one I lived in Wuchang in 1930, because I had a younger brother who was an officer, and he was coming to Wuhan at that time to handle some business related to their division's ordnance. From him, I got to know a lot of young and promising soldiers.Among them is an old military academy who is about fifty years old. When talking to me, it is easier to understand than other young people.This is a character whose morality and knowledge are extremely rare among military officers. When it comes to talents and qualifications, this kind of person is more than enough for an army commander.But the atmosphere of the times is rewarding a kind of evil, and those in power have more opportunities to speculate and cater than to learn virtue. Therefore, the fate of this old military academy only allows him to use the name of a major general in that kind of dismissal. Xiang Qing Township Supervisor's Office received a monthly salary of no more or less to kill his idle days.Sometimes when we talked about this matter, we often felt sorry for him, and we would inevitably say a few vulgar words of young people, and he would see me and smile.

"A soldier is happy. Think about it. Besides being a councilor, what more appropriate affairs can he do?" , had some influence on him. This major general lives alone in Hankou, but I live in Wuchang. Our residence is separated by a big river with yellow torrents all the year round.Sometimes I went across the river to see him, and the two of them went to a Sichuan restaurant to eat dry-roasted crucian carp.Sometimes he came across the river to see me, but he forgot the time during the conversation, and could no longer cross the river, so he stayed with me.We ate wine and continued our unfinished conversation. We heard the sound of the trumpeters garrisoned on Snake Mountain practicing their trumpets at dawn, and the two of us fell asleep in our clothes.

Once I crossed the river to see a fellow countryman off, and I couldn’t find that friend on the small steamer barges at the fifth wharf. Later, on a barge, I met this major general, talking to a woman in the cabin of the barge.There were a lot of suitcases piled up beside the woman, and according to the situation, he also came here to see her off.Those who sent away were a man and a woman, the man was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, a handsome, upright and very decent young man, wearing a gray robe, but with his figure and look, it was obvious at a glance that this young man should be in People who have been mixed in the military camp.The young man stood there silently, smiling slightly, listening attentively to the major general talking to the woman in front of him.The woman seemed to be over 30 years old, dressed very decently, luxurious but not vulgar, although she was a little older, she still had a very charming demeanor, she often smiled when she spoke, and her attitude was graceful yet noble.These two people are not like a mother and child in terms of age, nor are they like a couple in terms of status. I thought they might be relatives of the major general. Because they were talking at the time, the people on board were very crowded, and the major general was neither. When I saw me, it was not convenient for me to go over and talk to him.I searched everywhere for my fellow countrymen, but before I saw them, I went to the pier and waited for the major general on the road by the river.

Half an hour later, the boat had already set sail, and the people who saw off the passengers dispersed one after another. I also saw the major general standing on the bow of the barge, waving his hands in the air, and got off the barge to chase a few steps on the mudflat. The two also waved white handkerchiefs.The boat had gone for a while before he walked onto the road by the river.I saw him walking from the diving board with his head bowed, as if regretting his friend's trip. So when we met, I told him that I was also here to see off a friend, and I had seen him for a long time, because I didn't want to hinder their conversation, so I didn't say hello to him.When he heard me say that he had seen the man and the woman, he reproached me and said, "You polite person, you really missed a good opportunity in person! You bookworm, why didn't you call me? If I It would be nice to see you sooner. Seeing you, I should introduce you! You should regret that you were too cautious and did a wrong thing today, because if you could talk to that woman just now, you Then you will understand that there is a kind of rashness in your rashness. You have to admit that it is a beautiful and rare woman, and this woman is just trying to get to know you! As for the man, he is a good friend with your brother, and he needs more. I know you! It's a pity that his eyes can't see your face clearly, but holding your hand and listening to what you say will definitely give him great joy!"

Only then did I understand the reason why the young man smiled silently.I said, "Is that decent man blind?" The friend admitted.I said, "Is that beautiful woman the blind man's wife?" My friend admitted again. Because I heard what the major general said, and I remembered the noble appearance of the two couples in my impression, I really regretted the opportunity I lost.I was a little angry with myself at the time, stopped talking, and crossed the riverside road with the major general to Jiujiang Road in the French Concession. After a while, I asked where the two people on the boat came from and where they were going. and many other things.It turned out that the man was the son of a big landlord in southern Hunan. He lived with my brother in the first team for some days when he was in the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangdong. Life is over and this new marriage is over, and they are preparing to go back to the countryside together to pass the days to come, and it may not be easy to see each other again in the future.When the major general talked about this, he sighed slightly.I asked him why such a young man went blind, whether it was caused by the soldier's unconscious civil war, and he only replied "it happened last year".Between his words and expressions, it seemed that there were still many things he couldn't say for a while, and it seemed that he had planned and concealed something there, and he didn't want to mention it to me at this time.In the end, he said: "This is a very unreasonable story." But in ordinary conversations, I have heard a lot of the major general's so-called unreasonable stories, and I often don't feel how unreasonable they are, so this I didn't pay much attention at the time, so I didn't ask further.When I passed the gate of a theater on XXX Road, I ran into a fellow countryman of mine. The three of us forgot about the two people on the boat because of another matter.

