博炮作文网

第61部分（第5页）

then　he　drank。　They　drank　till　the　ring　lay　exposed　at　the

bottom　of　the　glass。　Then　she　took　the　simple　jewel；　and　tied　it

on　a　thread　round　her　neck；　where　she　wore　it。

He　asked　her　for　a　photograph　when　he　was　going　away。　She

went　in　great　excitement　to　the　photographer；　with　five

shillings。　The　result　was　an　ugly　little　picture　of　herself　with

her　mouth　on　one　side。　She　wondered　over　it　and　admired　it。

He　saw　only　the　live　face　of　the　girl。　The　picture　hurt　him。

He　kept　it；　he　always　remembered　it；　but　he　could　scarcely　bear

to　see　it。　There　was　a　hurt　to　his　soul　in　the　clear；　fearless

face　that　was　touched　with　abstraction。　Its　abstraction　was

certainly　away　from　him。

Then　war　was　declared　with　the　Boers　in　South　Africa；　and

everywhere　was　a　fizz　of　excitement。　He　wrote　that　he　might　have

to　go。　And　he　sent　her　a　box　of　sweets。

She　was　slightly　dazed　at　the　thought　of　his　going　to　the

war；　not　knowing　how　to　feel。　It　was　a　sort　of　romantic

situation　that　she　knew　so　well　in　fiction　she　hardly　understood

it　in　fact。　Underneath　a　top　elation　was　a　sort　of　dreariness；

deep；　ashy　disappointment。

However；　she　secreted　the　sweets　under　her　bed；　and　ate　them

all　herself；　when　she　went　to　bed；　and　when　she　woke　in　the

morning。　All　the　time　she　felt　very　guilty　and　ashamed；　but　she

simply　did　not　want　to　share　them。

That　box　of　sweets　remained　stuck　in　her　mind　afterwards。　Why

had　she　secreted　them　and　eaten　them　every　one？　Why？　She　did　not

feel　guilty……she　only　knew　she　ought　to　feel　guilty。　And

she　could　not　make　up　her　mind。　Curiously　monumental　that　box　of

sweets　stood　up；　now　it　was　empty。　It　was　a　crux　for　her。　What

was　she　to　think　of　it？

The　idea　of　war　altogether　made　her　feel　uneasy；　uneasy。　When

men　began　organized　fighting　with　each　other　it　seemed　to　her　as

if　the　poles　of　the　universe　were　cracking；　and　the　whole　might

go　tumbling　into　the　bottomless　pit。　A　horrible　bottomless

feeling　she　had。　Yet　of　course　there　was　the　minted

superscription　of　romance　and　honour　and　even　religion　about

war。　She　was　very　confused。

Skrebensky　was　busy；　he　could　not　e　to　see　her。　She　asked

for　no　assurance；　no　security。　What　was　b