the garden of allah-第4部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hat；　and　a　thick　black　cloak　with　a　black　buckle　near　the　throat。　His
eyes　were　shut；　and　his　large；　heavy　head　drooped　forward。　Domini
wondered　if　he　was　travelling　to　the　funeral　of　some　relative。　The　two
other　men；　one　of　whom　looked　like　a　commercial　traveller；　kept
shifting　their　feet　upon　the　hot…water　tins　that　lay　on　the　floor；
clearing　their　throats　and　sighing　loudly。　One　of　them　coughed；　let
down　the　window；　spat；　drew　the　window　up；　sat　sideways；　put　his　legs
suddenly　up　on　the　seat　and　groaned。　The　train　rattled　more　harshly；
and　shook　from　side　to　side　as　it　got　up　speed。　Rain　streamed　down　the
window…panes；　through　which　it　was　impossible　to　see　anything。

Domini　still　felt　alert；　but　an　overpowering　sensation　of　dreariness
had　come　to　her。　She　did　not　attribute　this　sensation　to　fatigue。　She
did　not　try　to　analyse　it。　She　only　felt　as　if　she　had　never　seen　or
heard　anything　that　was　not　cheerless；　as　if　she　had　never　known
anything　that　was　not　either　sad；　or　odd；　or　inexplicable。　What　did
she　remember？　A　train　of　trifles　that　seemed　to　have　been　enough　to
fill　all　her　life；　the　arrival　of　the　nervous　and　badly…dressed
recruits　at　the　wharf；　their　embarkation；　their　last　staring　and
pathetic　look　at　France；　the　stormy　voyage；　the　sordid　illness　of
almost　everyone　on　board；　the　approach　long　after　sundown　to　the　small
and　unknown　town；　of　which　it　was　impossible　to　see　anything　clearly；
the　marshalling　of　the　recruits　pale　with　sickness；　their　pitiful
attempt　at　cheerful　singing；　angrily　checked　by　the　Zouaves　in　charge
of　them；　their　departure　up　the　hill　carrying　their　poor　belongings；
the　sleepless　night；　the　sound　of　the　rain　falling；　the　scents　rising
from　the　unseen　earth。　The　tap　of　the　Italian　waiter　at　the　door；　the
damp　drive　to　the　station；　the　long　wait　there；　the　sneering　signal；
followed　by　the　piping　horn；　the　jerking　and　rattling　of　the　carriage；
the　dim　light　within　it　falling　upon　the　stout　Frenchman　in　his
mourning；　the　streaming　water　upon　the　window…panes。　These　few　sights；
sounds；　sensations　were　like　the　story　of　a　life　to　Domini　just　then；
were　more；　were　like　the　whole　of　life；　always　dull　noise；　strange；
flitting；　pale　faces；　and　an　unknown　region　that　remained　perpeturally
invisible；　and　that　must　surely　be　ugly　or　terrible。

The　train　stopped　frequently　at　lonely　little　stations。　Domini　looked
out；　letting　down　the　window　for　a　moment。　At　each　station　she　saw　a
tiny　house　with　a　peaked　roof；　a　wooden　railing　dividing　the　platform
from　the　country　road；　mud；　grass　bending　beneath　the　weight　of　water…
drops；　and　tall；　dripping；　shaggy　eucalyptus　trees。　Sometimes　the
station…master's　children　peered　at　the　train　with　curious　eyes；　and
depressed…looking　Arabs；　carefully　wrapped　up；　their　mouths　and　chins
covered　by　folds　of　linen；　got　in　and　out　slowly。

Once　Domini　saw　two　women；　in　thin；　floating　white　dresses　and
spangled　veils；　hurrying　by　like　ghosts　in　the　dark。　Heavy　silver
ornaments　jangled　on　their　ankles；　above　their　black　slippers　splashed
with　mud。　Their　sombre　eyes　stared　out　from　circles　of　Kohl；　and；　with
stained；　claret…coloured　hands；　whose　nails　were　bright　red；　they
clasped　their　light　and　bridal　raiment　to　their　prominent　breasts。
They　were　escorted　by　a　gigantic　man；　almost　black；　with　a　zigzag　scar
across　the　left　side　of　his　face；　who　wore　a　shining　brown　burnous
over　a　grey　woollen　jacket。　He　pushed　the　two　women　into　the　train　as
if　he　were　pushing　bales；　and　got　in　after　them；　showing　enormous　bare
legs；　with　calves　that　stuck　out　like　lumps　of　iron。