When I returned to Wuchang, I thought of the couple on the boat today. I seemed to have seen that woman somewhere else at another time, but I couldn't figure out whether it was in Beijing or Shanghai.Because I can't forget what the major general said about the friendship between these two couples that I have never met, and I know that after I miss this opportunity, there will be no other opportunities to see them in the future except when I personally visit them in southern Shonan, Therefore, I am very worried about the missed opportunities. Two days later it was Sunday, and the school had nothing to do, and the weather was excellent, so I wanted to cross the river to find the major general to cross Hanyang and visit the arsenal with him.On the ferry across the river, many people looked at the newspapers of the day and talked about the news of a shipwreck. I bought a local newspaper and saw the telegram of the "Xiantao" wreck at first glance.I'm confused. "Isn't this the same boat that sailed away the day before yesterday?" I hurriedly read another detailed record about the wreck of that boat, and realized that my memory was not wrong at all, and it was indeed the one that sailed the day before yesterday. He also understood that the more than 470 people in the whole ship, caught off guard, completely sank into the water, and none of them were rescued.This unexpected news hit my senses, made my head swell and dizzy, and my heart was very sad, but I couldn't say a word to anyone around me.So I bought another newspaper again to see if there was any different news about the incident recorded.I bought that new newspaper, and published the radio news that my country's warships witnessed the capsizing of the ship, and all the men and ships were gone, everything has been completely confirmed.

Of course I still have to cross the river and cross Hankou to find my friend the major general!I have to tell him about this, I still have a lot to ask him, I want someone so young and virtuous who is good at getting rid of the disillusionment in life, to help me with words, because I feel that this incident has caused me a kind of suffering. An intolerable blow.I was very sad in my heart, but I didn't know what I had lost. When I landed, on the way, I thought confusedly: "If I hadn't crossed the river the day before yesterday, hadn't seen these two men, and hadn't heard what the major general said, I wouldn't have felt so bad." But Personnel is unpredictable, and I seem to be familiar with these two people, and they seem to have become best friends long ago.

After arriving at the major general's residence, I realized that he had been out for a long time.I waited with him for a while, left a note, and walked a few blocks on the street in a daze.When I arrived, I suddenly thought, "Could it be that he has already got the news and ran to my place?" So he crossed the river and returned to my residence.When I got back to my residence, I saw the major general. After seeing him, I seemed both happy and sad.When this man saw the newspaper I handed him, he pressed my hand tightly and held it for a long time.We didn't say a word, and we almost lost the courage to look at each other, because we all knew the matter and there was no need to say it.

But my friend laughed at the end. If my hearing is not so bad, I can actually hear him say softly: "It is good to die, and the end is not bad." I am very surprised , because of his unexpected attitude, aroused my courage to speak.I asked him what was going on.What's the matter?God only knows!This matter can be traced to its evidence and source, and it can be understood that those who sank to the bottom, their expectations, their plans, what kind of judgment should be judged, is the most fair judgment, really only God knows! two Around 1927, the XX Division was stationed in XX with the reputation of being the best model army. This reputation was still praised until 1930.One day, four young men came to the division headquarters, took the letter of introduction from the dean of their military school, and came to see the division commander.The meeting was assigned to the staff office. A colonel and chief of staff replaced the division commander. He verbally inquired about the purpose of the visit of several young people, and made an unrestricted intellectual review based on past experience. Later, three of the four were appointed as lieutenants and distributed to the battalion, and the other one was left to serve in the staff office under the name of captain.This young man left the university and transferred to the military academy. He had a deep belief in the military. Like many other young college students, he changed his career with the determination to sacrifice. From a technical point of view, he is an ideal soldier with perseverance and integrity.Young people have their own philosophies and concepts in the interests of the times, and even in the revolutionary ranks, opinions often diverge and cause quarrels among comrades among the masses.Even if it is wrong, but the kind of honesty and purity is just showing the perfection of this young man's soul.After serving in the staff office, he soon had several passionate debates with some comrades over differences of opinion.Patience, honesty, obedience, and conscientiousness, all these virtues, which are indispensable to a junior officer, are completely lacking in this young man, coupled with that kind of noble bearing, so to speak, which makes him like a young man in general. Among the flock of chickens is a white crane, tall and straight, holding it high independently.

The daily procedure of the young man should be under all the guidance of the chief of staff whom he saw when he first arrived.This colonel is about fifty years old, and there must be something wrong. He is really more suitable for a university than for the army.This colonel's title of early graduate from the Japanese Non-commissioned Officer Academy restricted his freedom to choose a career, so while reading a lot of old Chinese books, he had to mix with some soldiers.Born with the rarest good disposition, because of this disposition, which is different from others and not worthy of military status, many classmates and colleagues have been promoted to the governor, and he has been his student in the past. In the army of fellow countrymen of the division commander, he conscientiously guarded his position of staff.

