第9部分(第4/8 頁)

ve　stars。　After　I　leave　here　I'll　go　see　that　English　and　he'll　get　you　an　English　medal。〃

〃They　don't　give　them　like　that。〃

〃You　are　so　modest。　I　will　send　the　liaison　officer。　He　can　handle　the　English。〃

〃Have　you　seen　Miss　Barkley？〃

〃I　will　bring　her　here。　I　will　go　now　and　bring　her　here。〃

〃Don't　go；〃　I　said。　〃Tell　me　about　Gorizia。　How　are　the　girls？〃

〃There　are　no　girls。　For　two　weeks　now　they　haven't　changed　them。　I　don't　go　there　any　more。　It　is　disgraceful。　They　aren't　girls；　they　are　old　war　rades。〃

〃You　don't　go　at　all？〃

〃I　just　go　to　see　if　there　is　anything　new。　I　stop　by。　They　all　ask　for　you。　It　is　a　disgrace　that　they　should　stay　so　long　that　they　bee　friends。〃

〃Maybe　girls　don't　want　to　go　to　the　front　any　more。〃

〃Of　course　they　do。　They　have　plenty　of　girls。　It　is　just　bad　administration。　They　are　keeping　them　for　the　pleasure　of　dugout　hiders　in　the　rear。〃

〃Poor　Rinaldi；〃　I　said。　〃All　alone　at　the　war　with　no　new　girls。〃

Rinaldi　poured　himself　another　glass　of　the　cognac。

〃I　don't　think　it　will　hurt　you；　baby。　You　take　it。〃

I　drank　the　cognac　and　felt　it　warm　all　the　way　down。　Rinaldi　poured　another　glass。　He　was　quieter　now。　He　held　up　the　glass。　〃To　your　valorous　wounds。　To　the　silver　medal。　Tell　me；　baby；　when　you　lie　here　all　the　time　in　the　hot　weather　don't　you　get　excited？〃

〃Sometimes。〃

〃I　can't　imagine　lying　like　that。　I　would　go　crazy。〃