登陆注册
5223700000084

第84章 CHAPTER IV NEAR THE SACRED GROTTO(1)

Argensola had found a new occupation even more exciting than marking out on the map the manoeuvres of the armies.

"I am now devoting myself to the taube," he announced. "It appears from four to five with the precision a punctilious guest coming to take tea."

Every afternoon at the appointed hour, a German aeroplane was flying over Paris dropping bombs. This would-be intimidation was producing no terror, the people accepting the visit as an interesting and extraordinary spectacle. In vain the aviators were flinging in the city streets German flags bearing ironic messages, giving accounts of the defeat of the retreating army and the failures of the Russian offensive. Lies, all lies! In vain they were dropping bombs, destroying garrets, killing or wounding old men, women and babes.

"Ah, the bandits!" The crowds would threaten with their fists the malign mosquito, scarcely visible 6,000 feet above them, and after this outburst, they would follow it with straining eyes from street to street, or stand motionless in the square in order to study its evolutions.

The most punctual of all the spectators was Argensola. At four o'clock he was in the place de la Concorde with upturned face and wide-open eyes, in most cordial good-fellowship with all the bystanders. It was as though they were holding season tickets at the same theatre, becoming acquainted through seeing each other so often. "Will it come? . . . Will it not come to-day?" The women appeared to be the most vehement, some of them rushing up, flushed and breathless, fearing that they might have arrived too late for the show. . . . A great cry--"There it comes! . . . There it is!"

And thousands of hands were pointing to a vague spot on the horizon.

With field glasses and telescopes they were aiding their vision, the popular venders offering every kind of optical instruments and for an hour the thrilling spectacle of an aerial hunt was played out, noisy and useless.

The great insect was trying to reach the Eiffel Tower, and from its base would come sharp reports, at the same time that the different platforms spit out a fierce stream of shrapnel. As it zigzagged over the city, the discharge of rifles would crackle from roof and street. Everyone that had arms in his house was firing--the soldiers of the guard, and the English and Belgians on their way through Paris. They knew that their shots were perfectly useless, but they were firing for the fun of retorting, hoping at the same time that one of their chance shots might achieve a miracle; but the only miracle was that the shooters did not kill each other with their precipitate and ineffectual fire. As it was, a few passers-by did fall, wounded by balls from unknown sources.

Argensola would tear from street to street following the evolutions of the inimical bird, trying to guess where its projectiles would fall, anxious to be the first to reach the bombarded house, excited by the shots that were answering from below. And to think that he had no gun like those khaki-clad Englishmen or those Belgians in barrick cap, with tassel over the front! . . . Finally the taube tired of manoeuvering, would disappear. "Until to-morrow!" ejaculated the Spaniard. "Perhaps to-morrow's show may be even more interesting!"

He employed his free hours between his geographical observations and his aerial contemplations in making the rounds of the stations, watching the crowds of travellers making their escape from Paris.

The sudden vision of the truth--after the illusion which the Government had been creating with its optimistic dispatches, the certainty that the Germans were actually near when a week before they had imagined them completely routed, the taubes flying over Paris, the mysterious threat of the Zeppelins--all these dangerous signs were filling a part of the community with frenzied desperation. The railroad stations, guarded by the soldiery, were only admitting those who had secured tickets in advance. Some had been waiting entire days for their turn to depart. The most impatient were starting to walk, eager to get outside of the city as soon as possible. The roads were black with the crowds all going in the same directions. Toward the South they were fleeing by automobile, in carriages, in gardeners' carts, on foot.

Argensola surveyed this hegira with serenity. He would remain because he had always admired those men who witnessed the Siege of Paris in 1870. Now it was going to be his good fortune to observe an historical drama, perhaps even more interesting. The wonders that he would be able to relate in the future! . . . But the distraction and indifference of his present audience were annoying him greatly. He would hasten back to the studio, in feverish excitement, to communicate the latest gratifying news to Desnoyers who would listen as though he did not hear him. The night that he informed him that the Government, the Chambers, the Diplomatic Corps, and even the actors of the Comedie Francaise were going that very hour on special trains for Bordeaux, his companion merely replied with a shrug of indifference.