In a short time, a very familiar friendship arose between the young man and the old officer, a friendship based on the utmost respect for each other.The age difference between the two is about 30 years, but because of the similarity between their wisdom and personality, they became friends who have forgotten their age.The older one, who can drink a lot of wine, often goes to a club called "Veterans" and drinks that noble white iron rice wine.The club was named "Veteran", but most of the people who came were senior local soldiers.Some of these generals, these great men, have retired from the army and no longer work, some have nothing to do, or they are a little old, and they like to drink a glass of wine and talk about jokes. Small sums of poker, most people think this is a very suitable place.Especially for older characters, their glorious past and their present entertainments naturally draw them to this place, and there is no better and more suitable military place to leave it. Although this place is owned by high-ranking soldiers, the person who initiated this club was actually an old general who was born in the army, so it was named Veterans Club.The Veteran's Club is still a very famous place in XX, because it doesn't talk about politics and pays attention to legitimate entertainment. Any entertainment that includes immoral behavior cannot be allowed to exist.There is also the most reasonable rule, that is, women cannot set foot in it.At the beginning, the founder was a person who had great faith in the military community. He advocated that women should not be allowed to participate in this club. It meant that women were always a disaster and were especially unsuitable for soldiers.This opinion was agreed by several other people, and later became the rule.Since the implementation of the rules is as unambiguous as military discipline, this club has maintained a good reputation in XX.This reputation is precisely what is lacking in other groups organized under the name of clubs. But later, in order to make the club more moral, there was a colonel on the board who advocated having a woman run everything.When this proposal was sent to the board of directors, the colonel did use the name of "morality". Later, the proposal was passed very strangely, and immediately a middle-aged woman came to the club.It is said that there is still a secret kept in it, that is, the woman who came here to host the club turned out to be the mistress of the veteran general.After the death of a certain general, he was very poor and the woman had no means. The colonel knew about this and asked everyone to find a way to help the woman. The woman refused to accept money, so everyone discussed and thought of such a way.But everyone who knows this kind of thing is hiding it, and only a few old military officers know everything.The woman is about thirty-five years old, and still retains a youthful demeanor, with a quiet and bright temperament. After coming to the Veterans Club, several old generals treated her with great respect and courtesy, so the rest of the people who came here, I also guessed that this woman must have some strange relationship with a very important soldier, but I didn't understand that this woman was the wife of the first founder of the Veterans Club. The chief of staff of the colonel of the X division should know a little more about this woman's past than other veteran soldiers.He was the one who proposed to the club's board of directors, the old soldier general who had been his best friend in life and who had been entrusted with the care of this secret mistress when the old soldier general died. In the early years of the Republic of China, this woman haunted the social circles of Beijing's upper class aristocrats. She is a jade from a small family, smart and pretty in appearance. She followed her mother to and from the bannerman's noble family, earning a living by wearing beaded flowers, sewing and embroidering.Later, I somehow went to the house of an old diplomat, and was taken in as an adopted daughter, which completely changed her life and destiny. After arriving there, she lived a life that no outsider could trace, learned some luxury, and became infected. Some extravagant and irresponsible habits.According to the natural result of a smart and precocious woman, she married a young section chief who worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs without the consent of her adoptive father.This