accursedlife；andTHERE——somewherelosttome——thingswerehappening——momentous，terriblethings……Ilivedatnights——mydays，mywakingdays，thislifeIamlivingnow，becameafaded，far-awaydream，adrabsetting，thecoverofthebook。“
　　Hethought。
　　“Icouldtellyouall，tellyoueverylittlethinginthedream，butastowhatIdidinthedaytime——no。Icouldnottell——Idonotremember。Mymemory——mymemoryhasgone。Thebusinessoflifeslipsfromme——“
　　Heleantforward，andpressedhishandsuponhiseyes。Foralongtimehesaidnothing。
　　“Andthen？“saidI。
　　“Thewarburstlikeahurricane。“
　　Hestaredbeforehimatunspeakablethings。
　　“Andthen？“Iurgedagain。
　　“Onetouchofunreality，“hesaid，inthelowtoneofamanwhospeakstohimself，“andtheywouldhavebeennightmares。Buttheywerenotnightmares——theywerenotnightmares。NO！“
　　Hewassilentforsolongthatitdawneduponmethattherewasadangeroflosingtherestofthestory。Buthewentontalkingagaininthesametoneofquestioningself-communion。
　　“Whatwastheretodobutflight？IhadnotthoughtthewarwouldtouchCapri——IhadseemedtoseeCapriasbeingoutofitall，asthecontrasttoitall；buttwonightsafterthewholeplacewasshoutingandbawling，everywomanalmostandeveryothermanworeabadge——Evesham’sbadge——andtherewasnomusicbutajanglingwar-songoverandoveragain，andeverywheremenenlisting，andinthedancinghallstheyweredrilling。Thewholeislandwasawhirlwithrumours；itwassaid，againandagain，thatfightinghadbegun。
　　Ihadnotexpectedthis。IhadseensolittleofthelifeofpleasurethatIhadfailedtoreckonwiththisviolenceoftheamateurs。
　　Andasforme，Iwasoutofit。Iwaslikeamanwhomighthavepreventedthefiringofamagazine。Thetimehadgone。Iwasnoone；
　　thevaineststriplingwithabadgecountedformorethanI。Thecrowdjostledusandbawledinourears；thataccursedsongdeafenedus；
　　awomanshriekedatmyladybecausenobadgewasonher，andwetwowentbacktoourownplaceagain，ruffledandinsulted——
　　myladywhiteandsilent，andIaquiverwithrage。SofuriouswasI，IcouldhavequarrelledwithherifIcouldhavefoundoneshadeofaccusationinhereyes。
　　“Allmymagnificencehadgonefromme。Iwalkedupanddownourrockcell，andoutsidewasthedarklingseaandalighttothesouthwardthatflaredandpassedandcameagain。
　　“’Wemustgetoutofthisplace，’Isaidoverandover。’Ihavemademychoice，andIwillhavenohandinthesetroubles。Iwillhavenothingofthiswar。Wehavetakenourlivesoutofallthesethings。Thisisnorefugeforus。Letusgo。’
　　“Andthenextdaywewerealreadyinflightfromthewarthatcoveredtheworld。
　　“AndalltherestwasFlight——alltherestwasFlight。“
　　Hemuseddarkly。
　　“Howmuchwasthereofit？“
　　Hemadenoanswer。
　　“Howmanydays？“
　　Hisfacewaswhiteanddrawnandhishandswereclenched。Hetooknoheedofmycuriosity。
　　Itriedtodrawhimbacktohisstorywithquestions。
　　“Wheredidyougo？“Isaid。
　　“When？“
　　“WhenyouleftCapri。“
　　“Southwest，“hesaid，andglancedatmeforasecond。“Wewentinaboat。“
　　“ButIshouldhavethoughtanaeroplane？“
　　“Theyhadbeenseized。“
　　Iquestionedhimnomore。PresentlyIthoughthewasbeginningagain。Hebrokeoutinanargumentativemonotone:
　　“Butwhyshoulditbe？If，indeed，thisbattle，thisslaughterandstressISlife，whyhavewethiscravingforpleasureandbeauty？
　　IfthereISnorefuge，ifthereisnoplaceofpeace，andifallourdreamsofquietplacesareafollyandasnare，whyhavewesuchdreams？Surelyitwasnoignoblecravings，nobaseintentions，hadbroughtustothis；itwasLovehadisolatedus。Lovehadcometomewithhereyesandrobedinherbeauty，moregloriousthanallelseinlife，intheveryshapeandcolouroflife，andsummonedmeaway。Ihadsilencedallthevoices，Ihadansweredallthequestions——
　　Ihadcometoher。AndsuddenlytherewasnothingbutWarandDeath！“
　　Ihadaninspiration。“Afterall，“Isaid，“itcouldhavebeenonlyadream。“
　　“Adream！“hecried，flaminguponme，“adream——whenevennow——“
