the days of my life

第74部分 (第4/7頁)

ade　of　some　rough　frieze　and　showing　the　outline　of　the　figure　beneath。　The　hair　is　fair；　but　I　cannot　remember　exactly　how　it　was　arranged。　The　woman　is　evidently　in　great　grief。　She　sits；　her　elbow　resting　on　her　knee；　her　chin　in　her　hand；　and　stares　hopelessly　into　the　fire。　Presently　something　attracts　her　attention；　for　she　looks　towards　the　door　by　the　table；　which　opens　and　admits　through　it　a　tall　man；　who；　I　know；　is　myself；　wearing　armour；　for　I　catch　the　sheen　of　it　in　the　firelight。　The　woman　springs　from　the　bench；　runs　round　the　fire；　apparently　screaming；　and　throws　herself　on　to　the　breast　of　the　man。

The　general　impression　left　is　that　she　had　believed　him　to　be　dead　when　he；　probably　her　husband；　appeared　alive　and　well。

（Some　months　later　I　was　favoured　with　an　impression　of　another　scene　set　in　the　same　surroundings。　In　this　picture　postscript；　if　I　may　call　it　so；　the　identical　man　and　woman；　now　persons　of　early　middle　age；　were　standing　together　in　bitter　sorrow　over　the　doubled…up　and　fully…dressed　body　of　a　beautiful　lad　of　about　eighteen　years　of　age。　Although　I　saw　no　wet　upon　his　clothes　I　think　that　he　had　been　drowned。）

5。　The　mouth　of　a　tunnel　or　mine…adit　running　into　a　bare　hillside　strewn　with　rocks　and　debris。　Standing　outside　the　tunnel　a　short；　little　woman　of　about　twenty…five；　with　black　hair；　brown　eyes；　and　brownish　but　not　black　skin；　lightly　clad　in　some　nondescript　kind　of　garment。　Resting　on　her；　his　arms　about　her　shoulders；　an　elderly　man；　very　thin　and　short；　with　a　sad；　finely…cut　face　and　sparse　grizzled　beard；　wearing　a　dingy　loin…cloth。　The　man’s　right　foot　covered　with　blood；　and　so　badly　crushed　that　one　of　the　bones　projects　from　the　instep。　The　woman　weeping。　By　his　side　on　the　ground　a　kind　o