man did not get the consent of the family to marry her.Both of them are young and beautiful, just like a pair of lovers, after getting married, they lived a few days in a frenzy.Afterwards, the man's job disappeared, and the two went to Shanghai, where they lived for a while, using a lot of money borrowed from other places.That young man was not a fool. At first, he regarded women as angels, and he did everything according to his orders. After arriving in Shanghai, he owed a huge debt. Moreover, he gradually saw the weakness of women, and slowly thought of being a woman. Breaking up in that aspect of the family is really something only a fool would do, so, in a small quarrel, he left in a huff and never saw each other again.Where has he gone?The woman doesn't know, but seeing the woman's future life, the man is very smart and not very wrong.But the man may have committed suicide, because the woman did not suspect at the time that he had a reason to go, and the man's name has never been seen by any party since.Since the man who lived with me left, the source of income has been cut off.In the early years of the Republic of China, all the people living in Shanghai were businessmen, and there were no women who acted in the name of socialites. She was only twenty years old at the time, and she naturally thought of going back to Beijing, and naturally repented and made peace with her adoptive father. There is a way.So I first sent a letter to Beijing, reporting everything, and confessed all past mistakes to my adoptive father, hoping that the old diplomat would give her some kindness and allow her to come back.After receiving the letter, the old diplomat immediately sent 500 yuan, asking her to return to Beijing. Once she returned to Beijing, shed some tears of grievance in front of the old man, said some words of blame and self-blame, and naturally returned to the situation a year ago. . But the woman is so young and so lonely. The previous husband, obviously never married, has no right to restrict her actions. Not long after, she was seduced by a friend of her adoptive father who was about forty years old. go.That friend betrayed the old diplomat and had an improper relationship with this woman.The woman is so madly in love with this middle-aged gentleman, but when that man was pulled into the celebrity cabinet by XX in the parliament and announced as one of the cabinet members, he was formally engaged to the aunt of the warlord XX, and this side continues until now. An ambiguous relationship.The woman understood and was very sad, so she frankly told her adoptive father all about being deceived.Because of the old diplomat's questioning, the gentleman admitted everything, but he hoped to deal with the woman as a concubine, because this gentleman knew the woman's background and her ambiguous status in this family.Because of vanity and the habit of necessity, the woman, who loved the gentleman so much, did not refuse the offer, and soon became the Concubine of the President. When the bribery case of the Cao Kun Council was discovered, how many celebrities and dignitaries were implicated, and Chief X fled to Shanghai.After the family passed through Shanghai, Mrs. X's second concubine entered the door. She was a person who was trained from a brothel. Women have no status in status. In fact, another enemy came, and there were worse ones. Not long after, her husband was stabbed to death in a restaurant in Shanghai by someone sent by the Beijing government. The old diplomat had already visited Germany at that time.Fate enlightened her, in order to find a wider world where she could move freely and not be spoiled by those men anymore, but she should spoil men in certain things. A good friendship, following the advice of the whore-born woman, they each received a handsome sum of money, and left their original positions. The two lived alone in Shanghai alone. In fact, she became a prostitute.Her appearance and instincts are suitable for this profession, and her bearing learned from the upper class is used in society, which is exactly what ordinary prostitutes lack, so she is quite successful.In her career, she obtained abundant enjoyment and gave enjoyment to many people.The big-bellied comprador in Shanghai brings a big-nosed and white-faced foreign boss, and she can get the impression of an oriental aristocrat when she goes back.She made those who admired and fell in love with her offer their last burnt offerings, and