the research magnificent-第39部分

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　to　ascend　into　blue　haze；　upward　and　upward　until　they　became　a　purple　curtain　that　filled　half　the　heavens。　The　paved　still　town　was　squalid　by　day；　but　in　the　evening　it　became　theatrically　incredible；　with　an　outdoor　cafe　amidst　flowers　and　creepers；　a　Hungarian　military　band；　a　rabble　of　promenaders　like　a　stage　chorus　in　gorgeous　costumes　and　a　great　gibbous　yellow　moon。　And　there　was　Kroia；　which　Benham　and　Amanda　saw　first　through　the　branches　of　the　great　trees　that　bordered　the　broad　green　track　they　were　following。　　The　town　and　its　castle　were　poised　at　a　tremendous　height；　sunlit　and　brilliant　against　a　sombre　mass　of　storm　cloud；　over　vast　cliffs　and　ravines。　　Kroia　continued　to　be　beautiful　through　a　steep　laborious　approach　up　to　the　very　place　itself；　a　clustering　group　of　houses　and　bazaars　crowned　with　a　tower　and　a　minaret；　and　from　a　painted　corridor　upon　this　crest　they　had　a　wonderful　view　of　the　great　seaward　levels；　and　even　far　away　the　blue　sea　itself　stretching　between　Scutari　and　Durazzo。　　The　eye　fell　in　succession　down　the　stages　of　a　vast　and　various　descent；　on　the　bazaars　and　tall　minarets　of　the　town；　on　jagged　rocks　and　precipices；　on　slopes　of　oak　forest　and　slopes　of　olive　woods；　on　blue　hills　dropping　away　beyond　blue　hills　to　the　coast。　　And　behind　them　when　they　turned　they　saw　great　mountains；　sullenly　magnificent；　cleft　into　vast　irregular　masses；　dense　with　woods　below　and　grim　and　desolate　above。　。　。　。　These　were　unforgettable　scenes；　and　so　too　was　the　wild　lonely　valley　through　which　they　rode　to　Ochrida　amidst　walnut　and　chestnut　trees　and　scattered　rocks；　and　the　first　vision　of　that　place　itself；　with　its　fertile　levels　dotted　with　sheep　and　cattle；　its　castle　and　clustering　mosques；　its　spacious　blue　lake　and　the　great　mountains　rising　up　towards　Olympus　under　the　sun。　　And　there　was　the　first　view　of　the　blue　Lake　of　Presba　seen　between　silvery　beech　stems；　and　that　too　had　Olympus　in　the　far　background；　plain　now　and　clear　and　unexpectedly　snowy。　　And　there　were　midday　moments　when　they　sat　and　ate　under　vines　and　heard　voices　singing　very　pleasantly；　and　there　were　forest　glades　and　forest　tracks　in　a　great　variety　of　beauty　with　mountains　appearing　through　their　parted　branches；　there　were　ilex　woods；　chestnut　woods；　beech　woods；　and　there　were　strings　of　heavily…laden　mules　staggering　up　torrent…　worn　tracks；　and　strings　of　blue…swathed　mysterious…eyed　women　with　burthens　on　their　heads　passing　silently；　and　white　remote　houses　and　ruins　and　deep　gorges　and　precipices　and　ancient　half…ruinous　bridges　over　unruly　streams。　　And　if　there　was　rain　there　was　also　the　ending　of　rain；　rainbows；　and　the　piercing　of　clouds　by　the　sun's　incandescence；　and　sunsets　and　the　moon；　first　full；　then　new　and　then　growing　full　again　as　the　holiday　wore　on。　They　found　tolerable　accommodation　at　Cattaro　and　at　Cettinje　and　at　a　place　halfway　between　them。　　It　was　only　when　they　had　secured　a　guide　and　horses；　and　pushed　on　into　the　south…east　of　Montenegro　that　they　began　to　realize　the　real　difficulties　of　their　journey。　