第2部分(第1/7 页)

the　road　had　small　leaves　and　a　breeze　came　from　the　sea。　I　saw　the　town　with　the　hill　and　the　old　castle　above　it　in　a　cup　in　the　hills　with　the　mountains　beyond；　brown　mountains　with　a　little　green　on　their　slopes。　In　the　town　there　were　more　guns；　there　were　some　new　hospitals；　you　met　British　men　and　sometimes　women；　on　the　street；　and　a　few　more　houses　had　been　hit　by　shell　fire。　Jt　was　warm　and　like　the　spring　and　I　walked　down　the　alleyway　of　trees；　warmed　from　the　sun　on　the　wall；　and　found　we　still　lived　in　the　same　house　and　that　it　all　looked　the　same　as　when　I　had　left　it。　The　door　was　open；　there　was　a　soldier　sitting　on　a　bench　outside　in　the　sun；　an　ambulance　was　waiting　by　the　side　door　and　inside　the　door；　as　I　went　in；　there　was　the　smell　of　marble　floors　and　hospital。　It　was　all　as　I　had　left　it　except　that　now　it　was　spring。　I　looked　in　the　door　of　the　big　room　and　saw　the　major　sitting　at　his　desk；　the　window　open　and　the　sunlight　ing　into　the　room。　He　did　not　see　me　and　I　did　not　know　whether　to　go　in　and　report　or　go　upstairs　first　and　clean　up。　I　decided　to　go　on　upstairs。

The　room　I　shared　with　the　lieutenant　Rinaldi　looked　out　on　the　courtyard。　The　window　was　open；　my　bed　was　made　up　with　blankets　and　my　things　hung　on　the　wall；　the　gas　mask　in　an　oblong　tin　can；　the　steel　helmet　on　the　same　peg。　At　the　foot　of　the　bed　was　my　flat　trunk；　and　my　winter　boots；　the　leather　shiny　with　oil；　were　on　the　trunk。　My　Austrian　sniper's　rifle　with　its　blued　octagon　barrel　and　the　lovely　dark　walnut；　cheek…fitted；　schutzen　stock；　hung　over　the　two　beds。　The　telescope　that　fitted　it　was；　I　remembered；　locked　in　the　trunk。　The　lieutenant；　Rinaldi；　lay　asleep　on　the　other　bed。　He　woke　when　he　heard　me　in　the　room　and　sat　up。

〃Ciaou！〃　he　said。