精校书屋

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第12部分（第3页）

〃You　cant。　You　shouldnt。〃

〃e　on。　Dont　talk。　Please　e　on。〃

Catherine　sat　in　a　chair　by　the　bed。　The　door　was　open　into　the　hall。　The　wildness　was　gone　and　I　felt　finer　than　I　had　ever　felt。

She　asked；　〃Now　do　you　believe　I　love　you？〃

〃Oh；　youre　lovely；〃　I　said。　〃Youve　got　to　stay。　They　cant　send　you　away。　Im　crazy　in　love　with　you。〃

〃Well　have　to　be　awfully　careful。　That　was　just　madness。　We　cant　do　that。〃

〃We　can　at　night。〃

〃Well　have　to　be　awfully　careful。　Youll　have　to　be　careful　in　front　of　other　people。〃

〃I　will。〃

〃Youll　have　to　be。　Youre　sweet。　You　do　love　me；　dont　you？〃

〃Dont　say　that　again。　You　dont　know　what　that　does　to　me。〃

〃Ill　be　careful　then。　I　dont　want　to　do　anything　more　to　you。　I　have　to　go　now；　darling；　really。〃

〃e　back　right　away。〃

〃Ill　e　when　I　can。〃

〃Good…by。〃

〃Good…by；　sweet。〃

She　went　out。　God　knows　I　had　not　wanted　to　fall　in　love　with　her。　I　had　not　wanted　to　fall　in　love　with　any　one。　But　God　knows　I　had　and　I　lay　on　the　bed　in　the　room　of　the　hospital　in　Milan　and　all　sorts　of　things　went　through　my　head　but　I　felt　wonderful　and　finally　Miss　Gage　came　in。

〃The　doctors　ing；〃　she　said。　〃He　telephoned　from　Lake　o。〃

〃When　does　he　get　here？〃

〃Hell　be　here　this　afternoon。〃

15

Nothing　happened　until　afternoon。　The　doctor　was　a　thin　quiet　little　man　who　seemed　disturbed　by　the　war。　He　took　out　a　number　of　small　steel　splinters　from　my　thighs　with　delicate　and　refined　distaste。　He　used　a　local　anaesthetic　called　something　or　other　〃snow；〃　which　froze　the　tissue　and　avoided　pain　until　the　probe；　the　scalpel　or　the　forceps　got　below　the　frozen　portion。　The　anxsthetized　area　was　clearly　defined　by　the　patient　and　after　a　time　the　doctors　fragile　delicacy　was　exhausted　and　he　said　it　would　be　better　to　have　an　X…ray。　Probing　was　unsatisfactory；　he　said。

The　X…ray　was　taken　at　the　Ospedale　Maggiore　and　the　doctor　who　did　it　was　excitable；　efficient　and　cheerful。　It　was　arranged　by　holding　up　the　shoulders；　that　the　patient　should　see　personally　some　of　the　larger　foreign　bodies　through　the　machine。　The　plates　were　to　be　sent　over。　The　doctor　requested　me　to　write　in　his　pocket　notebook；　my　name；　and　regiment　and　some　sentiment。　He　declared　that　the　foreign　bodies　were　ugly；　nasty；　brutal。　The　Austrians　were　sons　of　bitches。　How　many　had　I　killed？　I　had　not　killed　any　but　I　was　anxious　to　please……and　I　said　I　had　killed　plenty。　Miss　Gage　was　with　me　and　the　doctor　put　his　arm　around　her　and　said　she　was　more　beautiful　than　Cleopatra。　Did　she　understand　that？　Cleopatra　the　former　queen　of　Egypt。　Yes；　by　God　she　was。　We　returned　to　the　little　hospital　in　the　ambulance　and　after　a　while　and　much　lifting　I　was　upstairs　and　in　bed　again。　The　plates　came　that　afternoon；　the　doctor　had　said　by　God　he　would　have　them　that　afternoon　and　he　did。　Catherine　Barkley　showed　them　to　me。　They　were　in　red　envelopes　and　she　took　them　out　of　the　envelopes　and　held　them　up　to　the　light　and　we　both　looked。

〃Thats　your　right　leg；〃　she　said；　then　put　the　plate　back　in　the　envelope。　〃This　is　your　left。〃

〃Put　them　away；〃　I　said；　〃and　e　over　to　the　bed。〃

〃I　cant；〃　she　said。　〃I　just　brought　them　in　for　a　second　to　show　you。〃

She　went　out　and　I　lay　there。　It　was　a　hot　afternoon　and　I　was　sick　of　lying　in　bed。　I　sent　the　porter　for　the　papers；　all　the　papers　he　could　get。

Before　he　came　back　three　doctors　came　into　the　room。　I　have　noticed　that　doctors　who　fail　in　the　practice　of　medicine　have　a　tendency　to　seek　one　anothers　pany　and　aid　in　consultation。　A　doctor　who　cannot　take　out　your　appendix　properly　will　remend　to　you　a　doctor　who　will　be　unable　to　remove　your　tonsils　with　success。　These　were　three　such　doctors。

〃This　is　the　young　man；〃　said　the　house　doctor　with　the　delicate　hands。

〃How　do　you　do？〃　said　the　tall　gaunt　doctor　with　the　beard。　The　third　doctor；　who　carried　the　X…ray　plates　in　their　red　envelopes；　said　nothing。

〃Remove　the　dressings？〃　questioned　the　bearded　doctor。

〃Certainly。　Remove　the　dressings；　please；　nurse；〃　the　house　doctor　said　to　Miss　Gage。　Miss　Gage　removed　the　dressings。　I　looked　down　at　the　legs。　At　the　field　hospital　they　had　the　look　of　not　too　freshly　ground　hamburger　steak。　Now　they　were　crusted　and　the　knee　was　swollen　and　discolored　and　the　calf　sunken　but　there　was　no　pus。

〃Very　clean；〃　said　the　house　doctor。　〃Very　clean　and　nice。〃

〃Urn；〃　said　the　doctor　with

三年抱俩，冷硬军官别太宠  月在回廊新月如钩_(全书已完结)  侍灵记  [HP]成为獾祖的人生  北后  四合院：从杀猪佬开始  言咒师  师兄竟是战略级房产经纪大师  药膳空间[种田养子] 作者:辣椒拌饭  小宫女(辣)  我只想闯荡江湖  重生之成就非凡  爱恨交织  昆仑镜之宁不臣  斗罗：千仞雪的伐神之路  郭靖,别跑(  爱江山  邪妃盗情:粘人相公太妖娆  奇怪的运动  一默如雷