Atfirsttherewereotherfugitives，butwedidnotminglewiththem。
Someescapednorthward，somewerecaughtinthetorrentofpeasantrythatsweptalongthemainroads；manygavethemselvesintothehandsofthesoldieryandweresentnorthward。Manyofthemenwereimpressed。Butwekeptawayfromthesethings；wehadbroughtnomoneytobribeapassagenorth，andIfearedformyladyatthehandsoftheseconscriptcrowds。WehadlandedatSalerno，andwehadbeenturnedbackfromCava，andwehadtriedtocrosstowardsTarantobyapassoverMountAlburno，butwehadbeendrivenbackforwantoffood，andsowehadcomedownamongthemarshesbyPaestum，wherethosegreattemplesstandalone。IhadsomevagueideathatbyPaestumitmightbepossibletofindaboatorsomething，andtakeoncemoretosea。Andthereitwasthebattleovertookus。
“Asortofsoul-blindnesshadme。PlainlyIcouldseethatwewerebeinghemmedin；thatthegreatnetofthatgiantWarfarehadusinitstoils。Manytimeswehadseentheleviesthathadcomedownfromthenorthgoingtoandfro，andhadcomeupontheminthedistanceamidstthemountainsmakingwaysfortheammunitionandpreparingthemountingoftheguns。Oncewefanciedtheyhadfiredatus，takingusforspies——atanyrateashothadgoneshudderingoverus。
Severaltimeswehadhiddeninwoodsfromhoveringaeroplanes。
“Butallthesethingsdonotmatternow，thesenightsofflightandpain……WewereinanopenplacenearthosegreattemplesatPaestum，atlast，onablankstonyplacedottedwithspikybushes，emptyanddesolateandsoflatthatagroveofeucalyptusfarawayshowedtothefeetofitsstems。HowIcanseeit！Myladywassittingdownunderabush，restingalittle，forshewasveryweakandweary，andIwasstandingupwatchingtoseeifIcouldtellthedistanceofthefiringthatcameandwent。Theywerestill，youknow，fightingfarfromeachother，withthoseterriblenewweaponsthathadneverbeforebeenused:gunsthatwouldcarrybeyondsight，andaeroplanesthatwoulddo——WhatTHEYwoulddonomancouldforetell。
“Iknewthatwewerebetweenthetwoarmies，andthattheydrewtogether。Iknewwewereindanger，andthatwecouldnotstopthereandrest！
“Thoughallthesethingswereinmymind，theywereinthebackground。
Theyseemedtobeaffairsbeyondourconcern。Chiefly，Iwasthinkingofmylady。Anachingdistressfilledme。Forthefirsttimeshehadownedherselfbeatenandhadfallena-weeping。BehindmeIcouldhearhersobbing，butIwouldnotturnroundtoherbecauseIknewshehadneedofweeping，andhadheldherselfsofarandsolongforme。Itwaswell，Ithought，thatshewouldweepandrestandthenwewouldtoilonagain，forIhadnoinklingofthethingthathungsonear。EvennowIcanseeherasshesatthere，herlovelyhairuponhershoulder，canmarkagainthedeepeninghollowofhercheek。
“’Ifwehadparted，’shesaid，“ifIhadletyougo。’
“’No，’saidI。’Evennow，Idonotrepent。Iwillnotrepent；
Imademychoice，andIwillholdontotheend。“
“Andthen——
“Overheadintheskysomethingflashedandburst，andallaboutusIheardthebulletsmakinganoiselikeahandfulofpeassuddenlythrown。Theychippedthestonesaboutus，andwhirledfragmentsfromthebricksandpassed……“
Heputhishandtohismouth，andthenmoistenedhislips。
“AttheflashIhadturnedabout……
“Youknow——shestoodup——
“Shestoodup；youknow，andmovedasteptowardsme——
“Asthoughshewantedtoreachme——
“Andshehadbeenshotthroughtheheart。“