Desnoyers was worrying about other things. That morning he had received a note from Marguerite--only two lines scrawled in great haste. She was leaving, starting immediately, accompanied by her mother. Adieu! . . . and nothing more. The panic had caused many love-affairs to be forgotten, had broken off long intimacies, but Marguerite's temperament was above such incoherencies from mere flight. Julio felt that her terseness was very ominous. Why not mention the place to which she was going? . . .

同类推荐
  • 稽神录

    稽神录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 江邻幾杂志

    江邻幾杂志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛母宝德藏般若波罗蜜经

    佛母宝德藏般若波罗蜜经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说阎罗王五天使者经

    佛说阎罗王五天使者经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 法界观披云集

    法界观披云集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 王艮杂著

    王艮杂著

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玫瑰花环(红玫瑰童谣之圣诞前夜)

    玫瑰花环(红玫瑰童谣之圣诞前夜)

    本书由畅销书《糖与香料》、《Anca的故事》、《玫瑰红旋律犯罪惊悚系列》的作者萨菲娜·德芙奇所著,其中玫瑰红系列取材于传统童话,是一系列犯罪惊悚小说的集结,它们的主角都是玫瑰红,取材于传统的儿歌。但是请注意,这可不是给孩子看的!
  • 庄子大智慧全集

    庄子大智慧全集

    庄子需要理解,但又有几个人能写到庄子心里去泥。我们只能去近似地理解庄子,以求更多地走近庄子的内心。天下滔滔,人为名利所趋,为世事而求索奔忙,从来不问何处有净土可退。生活有时一叶障目,耽于眼前物欲,我们便不知道也不相信有“至德之世”的美妙意境。而即使是在市场经济条件下,生活也需要庄子的浓墨重彩、美仑美奂的理想王国。
  • 霸血神皇

    霸血神皇

    万法争霸,唯我独尊,至尊之路,一人独享!家族废物?力败无数天骄,代号紫血绝世妖孽便是我!至尊皇权?低等文明坐井观天的青蛙罢了。你们所认为珍贵为之拼命的宝物,在我眼中根本不入眼。虚名如云,权利如风,我所追逐的,便是那自由自在的修行之路,这世间在无枷锁能够左右我的意志。血脉觉醒,霸血燃烧,紫血大帝复苏,以无上血脉神通超越巅峰。
  • 蜜宠甜妻:老公别太坏

    蜜宠甜妻:老公别太坏

    她一喝多就戏精上身扮演各种角色,这次好了,嘴里喊着“皇上皇上我要”闯进陌生男人房间,一不小心将他吃干抹净。醒来后欲哭无泪,还是赶紧趁他没报警前留下几百块逃之夭夭吧。本以为就这样完了,可缺钱时随便接的一个任务,到最后却发现是扮演他的小妈,关键还被他认出来了,怎么办,在线等,急!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 墨色星河

    墨色星河

    星河浩瀚,前路渺渺。从第一次发射卫星,到第一次载人航天。从第一次载人登月,到在火星建立站点……当先人的理论一次次变为现实,我们建立的太空站一座大于一座,我们建立的泰森球越来越完善,我们向系外远航的距离越来越远……我们心怀好奇与希望,我们一步步征服星空。星空万万光年,皆是我们领土。我们,新生,新兴!我们,欲成不朽。
  • 星使降临(兽王系列)

    星使降临(兽王系列)

    兰虎找回小犬狼,在海岛上与神鹰城城主凌九霄恶战,最终两败俱伤。兰虎回到了桃花源养伤,并去拜见神兽贪狼。兰虎从贪狼那里看到当日贪狼与鲲鹏大战以及火鸦逃离地球时的影像,他震惊于神兽的强大,心中十分向往,但是以人类的血肉之躯难以达到神兽的程度。贪狼给了兰虎一个选择——守护者联盟……应罗吉校长邀请,兰虎离开桃花源,和风柔一起去古亚洲大陆宠兽学校参加毕业典礼。在宠兽学校,他受到了年少轻狂的新生代蝴蝶宠兽战士挑战。兰虎完成了毕业任务,力量全部恢复……兰虎回到桃花源后收到消息,凌九霄受伤回神鹰城后……
  • 迦勒底所长

