按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Twice I have told you that we do not wear skirts；〃 Robert Jordan said。 〃Neither drunk nor in joke。〃
〃But under your skirts；〃 Pablo insisted。 〃Since it is well known that you wear skirts。 Even the soldiers。 I have seen photographs and also I have seen them in the Circus of Price。 What do you wear under your skirts； _Ingl閟？_〃
〃_Los cojones_；〃 Robert Jordan said。
Anselmo laughed and so did the others who were listening； all except Fernando。 The sound of the word； of the gross word spoken before the women； was offensive to him。
〃Well； that is normal；〃 Pablo said。 〃But it seems to me that with enough _cojones_ you would not wear skirts。〃
〃Don't let him get started again； _Ingl閟_；〃 the flat…faced man with the broken nose who was called Primitivo said。 〃He is drunk。 Tell me； what do they raise in your country？〃
〃Cattle and sheep；〃 Robert Jordan said。 〃Much grain also and beans。 And also much beets for sugar。〃
The three were at the table now and the others sat close by except Pablo； who sat by himself in front of a bowl of the wine。 It was the same stew as the night before and Robert Jordan ate it hungrily。
〃In your country there are mountains？ With that name surely there are mountains；〃 Primitivo asked politely to make conversation。 He was embarrassed at the drunkenness of Pablo。
〃Many mountains and very high。〃
〃And are there good pastures？〃
〃Excellent； high pasture in the summer in forests controlled by the government。 Then in the fall the cattle are brought down to the lower ranges。〃
〃Is the land there owned by the peasants？〃
〃Most land is owned by those who farm it。 Originally the land was owned by the state and by living on it and declaring the intent~on of improving it； a man could obtain a title to a hundred and fifty hectares。〃
〃Tell me how this is done；〃 Agust韓 asked。 〃That is an agrarian reform which means something。〃
Robert Jordan explained the process of homesteading。 He had never thought of it before as an agrarian reform。
〃That is magnificent；〃 Primitivo said。 〃Then you have a communism in your country？〃
〃No。 That is done under the Republic。〃
〃For me；〃 Agust韓 said； 〃everything can be done under the Republic。 I see no need for other form of government。〃
〃Do you have no big proprietors？〃 Andr閟 asked。
〃Many。〃
〃Then there must be abuses。〃
〃Certainly。 There are many abuses。〃
〃But you will do away with them？〃
〃We try to more and more。 But there are many abuses still。〃
〃But there are not great estates that must be broken up？〃
〃Yes。 But there are those who believe that taxes will break them up。〃
〃How？〃
Robert Jordan； wiping out the stew bowl with bread； explained how the income tax and inheritance tax worked。 〃But the big estates remain。 Also there are taxes on the land；〃 he said。
〃But surely the big proprietors and the rich will make a revolution against such taxes。 Such taxes appear to me to be revolutionary。 They will revolt against the government when they see that they are threatened； exactly as the fascists have done here；〃 Primitivo said。
〃It is possible。〃
〃Then you will have to fight in your country as we fight here。〃
〃Yes； we will have to fight。〃
〃But are there not many fascists in your country？〃
〃There are many who do not know they are fascists but will find it out when the time comes。〃
〃But you cannot destroy them until they rebel？〃
〃No；〃 Robert Jordan said。 〃We cannot destroy them。 But we can educate the people so that they will fear fascism and recognize it as it appears and combat it。〃
〃Do you know where there are no fascists？〃 Andr閟 asked。
〃Where？〃
〃In the town of Pablo；〃 Andr閟 said and grinned。
〃You know what was done in that village？〃 Primitivo asked Robert Jordan。
〃Yes。 I have heard the story。〃
〃From Pilar？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃You could not hear all of it from the woman；〃 Pablo said heavily。 〃Because she did not see the end of it because she fell from a chair outside of the window。〃
〃You tell him what happened then；〃 Pilar said。 〃Since I know not the story； let you tell it。〃
〃Nay；〃 Pablo said。 〃I have never told it。〃
〃No；〃 Pilar said。 〃And you will not tell it。 And now you wish it had not happened。〃
〃No；〃 Pablo said。 〃That is not true。 And if all had killed the fascists as I did we would not have this war。 But I would not have had it happen as it happened。〃
〃Why do you say that？〃 Primitivo asked him。 〃Are you changing your politics？〃
〃No。 But it was barbarous；〃 Pablo said。 〃In those days I was very barbarous。〃
〃And now you are drunk；〃 Pilar said。
〃Yes；〃 Pablo said。 〃With your permission。〃
〃I liked you better when you were barbarous；〃 the woman said。 〃Of all men the drunkard is the foulest。 The thief when he is not stealing is like another。 The extortioner does not practise in the home。 The murderer when he is at home can wash his hands。 But the drunkard stinks and vomits in his own bed and dissolves his organs in alcohol。〃
〃You are a woman and you do not understand；〃 Pablo said equably。 〃I am drunk on wine and I would be happy except for those people I have killed。 All of them fill me with sorrow。〃 He shook his head lugubriously。
〃Give him some of that which Sordo brought；〃 Pilar said。 〃Give him something to animate him。 He is becoming too sad to bear。〃
〃If I could restore them to life； I would；〃 Pablo said。
〃Go and obscenity thyself；〃 Agust韓 said to him。 〃What sort of place is this？〃
〃I would bring them all back to life；〃 Pablo said sadly。 〃Every one。〃
〃Thy mother；〃 Agust韓 shouted at him。 〃Stop talking like this or get out。 Those were fascists you killed。〃
〃You heard me；〃 Pablo said。 〃I would restore them all to life。〃
〃And then you would walk on the water；〃 Pilar said。 〃In my life I have never seen such a man。 Up until yesterday you preserved some remnants of manhood。 And today there is not enough of you left to make a sick kitten。 Yet you are happy in your soddenness。〃
〃We should have killed all or none；〃 Pablo nodded his head。 〃All or none。〃
〃Listen； _Ingl閟_；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃How did you happen to come to Spain？ Pay no attention to Pablo。 He is drunk。〃
〃I came first twelve years ago to study the country and the language；〃 Robert Jordan said。 〃I teach Spanish in a university。〃
〃You look very little like a professoi〃 Primitivo said。
〃He has no beard；〃 Pablo said。 〃Look at him。 He has no beard。〃
〃Are you truly a professor？〃
〃An instructor。〃
〃But you teach？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃But why Spanish？〃 Andr閟 asked。 〃Would it not be easier to teach English since you are English？〃
〃He speaks Spanish as we do；〃 Anselmo said。 〃Why should he not teach Spanish？〃
〃Yes。 But it is； in a way； presumptuous for a foreigner to teach Spanish；〃 Fernando said。 〃I mean nothing against you； Don Roberto。〃
〃He's a false professor；〃 Pablo said； very pleased with himself。 〃He hasn't got a beard。〃
〃Surely you know English better；〃 Fernando said。 〃Would it not be better and easier and clearer to teach English？〃
〃He doesn't teach it to Spaniards〃 Pilar started to intervene。
〃I should hope not；〃 Fernando said。
〃Let me finish； you mule；〃 Pilar said to him。 〃He teaches Spanish to Americans。 North Americans。〃
〃Can they not speak Spanish？〃 Fernando asked。 〃South Americans can。〃
〃Mule；〃 Pilar said。 〃He tea