brideshead+revisited-第77章

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　　　　I　stayed　with　her　for　half　an　hour；　and　left　promising　to　return　often。　When　I　reached　the　hall　I　found　no　sign　of　work　and　Hooper　looking　guilty。
　　　　'They　had　to　go　off　to　draw　the　bed…straw。　I　didn't　know　till　Sergeant　Block　told　me。　I　don't　know　whether　they're　ing　back。'
　　　　'Don't　know？　What　orders　did　you　give？'
　　　　'Well；　I　told　Sergeant　Block　to　bring　them　back　if　he　thought　it　was　worthwhile；　I　mean　if　there　was　time　before　dinner。'
　　　　It　was　nearly　twelve。　'You've　been　hotted　again；　Hooper。　That　straw　was　to　be　drawn　any　time　before　six　tonight。'
　　　　'Oh　Lor；　sorry；　Ryder。　Sergeant　Block　…　'
　　　　'It's　my　own　fault　for　going　away。。。Fall　in　the　same　party　immediately　after　dinner；　bring　them　back　here　and　keep　them　here　till　the　job's　done。'
　　　　'Rightyoh。　I　say；　did　you　say　you　knew　this　place　before？'
　　　　'Yes；　very　well。　It　belongs　to　friends　of　mine；'　and　as　I　said　the　words　they　sounded　as　odd　in　my　I　ears　as　Sebastian's　had　done；　when；　instead　of　saying；　'It　is　my　home；'　he　said；　'It　is　where　my　family　live。'
　　　　'It　doesn't　seem　to　make　any　sense　…　one　family　in　a　place　this　size。　What's　the　use　of　it？'
　　　　'Well；　I　suppose　Brigade　are　finding　it　useful。'
　　　　'But　that's　not　what　it　was　built　for；　is　it？'
　　　　'No；'　I　said；　'not　what　it　was　built　for。　Perhaps　that's　one　of　the　pleasures　of　building；　like　having　a　son；　wondering　how　he'll　grow　up。　I　don't　know；　I　never　built　anything；　and　I　forfeited　the　right　to　watch　my　son　grow　up。　I'm　homeless；　childless；　middle…aged；　loveless；　Hooper。'　He　looked　to　see　if　I　was　being　funny；　decided　that　I　was；　and　laughed。　'Now　go　back　to　camp；　keep　out　of　the　C。O。's　way；　if　he's　back　from　his　recce；　and　don't　let　on　to　anyone　that　we've　made　a　nonsense　of　the　morning。'
　　　　'Okey；　Ryder。'
　　　　There　was　one　part　of　the　house　I　had　not　yet　visited；　and　I　went　there　now。　The　chapel　showed　no　ill…effects　of　its　long　neglect；　the　art…nouveau　paint　was　as　fresh　and　bright　as　ever；　the　art…nouveau　lamp　burned　once　more　before　the　altar。　I　said　a　prayer；　an　ancient；　newly…learned　form　of　words；　and　left；　turning　towards　the　camp；　and　as　I　walked　back；　and　the　cook…house　bugle　sounded　ahead　of　me；　I　thought：
　　　　'The　builders　did　not　know　the　uses　to　which　their　work　would　descend；　they　made　a　new　house　with　the　stones　of　the　old　castle；　year　by　year；　generation　after　generation；　they　enriched　and　extended　it；　year　by　year　the　great　harvest　of　timber　in　the　park　grew　to　ripeness；　until；　in　sudden　frost；　came　the　age　of　Hooper；　the　place　was　desolate　and　the　work　all　brought　to　nothing；　Quomodo　sedet　sola　civitas。　Vanity　of　vanities；　all　is　vanity。
　　　　'And　yet；'　I　thought；　stepping　out　more　briskly　towards　the　camp；　where　the　bugles　after　a　pause　had　taken　up　the　second　call　and　were　sounding　'Pick…em…up；　pick…em…up；　hot　potatoes'；　'and　yet　that　is　not　the　last　word；　it　is　not　even　an　apt　word；　it　is　a　dead　word　from　ten　years　back。
　　　　'Something　quite　remote　from　anything　the　builders　intended；　has　e　out　of　their　work；　and　out　of　the　fierce　little　human　tragedy　in　which　I　played；　something　none　of　us　thought　about　at　the　time；　a　small　red　flame　…　a　beaten…copper　lamp　of　deplorable　design　relit　before　the　beaten…copper　doors　of　a　tabernacle；　the　flame　which　the　old　knights　saw　from　their　tombs；　which　they　saw　put　out；　that　flame　burns　again　for　other　soldiers；　far　from　home；　farther；　in　heart；　than　Acre　or　Jerusalem。　It　could　not　have　been　lit　but　for　the　builders　and　the　tragedians；　and　there　I　found　it　this　morning；　burning　anew　among　the　old　stones。'
　　　　I　quickened　my　pace　and　reached　the　hut　which　served　us　for　our　ante…room。
　　　　'You're　looking　unusually　cheerful　today；'　said　the　second…in…mand。