The　darkness　began　to　fade；　and　presently；　as　the　grey　light　grew
slowly　stronger；　the　rain　ceased；　and　it　was　possible　to　see　through
the　glass　of　the　carriage　window。

The　country　began　to　discover　itself；　as　if　timidly；　to　Domini's　eyes。
She　had　recently　noticed　that　the　train　was　going　very　slowly；　and　she
could　now　see　why。　They　were　mounting　a　steep　incline。　The　rich；　damp
earth　of　the　plains　beyond　Robertville；　with　its　rank　grass；　its　moist
ploughland　and　groves　of　eucalyptus；　was　already　left　behind。　The
train　was　crawling　in　a　cup　of　the　hills；　grey；　sterile　and　abandoned；
without　roads　or　houses；　without　a　single　tree。　Small；　grey…green
bushes　flourished　here　and　there　on　tiny　humps　of　earth；　but　they
seemed　rather　to　emphasise　than　to　diminish　the　aspect　of　poverty
presented　by　the　soil；　over　which　the　dawn；　rising　from　the　wet　arms
of　night；　shed　a　cold　and　reticent　illumination。　By　a　gash　in　the
rounded　hills；　where　the　earth　was　brownish　yellow；　a　flock　of　goats
with　flapping　ears　tripped　slowly；　followed　by　two　Arab　boys　in　rags。
One　of　the　boys　was　playing　upon　a　pipe　coverd　with　red　arabesques。
Domini　heard　two　or　three　bars　of　the　melody。　They　were　ineffably　wild
and　bird…like；　very　clear　and　sweet。　They　seemed　to　her　to　match
exactly　the　pure　and　ascetic　light　cast　by　the　dawn　over　these　bare；
grey　hills；　and　they　stirred　her　abruptly　from　the　depressed　lassitude
in　which　the　dreary　chances　of　recent　travel　had　drowned　her。　She
began；　with　a　certain　faint　excitement；　to　realise　that　these　low；
round…backed　hills　were　Africa；　that　she　was　leaving　behind　the　sea；
so　many　of　whose　waves　swept　along　European　shores；　that　somewhere；
beyond　the　broken　and　near　horizon　line　toward　which　the　train　was
creeping；　lay　the　great　desert；　her　destination；　with　its　pale　sands
and　desolate　cities；　its　sunburnt　tribes　of　workers；　its　robbers；
warriors　and　priests；　its　ethereal　mysteries　of　mirage；　its　tragic
splendours　of　colour；　of　tempest　and　of　heat。　A　sense　of　a　wider　world
than　the　compressed　world　into　which　physical　fatigue　had　decoyed　her
woke　in　her　brain　and　heart。　The　little　Arab；　playing　carelessly　upon
his　pipe　with　the　red　arabesques；　was　soon　invisible　among　his　goats
beside　the　dry　water…course　that　was　probably　the　limit　of　his
journeying；　but　Domini　felt　that　like　a　musician　at　the　head　of　a
procession　he　had　played　her　bravely　forward　into　the　dawn　and　Africa。

At　Ah…Souf　Domini　changed　into　another　train　and　had　the　carriage　to
herself。　The　recruits　had　reached　their　destination。　Hers　was　a　longer
pilgramage　and　still　towards　the　sun。　She　could　not　afterwards
remember　what　she　thought　about　during　this　part　of　her　journey。
Subsequent　events　so　coloured　all　her　memories　of　Africa　that　every
fold　of　its　sun…dried　soil　was　endowed　in　her　mind　with　the
significance　of　a　living　thing。　Every　palm　beside　a　well；　every
stunted　vine　and　clambering　flower　upon　an　/auberge/　wall；　every　form
of　hill　and　silhouette　of　shadow；　became　in　her　heart　intense　with　the
beauty　and　the　pathos　she　used；　as　a　child；　to　think　must　lie　beyond
the　sunset。

