brideshead+revisited-第4部分

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　　　　'Orders。
　　　　'Information。　The　battalion　is　now　in　transit　between　location　A　and　location　B。　This　is　a　major　L　of　C　and　is　liable　to　bombing　and　gas　attack　from　the　enemy。
　　　　'Intention。　I　intend　to　arrive　at　location　B。
　　　　'Method。　Train　will　arrive　at　destination　at　approximately　2315　hours　。　。　。'　and　so　on。
　　　　The　sting　came　at　the　end　under　the　heading；　'Administration'。　'C'　pany；　less　one　platoon；　was　to　unload　the　train　on　arrival　at　the　siding　where　three　three…tonners　would　be　available　for　moving　all　stores　to　a　battalion　dump　in　the　new　camp；　work　to　continue　until　pleted；　the　remaining　platoon　was　to　find　a　guard　on　the　dump　and　perimeter　sentries　for　the　camp　area。
　　　　'Any　questions？'
　　　　'Can　we　have　an　issue　of　cocoa　for　the　working　party？'
　　　　'No。　Any　more　questions？'
　　　　When　I　told　the　sergeant…major　of　these　orders　he　said：　'Poor　old　〃C〃　pany　struck　unlucky　again'；　and　I　knew　this　to　be　a　reproach　for　my　having　antagonized　the　manding　officer。
　　　　I　told　the　platoon　manders。
　　　　'I　say；'　said　Hooper；　'it　makes　it　awfully　awkward　with　the　chaps。　They'll　be　fairly　browned　off。　He　always　seems　to　pick　on　us　for　the　dirty　work。'
　　　　'You'll　do　guard。'
　　　　'Okeydoke。　But　I　say；　how　am　I　to　find　the　perimeter　in　the　dark？'
　　　　Shortly　after　blackout　we　were　disturbed　by　an　orderly　making　his　way　lugubriously　down　the　length　of　the　train　with　a　rattle。　One　of　the　more　sophisticated　sergeants　called　out　'Deuxieme　service。'
　　　　'We　are　being　sprayed　with　liquid　mustard…gas；'　I　said。　'See　that　the　windows　are　shut。'　I　then　wrote　a　neat　little　situation　report　to　say　that　there　were　no　casualties　and　nothing　had　been　contaminated；　that　men　had　been　detailed　to　decontaminate　the　outside　of　the　coach　before　detraining。　This　seemed　to　satisfy　the　manding　officer；　for　we　heard　no　more　from　him。　After　dark　we　all　slept。
　　　　At　last；　very　late；　we　came　to　our　siding。　It　was　part　of　our　training　in　security　and　active　service　conditions　that　we　should　eschew　stations　and　platforms。　The　drop　from　the　running　board　to　the　cinder　track　made　for　disorder　and　breakages　in　the　darkness。
　　　　'Fall　in　on　the　road　below　the　embankment。　〃C〃　pany　seems　to　be　taking　their　time　as　usual；　Captain　Ryder。'
　　　　'Yes；　sir。　We're　having　a　little；　difficulty。　with　the　bleach。'
　　　　'Bleach？'
　　　　'For　decontaminating　the　outside　of　the　coaches；　sir。'
　　　　'Oh　very　conscientious；　I'm　sure。　Skip　it　and　get　a　move　on。'
　　　　By　now　my　half…awake　and　sulky　men　were　clattering　into　shape　on　the　road。　Soon　Hooper's　platoon　had　marched　off　into　the　darkness；　I　found　the　lorries　organized　lines　of　men　to　ass　the　stores　from　hand　to　hand　down　the　steep　bank；　and；　presently；　as　they　found　themselves　doing　something　with　an　apparent　purpose　in　it；　they　got　more　cheerful。　I　handled　stores　with　them　for　the　first　half　hour；　then　broke　off　to　meet　the　pany　second…in…mand　who　came　down　with　the　first　returning　truck。
　　　　'It's　not　a　bad　camp；'　he　reported；　'big　private　house　with　two　or　three　lakes。　Looks　as　if　we　might　get　some　duck　if　we're　lucky。　Village　with　one　pub　and　a　post　office。　No　town　within　miles。　I've　managed　to　get　a　hut　between　the　two　of　us。'
　　　　By　four　in　the　morning　the　work　was　done。　I　drove　in　the　last　lorry；　through　tortuous　lanes　where　the　overhanging　boughs　whipped　the　windscreen；　somewhere　we　left　the　lane　and　turned　into　a　drive；　somewhere　we　reached　an　open　space　where　two　drives　converged　and　a　ring　of　storm　lanterns　marked　the　heap　of　stores。　Here　we　unloaded　the　truck　and；　at　long　last；　followed　the　guides　to　our　quarters；　under　a　starless　sky；　with　a　fine　drizzle　of　rain　beginning　now　to　fall。