there were quite a few people who committed suicide for her because of her bankruptcy.With a kind of satisfaction of revenge, she lived a few days extravagantly and recklessly. During these days, she became the king of famous flowers in Beili, Shanghai. "Men are only worthy of being stepping stones. Only in that position can they be happy and orderly." She often said this, and her philosophy started from the first man she approached. All men come from experience.When she wants to win someone, or fool someone, she is extremely enthusiastic and will eventually get her way.But when she arrived, she got bored and shook her hand without looking back.She did this for nearly ten years.During this period, from a little too much excitement about her career, and, in certain cases, it seemed from a lack of temperance, she contracted a nasty malady of vague significance and spent several days in the hospital.After a period of long-term treatment, when she got better and was discharged from the hospital, she understood that she should plan her current affairs, whether to start a new family, or to follow the original path.She felt many difficulties, no matter what professional activity, after a pause, it was the same.The fashion of the times is changing from time to time, and every new fashion eliminates some old ones and promotes some new ones, and there is no shortage of such transitions in her career.To make matters worse, her illness had frightened away some of the kinder characters, and she was really getting old.She is already in her thirties, and her old habits do not allow her to narrow down the scene, but her future source is completely uncertain. If this situation continues, her future life must be very bleak. After hesitating for some days, she decided to leave Shanghai and go to X Town in the middle of the Yangtze River to try her luck.She knew that there were big businessmen and big fools there, and between the two, she could still get a chance to choose one more calmly, freely entrust her life to him, end the fanaticism of this youthful age, and spend the rest of her life quietly.However, her hope was shelved because of the unexpected success of her career after she arrived in X town. For the sake of not only big businessmen and big fools, but also big soldiers bowing down at this woman's feet, her old age plans had to be abandoned for the time being. As usual, happiness in the world is twin, and sorrow does not exist alone.In life, we are often subverted by an unseen hand, and framed by an unexpected jealousy.Everything was a little clear, and when everything was just recovering, a big fool and a member of the military committed a bloody murder in her residence. This murder implicated her, and she was severely questioned in a military court.The chairman of the trial is the veteran general. In her confession, she mentioned a little bit of the strange fate of the past. After the murder case was over, the veteran general became a considerate servant beside her dressing table.After a short period of time, she became the secret room of the veteran general.The feeling of being tired of the dust caused her temperament to change a lot.If this change is not surprising, it may be said that she is completely changed.From her point of view, although the veteran general was a bit older, he was a person who helped in the last murder case; as far as the veteran general was concerned, it seemed that he did this out of mercy.The veteran general paid her a monthly fee, and at the same time used his upright and abstinent personality to arouse her almost religious feelings.When the veteran general passed over to XX as the commander of the army, she also followed him, and lived in a place that few people knew.When the veteran general was born, she had two years of life, and she could be said to be extremely well-behaved and extremely happy.But the XX incident happened, and the veteran general died.She must have asked herself this way, "Why do people who I don't want to abandon always abandon me first?" This is of course fate!This fate could not help but make her think about her own future affairs again! She had a hunch, or she could see that at some point another man should fill the husband's place.But although this woman's appearance has not lost the charm of attracting attention, her heart has been ravaged by so many loves, and she is really old and tormented.She needs rest, she needs quiet, and she needs the gentle