第30章

第30章heatealittle,threeorfourspoonfuls,withoutappetite,asitweremechanically.hisheadachedless.afterhismealhestretchedhimselfonthesofaagain,butnowhecouldnotsleep;helaywithoutstirring,withhisfaceinthepillow.hewashauntedbyday-dreamsandsuchstrangeday-dreams;inone,thatkeptrecurring,hefanciedthathewasinafrica,inegypt,insomesortofoasis.thecaravanwasresting,thecamelswerepeacefullylyingdown;thepalmsstoodallaroundinacompletecircle;allthepartywereatdinner.buthewasdrinkingwaterfromaspringwhichflowedgurglingcloseby.anditwassocool,itwaswonderful,wonderful,blue,coldwaterrunningamongtheparti-colouredstonesandoverthecleansandwhichglistenedhereandtherelikegold.…suddenlyheheardaclockstrike.hestarted,rousedhimself,raisedhishead,lookedoutofthewindow,andseeinghowlateitwas,suddenlyjumpedupwideawakeasthoughsomeonehadpulledhimoffthesofa.hecreptontiptoetothedoor,stealthilyopeneditandbeganlisteningonthestaircase.hisheartbeatterribly.butallwasquietonthestairsasifeveryonewasasleep.…itseemedtohimstrangeandmonstrousthathecouldhavesleptinsuchforgetfulnessfromthepreviousdayandhaddonenothing,hadpreparednothingyet.…andmeanwhileperhapsithadstrucksix.andhisdrowsinessandstupefactionwerefollowedbyanextraordinary,feverish,asitweredistractedhaste.butthepreparationstobemadewerefew.heconcentratedallhisenergiesonthinkingofeverythingandforgettingnothing;andhisheartkeptbeatingandthumpingsothathecouldhardlybreathe.firsthehadtomakeanooseandsewitintohisovercoat—aworkofamoment.herummagedunderhispillowandpickedoutamongstthelinenstuffedawayunderit,awornout,oldunwashedshirt.fromitsragshetorealongstrip,acoupleofincheswideandaboutsixteenincheslong.hefoldedthisstripintwo,tookoffhiswide,strongsummerovercoatofsomestoutcottonmaterial(hisonlyoutergarment)andbegansewingthetwoendsoftheragontheinside,undertheleftarmhole.hishandsshookashesewed,buthediditessfullysothatnothingshowedoutsidewhenheputthecoatonagain.theneedleandthreadhehadgotreadylongbeforeandtheylayonhistableinapieceofpaper.asforthenoose,itwasaveryingeniousdeviceofhisown;thenoosewasintendedfortheaxe.itwasimpossibleforhimtocarrytheaxethroughthestreetinhishands.andifhiddenunderhiscoathewouldstillhavehadtosupportitwithhishand,whichwouldhavebeennoticeable.nowhehadonlytoputtheheadoftheaxeinthenoose,anditwouldhangquietlyunderhisarmontheinside.puttinghishandinhiscoatpocket,hecouldholdtheendofthehandlealltheway,sothatitdidnotswing;andasthecoatwasveryfull,aregularsackinfact,itcouldnotbeseenfromoutsidethathewasholdingsomethingwiththehandthatwasinthepocket.thisnoose,too,hehaddesignedafortnightbefore.

whenhehadfinishedwiththis,hethrusthishandintoalittleopeningbetweenhissofaandthefloor,fumbledintheleftcorneranddrewoutthepledge,whichhehadgotreadylongbeforeandhiddenthere.thispledgewas,however,onlyasmoothlyplanedpieceofwoodthesizeandthicknessofasilvercigarettecase.hepickedupthispieceofwoodinoneofhiswanderingsinacourtyardwheretherewassomesortofaworkshop.afterwardshehadaddedtothewoodathinsmoothpieceofiron,whichhehadalsopickedupatthesametimeinthestreet.puttingtheironwhichwasalittlethesmalleronthepieceofwood,hefastenedthemveryfirmly,crossingandre-crossingthethreadroundthem;thenwrappedthemcarefullyanddaintilyincleanwhitepaperandtieduptheparcelsothatitwouldbeverydifficulttountieit.thiswasinordertodiverttheattentionoftheoldwomanforatime,whileshewastryingtoundotheknot,andsotogainamoment.theironstripwasaddedtogiveweight,sothatthewomanmightnotguessthefirstminutethatthe“thing”wasmadeofwood.allthishadbeenstoredbyhimbeforehandunderthesofa.hehadonlyjustgotthepledgeoutwhenheheardsomeonesuddenlyaboutintheyard.

“itstrucksixlongago.”

“longago!mygod!”

herushedtothedoor,listened,caughtuphishatandbegantodescendhisthirteenstepscautiously,noiselessly,likeacat.hehadstillthemostimportantthingtodo—tostealtheaxefromthekitchen.thatthedeedmustbedonewithanaxehehaddecidedlongago.hehadalsoapocketpruning-knife,buthecouldnotrelyontheknifeandstilllessonhisownstrength,andsoresolvedfinallyontheaxe.wemaynoteinpassing,onepeculiarityinregardtoallthefinalresolutionstakenbyhiminthematter;theyhadonestrangecharacteristic:themorefinaltheywere,themorehideousandthemoreabsurdtheyatoncebecameinhiseyes.inspiteofallhisagonisinginwardle,heneverforasingleinstantallthattimecouldbelieveinthecarryingoutofhisplans.