按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
looked like a child beside him as they walked across the fields。 Suddenly
Sara Lee was terribly afraid she was going to cry。
The troops stood rigidly at attention。 And a cold wind flapped Sara
Lee's skirts； and the guns hammered at Ypres； and the general blew on his
fingers。 And soon a low open car came down the street and the King got
out。 Sara Lee watched him coming … his tall； slightly stooped figure； his
fair hair； his plain blue uniform。 Sara Lee had never seen a king before；
and she had always thought of them as sitting up on a sort of platform …
never as trudging through spring mud。
〃What shall I do？〃 she asked nervously。
〃He will shake hands； mademoiselle。 Bow as he approaches。 That is
all。〃
The amazing interlude； indeed！ With Sara Lee being decorated by the
King； and troops drawn up to do her honor； and over all the rumbling of
the great guns。 A palpitating and dazed Sara Lee； when the decoration was
fastened to her black jacket； a Sara Lee whose hat blew off at exactly the
worst moment and rolled； end on； like a hoop； into a puddle。
But； oddly； she did not mind about the hat。 She had only one conscious
thought just then。 She hoped that； wherever Uncle James might be in that
world of the gone before； he might know what was happening to her … or
even see it He would have liked it。 He had believed in the Belgians and in
… Page 120…
THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
the King。 And now … The King did not go at once。 He went back to the
little house and went through it。 And he and one of his generals climbed to
the upper floor； and the King stood looking out silently toward the land he
loved and which for a time was no longer his。
He came down after a time； stooping his tall figure in the low doorway；
and said he would like some tea。 So Marie put the kettle on； and Sara Lee
and the King talked。 It was all rather dazing。 Every now and then she
forgot certain instructions whispered her by the general； and after a time
the King said： 〃Why do you do that； mademoiselle？〃
For Sara Lee； with an intent face and moving lips； had been stepping
backward。
Sara Lee flushed to the eyes。
〃Because； sire； I was told to remain at a distance of six feet。〃
〃But we are being informal；〃 said the King； smiling。 〃And it is a very
little room。〃
Sara Lee； who had been taught in the schoolroom that kings are
usurpers of the divine rights of the people … Sara Lee lost just a bit of her
staunch democracy that day。 She saw the King of the Belgians for what he
really was； a ruler； but a symbol as well。 He represented his country； as the
Flag she loved represented hers。 The flag was America； the King was
Belgium。 That was all。
It was a very humble and flushed Sara Lee who watched the gray car
go lying up the street later on。 She went in and told the whole story to
Harvey's picture； but it was difficult to feel that he was hearing。 His eyes
were turned away and his face was set and stern。 And at last she gave it up。
This thing which meant so much to her would never mean anything to
Harvey。 She knew； even then； what he would say。
〃Decorate you！ I should think they might。 Medals are cheap。
Everybody over there is getting medals。 You feed their men and risk your
life and your reputation； and they give you a thing to pin on。 It's cheap at
the price。〃
And later on those were Harvey's very words。 But to be fair to him
they were but the sloughing of a wound that would not heal。
… Page 121…
THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
That evening Henri came again。 He was； for the first time； his gay self
again … at least on the surface。 It was as though； knowing what he was
going into； he would leave with Sara Lee no feeling； if he never returned；
that she had inflicted a lasting hurt。 He was everywhere in the little house；
elbowing his way among the men with his cheery nonsense； bantering the
weary ones until they smiled； carrying hot water for Sara Lee and helping
her now and then with a bad dressing。
〃If you would do it in this fashion； mademoiselle；〃 he would say； 〃with
one turn of the bandage over the elbow …〃
But it won't hold that way。〃
〃You say that to me； mademoiselle？ I who have taught you all you
know of bandaging？〃
They would wrangle a bit； and end by doing it in Sara Lee's way。
He had a fund of nonsense that he drew on； too； when a dressing was
painful。 It would run like this； to an early accompaniment of groans：
〃Pierre； what can you put in your left hand that you cannot place in the
right？ Stop grunting like a pig； and think； man！〃
Pierre would give a final rumble and begin to think deeply。
〃I cannot think。 I … in my left hand； monsieur le capitaine？〃
〃In your left hand。〃
The little crowd in the dressing room would draw in close about the
table to listen。
〃I do not know； monsieur。〃
〃Idiot！〃 Henri would say。 〃Your right elbow； man！〃
And the dressing was done。
He had an inexhaustible stock of such riddles； almost never guessed。
He would tell the answer and then laugh delightedly。 And pain seemed to
leave the little room when he entered it。
It was that night that Henri disappeared。
… Page 122…
THE AMAZING INTERLUDE
CHAPTER XVII
THERE was a question to settle； and it was for Henri to do it。 Two
questions indeed。 One was a matter of engineering； and before the bottom
fell out of his world Henri had studied engineering。 The second was more
serious。
For the first； this thing had happened。 Of all the trenches to be held；
the Belgians had undeniably the worst。 Properly speaking they were not
trenches at all； but shallow gutters dug a foot or two into the saturated
ground and then built man…high with bags of earth or sand。 Here and there
they were not dug at all； but were purely shelters； against a railway
embankment； of planks or sandbags； and reinforced by rails from the
deserted track behind which they were hidden。
For this corner of Belgium had been saved by turning it into a shallow
lake。 By opening the gates in the dikes the Allies had let in the sea and
placed a flood in front of the advancing enemy。 The battle front was a
reeking pond。 The opposing armies lived like duck hunters in a swamp。 To
dig a foot was to encounter water。 Machine guns here and there sat but six
inches