They　aimed　for　a　place　called　Podgoritza；　which　had　a　partially　justifiable　reputation　for　an　inn；　they　missed　the　road　and　spent　the　night　in　the　open　beside　a　fire；　rolled　in　the　blankets　they　had　very　fortunately　bought　in　Cettinje。　　They　supped　on　biscuits　and　Benham's　brandy　flask。　　It　chanced　to　be　a　fine　night；　and；　drawn　like　moths　by　the　fire；　four　heavily…armed　mountaineers　came　out　of　nowhere；　sat　down　beside　Benham　and　Amanda；　rolled　cigarettes；　achieved　conversation　in　bad　Italian　through　the　muleteer　and　awaited　refreshment。　　They　approved　of　the　brandy　highly；　they　finished　it；　and　towards　dawn　warmed　to　song。　　They　did　not　sing　badly；　singing　in　chorus；　but　it　appeared　to　Amanda　that　the　hour　might　have　been　better　chosen。　　In　the　morning　they　were　agreeably　surprised　to　find　one　of　the　Englishmen　was　an　Englishwoman；　and　followed　every　accessible　detail　of　her　toilette　with　great　interest。　　They　were　quite　helpful　about　breakfast　when　the　trouble　was　put　to　them；　two　vanished　over　a　crest　and　reappeared　with　some　sour　milk；　a　slabby　kind　of　bread；　goat's　cheese　young　but　hardened；　and　coffee　and　the　means　of　making　coffee；　and　they　joined　spiritedly　in　the　ensuing　meal。　　It　ought　to　have　been　extraordinarily　good　fun；　this　camp　under　the　vast　heavens　and　these　wild　visitors；　but　it　was　not　such　fun　as　it　ought　to　have　been　because　both　Amanda　and　Benham　were　extremely　cold；　stiff；　sleepy；　grubby　and　cross；　and　when　at　last　they　were　back　in　the　way　to　Podgoritza　and　had　parted；　after　some　present…giving　from　their　chance　friends；　they　halted　in　a　sunlit　grassy　place；　rolled　themselves　up　in　their　blankets　and　recovered　their　arrears　of　sleep。　Podgoritza　was　their　first　experience　of　a　khan；　those　oriental　substitutes　for　hotels；　and　it　was　a　deceptively　good　khan；　indeed　it　was　not　a　khan　at　all；　it　was　an　inn；　it　provided　meals；　it　had　a　kind　of　bar；　or　at　any　rate　a　row　of　bottles　and　glasses；　it　possessed　an　upper　floor　with　rooms；　separate　rooms；　opening　on　to　a　gallery。　　The　room　had　no　beds　but　it　had　a　shelf　about　it　on　which　Amanda　and　Benham　rolled　up　in　their　blankets　and　slept。　　〃We　can　do　this　sort　of　thing　all　right；〃　said　Amanda　and　Benham。　　〃But　we　mustn't　lose　the　way　again。〃　〃In　Scutari；〃　said　Benham；　〃we　will　get　an　extra　horse　and　a　tent。〃　The　way　presently　became　a　lake　and　they　reached　Scutari　by　boat　towards　the　dawn　of　the　next　day。　。　。　。　The　extra　horse　involved　the　addition　of　its　owner；　a　small　suspicious　Latin　Christian；　to　the　company；　and　of　another　horse　for　him　and　an　ugly　almost　hairless　boy　attendant。　　Moreover　the　British　consul　prevailed　with　Benham　to　accept　the　services　of　a　picturesque　Arnaut　CAVASSE；　complete　with　a　rifle；　knives；　and　other　implements　and　the　name　of　Giorgio。　　And　as　they　got　up　into　the　highlands　beyond　Scutari　they　began　to　realize　the　deceitfulness　of　Podgoritza　and　the　real　truth　about　khans。　　