The Prussian Officer and Other StoriesI普鲁士军官和其它Word文档格式.docx

The Prussian Officer and Other StoriesI普鲁士军官和其它Word文档格式.docx

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ThePrussianOfficer

I

Theyhadmarchedmorethanthirtykilometressincedawn,alongthewhite,hotroadwhereoccasionalthicketsoftreesthrewamomentofshade,thenoutintotheglareagain.Oneitherhand,thevalley,wideandshallow,glitteredwithheat;

darkgreenpatchesofrye,paleyoungcorn,fallowandmeadowandblackpinewoodsspreadinadull,hotdiagramunderaglisteningsky.Butrightinfrontthemountainsrangedacross,paleblueandverystill,snowgleaminggentlyoutofthedeepatmosphere.Andtowardsthemountains,onandon,theregimentmarchedbetweentheryefieldsandthemeadows,betweenthescraggyfruittreessetregularlyoneithersidethehighroad.Theburnished,darkgreenryethrewoffasuffocatingheat,themountainsdrewgraduallynearerandmoredistinct.Whilethefeetofthesoldiersgrewhotter,sweatranthroughtheirhairundertheirhelmets,andtheirknapsackscouldburnnomoreincontactwiththeirshoulders,butseemedinsteadtogiveoffacold,pricklysensation.

Hewalkedonandoninsilence,staringatthemountainsahead,thatrosesheeroutoftheland,andstoodfoldbehindfold,halfearth,halfheaven,theheaven,thebarrierwithslitsofsoftsnow,inthepale,bluishpeaks.

Hecouldnowwalkalmostwithoutpain.Atthestart,hehaddeterminednottolimp.Ithadmadehimsicktotakethefirststeps,andduringthefirstmileorso,hehadcompressedhisbreath,andthecolddropsofsweathadstoodonhisforehead.Buthehadwalkeditoff.Whatweretheyafterallbutbruises!

Hehadlookedatthem,ashewasgettingup:

deepbruisesonthebacksofhisthighs.Andsincehehadmadehisfirststepinthemorning,hehadbeenconsciousofthem,tillnowhehadatight,hotplaceinhischest,withsuppressingthepain,andholdinghimselfin.Thereseemednoairwhenhebreathed.Buthewalkedalmostlightly.

TheCaptain'

shandhadtrembledattakinghiscoffeeatdawn:

hisorderlysawitagain.AndhesawthefinefigureoftheCaptainwheelingonhorsebackatthefarm-houseahead,ahandsomefigureinpaleblueuniformwithfacingsofscarlet,andthemetalgleamingontheblackhelmetandthesword-scabbard,anddarkstreaksofsweatcomingonthesilkybayhorse.Theorderlyfelthewasconnectedwiththatfiguremovingsosuddenlyonhorseback:

hefolloweditlikeashadow,muteandinevitableanddamnedbyit.Andtheofficerwasalwaysawareofthetrampofthecompanybehind,themarchofhisorderlyamongthemen.

TheCaptainwasatallmanofaboutforty,greyatthetemples.Hehadahandsome,finelyknitfigure,andwasoneofthebesthorsemenintheWest.Hisorderly,havingtorubhimdown,admiredtheamazingriding-musclesofhisloins.

Fortherest,theorderlyscarcelynoticedtheofficeranymorethanhenoticedhimself.Itwasrarelyhesawhismaster'

sface:

hedidnotlookatit.TheCaptainhadreddish-brown,stiffhair,thatheworeshortuponhisskull.Hismoustachewasalsocutshortandbristlyoverafull,brutalmouth.Hisfacewasratherrugged,thecheeksthin.Perhapsthemanwasthemorehandsomeforthedeeplinesinhisface,theirritabletensionofhisbrow,whichgavehimthelookofamanwhofightswithlife.Hisfaireyebrowsstoodbushyoverlightblueeyesthatwerealwaysflashingwithcoldfire.

HewasaPrussianaristocrat,haughtyandoverbearing.ButhismotherhadbeenaPolishCountess.Havingmadetoomanygamblingdebtswhenhewasyoung,hehadruinedhisprospectsintheArmy,andremainedaninfantrycaptain.Hehadnevermarried:

hispositiondidnotallowofit,andnowomanhadevermovedhimtoit.Histimehespentriding—occasionallyherodeoneofhisownhorsesattheraces—andattheofficers'

club.Nowandthenhetookhimselfamistress.Butaftersuchanevent,hereturnedtodutywithhisbrowstillmoretense,hiseyesstillmorehostileandirritable.Withthemen,however,hewasmerelyimpersonal,thoughadevilwhenroused;

sothat,onthewhole,theyfearedhim,buthadnogreataversionfromhim.Theyacceptedhimastheinevitable.

Tohisorderlyhewasatfirstcoldandjustandindifferent:

hedidnotfussovertrifles.Sothathisservantknewpracticallynothingabouthim,exceptjustwhatordershewouldgive,andhowhewantedthemobeyed.Thatwasquitesimple.Thenthechangegraduallycame.

Theorderlywasayouthofabouttwenty-two,ofmediumheight,andwellbuilt.Hehadstrong,heavylimbs,wasswarthy,withasoft,black,youngmoustache.Therewassomethingaltogetherwarmandyoungabouthim.Hehadfirmlymarkedeyebrowsoverdark,expressionlesseyes,thatseemednevertohavethought,onlytohavereceivedlifedirectthroughhissenses,andactedstraightfrominstinct.