and kind life of abstinent motherhood.As for other gorgeous fantasies, they no longer interested her. She had been fed up with that life for ten years and was very tired of it. So for a while, she went to the Veterans Club.The new job just fits her personality, and it was her forte to handle everything.Although in this club, with the general veteran school, her behavior is chaste.They all maintain mutual respect to each other, and there is no profane sentiment that causes them to have other accidents. This aspect should come to an end at this point, for she has spent a lot of time in a very regular and simple life.But one day the colonel invited his respectable young friend to the Veterans Club, and by the time the colonel had the slightest feeling that something had gone wrong, it was too late. It was just a friend of the captain class. About 20 days after he came to XX, the chief of staff of the XX division invited his friend into the veterans club.Most of the people who come and go in this club are older people. The young officers are afraid of intimidating the superior officers, but they are really not interesting. It is rare to see such outstanding young people come here. In a secluded corner of the club hall, the two drank the most expensive tin wine and some kind of rum, and talked about the impact on the thinking and behavior of young people since the revolution.At that time, there were two people reading newspapers in the library, and some old soldiers were playing cards in the hall, except for the sound of laughter and counting chips, no one came here yet.The two drank for a while, and saw a woman wearing a toga with gray satin and green leather edges, and slightly long black smooth hair, walking past the small dining room with a bouquet of red flowers in her hand.When the colonel saw the woman, he quickly stood up and greeted her.The woman also saw the two people here, she nodded her head, and a smile spread from the corner of that pretty little mouth to her face and the corners of her eyes.That dignified look reminds people of the charming grace that only a famous actor is on stage. The young captain was obviously surprised by this magnificent and luxurious figure. When his old friend noticed him and spoke to him for the first time, he couldn't hide his reservedness from his old friend's pair of eyes. eyes. The colonel raised his cup slightly, and saw that the young man squeezed his eyebrows slightly and made a mark, as if to say: "Young man, be careful, whatever makes your eyes shine will often poison you, you should Understand this!" But another, absurd foreboding, simmered in the Colonel's mind, mixed with a slight jealousy, as he thought, "Perhaps a dying torch is joined with an unlit torch." It will emit great light." This imagination is bizarre, so he laughed. After a while, the woman came from the original door, pulled the curtain of a window, pointed to a waiter in white, told the waiter something, and looked to this side.From the captain's point of view, Gu Pan is so noble and affectionate. "Colonel, good day, not much business." The one called the Colonel said: "Everything is as it is, neither good nor bad. 'Respected Xingzi, God bless you, you are so happy and beautiful. '" The last two sentences were quoted by this man from a few books, because it was a gentleman's confession to a noble lady, which should appear humble and flattering, so he also stood up and lowered his head. The woman just laughed. "The colonel is a poet, he should go to the assembly hall to read ××'s poems and be applauded by the crowd!" "No honor is worth a word of praise from you." "A very learned officer, not so easy to find in a place like this." "Thank you for the compliment, because the words I heard from you, even if they are completely swearing, are hard to forget and make people feel happy." As the woman came here, she looked at the young captain and said, "Does the colonel want to be called 'a certain consultant with austere style'?" "No, I am not worthy of sternness, because sternness is also a kind of genius. The identity of a genius cannot be learned by everyone!" "So learned colonel, is it a treat today?" The woman still saw the captain, as if it was extremely strange, "It seems that this comrade has never been here before." The colonel looked at his friend, and answered the woman, "I should come to introduce: This is a friend of mine... Comrade Zheng... This is the host of the Veteran's Club, Miss