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Show 74 TlllC DARK FOREST to be with any one who knew her is a great happiness yes, a great happiness." "And Reinyonovt" I asked. "I have nothing to say against. Alexei l'etroviteh," he answer ed stitlly. "'hen later I joined the others at the cottage higher up the road taken by the doctors of the llivision. l discovered Irenchardan an ecstasy of happines s. He did not speak to me but h1s shining eyes. the eagernes s with which standing back from the group he watched us all. told me evervthing. Marie Ivanovna had been kind to him. and when I found her in the centre of them, her whole body alert with excitement. I forgot my anger at her earlier unkindness or. it I THE INVISIBLE BATTLE "Come, get upl moved out. 75 It's time for us to start," and then I was conscious that I was cold and irritable. I looked back with surprised contempt to my earlier dramatic emotions. I was hungry: I put on my overcoat, SIIIV‘ cred, came out into the evening, saw the line of wagons sil< houctted against the sky, listened to the perfect. quiet on every side of me, yawned and was vexed to find Trenchard at my side. "\Vhy this is actually dull l" I thought to myself. "It is as though I were going to some dinner that I know before- hand will be exceedingly tiresome-only then I should get some food." remembered it. laid it to the charge of my own imagination l was disappointed at the lack of drama in the affair. I or Trenehards sensitiveness. i U I Indeed we were all excited. How coul d we fail to be? There was some big business toward. and in it we were to have our share. We were, perhaps this very day, to pene- looked at my watehAit. was ten o'clock. Seniyonoy' was arranging everything with a 111asterly disregard of personal trate into the reality of the thing that for nine months now we had been watching. All of us, with our little priv ate his- tories like bundles on our backs, are venturin g out to try our fortune. . . . "'hat are we going to find ?' I remember indeed that early on that afternoon I felt the drama of the whole afl'air so heavily that I saw in ever y soldier who passed me a messenger of fate . They "allf‘ll me to a meal. Eat! Now! How absurd it seem ed! Semyonov watched me cynically: "Eat and then sleep," he said, "or you'll be no use to any one." Afterwards I went back to the kitchen and slept. sleep was the end of my melodrama. t'eelings. lle swore tine Russian oaths. abused the sauitars, always in his cold rather satirical voice. his heavy moving up and down the road with a practical vivid 1:4'~> that stirred my envy and also my annoyance. uttrrly useless. lle ordered me on to my wagon manner that, in my present haltisleepy, halt-surly w-med to me abominably abrupt. tig'uro alert.l tell, in a mood 'I'renchard climbed up, may clumsily. after me. I leaned back on the straw, let my arms fall and lay there. tint on my back. staring straight into the sky. . . \\lith that my mood suddenly changed. I was at peace with the whole world. ,1." 11i;:ht was again thick with a heavy burden oi. :»t;11‘s that seemed to weigh like the silver lid of wine mighty box heavily down. down upon us, until trees TIM I was awakened by a rough hand on my shoulder to find it dark beyond thf? windows and bemyonov watching me impatiently: :nl hills and the dim Varpathian.s were bent tlat beneath the pressure, I lying upon my back. seeing only that sheet oi. rtarx in my ll||>[l'll.\. the smell of the >traw, rocked by the rail" dreamy motion or the wagon, was nlh-d "11h it" "x' |