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arms and the man-第15部分
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her hands clasped on her knee。 Bluntschli; quite touched; goes
to the ottoman with a particularly reassuring and considerate
air; and sits down beside her。)
BLUNTSCHLI。 My dear young lady; don't let this worry you。
Remember: I'm a soldier。 Now what are the two things that happen
to a soldier so often that he comes to think nothing of them?
One is hearing people tell lies (Raina recoils): the other is
getting his life saved in all sorts of ways by all sorts of
people。
RAINA (rising in indignant protest)。 And so he becomes a
creature incapable of faith and of gratitude。
BLUNTSCHLI (making a wry face)。 Do you like gratitude? I don't。
If pity is akin to love; gratitude is akin to the other thing。
RAINA。 Gratitude! (Turning on him。) If you are incapable of
gratitude you are incapable of any noble sentiment。 Even animals
are grateful。 Oh; I see now exactly what you think of me! You
were not surprised to hear me lie。 To you it was something I
probably did every dayevery hour。 That is how men think of
women。 (She walks up the room melodramatically。)
BLUNTSCHLI (dubiously)。 There's reason in everything。 You said
you'd told only two lies in your whole life。 Dear young lady:
isn't that rather a short allowance? I'm quite a straightforward
man myself; but it wouldn't last me a whole morning。
RAINA (staring haughtily at him)。 Do you know; sir; that you
are insulting me?
BLUNTSCHLI。 I can't help it。 When you get into that noble
attitude and speak in that thrilling voice; I admire you; but I
find it impossible to believe a single word you say。
RAINA (superbly)。 Captain Bluntschli!
BLUNTSCHLI (unmoved)。 Yes?
RAINA (coming a little towards him; as if she could not believe
her senses)。 Do you mean what you said just now? Do you know
what you said just now?
BLUNTSCHLI。 I do。
RAINA (gasping)。 I! I!!! (She points to herself incredulously;
meaning 〃I; Raina Petkoff; tell lies!〃 He meets her gaze
unflinchingly。 She suddenly sits down beside him; and adds; with
a complete change of manner from the heroic to the familiar) How
did you find me out?
BLUNTSCHLI (promptly)。 Instinct; dear young lady。 Instinct; and
experience of the world。
RAINA (wonderingly)。 Do you know; you are the first man I ever
met who did not take me seriously?
BLUNTSCHLI。 You mean; don't you; that I am the first man that
has ever taken you quite seriously?
RAINA。 Yes; I suppose I do mean that。 (Cosily; quite at her ease
with him。) How strange it is to be talked to in such a way! You
know; I've always gone on like thatI mean the noble attitude
and the thrilling voice。 I did it when I was a tiny child to my
nurse。 She believed in it。 I do it before my parents。 They
believe in it。 I do it before Sergius。 He believes in it。
BLUNTSCHLI。 Yes: he's a little in that line himself; isn't he?
RAINA (startled)。 Do you think so?
BLUNTSCHLI。 You know him better than I do。
RAINA。 I wonderI wonder is he? If I thought that!
(Discouraged。) Ah; well; what does it matter? I suppose; now
that you've found me out; you despise me。
BLUNTSCHLI (warmly; rising)。 No; my dear young lady; no; no; no
a thousand times。 It's part of your youthpart of your charm。
I'm like all the rest of themthe nurse your
parentsSergius: I'm your infatuated admirer。
RAINA (pleased)。 Really?
BLUNTSCHLI (slapping his breast smartly with his hand; German
fashion)。 Hand aufs Herz! Really and truly。
RAINA (very happy)。 But what did you think of me for giving you
my portrait?
BLUNTSCHLI (astonished)。 Your portrait! You never gave me your
portrait。
RAINA (quickly)。 Do you mean to say you never got it?
BLUNTSCHLI。 No。 (He sits down beside her; with renewed interest;
and says; with some complacency。) When did you send it to me?
RAINA (indignantly)。 I did not send it to you。 (She turns her
head away; and adds; reluctantly。) It was in the pocket of that
coat。
BLUNTSCHLI (pursing his lips and rounding his eyes)。 Oh…o…oh! I
never found it。 It must be there still。
RAINA (springing up)。 There still!for my father to find the
first time he puts his hand in his pocket! Oh; how could you be
so stupid?
BLUNTSCHLI (rising also)。 It doesn't matter: it's only a
photograph: how can he tell who it was intended for? Tell him he
put it there himself。
RAINA (impatiently)。 Yes; that is so cleverso clever! What
shall I do?
BLUNTSCHLI。 Ah; I see。 You wrote something on it。 That was rash!
RAINA (annoyed almost to tears)。 Oh; to have done such a thing
for you; who care no moreexcept to laugh at meoh! Are you
sure nobody has touched it?
BLUNTSCHLI。 Well; I can't be quite sure。 You see I couldn't
carry it about with me all the time: one can't take much luggage
on active service。
RAINA。 What did you do with it?
BLUNTSCHLI。 When I got through to Peerot I had to put it in safe
keeping somehow。 I thought of the railway cloak room; but that's
the surest place to get looted in modern warfare。 So I pawned
it。
RAINA。 Pawned it!!!
BLUNTSCHLI。 I know it doesn't sound nice; but it was much the
safest plan。 I redeemed it the day before yesterday。 Heaven only
knows whether the pawnbroker cleared out the pockets or not。
RAINA (furiousthrowing the words right into his face)。 You
have a low; shopkeeping mind。 You think of things that would
never come into a gentleman's head。
BLUNTSCHLI (phlegmatically)。 That's the Swiss national
character; dear lady。
RAINA。 Oh; I wish I had never met you。 (She flounces away and
sits at the window fuming。)
(Louka comes in with a heap of letters and
telegrams on her salver; and crosses; with her
bold; free gait; to the table。 Her left sleeve is
looped up to the shoulder with a brooch; shewing
her naked arm; with a broad gilt bracelet covering
the bruise。)
LOUKA (to Bluntschli)。 For you。 (She empties the salver
recklessly on the table。) The messenger is waiting。 (She is
determined not to be civil to a Servian; even if she must bring
him his letters。)
BLUNTSCHLI (to Raina)。 Will you excuse me: the last postal
delivery that reached me was three weeks ago。 These are the
subsequent accumulations。 Four telegramsa week old。 (He opens
one。) Oho! Bad news!
RAINA (rising and advancing a little remorsefully)。 Bad news?
BLUNTSCHLI。 My father's dead。 (He looks at the telegram with his
lips pursed; musing on the unexpected change in his
arrangements。)
RAINA。 Oh; how very sad!
BLUNTSCHLI。 Yes: I shall have to start for home in an hour。 He
has left a lot of big hotels behind him to be looked after。
(Takes up a heavy letter in a long blue envelope。) Here's a
whacking letter from the family solicitor。 (He pulls out the
enclosures and glances over them。) Great Heavens! Seventy! Two
hundred! (In a crescendo of dismay。) Four hundred! Four
thousand!! Nine thousand six hundred!!! What on earth shall I do
with them all?
RAINA (timidly)。 Nine thousand hotels?
BLUNTSCHLI。 Hotels! Nonsense。 If you only knew!oh; it's too
ridiculous! Excuse me: I must give my fellow orders about
starting。 (He leaves the room hastily; with the documents in his
hand。)
LOUKA (tauntingly)。 He has not much heart; that Swiss; though
he is so
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