Graduallytheofficerhadbecomeawareofhisservant'

syoung,vigorous,unconsciouspresenceabouthim.Hecouldnotgetawayfromthesenseoftheyouth'

sperson,whilehewasinattendance.Itwaslikeawarmflameupontheolderman'

stense,rigidbody,thathadbecomealmostunliving,fixed.Therewassomethingsofreeandself-containedabouthim,andsomethingintheyoungfellow'

smovement,thatmadetheofficerawareofhim.AndthisirritatedthePrussian.Hedidnotchoosetobetouchedintolifebyhisservant.Hemighteasilyhavechangedhisman,buthedidnot.Henowveryrarelylookeddirectathisorderly,butkepthisfaceaverted,asiftoavoidseeinghim.Andyetastheyoungsoldiermovedunthinkingabouttheapartment,theelderwatchedhim,andwouldnoticethemovementofhisstrongyoungshouldersunderthebluecloth,thebendofhisneck.Anditirritatedhim.Toseethesoldier'

syoung,brown,shapelypeasant'

shandgrasptheloaforthewine-bottlesentaflashofhateorofangerthroughtheelderman'

sblood.Itwasnotthattheyouthwasclumsy:

itwasrathertheblind,instinctivesurenessofmovementofanunhamperedyounganimalthatirritatedtheofficertosuchadegree.

Once,whenabottleofwinehadgoneover,andtheredgushedoutontothetablecloth,theofficerhadstartedupwithanoath,andhiseyes,blueylikefire,hadheldthoseoftheconfusedyouthforamoment.Itwasashockfortheyoungsoldier.Hefeltsomethingsinkdeeper,deeperintohissoul,wherenothinghadevergonebefore.Itlefthimratherblankandwondering.Someofhisnaturalcompletenessinhimselfwasgone,alittleuneasinesstookitsplace.Andfromthattimeanundiscoveredfeelinghadheldbetweenthetwomen.

Henceforwardtheorderlywasafraidofreallymeetinghismaster.Hissubconsciousnessrememberedthosesteelyblueeyesandtheharshbrows,anddidnotintendtomeetthemagain.Sohealwaysstaredpasthismaster,andavoidedhim.Also,inalittleanxiety,hewaitedforthethreemonthstohavegone,whenhistimewouldbeup.HebegantofeelaconstraintintheCaptain'

spresence,andthesoldierevenmorethantheofficerwantedtobeleftalone,inhisneutralityasservant.

HehadservedtheCaptainformorethanayear,andknewhisduty.Thisheperformedeasily,asifitwerenaturaltohim.Theofficerandhiscommandshetookforgranted,ashetookthesunandtherain,andheservedasamatterofcourse.Itdidnotimplicatehimpersonally.

Butnowifheweregoingtobeforcedintoapersonalinterchangewithhismasterhewouldbelikeawildthingcaught,hefelthemustgetaway.

Buttheinfluenceoftheyoungsoldier'

sbeinghadpenetratedthroughtheofficer'

sstiffeneddiscipline,andperturbedthemaninhim.He,however,wasagentleman,withlong,finehandsandcultivatedmovements,andwasnotgoingtoallowsuchathingasthestirringofhisinnateself.Hewasamanofpassionatetemper,whohadalwayskepthimselfsuppressed.Occasionallytherehadbeenaduel,anoutburstbeforethesoldiers.Heknewhimselftobealwaysonthepointofbreakingout.ButhekepthimselfhardtotheideaoftheService.Whereastheyoungsoldierseemedtoliveouthiswarm,fullnature,togiveitoffinhisverymovements,whichhadacertainzest,suchaswildanimalshaveinfreemovement.Andthisirritatedtheofficermoreandmore.

Inspiteofhimself,theCaptaincouldnotregainhisneutralityoffeelingtowardshisorderly.Norcouldheleavethemanalone.Inspiteofhimself,hewatchedhim,gavehimsharporders,triedtotakeupasmuchofhistimeaspossible.Sometimesheflewintoaragewiththeyoungsoldier,andbulliedhim.Thentheorderlyshuthimselfoff,asitwereoutofearshot,andwaited,withsullen,flushedface,fortheendofthenoise.Thewordsneverpiercedtohisintelligence,hemadehimself,protectively,impervioustothefeelingsofhismaster.

Hehadascaronhisleftthumb,adeepseamgoingacrosstheknuckle.Theofficerhadlongsufferedfromit,andwantedtodosomethingtoit.Stillitwasthere,uglyandbrutalontheyoung,brownhand.AtlasttheCaptain'

sreservegaveway.Oneday,astheorderlywassmoothingoutthetablecloth,theofficerpinneddownhisthumbwithapencil,asking:

'

Howdidyoucomebythat?

Theyoungmanwincedanddrewbackatattention.

Awoodaxe,HerrHauptmann,'

heanswered.

Theofficerwaitedforfurtherexplanation.Nonecame.Theorderlywentabouthisduties.Theeldermanwassullenlyangry.Hisservantavoidedhim.Andthenextdayhehadtouseallhiswill-powertoavoidseeingthescarredthumb.Hewantedtogetholdofitand—Ahotflameraninhisblood.

Heknewhisservantwouldsoonbefree,andwouldbeglad.Asyet,thesoldierhadheldhimselfofffr