Page:The Jail, Experiences in 1916.pdf/160

 seemed, very drowsy. You're glad, eh? he burst forth. But you're sleepy, tomorrow will do. He undressed. She looked at him askance like a thief. He lay down, she put out the light and lay down beside him. All without a word. She waited awhile, then she began and wanted to make love. He pushed her aside and turned away. He was hungering for her, but everything within him wept with doleful rage. And he was so tired out that he fell asleep. Scarcer had morning broke than he got up. She pretended to be asleep, but he could see quite well that her eyelids were trembling, and that she was watching him. He dressed. And now get up.

She crept out of bed, then he went for her with a strap. And struck and struck, and thrashed and thrashed. Without asking any questions, and without saying a word. She did not scream, she only sobbed and tried to parry his blows with her hands. Well, he did not strike her face, it was just that face with the blue eyes that he had always been so fond of. And he struck and struck, until her body under her chemise was red and striped like a Scottish plaid. Then he opened the door of the room and the door of the house; clear out. She fled as she was, in her chemise. Day came. He cooked his breakfast, drank coffee, and his tears fell into it.

Then he went to look in the stables, at the garden, the vineyard,—on the other side of the fence he saw the neighbours, who looked at him inquisitiver and talked for talking's sake about the war and what it was like at the front. "But at noon the gendarme came, wanted to know where my wife was. I said l did not know, in the morning I had thrown her out of the house and she had not said where she was going. When had I arrived? In the night, I said. He asked for my papers. Good, the papers were there. He looked at them, the stamp was on my travelling warrant, everything was in order. He said he would have a look round the farm. Good, l went