hostility；　or　what　seemed　hostility；　across　the　circle　of
lamplight　that　lay　between　them。

〃A　tower　rising　in　the　desert　emphasises　the　desolation。　I　suppose
that　was　it；〃　Androvsky　said；　as　the　laugh　died　down　into　Batouch's
throaty　chuckle。　〃it　suggests　lonely　people　watching。〃

〃For　something　that　never　comes；　or　something　terrible　that　comes；〃　De
Trevignac　said。

As　he　spoke　the　last　words　Androvsky　moved　uneasily　in　his　chair；　and
looked　out　towards　the　camp；　as　if　he　longed　to　get　up　and　go　into　the
open　air；　as　if　the　tent　roof　above　his　head　oppressed　him。

Trevignac　turned　to　Domini。

〃In　this　case；　Madame；　you　were　the　lonely　watcher；　and　I　was　the
something　terrible　that　came。〃

She　laughed。　While　she　laughed　De　Trevignac　noticed　that　Androvsky
looked　at　her　with　a　sort　of　sad　intentness；　not　reproachful　or
wondering；　as　an　older　person　might　look　at　a　child　playing　at　the
edge　of　some　great　gulf　into　which　a　false　step　would　precipitate　it。
He　strove　to　interpret　this　strange　look；　so　obviously　born　in　the
face　of　his　host　in　connection　with　himself。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he
must　have　met　Androvsky；　and　that　Androvsky　knew　it；　knewwhat　he　did
not　yet　knowwhere　it　was　and　when。　It　seemed　to　him；　too；　that
Androvsky　thought　of　him　as　the　〃something　terrible〃　that　had　come　to
this　woman　who　sat　between　them　out　of　the　desert。

But　how　could　it　be？

A　profound　curiosity　was　roused　in　him　and　he　mentally　cursed　his
treacherous　memoryif　it　were　treacherous。　For　possibly　he　might　be
mistaken。　He　had　perhaps　never　met　his　host　before；　and　this　strange
manner　of　his　might　be　due　to　some　inexplicable　cause；　or　perhaps　to
some　cause　explicable　and　even　commonplace。　This　Monsieur　Androvsky
might　be　a　very　jealous　man；　who　had　taken　this　woman　away　into　the
desert　to　monopolise　her；　and　who　resented　even　the　chance　intrusion
of　a　stranger。　De　Trevignac　knew　life　and　the　strange　passions　of　men；
knew　that　there　are　Europeans　with　the　Arab　temperament；　who　secretly
long　that　their　women　should　wear　the　veil　and　live　secluded　in　the
harem。　Androvsky　might　be　one　of　these。

When　she　had　laughed　Domini　said：

〃On　the　contrary；　Monsieur；　you　have　turned　my　thoughts　into　a　happier
current　by　your　coming。〃

〃How　so？〃

〃You　made　me　think　of　what　are　called　the　little　things　of　life　that
are　more　to　us　women　than　to　you　men；　I　suppose。〃

〃Ah；〃　he　said。　〃This　food；　this　wine；　this　chair　with　a　cushion；　this
gay　lightMadame；　they　are　not　little　things　I　have　to　be　grateful
for。　When　I　think　of　the　dunes　they　seem　to　methey　seem〃

Suddenly　he　stopped。　His　gay　voice　was　choked。　She　saw　that　there　were
tears　in　his　blue　eyes；　which　were　fixed　on　her　with　an　expression　of
ardent　gratitude。　He　cleared　his　throat。

〃Monsieur；〃　he　said　to　Androvsky；　〃you　will　not　think　me　presuming　on
an　acquaintance　formed　in　the　desert　if　I　say　that　till　the　end　of　my
life　Iand　my　mencan　only　think　of　Madame　as　of　the　good　Goddess　of
the　desolate　Sahara！〃

He　did　not　know　how　Androvsky　would　take　this　remark；　he　did　not　care。
For　the　moment　in　his　impulsive　nature　there　was　room　only　for
admiration　of　the　woman　and；　gratitude　for　her　frank　kindness。
Androvsky　said：

〃Thank　you；　Monsieur。〃

He　spoke　with　an　intensity；　even　a　fervour；　that　were　startling。　For
the　first　time　since　they　had　been　together　his　voice　was　absolutely
natural；　his　manner　was　absolutely　unconstrained；　he　showed　himself　as
he　was；　a　man　on　fire　with　love　for　the　woman　who　had　given　herself　to
him；　and　who　received　a　warm　word　of　praise　of　her　as　a　gift　made　to
himself。　De　Trevignac　no　longer　wondered　that　Domini　was　his　wife。
Those　three　words；　and　the　way　they　were　spoken；　gave　him　the　man　and
what　he　might　be　in　a　woman's　life。　Domini　looked　at　her　husband
silently。　It　seemed　to　her　as　if　her　heart　were　flooded　with　light；　as
if　desolate　Mogar　were　the　Garden　of　Eden　before　the　angel　came。　When
they　spoke　again　it　was　on　some　indifferent　topic。　But　from　that
moment　the　meal　went　more　merrily。　Androvsky　seemed　to　lose　his
strange　uneasiness。　De　Trevignac　met　him　more　than　half…way。　Something
of　the　gaiety　round　the　camp　fire　had　entered　into　the　tent。　A　chain
of　sympathy　had　been　forged　between　these　three　people。　Possibly；　a
touch　might　break　it；　but　for　the　moment　it　seemed　strong。

At　the　end　of　the　dinner　Domini　got　up。

〃We　have　no　formalities　in　the　desert；〃　she　said。　〃But　I'm　going　to
leave　you　together　for　a　moment。　Give　Monsieur　de　Trevignac　a　cigar；
Boris。　Coffee　is　coming　directly。〃

She　went　out　towards　the　camp　fire。　She　wanted　to　leave　the　men
together　to　seal　their　good　fellowship。