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ce。 Did you see the planes？〃
〃I un…name in the milk of their motors；〃 Agust韓 said； nodding his head and biting his lower lip。
〃That's something；〃 Pilar said。 〃That is really something。 But really difficult of execution。〃
〃At that altitude； yes；〃 Agust韓 grinned。 〃_Desde luego_。 But it is better to joke。〃
〃Yes；〃 the woman of Pablo said。 〃It is much better to joke； and you are a good man and you joke with force。〃
〃Listen； Pilar；〃 Agust韓 said seriously。 〃Something is preparing。 It is not true？〃
〃How does it seem to you？〃
〃Of a foulness that cannot be worse。 Those were many planes； woman。 Many planes。〃
〃And thou hast caught fear from them like all the others？〃
〃_Qu椤a_；〃 said Agust韓。 〃What do you think they are preparing？〃
〃Look；〃 Pilar said。 〃From this boy coming for the bridges obviously the Republic is preparing an offensive。 From these planes obviously the Fascists are preparing to meet it。 But why show the planes？〃
〃In this war are many foolish things；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃In this war there is an idiocy without bounds。〃
〃Clearly；〃 said Pilar。 〃Otherwise we could not be here。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Agust韓。 〃We swim within the idiocy for a year now。 But Pablo is a man of much understanding。 Pablo is very wily。〃
〃Why do you say this？〃
〃I say it。〃
〃But you must understand；〃 Pilar explained。 〃It is now too late to be saved by wiliness and he has lost the other。〃
〃I understand；〃 said Agust韓。 〃I know we must go。 And since we must win to survive ultimately； it is necessary that the bridges must be blown。 But Pablo； for the coward that he now is； is very smart。〃
〃I； too； am smart。〃
〃No； Pilar；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃You are not smart。 You are brave。 You are loyal。 You have decision。 You have intuition。 Much decision and much heart。 But you are not smart。〃
〃You believe that？〃 the woman asked thoughtfully。
〃Yes； Pilar。〃
〃The boy is smart；〃 the woman said。 〃Smart and cold。 Very cold in the head。〃
〃Yes；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃He must know his business or they would not have him doing this。 But I do not know that he is smart。 Pablo I _know_ is smart。〃
〃But rendered useless by his fear and his disinclination to action。〃
〃But still smart。〃
〃And what do you say？〃
〃Nothing。 I try to consider it intelligently。 In this moment we need to act with intelligence。 After the bridge we must leave at once。 All must be prepared。 We must know for where we are leaving and how。〃
〃Naturally。〃
〃For thisPablo。 It must be done smartly。〃
〃I have no confidence in Pablo。〃
〃In this； yes。〃
〃No。 You do not know how far he is ruined。〃
〃_Pero es muy vivo_。 He is very smart。 And if we do not do this smartly we are obscenitied。〃
〃I will think about it；〃 Pilar said。 〃I have the day to think about it。〃
〃For the bridges； the boy；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃This he must know。 Look at the fine manner in which the other organized the train。〃
〃Yes；〃 Pilar said。 〃It was really he who planned all。〃
〃You for energy and resolution；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃But Pablo for the moving。 Pablo for the retreat。 Force him now to study it。〃
〃You are a man of intelligence。〃
〃Intelligent； yes；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃But _sin picardia_。 Pablo for that。〃
〃With his fear and all？〃
〃With his fear and all。〃
〃And what do you think of the bridges？〃
〃It is necessary。 That I know。 Two things we must do。 We must leave here and we must win。 The bridges are necessary if we are to Win。〃
〃If Pablo is so smart； why does he not see that？〃
〃He wants things as they are for his own weakness。 He wants tO stay in the eddy of his own weakness。 But the river is rising。 Forced to a change； he will be smart in the change。 _Es muy vivo_。〃
〃It is good that the boy did not kill him。〃
〃_Qu椤a_。 The gypsy wanted me to kill him last night。 The gypsy is an animal。〃
〃You're an animal； too；〃 she said。 〃But intelligent。〃
〃We are both intelligent；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃But the talent is Pablo！〃
〃But difficult to put up with。 You do not know how ruined。〃
〃Yes。 But a talent。 Look； Pilar。 To make war all you need is intelligence。 But to win you need talent and material。〃
〃I will think it over；〃 she said。 〃We must start now。 We are late。〃 Then； raising her voice； 〃English！〃 she called。 〃_Ingl閟！_ Come on！ Let us go。〃
10
〃Let us rest；〃 Pilar said to Robert Jordan。 〃Sit down here； Maria； and let us rest。〃
〃We should continue；〃 Robert Jordan said。 〃Rest when we get there。 I must see this man。〃
〃You will see him；〃 the woman told him。 〃There is no hurry。 Sit down here； Maria。〃
〃Come on；〃 Robert Jordan said。 〃Rest at the top。〃
〃I rest now；〃 the woman said； and sat down by the stream。 The girl sat by her in the heather； the sun shining on her hair。 Only Robert Jordan stood looking across the high mountain meadow with the trout brook running through it。 There was heather growing where he stood。 There were gray boulders rising from the yellow bracken that replaced the heather in the lower part of the meadow and below was the dark line of the pines。
〃How far is it to El Sordo's？〃 he asked。
〃Not far；〃 the woman said。 〃It is across this open country； down into the next valley and above the timber at the head of the stream。 Sit thee down and forget thy seriousness。〃
〃I want to see him and get it over with。〃
〃I want to bathe my feet；〃 the woman said and； taking off her rope…soled shoes and pulling off a heavy wool stocking； she put her right foot into the stream。 〃My God； it's cold。〃
〃We should have taken horses；〃 Robert Jordan told her。
〃This is good for me；〃 the woman said。 〃This is what I have been missing。 What's the matter with you？〃
〃Nothing； except that I am in a hurry。〃
〃Then calm yourself。 There is much time。 What a day it is and how I am contented not to be in pine trees。 You cannot imagine how one can tire of pine trees。 Aren't you tired of the pines； _guapa？_〃
〃I like them；〃 the girl said。
〃What can you like about them？〃
〃I like the odor and the feel of the needles under foot。 I like the wind in the high trees and the creaking they make against each other。〃
〃You like anything；〃 Pilar said。 〃You are a gift to any man if you could cook a little better。 But the pine tree makes a forest of boredom。 Thou hast never known a forest of beech； nor of oak； nor of chestnut。 Those are forests。 In such forests each tree differs and there is character and beauty。 A forest of pine trees is boredom。 What do you say； Ingl閟？〃
〃I like the pines； too。〃
〃_Pero； venga_；〃 Pilar said。 〃Two of you。 So do I like the pines； but we have been too long in these pines。 Also I am tired of the mountains。 In mountains there are only two directions。 Down and up and down leads only to the road and the towns of the Fascists。〃
〃Do you ever go to Segovia？〃
〃_Qu椤a_。 With this face？ This is a face that is known。 How would you like to be ugly； beautiful one？〃 she said to Maria。
〃Thou art not ugly。〃
〃_Vamos_； I'm not ugly。 I was born ugly。 All my life I have been ugly。 You； _Ingl閟_； who know nothing about women。 Do you know how an ugly woman feels？ Do you know what it is to be ugly all your life and inside to feel that you are beautiful？ It is very rare；〃 she put the other foot in the stream； then removed it。 〃God； it's cold。 Look at the water wagtail；〃 she said and poin