XX." The two who had been introduced They all nodded while smiling.This introduction is so decent, but it seems almost superfluous, because Venus does not ask the person's name first before shooting the arrow. The colonel went on to make a couple of innocuous jokes, in an attempt to set everyone free, free, and perhaps at the same time a little natural. The woman saw the colonel smiled slightly, as if saying: "Colonel, your friend is very beautiful." But the colonel seemed to be answering in his heart: "You are also beautiful. I am worried that your beauty can cause danger, but my friend's beauty can cause stupidity." Naturally, he would not say these words. The woman thought the young soldier was a student, so she asked casually, "Is it from the cavalry school?" The colonel said: "Why, did I bring the groom to this place? You are very clever, don't laugh at this unstern soldier like this!" During this kind of joke, the woman once again inspected the captain at the table with her big dangerous eyes. At that moment, the young man also raised his head, and was subdued by a little force. , shyly lowered his head and averted his eyes.The woman said happily like a child: "Understood, I understand, a character who just came out of the military academy, I remember this style." "Does a cadet really have a style?" said the colonel, glancing at his friend as if to discern the peculiarity. The woman said: "Shyness of a child!" For some unknown reason, the colonel felt a bit ominous, and it had begun to expand, thinking that the woman's speech was very dangerous, and it would not be easy to deal with it in the future.Women are people who have seen countless suns, moons and stars. In front of two soldiers, they are so casual and easy, but they don't make a stranger feel that they can be insulted. In addition, they are already thirty-four or five years old. What an embarrassment my friend.But even if a woman is not aware of her own danger, she should understand that a young man who is inexperienced in women has little self-control and is easily confused by her little power.But is there any way to prevent that torch from approaching this torch?He remembered what he had heard about the woman's past fate from the veteran general, and he turned his head and smiled wryly, seeing everything away. But the woman seemed to have other things waiting, said a few words and left. When the colonel saw his young friend, he remained silent. He understood the reason and understood that his friend didn't want anyone to mention women at this time, so he didn't make a sound for a while.But the young friend, not as pretentious as he guessed, said frankly to his old friend: "This woman is really not bad, she should be settled in a room full of flowers, and she should be placed in a way that makes the heads of all young people feel happy." She lives in a low life because of her, why is she put here to be the female shopkeeper?" The colonel didn't know how to tell his friend all the past history of the woman.It’s hard to say how women were greeted by people sixteen years ago, and after some lively days, it’s even worse to tell young people why women came to this place now, and just talk about other things, " People can tell that you came from a military academy, but I can't tell the difference." The young captain was silent for a while, as if he was trying to recall a certain scene from the first moment, and then asked: "I seem to be very familiar with this woman's eyes." The colonel pretended not to pay much attention, and poured a glass of rum for his friend, thinking to himself: "That's what a man always says about the eyes he likes. Besides, these eyes, maybe five or six years ago You can often see it in famous picture magazines!" After talking about other things, the young man unknowingly turned his attention to the side where the woman went. The colonel had already drank two more glasses at that time, and his prejudice was gradually lifted under the force of the wine, and he said softly to his friend: "Women are always old. What a tragedy." He meant women in general, but wanted to see if his friend had noticed women's age earlier. "I don't quite agree with that. A beauty is still a beauty at fifty!" This bold reasoning aroused the colonel's self-esteem a little bit, and he unconsciously felt a little bit of malice, and with a provocative air, he said to his young friend: "The former one, how is she? She's smart." It matches her beauty very well... Do you think..." The young captain showed the grievance that a young man suffered in front of a good woman for the first time, and was asked if it was because of that woman, and he returned his words. “我不高兴那种太……的女子的。”