登陆注册
5242100000069

第69章 CHAPTER X(3)

That made her think of Androvsky and his angry resolution. It had not been the resolution of a day. Wearied and stiffened as he had been by the expedition to Sidi-Zerzour, actually injured by his fall--she knew from Batouch that he had been obliged to call in the Beni-Mora doctor to bandage his shoulder--she had been roused at dawn on the day following by his tread on the verandah. She had lain still while it descended the staircase, but then the sharp neighing of a horse had awakened an irresistible curiosity in her. She had got up, wrapped herself in a fur coat and slipped out on to the verandah. The sun was not above the horizon line of the desert, but the darkness of night was melting into a luminous grey. The air was almost cold. The palms looked spectral, even terrible, the empty and silent gardens melancholy and dangerous. It was not an hour for activity, for determination, but for reverie, for apprehension.

Below, a sleepy Arab boy, his hood drawn over his head, held the chestnut horse by the bridle. Androvsky came out from the arcade. He wore a cap pulled down to his eyebrows which changed his appearance, giving him, as seen from above, the look of a groom or stable hand. He stood for a minute and stared at the horse. Then he limped round to the left side and carefully mounted, following out the directions Domini had given him the previous day: to avoid touching the animal with his foot, to have the rein in his fingers before leaving the ground, and to come down in the saddle as lightly as possible. She noted that all her hints were taken with infinite precaution. Once on the horse he tried to sit up straight, but found the effort too great in his weary and bruised condition. He leaned forward over the saddle peak, and rode away in the luminous greyness towards the desert. The horse went quietly, as if affected by the mystery of the still hour.

Horse and rider disappeared. The Arab boy wandered off in the direction of the village. But Domini remained looking after Androvsky.

She saw nothing but the grim palms and the spectral atmosphere in which the desert lay. Yet she did not move till a red spear was thrust up out of the east towards the last waning star.

He had gone to learn his lesson in the desert.

Three days afterwards she rode with him again. She did not let him know of her presence on the verandah, and he said nothing of his departure in the dawn. He spoke very little and seemed much occupied with his horse, and she saw that he was more than determined--that he was apt at acquiring control of a physical exercise new to him. His great strength stood him in good stead. Only a man hard in the body could have so rapidly recovered from the effects of that first day of defeat and struggle. His absolute reticence about his efforts and the iron will that prompted them pleased Domini. She found them worthy of a man.

She rode with him on three occasions, twice in the oasis through the brown villages, once out into the desert on the caravan road that Batouch had told her led at last to Tombouctou. They did not travel far along it, but Domini knew at once that this route held more fascination for her than the route to Sidi-Zerzour. There was far more sand in this region of the desert. The little humps crowned with the scrub the camels feed on were fewer, so that the flatness of the ground was more definite. Here and there large dunes of golden- coloured sand rose, some straight as city walls, some curved like seats in an amphitheatre, others indented, crenellated like battlements, undulating in beastlike shapes. The distant panorama of desert was unbroken by any visible oasis and powerfully suggested Eternity to Domini.

"When I go out into the desert for my long journey I shall go by this road," she said to Androvsky.

"You are going on a journey?" he said, looking at her as if startled.

"Some day."

"All alone?"

"I suppose I must take a caravan, two or three Arabs, some horses, a tent or two. It's easy to manage. Batouch will arrange it for me."

Androvsky still looked startled, and half angry, she thought.

They had pulled up their horses among the sand dunes. It was near sunset, and the breath of evening was in the sir, making its coolness even more ethereal, more thinly pure than in the daytime. The atmosphere was so clear that when they glanced back they could see the flag fluttering upon the white of the great hotel of Beni-Mora, many kilometres away among the palms; so still that they could hear the bark of a Kabyle off near a nomad's tent pitched in the green land by the water-springs of old Beni-Mora. When they looked in front of them they seemed to see thousands of leagues of flatness, stretching on and on till the pale yellowish brown of it grew darker, merged into a strange blueness, like the blue of a hot mist above a southern lake, then into violet, then into--the thing they could not see, the summoning thing whose voice Domini's imagination heard, like a remote and thrilling echo, whenever she was in the desert.

"I did not know you were going on a journey, Madame," Androvsky said.

"Don't you remember?" she rejoined laughingly, "that I told you on the tower I thought peace must dwell out there. Well, some day I shall set out to find it."

"That seems a long time ago, Madame," he muttered.

Sometimes, when speaking to her, he dropped his voice till she could scarcely hear him, and sounded like a man communing with himself.

A red light from the sinking sun fell upon the dunes. As they rode back over them their horses seemed to be wading through a silent sea of blood. The sky in the west looked like an enormous conflagration, in which tortured things were struggling and lifting twisted arms.

