登陆注册
5242100000194

第194章 CHAPTER XXX(2)

That love of Africa was at an end. Was not everything at an end? Yet Larbi still played upon his flute in the garden of Count Anteoni, still played the little tune that was as the /leit motif/ of the eternal renewal of life. And within herself she carried God's mystery of renewal, even she, with her numbed mind, her tired heart. She, too, was to help to carry forward the banner of life.

She had come to Beni-Mora in the sunset, and now, in the sunset, she was leaving it. But she did not lean from the carriage window to watch the pageant that was flaming in the west. Instead, she shut her eyes and remembered it as it was on that evening when they, who now were journeying away from the desert together, had been journeying towards it together. Strangers who had never spoken to each other. And the evening came, and the train stole into the gorge of El-Akbara, and still she kept her eyes closed. Only when the desert was finally left behind, divided from them by the great wall of rock, did she look up and speak to Androvsky.

"We met here, Boris," she said.

"Yes," he answered, "at the gate of the desert. I shall never be here again."

Soon the night fell around them.

In the evening of the following day they reached Tunis, and drove to the Hotel d'Orient, where they had written to engage rooms for one night. They had expected that the city would be almost deserted by its European inhabitants now the summer had set in, but when they drove up to the door of the hotel the proprietor came out to inform them that, owing to the arrival of a ship full of American tourists who, personally conducted, were "viewing" Tunis after an excursion to the East and to the Holy Land, he had been unable to keep for them a private sitting-room. With many apologies he explained that all the sitting-rooms in the house had been turned into bedrooms, but only for one night. On the morrow the personally-conducted ones would depart and Madame and Monsieur could have a charming salon. They listened silently to his explanations and apologies, standing in the narrow entrance hall, which was blocked up with piles of luggage. "Tomorrow," he kept on repeating, "to-morrow" all would be different.

Domini glanced at Androvsky, who stood with his head bent down, looking on the ground.

"Shall we try another hotel?" she asked.

"If you wish," he answered in a low voice.

"It would be useless, Madame," said the proprietor. "All the hotels are full. In the others you will not find even a bedroom."

"Perhaps we had better stay here," she said to Androvsky.

Her voice, too, was low and tired. In her heart something seemed to say, "Do not strive any more. In the garden it was finished. Already you are face to face with the end."

When she was alone in her small bedroom, which was full of the noises of the street, and had washed and put on another dress, she began to realise how much she had secretly been counting on one more evening alone with Androvsky. She had imagined herself dining with him in their sitting-room unwatched, sitting together afterwards, for an hour or two, in silence perhaps, but at least alone. She had imagined a last solitude with him with the darkness of the African night around them. She had counted upon that. She realised it now. Her whole heart and soul had been asking for that, believing that at least that would be granted to her. But it was not to be. She must go down with him into a crowd of American tourists, must--her heart sickened. It seemed to her for a moment that if only she could have this one more evening quietly with the man she loved she could brace herself to bear anything afterwards, but that if she could not have it she must break down. She felt desperate.

A gong sounded below. She did not move, though she heard it, knew what it meant. After a few minutes there was a tap at the door.

"What is it?" she said.

"Dinner is ready, Madame," said a voice in English with a strong foreign accent.

Domini went to the door and opened it.

"Does Monsieur know?"

"Monsieur is already in the hall waiting for Madame."

She went down and found Androvsky.

They dined at a small table in a room fiercely lit up with electric light and restless with revolving fans. Close to them, at an immense table decorated with flowers, dined the American tourists. The women wore hats with large hanging veils. The men were in travelling suits.

They looked sunburnt and gay, and talked and laughed with an intense vivacity. Afterwards they were going in a body to see the dances of the Almees. Androvsky shot one glance at them as he came in, then looked away quickly. The lines near his mouth deepened. For a moment he shut his eyes. Domini did not speak to him, did not attempt to talk. Enveloped by the nasal uproar of the gay tourists they ate in silence. When the short meal was over they got up and went out into the hall. The public drawing-room opened out of it on the left. They looked into it and saw red plush settees, a large centre table covered with a rummage of newspapers, a Jew with a bald head writing a letter, and two old German ladies with caps drinking coffee and knitting stockings.

"The desert!" Androvsky whispered.

Suddenly he drew away from the door and walked out into the street.

Lines of carriages stood there waiting to be hired. He beckoned to one, a victoria with a pair of small Arab horses. When it was in front of the hotel he said to Domini:

"Will you get in, Domini?"

She obeyed. Androvsky said to the mettse driver:

"Drive to the Belvedere. Drive round the park till I tell you to return."