　　Forthefirsttimehebecameanimated。Afaintflushcreptintohischeek。Heraisedhisopenhandandclenchedit，anddroppedittohisknee。Hespoke，lookingawayfromme，andforalltherestofthetimehelookedaway。“Wearebutphantoms，“hesaid，“andthephantomsofphantoms，desireslikecloudshadowsandwillsofstrawthateddyinthewind；thedayspass，useandwontcarryusthroughasatraincarriestheshadowofitslights，sobeit！
　　Butonethingisrealandcertain，onethingisnodreamstuff，buteternalandenduring。Itisthecentreofmylife，andallotherthingsaboutitaresubordinateoraltogethervain。Ilovedher，thatwomanofadream。AndsheandIaredeadtogether！
　　“Adream！Howcanitbeadream，whenitdrenchedalivinglifewithunappeasablesorrow，whenitmakesallthatIhavelivedforandcaredfor，worthlessandunmeaning？
　　“UntilthatverymomentwhenshewaskilledIbelievedwehadstillachanceofgettingaway，“hesaid。“AllthroughthenightandmorningthatwesailedacrosstheseafromCapritoSalerno，wetalkedofescape。Wewerefullofhope，anditclungaboutustotheend，hopeforthelifetogetherweshouldlead，outofitall，outofthebattleandstruggle，thewildandemptypassions，theemptyarbitrary’thoushalt’and’thoushaltnot’oftheworld。
　　Wewereuplifted，asthoughourquestwasaholything，asthoughloveforoneanotherwasamission……
　　“EvenwhenfromourboatwesawthefairfaceofthatgreatrockCapri——alreadyscarredandgashedbythegunemplacementsandhiding-placesthatweretomakeitafastness——wereckonednothingoftheimminentslaughter，thoughthefuryofpreparationhungaboutinpuffsandcloudsofdustatahundredpointsamidstthegrey；
　　but，indeed，Imadeatextofthatandtalked。There，youknow，wastherock，stillbeautiful，forallitsscars，withitscountlesswindowsandarchesandways，tierupontier，forathousandfeet，avastcarvingofgrey，brokenbyvine-cladterraces，andlemonandorangegroves，andmassesofagaveandpricklypear，andpuffsofalmondblossom。AndoutunderthearchwaythatisbuiltoverthePiccolaMarinaotherboatswerecoming；andaswecameroundthecapeandwithinsightofthemainland，anotherlittlestringofboatscameintoview，drivingbeforethewindtowardsthesouthwest。
　　Inalittlewhileamultitudehadcomeout，theremoterjustlittlespecksofultramarineintheshadowoftheeastwardcliff。
　　“’Itisloveandreason，’Isaid，’fleeingfromallthismadness，ofwar。’
　　“Andthoughwepresentlysawasquadronofaeroplanesflyingacrossthesouthernskywedidnotheedit。Thereitwas——alineoflittledotsinthesky——andthenmore，dottingthesoutheasternhorizon，andthenstillmore，untilallthatquarteroftheskywasstippledwithbluespecks。Nowtheywereallthinlittlestrokesofblue，andnowoneandnowamultitudewouldheelandcatchthesunandbecomeshortflashesoflight。Theycamerisingandfallingandgrowinglarger，likesomehugeflightofgullsorrooks，orsuch-likebirdsmovingwithamarvellousuniformity，andeverastheydrewnearertheyspreadoveragreaterwidthofsky。
　　Thesouthwardwingflungitselfinanarrow-headedcloudathwartthesun。Andthensuddenlytheysweptroundtotheeastwardandstreamedeastward，growingsmallerandsmallerandclearerandcleareragainuntiltheyvanishedfromthesky。AndafterthatwenotedtothenorthwardandveryhighEvesham’sfightingmachineshanginghighoverNapleslikeaneveningswarmofgnats。
　　“Itseemedtohavenomoretodowithusthanaflightofbirds。
　　“Eventhemutterofgunsfarawayinthesoutheastseemedtoustosignifynothing……
　　“Eachday，eachdreamafterthat，wewerestillexalted，stillseekingthatrefugewherewemightliveandlove。Fatiguehadcomeuponus，painandmanydistresses。Forthoughweweredustyandstainedbyourtoilsometramping，andhalfstarvedandwiththehorrorofthedeadmenwehadseenandtheflightofthepeasants——
　　forverysoonagustoffightingsweptupthepeninsula——withthesethingshauntingourmindsitstillresultedonlyinadeepeningresolutiontoescape。O，butshewasbraveandpatient！Shewhohadneverfacedhardshipandexposurehadcourageforherself——andme。
　　Wewenttoandfroseekinganoutlet，overacountryallcommandeeredandransackedbythegatheringhostsofwar。Alwayswewentonfoot。