Their　next　one　they　reached　after　a　rainy　evening；　and　it　was　a　cavernous　room　with　a　floor　of　indurated　mud　and　full　of　eye…stinging　wood…smoke　and　wind　and　the　smell　of　beasts；　unpartitioned；　with　a　weakly　hostile　custodian　from　whom　no　food　could　be　got　but　a　little　goat's　flesh　and　bread。　　The　meat　Giorgio　stuck　upon　a　skewer　in　gobbets　like　cats…meat　and　cooked　before　the　fire。　　For　drink　there　was　coffee　and　raw　spirits。　Against　the　wall　in　one　corner　was　a　slab　of　wood　rather　like　the　draining　board　in　a　scullery；　and　on　this　the　guests　were　expected　to　sleep。　　The　horses　and　the　rest　of　the　party　camped　loosely　about　the　adjacent　corner　after　a　bitter　dispute　upon　some　unknown　point　between　the　horse　owner　and　the　custodian。　Amanda　and　Benham　were　already　rolled　up　on　their　slanting　board　like　a　couple　of　chrysalids　when　other　company　began　to　arrive　through　the　open　door　out　of　the　moonlight；　drawn　thither　by　the　report　of　a　travelling　Englishwoman。　They　were　sturdy　men　in　light　coloured　garments　adorned　ostentatiously　with　weapons；　they　moved　mysteriously　about　in　the　firelit　darknesses　and　conversed　in　undertones　with　Giorgio。　Giorgio　seemed　to　have　considerable　powers　of　exposition　and　a　gift　for　social　organization。　　Presently　he　came　to　Benham　and　explained　that　raki　was　available　and　that　hospitality　would　do　no　harm；　Benham　and　Amanda　sat　up　and　various　romantic　figures　with　splendid　moustaches　came　forward　and　shook　hands　with　him；　modestly　ignoring　Amanda。　　There　was　drinking；　in　which　Benham　shared；　incomprehensible　compliments；　much　ineffective　saying　of　〃BUONA　NOTTE；〃　and　at　last　Amanda　and　Benham　counterfeited　sleep。　　This　seemed　to　remove　a　check　on　the　conversation　and　a　heated　discussion　in　tense　undertones　went　on；　it　seemed　interminably。　。　。　。　　Probably　very　few　aspects　of　Benham　and　Amanda　were　ignored。　。　。　。　　Towards　morning　the　twanging　of　a　string　proclaimed　the　arrival　of　a　querulous…faced　minstrel　with　a　sort　of　embryonic　one…stringed　horse…headed　fiddle；　and　after　a　brief　parley　singing　began；　a　long　high…pitched　solo。　The　fiddle　squealed　pitifully　under　the　persuasion　of　a　semicircular　bow。　　Two　heads　were　lifted　enquiringly。　The　singer　had　taken　up　his　position　at　their　feet　and　faced　them。　It　was　a　compliment。　〃OH！〃　said　Amanda；　rolling　over。　The　soloist　obliged　with　three　songs；　and　then；　just　as　day　was　breaking；　stopped　abruptly　and　sprawled　suddenly　on　the　floor　as　if　he　had　been　struck　asleep。　　He　was　vocal　even　in　his　sleep。　　A　cock　in　the　far　corner　began　crowing　and　was　answered　by　another　outside。　。　。　。　But　this　does　not　give　a　full　account　of　the　animation　of　the　khan。　〃OH！〃　said　Amanda；　rolling　over　again　with　the　suddenness　of　accumulated　anger。　〃They're　worse　than　in　Scutari；〃　said　Benham；　understanding　her　trouble　instantly。　〃It　isn't　days　and　nights　we　are　having；〃　said　Benham　a　few　days　later；　〃it's　days　and　nightmares。〃　But　both　he　and　Amanda　had　one　quality　in　common。　　The　deeper　their　discomfort　the　less　possible　it　was　to　speak　of　turning　back　from　the　itinerary　they　had　planned。　。　。　。　They　met　no　robbers；　though　an　excited　little　English　Levantine　in　Scutari　had　assured　them　they　would　do　so　and　told　a　vivid　story　of　a　ride　to　Ipek；　a　delay　on　the　road　due　to　a　su