　　　　I　slept　until　my　servant　called　me；　rose　wearily；　dressed　and　shaved　in　silence。　It　was　not　till　I　reached　the　door　that　I　asked　the　second…in…mand；　'What's　this　place　called？'
　　　　He　told　me　and；　on　the　instant；　it　was　as　though　someone　had　switched　off　the　wireless；　and　a　voice　that　had　been　bawling　in　my　ears；　incessantly；　fatuously；　for　days　beyond　number；　had　been　suddenly　cut　short；　an　immense　silence　followed；　empty　at　first；　but　gradually；　as　my　outraged　sense　regained　authority；　full　of　a　multitude　of　sweet　and　natural　and　long　forgotten　sounds：　for　he　had　spoken　a　name　that　was　so　familiar　to　me；　a　conjuror's　name　of　such　ancient　power；　that；　at　its　mere　sound；　the　phantoms　of　those　haunted　late　years　began　to　take　flight。
　　　　Outside　the　hut　I　stood　bemused。　The　rain　had　ceased　but　the　clouds　hung　low　and　heavy　overhead。　It　was　a　still　morning　and　the　smoke　from　the　cookhouse　rose　straight　to　the　leaden　sky。　A　cart…track；　once　metalled；　then　overgrown；　now　rutted　and　churned　to　mud；　followed　the　contour　of　the　hillside　and　dipped　out　of　sight　below；　a　knoll；　and　on　either　side　of　it　lay　the　haphazard　litter　of　corrugated　iron；　from　which　rose　the　rattle　and　chatter　and　whistling　and　catcalls；　all　the　zoo…noises　of　the　battalion　beginning　a　new　day。　Beyond　and　about　us；　more　familiar　still；　lay　an　exquisite　man…made　landscape。　It　was　a　sequestered　place；　enclosed　and　embraced　in　a　single；　winding　valley。　Our　camp　lay　along　one　gentle　slope；　opposite　us　the　ground　led；　still　unravished；　to　the　neighbourly　horizon；　and　between　us　flowed　a　stream　…　it　was　named　the　Bride　and　rose　not　two　miles　away　at　a　farm　called　Bridesprings；　where　we　used　sometimes　to　walk　to　tea；　it　became　a　considerable　river　lower　down　before　it　joined　the　Avon　…　which　had　been　dammed　here　to　form　three　lakes；　one　no　more　than　a　wet　slate　among　the　reeds；　but　the　others　more　spacious；　reflecting　the　clouds　and　the　mighty　beeches　at　their　margin。　The　woods　were　all　of　oak　and　beech；　the　oak　grey　and　bare；　the　beech　faintly　dusted　with　green　by　the　breaking　buds；　they　made　a　simple；　carefully　designed　pattern　with　the　green　glades　and　the　wide　green　spaces　…　Did　the　fallow　deer　graze　here　still？　…　and；　lest　the　eye　wander　aimlessly；　a　Doric　temple　stood　by　the　water's　edge；　and　an　ivy…grown　arch　spanned　the　lowest　of　the　connecting　weirs。　All　this　had　been　planned　and　planted　a　century　and　a　half　ago　so　that；　at　about　this　date；　it　might　be　seen　in　its　maturity；　From　where　I　stood　the　house　was　hidden　by　a　green　spur；　but　I　knew　well　how　and　where　it　lay；　couched　among　the　lime　trees　like　a　hind　in　the　bracken。
　　　　Hooper；　came　sidling　up　and　greeted　me　with　his　much　imitated　but　inimitable　salute。　His　face　was　grey　from　his　night's　vigil　and　he　had　not　yet　shaved。
　　　　'〃B〃　pany　　relieved　us。　I've　sent　the　chaps　off　to　get　cleaned　up。'
　　　　'Good。'
　　　　'The　house　is　up　there；　round　the　corner。'
　　　　〃Yes。'　I　said。
　　　　'Brigade　Headquarters　are　ing　there　next　week。　Great　barrack　of　a　place。　I've　just　had　a　snoop　round。　Very　ornate；　I'd　call　it。　And　a　queer　thing；　there's　a　sort　of　R。C。　Church　attached。　I　looked　in　and　there　was　a　kind　of　service　going　on　…　just　a　padre　and　one　old　man。　I　felt　very　awkward。　More　in　your　line　than　mine。'　Perhaps　I　seemed　not　to　hear；　in　a　final　effort　to　excite　my　interest　he　said：　'There's　a　frightful　great　fountain；　too；　in　front　of　the　steps；　all　rocks　and　sort　of　carved　animals。　You　never　saw　such　a　thing。'
　　　　'Yes；　Hooper；　I　did。　I've　been　here　before。'
　　　　The　words　seemed　to　ring　back　to　me　enriched　from　the　vaults　of　my　dungeon。
　　　　'Oh　well；　you　know　all　about　it。　I'll　go　and　get　cleaned　up。'
　　　　'I　had　been　there　before；　I　knew　all　about　it。

BOOK　ONE

ET　IN　ACARDIA　EGO

＇1＇

'I　HAVE　been　here　before；'　I　said；　I　had　been　there　before；　first　with　Sebastian　more　than　twenty　years　ago　on　a　cloudless　day　in　June；　when　the　ditches　were　creamy　with　meadowsweet　and　the　air　heavy　with　all　the　scents　of　summer；　it　was　a　day　of　peculiar　splendour；　and　though　I　had　been　there　so　often；　in　so　many　moods；　it　was　to　that　first　visit　that　my　heart　returned　on　this；　my　latest。
　　　　That　day；　too；　I　had　e　not　knowing　my　destination。　It　was　Eights　Week。　Oxford　…　submerged　now　and　obliterated；　irrecoverable　as　Lyonnesse；　so　quickly　have　the　waters　e　flooding　…in　…　Oxford；　in　those　days；　was　still　a　city　of　aquatint。　In　her　spacious　and　quiet　streets　men　walked　and　spoke　as　they　had　done　in　Newman's　day；　her　autumnal　mists；　her　grey　springtime；　and　the　rare　glory　of　her　summer　days　…　such　as　that