Hestoppedandstaredatme。IfeltallthatfoolishincapacityanEnglishmanfeelsonsuchoccasions。Imethiseyesforamoment，andthenstaredoutofthewindow。Foralongspacewekeptsilence。
WhenatlastIlookedathimhewassittingbackinhiscorner，hisarmsfolded，andhisteethgnawingathisknuckles。
Hebithisnailsuddenly，andstaredatit。
“Icarriedher，“hesaid，“towardsthetemples，inmyarms——asthoughitmattered。Idon’tknowwhy。Theyseemedasortofsanctuary，youknow，theyhadlastedsolong，Isuppose。
“Shemusthavediedalmostinstantly。Only——Italkedtoher——alltheway。“
Silenceagain。
“Ihaveseenthosetemples，“Isaidabruptly，andindeedhehadbroughtthosestill，sunlitarcadesofwornsandstoneveryvividlybeforeme。
“Itwasthebrownone，thebigbrownone。Isatdownonafallenpillarandheldherinmyarms……Silentafterthefirstbabblewasover。
Andafteralittlewhilethelizardscameoutandranaboutagain，asthoughnothingunusualwasgoingon，asthoughnothinghadchanged……Itwastremendouslystillthere，thesunhigh，andtheshadowsstill；eventheshadowsoftheweedsupontheentablaturewerestill——inspiteofthethuddingandbangingthatwentallaboutthesky。
“Iseemtorememberthattheaeroplanescameupoutofthesouth，andthatthebattlewentawaytothewest。Oneaeroplanewasstruck，andoversetandfell。Irememberthat——thoughitdidn’tinterestmeintheleast。Itdidn’tseemtosignify。Itwaslikeawoundedgull，youknow——flappingforatimeinthewater。Icouldseeitdowntheaisleofthetemple——ablackthinginthebrightbluewater。
“Threeorfourtimesshellsburstaboutthebeach，andthenthatceased。Eachtimethathappenedallthelizardsscuttledinandhidforaspace。Thatwasallthemischiefdone，exceptthatonceastraybulletgashedthestonehardby——madejustafreshbrightsurface。
“Astheshadowsgrewlonger，thestillnessseemedgreater。
“Thecuriousthing，“heremarked，withthemannerofamanwhomakesatrivialconversation，“isthatIdidn’tTHINK——Ididn’tthinkatall。Isatwithherinmyarmsamidstthestones——inasortoflethargy——stagnant。
“AndIdon’trememberwakingup。Idon’trememberdressingthatday。
IknowIfoundmyselfinmyoffice，withmylettersallslitopeninfrontofme，andhowIwasstruckbytheabsurdityofbeingthere，seeingthatinrealityIwassitting，stunned，inthatPaestumtemplewithadeadwomaninmyarms。Ireadmyletterslikeamachine。
Ihaveforgottenwhattheywereabout。“
Hestopped，andtherewasalongsilence。
SuddenlyIperceivedthatwewererunningdowntheinclinefromChalkFarmtoEuston。Istartedatthispassingoftime。Iturnedonhimwithabrutalquestion，withthetoneofNowornever。
“Anddidyoudreamagain？“
“Yes。“
Heseemedtoforcehimselftofinish。Hisvoicewasverylow。
“Oncemore，andasitwereonlyforafewinstants。Iseemedtohavesuddenlyawakenedoutofagreatapathy，tohaverisenintoasittingposition，andthebodylaythereonthestonesbesideme。Agauntbody。Nother，youknow。Sosoon——itwasnother……
“Imayhaveheardvoices。Idonotknow。OnlyIknewclearlythatmenwerecomingintothesolitudeandthatthatwasalastoutrage。
“Istoodupandwalkedthroughthetemple，andthentherecameintosight——firstonemanwithayellowface，dressedinauniformofdirtywhite，trimmedwithblue，andthenseveral，climbingtothecrestoftheoldwallofthevanishedcity，andcrouchingthere。Theywerelittlebrightfiguresinthesunlight，andtheretheyhung，weaponinhand，peeringcautiouslybeforethem。
“AndfurtherawayIsawothersandthenmoreatanotherpointinthewall。Itwasalonglaxlineofmeninopenorder。
