第3部分（第1页）

〃Wait　a　minute；〃　Rinaldi　said。　〃Perhaps　we　should　have　a　drink。〃　He　opened　his　trunk　and　took　out　a　bottle。

〃Not　Strega；〃　I　said。

〃No。　Grappa。〃

〃All　right。〃

He　poured　two　glasses　and　we　touched　them；　first　fingers　extended。　The　grappa　was　very　strong。

〃Another？〃

〃All　right；〃　I　said。　We　drank　the　second　grappa；　Rinaldi　put　away　the　bottle　and　we　went　down　the　stairs。　It　was　hot　walking　through　the　town　but　the　sun　was　starting　to　go　down　and　it　was　very　pleasant。　The　British　hospital　was　a　big　villa　built　by　Germans　before　the　war。　Miss　Barkley　was　in　the　garden。　Another　nurse　was　with　her。　We　saw　their　white　uniforms　through　the　trees　and　walked　toward　them。　Rinaldi　saluted。　I　saluted　too　but　more　moderately。

〃How　do　you　do？〃　Miss　Barkley　said。　〃Youre　not　an　Italian；　are　you？〃

〃Oh；　no。〃

Rinaldi　was　talking　with　the　other　nurse。　They　were　laughing。　〃What　an　odd　thing……to　be　in　the　Italian　army。〃

〃Its　not　really　the　army。　Its　only　the　ambulance。〃

〃Its　very　odd　though。　Why　did　you　do　it？〃

〃I　dont　know；〃　I　said。　〃There　isnt　always　an　explanation　for　everything。〃

〃Oh；　isnt　there？　I　was　brought　up　to　think　there　was。〃

〃Thats　awfully　nice。〃

〃Do　we　have　to　go　on　and　talk　this　way？〃

〃No；〃　I　said。

〃Thats　a　relief。　Isnt　it？〃

〃What　is　the　stick？〃　I　asked。　Miss　Barkley　was　quite　tall。　She　wore　what　seemed　to　me　to　be　a　nurses　uniform；　was　blonde　and　had　a　tawny　skin　and　gray　eyes。　I　thought　she　was　very　beautiful。　She　was　carrying　a　thin　rattan　stick　like　a　toy　riding…crop；　bound　in　leather。

〃It　belonged　to　a　boy　who　was　killed　last　year。〃

〃Im　awfully　sorry。〃

〃He　was　a　very　nice　boy。　He　was　going　to　marry　me　and　he　was　killed　in　the　Somme。〃

〃It　was　a　ghastly　show。〃

〃Were　you　there？〃

〃No。〃

〃Ive　heard　about　it；〃　she　said。　〃Theres　not　really　any　war　of　that　sort　down　here。　They　sent　me　the　little　stick。　His　mother　sent　it　to　me。　They　returned　it　with　his　things。〃

〃Had　you　been　engaged　long？〃

〃Eight　years。　We　grew　up　together。〃

〃And　why　didnt　you　marry？〃

〃I　dont　know；〃　she　said。　〃I　was　a　fool　not　to。　I　could　have　given　him　that　anyway。　But　I　thought　it　would　be　bad　for　him。〃

〃I　see。〃

〃Have　you　ever　loved　any　one？〃

〃No；〃　I　said。