他说了谎，就因为爱情本身也是一种精巧的谎话。 上校说：“不然，这实在是一个希见的创作，如果我是一个年青人，我或许将向她说：”老板，你真美！把你那双为上帝精心创造的手臂给了我罢。我的口为爱情而焦渴，把那张小小的樱桃小口给了我，让我从那里得到一点甘露罢。'……“这笑话，在另一时应当使人大笑，这时节从年青上尉嘴角，却只见到一个微哂记号。他以为上校醉了，胡乱说着，而他自己，却从这个笑话里，生了自己一点点小气。 上校见到他年青朋友的情形，而且明白那种理由，所以把话说过后笑了一会。 “郑同志，好兄弟，我明白你。你刚才被人轻视了，心上难过，是不是？不要那么小气罢。一个有希望有精力的人，不能够在女子方面太苛刻。人家说你是小孩子。你可真……不要生气，不要分辩；拿破仑的事业不是分辩可以成功的，他给我们的是真实的历史。让我问你句话，你说罢，你过去爱过或现在爱过没有？” 年青上尉脸红了一会，并不作答。 “为什么用红脸来答复我？” “我红脸吗？” “你不红脸的，是不是？一个堂堂军人原无红脸事情。可是，许多年青人见了体面妇人都红过脸的。那种红脸等于说：别撩我，我投降了！但我要你明白，投降也不是容易事，因为世界上尽有不收容俘虏的女人。至于你，你自然是一个体面俘虏！” 年青上尉看得出他的老友醉了，不好怎么样解释，只说：“我并不想投降到这个女人面前，还没有一个女人可以俘虏我。” “吓，吓，好的，好的，”上校把大拇指翘起，咧咧嘴，做成“佩服高明同意高见”的神气，不再说什么话。等一会又说：“是那么的，女人是那么的。不过世界上假若有些女人还值得我们去作俘虏时，想方设法极勇敢的去投降，也并不是坏事。你不承认吗？一个好军人，在国难临身时，很勇敢的去打仗，但在另一时，很勇敢的去投降，不见得是可笑的！” 说着，女人恰恰又出来了，上校很亲昵的把手招着，请求女人过来：“来来，受人尊敬的主人，过来同我们谈谈。我正同这位体面朋友谈到俘虏，你一定高兴听听这个。” 女人已换了件紫色长袍，象是预备出去的模样，见上校同她说话，就一面走近桌边，一面说：“什么俘虏？”女人虽那么问着，却仿佛已明白那个意义了，就望到年青上尉说，“凡是将军都爱讨论俘虏，因为这上面可以显出他们的功勋，是不是？” 年青上尉并不隐避那个问题的真实，“不是，我们指的是那些为女人低头的……”女人站在桌旁不即坐下，注意的听着，同时又微笑着，等到上尉话说完后，似乎极同意的点着头，“是的，我明白了。 原来这些将军常常说到的俘虏，只是这种意思！女人有那么大能力吗？我倒不相信。我自己是一个女人，倒不知道被人这样重视。我想来或者有许多聪明体面女子，懂得到她自己的魔力。一定有那种人。也有这种人，如象上校所说'勇敢投降'的。 " 把话说完后，她坐到上校这一方，为得是好对了年青上尉的面说话。上校已喝了几杯，但他还明白一切事情，他懂得女人说话的意思，也懂得朋友所说的意思，这意思虽然都是隐藏的，不露的，且常常和那正在提到的话相反的。 女人走后，上校望到他的年青朋友，眼睛中正闪耀一种光辉，他懂得那种光辉，是为什么而燃烧为什么而发亮的。回到师部时，同那个年青上尉分了手，他想起未来的事情，不知为什么觉得有点发愁。平常他并不那么为别的事情挂心，对于今天的事可不大放心得下。或者，他把酒吃多了一点也未可知。他睡后，就梦到那个老兵将军，同那个女人，象一对新婚夫妇，两人正想上火车去，醒来时间已夜了。 one 个平常人，活下地时他就十分平常，到老以后，一直死去，也不会遇到什么惊心骇目的事情。这种庸人也有他自己的好处，他的生活自己是很满意的。他没有幻想，不信奇迹，他照例在他那种沾沾自喜无热无光生命里十分幸福。另外一种人恰恰相反。他也许希望安定，羡慕平庸，但他却永远得不到它。一个一切品德境遇完美的人，却常常在爱情上有了缺口。一个命里注定旅行一生的人，在梦中他也只见到旅馆的牌子，同轮船火车。“把老兵俱乐部那一个同师部参谋处服务这一个，象两把火炬并在一起，看看是不是燃得更好点，”当这种想象还正在那个参谋主任心中并不十分认真那么打算时，上帝或魔鬼，两者必有其一，却先同意了这件事，让那次晤谈，在两个人印象上保留下一点拭擦不去的东西。这东西培养到一个相当时间的距离上，使各人在那点印象上扩大了对方的人格。这是自然的，生疏能增加爱情，寂寞能培养爱情，两人那么生疏，却又那么寂寞，各人看到对面最好的一点，在想象中发育了那种可爱的影子，于是，老兵俱乐部的主持人，离开了她退隐的事业，跑到上尉住处，重新休息到一个少壮热情的年青人胸怀里去，让那两条结实多力的臂膀，把她拥抱得如一个处女，于是她便带着狂热羞怯的感觉，作了年青人的情妇了。 当那个参谋上校从他朋友辞职呈文上，知道了这件事情时，他笑着走到他年青朋友新的住处去，用一个伯父的神气，嘲谑到他自己那么说：“这事我没有同意神却先同意了，让我来补救我的过失罢。”他为这两个人证了婚，请这两个人吃了酒，还另外为他的年青朋友介绍了一个工作，让这一对新人过武汉去。 “日子在那些有爱情的生活里照例过得是极快的，”少将对我说。“虽然我住在××，实在得过了他们很多的信，也给他们写了许多信。我从他们两人合写的信上，知道他们生活过得极好，我于是十分快乐，为了那个女子，为了她那种天生丽质十余年来所受的灾难，到中年后却遇到了那么一个年青，诚实，富有，一切完美无疵的男子，这份从折磨里取偿的报酬，使我相信了一些平时我决不相信的命运。 “女人把上尉看得同神话中的王子，女人近来的生活，使我把过去一时所担心的都忘掉了。至于那个没有同老友商量就作了这件冒险事情的上尉呢？不必他来信说到，我也相信，在他的生活里，所得到的体贴与柔情，应当比作驸马还幸福一点。因为照我想来，一个年纪十九岁的公主，在爱情上，在身体上，所能给男子的幸福，会比那个三十五岁的女人更好更多点，这理由我还找寻不出的。” 可是这个神话里的王子，在武汉地方，一个夜里，却忽然被人把眼睛用药揉坏了。这意外不幸事件的来源，从别的方面探听是毫无结果的。有些人以为由于妒嫉，有些人又以为由于另一种切齿。女人则听到这消息后晕去过几次。把那个不幸者抬到天主堂医院以后，请了好几个专家来诊治，皆因为所中的毒极猛，瞳仁完全已失了它的能力。得到这消息，最先赶到武汉去的，便是那个上校。上校见到他的朋友，躺在床上，毫无痛苦，但已经完全无从认识在他身边的人。女人则坐到一旁，连日为忧愁与疲倦所累，显得清瘦了许多。那时正当八点左右，本地的报纸送到医院来了，因为那几天××正发生事情，长沙更见得危迫，故我看了报纸，就把报纸摊开看了一下。要闻栏里无什么大事足堪注意，在社会新闻栏内，却见到一条记载，正是年青上尉所受的无妄之灾一线可以追索的光明，报纸载“九江捉得了一个行使毒药的人，只须用少许自行秘密制的药末，就可以使人双眼失明。说者谓从此或可追究出本市所传闻之某上尉被人暗算失明案。”上校见到了这条新闻，欢喜得踊跃不已，赶忙告给失明的年青朋友。可是不知为什么，女人正坐在一旁调理到冷罨纱布，忽然把磁盘掉到地下，脸色全变了。不过在这报纸消息前，谁都十分吃惊，所以上校当时并没有觉得她神色的惨怛不宁处，另外还潜伏了别的惊讶。 武汉眼科医生，向女人宣布了这年青上尉，两只眼睛除了向施术者寻觅解药，已无可希望恢复原来的状态。女人却安慰到她的朋友，只告他这里医生已感到束手，上海还应当有较好医生，可以希望有方法能够复元。两人于是过上海去了。 整整的诊治了半年，结果就只是花了很多的钱还是得不到小小结果。两夫妇把上海眼科医生全问过了，皆不能在手术上有何效果。至于谋害者一方面的线索，时间一久自然更模糊了。两人听到大连有一个医生极好，又跑到大连住了两个月，还是毫无办法。 那双眼睛看来已绝对不能重见天日，两人决计回家了。他们从大连回到上海，转到武汉。又见到了那个老友，那个上校。那时节，上校已升任了少将一年零三个月。 three 上面那个故事，少将把它说完时，便接着问我：“你想想，这是不是一个离奇的事情？尤其是那女人，……”我说：“为什么眼睛会为一点药粉弄坏？为什么药粉会揉到这多力如虎的青年人眼睛中去？为什么近世医学对那点药物的来源同性质，也不能发现它的秘密？” “这谁明白？但照我最近听到一个广西军官说的话看来，瑶人用草木制成的毒药，它的力量是可惊的，一点点可以死人，一点点也可以失明。这朋友所受的毒，我疑心就是那方面得来的东西。因为汉口方面，直到这时还可以买到那古怪的野蛮的宝物。至于为什么被人暗算，你试想想，你不妨从较近的几个人去……”我实在就想不出什么人来。因为这上尉我并不熟习，也不大明白他的生活。 少将在我耳边轻轻的说：“你为什么不疑心那个女人，因为爱她的男子，因为自己的渐渐老去，恐怕又复被弃，作出这件事情？” 我望到那少将许久说话不出，我这朋友的猜想，使我说话滞住了。“怎么，你以为会……”少将大声的说：“为什么不会？最初那一次，我在医院中念报纸上新闻时，我清清楚楚，看到她把手上的东西掉到地下去，神气惊惶失措。三天前在太平洋饭店见到了他们，我又无意中把我在汉口听人说'可以从某处买瑶人毒药'的话告给两夫妇时，女人脸即刻变了色，虽勉强支持到，不至于即刻晕去，我却看得出'毒药'这两个字同她如何有关系了。 one 个有了爱的人，什么都作得出，至于这个女人，她作这件事，是更合理而近情的！ " 我不能对我朋友的话加上什么抗议，因为一个军人照例不会说谎，而这个军人却更不至于说谎的。我虽然始终不大相信这件事情，就因为我只见到这个妇人一面。可是为什么这妇人给我的印象，总是那么新鲜，那么有力，一年来还不消灭？也许我所见到的妇人，都只象一只蚱蜢，一粒甲虫，生来小小的，伶便的，无思无虑的。大多数把气派较大，生活较宽，性格较强，都看成一种罪恶。到了春天或秋天，都能按照时季换上它们颜色不同的衣服，都会快乐而自足的在阳光下过它们的日子，都知道选择有利于己有媚于己的雄性交尾；但这些女子，不是极平庸，就是极下贱，没有什么灵魂，也没有什么个性。我看到的蚱蜢同甲虫，数量可太多了一点，应当向什么方向走去，才可以遇到一种稍稍特别点的东西，使回忆可以润泽光辉到这生命所必经的过去呢？ 那个妇人如一个光华炫目的流星，本体已向不可知的一个方向流去毁灭多日了，在我眼前只那一瞥，保留到我的印象上，就似乎比许多女人活到世界上还更真实一点。 one 九三二年春暮作