“PresentlythemanIhadfirstseenstoodupandshoutedacommand，andhismencametumblingdownthewallandintothehighweedstowardsthetemple。Hescrambleddownwiththemandledthem。
Hecamefacingtowardsme，andwhenhesawmehestopped。
“AtfirstIhadwatchedthesemenwithamerecuriosity，butwhenIhadseentheymeanttocometothetempleIwasmovedtoforbidthem。Ishoutedtotheofficer。
“’Youmustnotcomehere，’Icried，’_I_amhere。Iamherewithmydead。’
“Hestared，andthenshoutedaquestionbacktomeinsomeunknowntongue。
“IrepeatedwhatIhadsaid。
“Heshoutedagain，andIfoldedmyarmsandstoodstill。Presentlyhespoketohismenandcameforward。Hecarriedadrawnsword。
“Isignedtohimtokeepaway，buthecontinuedtoadvance。Itoldhimagainverypatientlyandclearly:’Youmustnotcomehere。
TheseareoldtemplesandIamherewithmydead。’
“PresentlyhewassocloseIcouldseehisfaceclearly。Itwasanarrowface，withdullgreyeyes，andablackmoustache。Hehadascaronhisupperlip，andhewasdirtyandunshaven。Hekeptshoutingunintelligiblethings，questionsperhaps，atme。
“Iknownowthathewasafraidofme，butatthetimethatdidnotoccurtome。AsItriedtoexplaintohimheinterruptedmeinimperioustones，biddingme，Isuppose，standaside。
“Hemadetogopastme，AndIcaughtholdofhim。
“Isawhisfacechangeatmygrip。
“’Youfool，’Icried。’Don’tyouknow？Sheisdead！’
“Hestartedback。Helookedatmewithcrueleyes。Isawasortofexultantresolveleapintothem——delight。Then，suddenly，withascowl，heswepthisswordback——SO——andthrust。“
Hestoppedabruptly。Ibecameawareofachangeintherhythmofthetrain。Thebrakesliftedtheirvoicesandthecarriagejarredandjerked。Thispresentworldinsisteduponitself，becameclamorous。Isawthroughthesteamywindowhugeelectriclightsglaringdownfromtallmastsuponafog，sawrowsofstationaryemptycarriagespassingby，andthenasignal-box，hoistingitsconstellationofgreenandredintothemurkyLondontwilightmarchedafterthem。Ilookedagainathisdrawnfeatures。
“Heranmethroughtheheart。Itwaswithasortofastonishment——
nofear，nopain——butjustamazement，thatIfeltitpierceme，feltthesworddrivehomeintomybody。Itdidn’thurt，youknow。
Itdidn’thurtatall。“
Theyellowplatformlightscameintothefieldofview，passingfirstrapidly，thenslowly，andatlaststoppingwithajerk。
Dimshapesofmenpassedtoandfrowithout。
“Euston！“criedavoice。
“Doyoumean——？“
“Therewasnopain，nostingorsmart。Amazementandthendarknesssweepingovereverything。Thehot，brutalfacebeforeme，thefaceofthemanwhohadkilledme，seemedtorecede。Itsweptoutofexistence——“
“Euston！“clamouredthevoicesoutside；“Euston！“
Thecarriagedooropened，admittingafloodofsound，andaporterstoodregardingus。Thesoundsofdoorsslamming，andthehoof-clatterofcab-horses，andbehindthesethingsthefeaturelessremoteroaroftheLondoncobble-stones，cametomyears。Atruckloadoflightedlampsblazedalongtheplatform。
“Adarkness，afloodofdarknessthatopenedandspreadandblottedoutallthings。“
“Anyluggage，sir？“saidtheporter。
“Andthatwastheend？“Iasked。
Heseemedtohesitate。Then，almostinaudibly，heanswered，“No。“
“Youmean？“
“Icouldn’tgettoher。ShewasthereontheothersideoftheTemple——
Andthen——“
“Yes，“Iinsisted。“Yes？“
“Nightmares，“hecried；“nightmaresindeed！MyGod！Greatbirdsthatfoughtandtore。“
End