    迦勒底所长

    试问,在fate世界中,除了蓝色枪兵以及Stellaer以外还有什么高危职业呢?没错,就是迦勒底的所长,死亡率100%,虽然样数只有2,但是从这两位的死都并非是自然死亡来看,就足以证明不是什么好活。“莱瑞,组织上决定就由你来接任所长一职,好好干吧!”端着茶杯的奸商达芬奇如此说道。“什么组织上的决定明明就是你一个人决定的吧!独裁专制反对!”“总之你先去把人理烧却的问题解决了再说这些如何?”以日服FGO剧情进度为基础(只玩国服会存在大量剧透)后面会加入时计塔的内容(《君主·埃尔梅罗二世事件簿》)仅限于Fate世界,不会加入TYPE-MOON社旗下其他作品内容群:611395119(迦勒底干员集会)
  • 爱丽丝漫游奇境记(少年成长必读名著第四辑)

    爱丽丝漫游奇境记(少年成长必读名著第四辑)

    这童话自1865年出版以来,一直深受不同年纪的读者爱戴,相信是由于作者巧妙地运用不合逻辑的跳跃方式去铺排故事。《爱丽丝梦游仙境》这本书已经被翻译成至少125种语言,到20世纪中期重版300多次,其流传之广仅次于《圣经》和莎士比亚的作品。
  • 独占王宠之绝代商妃

    独占王宠之绝代商妃

    冷情、冷心,在她的眼里除了被认可的家人之外,没有其他。但是,那一身的绝代风华却引来美男无数,到底是真心相许,还是阴谋接近?只可惜,她要的不是情,不是权,而是钱。============爱是蛊,情为毒,蛊穿心,毒噬身!当商业女巨擘在所谓爱情中一寸寸腐烂成灰时,她告诉自己:这个世界上,没有爱!再睁眼,她是空有绝世美貌却对商业一窍不通,被人退婚羞辱投湖自尽的商贾千金。当那一模一样的面孔出现在她眼前时,她勾唇冷笑:是该讨债了。负心,负情!虽已不爱,但欠她的总要还回来。上一世烟消云散,那就用这一世连本带利的偿还。不管你谁主皇权,不管你庙堂争算,风波诡谲,我只管我的日进斗金不管这商行萧条,不管这前路艰阻,我只一心一意,一线一针做起,一砖一石开始搭建庞大的商业帝国。不管世人眼光何如,不管世间女子地位何如,我偏要逆水而上,去站到这世人之上,站在财富的巅峰前方无路?那就走出一条路来;前方有大山阻挡?那就踏平它。当人人在笑她是未嫁先休的无用弃妇时,谁又知道她在谈笑之间,无数商号改弦易辙,无声无息中就换了主人?当人人觉得这样的女子只能进入姑子院青灯古佛常伴一生的时候,又有谁知道,在她身边多少世间奇男子苦守她的身影?当她成为了南楚第一纨绔,逍遥王的王妃时,又有多少权贵投来揶揄的眼神?只是……当一切揭晓时,众人在震惊之中突然发现,原来这独占王宠的王妃是一位一跺脚就能震三国的人物,就连那纨绔的逍遥王竟摇身一变成为了南楚战神,甚至……他和天下第一公子,水千流也有着千丝万缕的关系。当他的尊贵身份现于天下,当她的财力冠绝当世,面对昔日的情谊,面对亿万世人,他们又会做出如何抉择?女强VS男强,强强联手,且看夫妻搭档如何傲笑看风云,敛尽天下财。【荨字号】出品,更新质量有保证,绝逼值得收藏!!!本文一对一,男女主身心干净,无误会,拒绝虐戏。喜欢滴亲们放心入坑。简介无能,捂脸遁走……推荐泱泱完结异能文:《崛起商途之素手翻云》(非正文版简介)片段一:“阿离,当日休书实属无奈,你可愿原谅我?”某男清雅俊秀的脸上充满了真诚的愧色,只是难掩那双眼中的贪婪。“文大人倒是说得在理,原谅不难,只不过这些年来因为当初大人的无奈之举,我楚家上下精神上可受了不少折磨。在原谅之前,还请大人连本带利的还清这精神损失费。”玉算盘‘哗啦啦’闪动,娇唇微弯:“一共是一千八百万两白银。”