同类推荐
  • 上清三元玉检三元布经

    上清三元玉检三元布经

    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。
  • 大乘阿毗达磨集论

    大乘阿毗达磨集论

    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。
  • 泰泉集

    泰泉集

    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。
  • 大方等大云经

    大方等大云经

    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。
  • 菩萨璎珞本业经

    菩萨璎珞本业经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 耳边只余回音

    耳边只余回音

    人都道,混沌之灵女,昼缺之掌昼,天作之合,命中注定天作之合:一人三面:三界知他君子,陌上人如玉,公子世无双;亲人识他王者,傲立于仙界九霄;唯有夙心懂他逍遥,自在随性一散仙。一人一心:三界之外为迟伤而来,身负混沌之灵,捧一颗玲珑心,交给他。命中注定:注定封印地煞之气的这一日,便是他们的诀别。“心儿,是你吗?”“是我,当年封印没能让我魂飞魄散,怎么如今仙上还想故技重施,利用封印杀了我吗?”混混沌沌,过尽时光,她未曾忘了他,他还在等她,情可还在吗?
  • 绝色萌妃倾天下

    绝色萌妃倾天下

    传说中神秘莫测的天界公主,竟是这般调皮可爱,偷偷下界遇到了逸宸上仙.......公主殿下认真的对逸宸上仙道:"待我长发及腰,我娶你可好?″
  • 佛说大方广善巧方便经卷第一

    佛说大方广善巧方便经卷第一

    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。
  • 快穿虐渣:boss,别挡道

    快穿虐渣:boss,别挡道

    (1v1)柒九不是主动要完成所谓的“虐渣”任务的,她是被她之前坑过的那些人联手坑进任务世界的,对此,暂时被封印记忆的柒九童鞋露出两排发光发亮的小白牙,脸上浮现了一抹危险的笑容。等到本大小姐虐完这些渣渣,再回去一一找你们算账。七殿忽然挥手大喊:主人,有人来挡路了,你快离他远点,你打不过他……柒九磨牙,眼神凶狠:怎么哪个世界都有一个我打不过的大boss……七殿(看戏脸):主人,快别演了,他过来了,你还是快跑吧!柒九抹了一把脸,狠狠的瞪了一眼七殿,边跑边喊:你不早说!你等着,我早晚拔光你身上的毛!七殿幸灾乐祸的看了一眼已经被拎住衣领的某人,语气得意:你还是先从大boss手里出来吧……
  • 隐之王者

    隐之王者

    我是谁?穿越了,附身了,还是……仅仅是病得脑袋都秀逗了?春秋五霸算个屁,看我江淮野小子如何步步为营,纵横捭阖,独步天下。算计齐桓公,戏弄宋襄公,报复晋文公,利用秦穆公,折磨楚庄王……琅琊之上,五星连珠;苍穹之下,皆是王土。注:其实这是一篇非常严谨的考据类历史文,只是思路稍新,脑洞稍大而已……
  • 遗憾吗关于我们

    遗憾吗关于我们

    在实验班成绩不断下降压力剧增的好学生仝艺坚决转到普通班学习。来到高三七班的她重新开始,认识了一些有趣的人,发生了许多狗血但不得不去面对的事情,七班有一个名叫南铭赫的体育特长生,他和仝艺的故事也就此开始。一群人的青春故事在仝艺到来那天也逐渐拉开了序幕。
  • 历代崇道记

    历代崇道记

    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。
  • 我是老枪

    我是老枪

    我握此枪,必杀敌酋?心存信念,谁与争锋?一杆枪、一个人、一座城市、一场战争闭关抄经,心如止水,出门杀贼,辣手无情!陈建波的作品,一直以情节曲折诡谲,人物层次丰富,有很强的可读性著称。因此,他拥有庞大而坚定的读者群,作品的影视改编率非常高。这部“献礼中国人民抗战胜利70周年”的长篇小说《我是老枪》,在延续他以往创作风格的基础上,更加强了对人物性格多面性的塑造,以现代的手法和理念,讲述了抗战时期一个传奇的人物、一段传奇的故事。不雷人,不言情,不偶像,除了好看,还是好看。
  • 日久情生:腹黑总裁宠妻无度

    日久情生:腹黑总裁宠妻无度

    迷糊之间进错了房,从此夜夜笙箫,这日子……罄竹难书!惹不起,她不会溜吗?可溜的代价太大,为了自己,顾倾歌觉得还是不溜为妙。只是,顾倾歌推着男人,怒吼,“唐默沉,我都乖乖留下了……”溜不溜,都要短距离讲话,男人果然都是不可信!
  • 擒“狼”记(一)

    擒“狼”记(一)

    已经更残夜尽了,又是一个通宵。有些人家的窗里已经透出了灯光。那些上早班的人正在起床;而另外一些人,那些幸运儿,还要舒舒服服地再躺一会儿。可是我还没有躺下睡觉呢。事情多极了,因为我担任着代理处长的职务。昨天一天真是忙得不可开交。回到家里已经是夜里一点了。可是电话铃又响了起来:“是维尼阿明。亚历山大罗维奇吗?中尉瓦休京在打搅您!一个因公出差的叫苏林的人,在曙光旅馆被枪击中,身受重伤。检察院的侦察员戈柳诺夫和医生已在旅馆。”