同类推荐
  • 难四

    难四

    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。
  • 佛说宝藏神大明曼拏罗仪轨经

    佛说宝藏神大明曼拏罗仪轨经

    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。
  • 皇明异典述

    皇明异典述

    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。
  • 滦州万善晖州昊禅师语录

    滦州万善晖州昊禅师语录

    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。
  • 本草新编

    本草新编

    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
  • 健康成长的力量(启迪学生思考人生的故事全集)

    健康成长的力量(启迪学生思考人生的故事全集)

    人生仿佛是四季的轮回,生命的状态便是这四季的写照。每个人都有属于自己的春、夏、秋、冬,不必为沐浴春风而得意,也不必为置身冬季而叹息,人生中的每一个季节都是我们必经的过程,生命中的每一个时刻都是值得我们珍藏的记忆。
  • 盛世风华,朱门嫡女

    盛世风华,朱门嫡女

    【正剧版简介】:孟窈是死喜堂之上的,曾经许她一生一世一双人的夫君执着别人的手让她成全,她抱着生死不明的嫡子在材房内喊了一夜,只为他慈悲的一眼。五年夫妻,她助他平步青云、权倾楚国,他还她一场笑话和三岁幼子未寒的尸骨。她含恨大闹喜堂,许下恶毒诅咒,愿他们卧不能寐、情不善终生生世世被恶鬼所缠。最后,她却不得不撞墙自戕,让蔓延的血色洒遍喜堂,她怒睁着眼睛看向那对逼死她的人,便是死了她也要化为厉鬼将那些伤的人生吞活剥了。睁开眼,她再也不是相府的怨妇孟窈了。她叫萧绰,风姿绰绰,人若其名,艳光四射。前生,她是高平孟家嫡女丞相爱妻,是九州密宗‘离恨天’天策宗宗主。今世,她是辽国南院大王嫡女长乐郡主,是九州密宗‘离恨天’天机宗传人。前世,她为爱而奔,舍家叛宗、逆天改命只为助他一人成就大业。今世,她愿为魔,顺她者昌逆她者亡,翻手江山覆手云。她萧绰,宁可负尽天下人,也不会让一人负她!【剧情版简介】:【父王】“王爷…您可要给妾身做主啊…萧绰那个死丫头竟然敢打我…您看这伤…”三夫人委屈的道。“看这伤倒像是燕燕出的手…”王爷喜呵呵的说道。“王爷…她这是目无尊长!”“我惯的,怎么你有意见?”王爷吹了吹胡子,眼睛瞪得大大的。【竹马】“你这伤是怎么回事?”萧绰抬眼看了看不断在她眼前溜达的人。“哼,路见不平教训了几个纨绔!”某个鼻青脸肿的人说得脸不红气不喘。“喔,是被教训的吧!”萧绰悠悠的道。“谁叫他们玷污燕燕你的名节,拼了命也要打!”“我韩楚墓的未婚妻就是我也不能欺负的,岂能容得他人折辱!”【知己】“子车世子不知这平阳城已经成了一座死城?”萧绰看着马车上的白衣美少年,恼火的吼道!“知道。”“那你还来…”找死。“永夜不求与燕燕生能同寝,但求死能同穴!”子车央莞尔一笑不知令多少人折了腰。“随你!”萧绰甩袖暴走。…【离恨天批语】:名花倾国承恩前,只为回眸一笑间。(耶律贤)蓝颜三千衣不染,一见子车误终生!(子车央)最是花间倾国色,万凤朝凰九州同。(萧绰)【墨朱】:此文架空,如有雷同纯属巧合!为您推荐十泗的女强文:《溺宠——至尊狂妃》
  • 卸妆后我依然很美

    卸妆后我依然很美

    爱美,是女人的天性,也是女人的专属权利。新时代的女性不仅仅追求美,还要追求完美。俗话说,没有最美只有更美。完美情结在女性心里的极度膨胀,让爱美的女人们在自己身上下足了功夫和血本。但是别忘了,时间是女人最大的敌人,无论是貌美的明星,还是姿色上等的职业白领。与职业、社会地位、收入无关,每个人都逃脱不了岁月的蹉跎。
  • 奥秘世界2

    奥秘世界2

    地球的年龄是多少?百慕大为什么被称为“魔鬼三角”?为什么会有“水往高处流”的现象?动物有哪些特异功能?鲸鱼为何会“集体自杀”?人类的寿命极限是多少?“法老的诅咒”为什么一再应验?比萨塔为什么斜而不倒?面对信息化时代知识学习问题的挑战,加强课外知识体系建设,提高课外阅读的科学性、健康性、先进性以及趣味性,不仅重要,而且极其紧迫。在人类的科学尚不发达时,人们囿于知识的局面限,对自身及周围的种种现象,只能靠主观的猜测与揣摩;当人类的科学知识水平获得空前大发展以后,很多过去遗留的难题,都做出了科学合理的解释,同时又发现了更多的有关这个世界目前仍无法解释的奥秘。
  • 佛说护身命经