And　so　she　forgot。

A　strange　sense　of　leaving　all　things　behind　had　stolen　over　her。　She
was　really　fatigued　by　travel　and　by　want　of　sleep；　but　she　did　not
know　it。　Lying　back　in　her　seat；　with　her　head　against　the　dirty　white
covering　of　the　shaking　carriage；　she　watched　the　great　change　that
was　coming　over　the　land。

It　seemed　as　if　God　were　putting　forth　His　hand　to　withdraw　gradually
all　things　of　His　creation；　all　the　furniture　He　had　put　into　the
great　Palace　of　the　world；　as　if　He　meant　to　leave　it　empty　and
utterly　naked。

So　Domini　thought。

First　He　took　the　rich　and　shaggy　grass；　and　all　the　little　flowers
that　bloomed　modestly　in　it。　Then　He　drew　away　the　orange　groves；　the
oleander　and　the　apricot　trees；　the　faithful　eucalyptus　with　its　pale
stems　and　tressy　foliage；　the　sweet　waters　that　fertilised　the　soil；
making　it　soft　and　brown　where　the　plough　seamed　it　into　furrows；　the
tufted　plants　and　giant　reeds　that　crowd　where　water　is。　And　still；　as
the　train　ran　on；　His　gifts　were　fewer。　At　last　even　the　palms　were
gone；　and　the　Barbary　fig　displayed　no　longer　among　the　crumbling
boulders　its　tortured　strength；　and　the　pale　and　fantastic　evolutions
of　its　unnatural　foliage。　Stones　lay　everywhere　upon　the　pale　yellow
or　grey…brown　earth。　Crystals　glittered　in　the　sun　like　shallow
jewels；　and　far　away；　under　clouds　that　were　dark　and　feathery；
appeared　hard　and　relentless　mountains；　which　looked　as　if　they　were
made　of　iron　carved　into　horrible　and　jagged　shapes。　Where　they　fell
into　ravines　they　became　black。　Their　swelling　bosses　and　flanks；
sharp　sometimes　as　the　spines　of　animals；　were　steel　coloured。　Their
summits　were　purple；　deepening　where　the　clouds　came　down　to　ebony。

Journeying　towards　these　terrible　fastnesses　were　caravans　on　which
Domini　looked　with　a　heavy　and　lethargic　interest。　Many　Kabyles；
fairer　than　she　was；　moved　slowly　on　foot　towards　their　rock　villages。

Over　the　withered　earth　they　went　towards　the　distant　mountains　and
the　clouds。　The　sun　was　hidden。　The　wind　continued　to　rise。　Sand　found
its　way　in　through　the　carriage　windows。　The　mountains；　as　Domini　saw
them　more　clearly；　looked　more　gloomy；　more　unearthly。　There　was
something　unnatural　in　their　hard　outlines；　in　the　rigid　mystery　of
their　innumerable　clefts。　That　all　these　people　should　be　journeying
towards　them　was　pathetic；　and　grieved　the　imagination。

The　wind　seemed　so　cold；　now　the　sun　was　hidden；　that　she　had　drawn
both　the　windows　up　and　thrown　a　rug　over　her。　She　put　her　feet　up　on
the　opposite　seat；　and　half　closed　her　eyes。　But　she　still　turned　them
towards　the　glass　on　her　left；　and　watched。　It　seemed　to　her　quite
impossible　that　this　shaking　and　slowly　moving　train　had　any
destination。　The　desolation　of　the　country　had　become　so　absolute　that
she　could　not　conceive　of　anything　but　still　greater　desolation　lying
beyond。　She　had　no　feeling　that　she　was　merely　traversing　a　tract　of
sterility。　Her　sensation　was　that　she　had　passed　the　boundary　of　the
world　God　had　created；　and　come　into　some　other　place；　upon　which　He
had　never　looked　and　of　which　He　had　no　knowledge。

Abruptly　she　felt　as　if　her　father　had　entered　into　some　such　region
when　he　forced　his　way　out　of　his　religion。　And　in　this　region　he　had
died。　She　had　stood　on　the　verge　of　it　by　his　deathbed。　Now　she　was　in
it。

There　were　no　Arabs　journeying　now。　No　tents　huddled　among　the　low
bushes。　The　last　sign　of　vegetation　was　obliterated。　The　earth　rose