波波小说

第18部分（第4页）

〃Now　or　later。〃

〃All　right。　Now。〃

〃Ill　e　back　later。〃

〃Ill　have　finished　the　papers；〃　I　said。

22

It　turned　cold　that　night　and　the　next　day　it　was　raining。　ing　home　from　the　Ospedale　Maggiore　it　rained　very　hard　and　I　was　wet　when　I　came　in。　Up　in　my　room　the　rain　was　ing　down　heavily　outside　on　the　balcony；　and　the　wind　blew　it　against　the　glass　doors。　I　changed　my　clothing　and　drank　some　brandy　but　the　brandy　did　not　taste　good。　I　felt　sick　in　the　night　and　in　the　morning　after　breakfast　I　was　nauseated。

〃There　is　no　doubt　about　it；〃　the　house　surgeon　said。　〃Look　at　the　whites　of　his　eyes；　Miss。〃

Miss　Gage　looked。　They　had　me　look　in　a　glass。　The　whites　of　the　eyes　were　yellow　and　it　was　the　jaundice。　I　was　sick　for　two　weeks　with　it。　For　that　reason　we　did　not　spend　a　convalescent　leave　together。　We　had　planned　to　go　to　Pallanza　on　Lago　Maggiore。　It　is　nice　there　in　the　fall　when　the　leaves　turn。　There　are　walks　you　can　take　and　you　can　troll　for　trout　in　the　lake。　It　would　have　been　better　than　Stresa　because　there　are　fewer　people　at　Pallanza。　Stresa　is　so　easy　to　get　to　from　Milan　that　there　are　always　people　you　know。　There　is　a　nice　village　at　Pallanza　and　you　can　row　out　to　the　islands　where　the　fishermen　live　and　there　is　a　restaurant　on　the　biggest　island。　But　we　did　not　go。

One　day　while　I　was　in　bed　with　jaundice　Miss　Van　Campen　came　in　the　room；　opened　the　door　into　the　armoire　and　saw　the　empty　bottles　there。　I　had　sent　a　load　of　them　down　by　the　porter　and　I　believe　she　must　have　seen　them　going　out　and　e　up　to　find　some　more。　They　were　mostly　vermouth　bottles；　marsala　bottles；　capri　bottles；　empty　chianti　flasks　and　a　few　cognac　bottles。　The　porter　had　carried　out　the　large　bottles；　those　that　had　held　vermouth；　and　the　straw…covered　chianti　flasks；　and　left　the　brandy　bottles　for　the　last。　It　was　the　brandy　bottles　and　a　bottle　shaped　like　a　bear；　which　had　held　k黰mel；　that　Miss　Van　Campen　found。　The　bear　shaped　bottle　enraged　her　particularly。　She　held　it　up；　the　bear　was　sitting　up　on　his　haunches　with　his　paws　up；　there　was　a　cork　in　his　glass　head　and　a　few　sticky　crystals　at　the　bottom。　I　laughed。

〃It　is　k黰mel；〃　I　said。　〃The　best　k黰mel　es　in　those　bearshaped　bottles。　It　es　from　Russia。〃

〃Those　are　all　brandy　bottles；　arent　they？〃　Miss　Van　Campen　asked。

〃I　cant　see　them　all；〃　I　said。　〃But　they　probably　are。〃

〃How　long　has　this　been　going　on？〃

〃I　bought　them　and　brought　them　in　myself；〃　I　said。　〃I　have　had　Italian　officers　visit　me　frequently　and　I　have　kept　brandy　to　offer　them。〃

〃You　havent　been　drinking　it　yourself？〃　she　said。

〃I　have　also　drunk　it　myself。〃

〃Brandy；〃　she　said。　〃Eleven　empty　bottles　of　brandy　and　that　bear　liquid。〃

〃K黰mel。〃

〃I　will　send　for　some　one　to　take　them　away。　Those　are　all　the　empty　bottles　you　have？〃

〃For　the　moment。〃

〃And　I　was　pitying　you　having　jaundice。　Pity　is　something　that　is　wasted　on　you。〃

〃Thank　you。〃

〃I　suppose　you　cant　be　blamed　for　not　wanting　to　go　back　to　the　front。　But　I　should　think　you　would　try　something　more　intelligent　than　producing　jaundice　with　alcoholism。〃

〃With　what？〃

〃With　alcoholism。　You　heard　me　say　it。〃　I　did　not　say　anything。　〃Unless　you　find　something　else　Im　afraid　you　will　have　to　go　back　to　the　front　when　you　are　through　with　your　jaundice。　I　dont　believe　self…inflicted　jaundice　entitles　you　to　a　convalescent　leave。〃

〃You　dont？〃

〃I　do　not。〃

〃Have　you　ever　had　jaundice；　Miss　Van　Campen？〃

〃No；　but　I　have　seen　a　great　deal　of　it。〃

〃You　noticed　how　the　patients　enjoyed　it？〃

〃I　suppose　it　is　better　than　the　front。〃

〃Miss　Van　Campen；〃　I　said；　〃did　you　ever　know　a　man　who　tried　to　disable　himself　by　kicking　himself　in　the　scrotum？〃

Miss　Van　Campen　ignored　the　actual　question。　She　had　to　ignore　it　or　leave　the　room。　She　was　not

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