    佛说护身命经

    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。
  • 冷傲老公,我不嫁你

    冷傲老公,我不嫁你

    离家三日,被家里的爹妈告知自己和全国最冷最嗜血的军官定了婚,肖素素一个冷颤,她不要被虐死或冻死。于是乎,肖素素伪装身份把自己送到那冷血军官的面前,想尽一切办法让他取消婚礼。计谋篇——“你看我比你未婚妻长的好看吧!”某女一个媚眼抛过去。某男冷冷的瞟了一眼,“没见过她本人,不知道!”美人计,失败!“你看我比她有情趣吧!”某女衣着性感的紧身衣,努力做着各种诱人动作。某男斜视一眼,“胸有点小,屁股不翘,其它地方还勉强。”诱惑计,失败!“你看我够爱你吧!”某女指着操场上那一排排宏伟的由塑料花编制的‘ILOVEYOU’。某男微微蹙眉,某女窃喜,难道成功?“破坏环境是不道德的,明天把操场打扫干净。”某男转身离去。真心计,失败!摊牌篇——“女人,你到底想怎样?”某男咆哮。“我想你解除婚约和我在一起!”某女手叉腰,一副不怕死的模样。某男阴笑,“这是你说的。”随后扑倒某女!某女,‘呜呜呜.....她不是这个意思!’最后的最后,婚约是解除了,但是肖素素肚中貌似已经有了某男的种,这辈子是休想再逃掉了。——蝶儿新文《黑道王妃本流氓》做惯了黑老大,一朝穿越为小奶娃,最关键还是被抛弃的!紫兰青在第一时间决定一定要傍个大款!看那毛头小鬼一身华丽的锦衣,身后还跟着两个恶奴,紫兰青眼珠一转,就他了!当七岁的他捡到刚出生七天的她,看着她那双乌黑发亮不断转动的眼珠,于是他开始以爹爹自称!在移动手机阅读平台上使用的名称为《冷傲老公,我不嫁你》
  • 总裁强势抢婚:萌宝暖妻入怀

    总裁强势抢婚:萌宝暖妻入怀

    他是至尊总裁,黑暗帝国的王者。却不料婚宴上,替身新娘披婚纱上阵,他恨她入骨,对她加倍羞辱,坚决要和她离婚,却不料她递给他一张验孕单,只可惜这个孩子他不要!受尽凌辱等来的却是他要强行打掉她孩子的消息,她绝望一笑,纵身入江……他寻她五年,再见她却摇身一变,成为他的军火合作商,带着一孩子出现在他面前。她被堵至床边,退无可退,冷笑怒视!“这孩子和你没关系!”“没关系?那就直到你承认有关系为止!”天才儿子退至墙角。“南先生,妈咪已经被骗来,您随意!”
  • 前妻的男人

    前妻的男人

    【推荐小鱼的新文,其他作品《妻子的新欢》,《前妻的男人》姐妹篇哦!】看过某电影之后,突然发现,这世上最可怕的情敌不是别人,而是自己身边的闺蜜。--题记余归晚怎么也没有想到,自己的闺蜜竟然会替她把老公照顾的那么好。当闺蜜挺着肚子来找她的时候,余归晚二话不说直接给了她一巴掌,冷笑道:“凌薇,他要是想娶你的话,让他亲自来跟我说。”离婚,对余归晚来说一个不小的打击,但是却让她知道一个真理,男人爱你的时候,你是宝,不爱你的时候,你就是路边的一根野草。遇上莫辰逸是余归晚生命中最大的一个意外,在她最潦倒的时候,他将她收留了。余归晚说:辰逸,易扬的背叛让我不再相信爱情,也让我以为自己失去了再爱一个人的能力,可是当遇见你的时候,我知道自己无法逃避,我愿意倾尽我的一生再爱你一次。莫辰逸:晚晚,我也曾经爱过一个女人,爱到忘记了自己是谁,一直到后来,我才知道,真正爱一个人是不管她身在何处,我的心都会随着她离开。有人说,他们的爱就是一场追逐的游戏,他追,她跑,他停下来的时候,她却反追他……在这个爱情里没有风花雪月,有的只是他们彼此的一颗真心。
  • The Unbearable Bassington

    The Unbearable Bassington

    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。
  • 华阳陶隐居集

    华阳陶隐居集

    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。