The Happy Foreigner | Page 9

in eternal rain. "What was I?" thought Fanny in amazement. "To what had I come, in that black hut!" And she thought that she had run down to the bottom of living, lain on that hard floor where the poor lie, known what it was to live as the poor live, in a hole, without generosity, beauty, or privacy--in a hole, dirty and cold, plain and coarse.
She glanced at her neighbour with wonder and appreciation, delight and envy. There was a light, clean scent upon his hair. She saw his hands, his nails. And her own.
A young Jew opposite her had his hair curled, and a faint powdery bloom about his face.
("But never mind! That is civilisation. There are people who turn from that and cry for nature, but I, since I've lived as a dog, when I see artifice, feel gay!")
"You don't know with what interest you have been awaited."
"We?"
"Ah, yes! And were you pleased to come?"
"We did not know to what we were coming!"
"And now?..."
She looked round the table peacefully, listened to the light voices talking a French she had never heard at Bar.
"And now?..."
"I could not make you understand how different...." (No, she would not tell him how they had lived at Bar. She was ashamed.) But as she was answering the servant gave him a message and he was called away. When he returned he said: "The Commandant Dormans is showing himself very anxious."
The Jew laughed and said: "He wants to see these ladies this evening?"
"No, he spares them that, knowing of their journey. He sends a message by the Capitaine Chatel to tell us that the D.S.A. gives a dance to-morrow night. The personal invitation will be sent by messenger in the morning. You dance, mademoiselle?"
"There is a dance, and we are invited? Yes, yes, I dance! You asked if I was happy now that I am here. To us this might be Babylon, after the desert!"
"Babylon, the wicked city?"
"The gay, the light, beribboned city! What is the 'D.S.A.'?"
"A power which governs our actions. We are but the C.R.A.... the regulating control. But they are the Direction. 'Direction Service Automobile.' They draw up all traffic rules for the Army, dispose of cars, withdraw them. On them you depend and I depend. But they are well-disposed towards you."
"And the Commandant Dormans is the head?"
"The head of all transport. He is a great man. Very peculiar."
"The Capitaine Chatel?"
"His aide, his right hand, the nearest to his ear."
Dinner over, the young Jew, Reherrey, having sent for two cars from the garage, drove the tired Englishwomen to their billets. As the cars passed down the cobbled streets and over a great bridge, Fanny saw water gleam in the gulf below.
"What river is that?"
"The Moselle."
A sentry challenged them on the far side of the bridge. "Now we are in the outer town, the German quarter."
In a narrow street whose houses overhung the river each of the section was put down at a different doorway, given a paper upon which was inscribed her right to billets, and introduced in Reherry's rapid German to her landlady.
Fanny in her turn, following the young man through a dark doorway, found herself in a stone alley and climbed the windings of a stairway. A girl of twelve or thirteen received her on the upper landing, saying "Guten Abend," and looking at her with wonder.
"Where is your mother?" said Reherry.
"She is out with my eldest sister."
"What is your name?"
"Elsa."
"Then, Elsa, look after this lady. Take her to her room, the room I saw your mother about, give her hot water, and bring her breakfast in the morning. Take great care of her."
"Jawohl, mein Herr."
Reherry turned away and ran down the stairs. Elsa showed Fanny to a room prepared for her.
"You are English?" said Elsa, and could not take her eyes off her.
"Yes, I am English. And are you German?" (Question so impossible, so indiscreet in England...)
"I am real German, from Coblentz. How did you come here, Fr?ulein?"
"In a car."
"But from England! Is there not water?"
"I crossed the water in a ship, and afterwards I came here in a car."
"You have a motor car? But every one is rich in England."
"Oh, not very..."
"Yes, every one. Mother says so."
The girl went away, then brought her a jug of hot water.
"I hope," said Fanny, venturing upon a sea of forgotten German, "I hope I haven't turned you or your sister out of this room."
"This is the strangers' room," said Elsa. "I thank you."
When she had gone, Fanny looked round the room. It was too German to be true. The walls were dark red, the curtains dark red, the carpet, eiderdown, rep cover of the armchair, plush on the photograph frames, embroidered mats upon the washstand, tiles upon the stove, everything a deep, dark red. Four mugs stood upon the