large/9676/unhappy_far-off_things_1701_librivox_64kb_mp3/unhappyfaroffthings_02_dunsany_64kb_1
large/9676/unhappy_far-off_things_1701_librivox_64kb_mp3/unhappyfaroffthings_02_dunsany_64kb
English
9676
Though one knew there had been an altar there, and candles and roof and carpet, and all the solemnity of a cathedral's interior, yet to see that photograph and to stand on that weedy heap, in the wind, under the jackdaws, was a contrast with which the mind fumbled. THOUGH ONE KNEW THERE HAD BEEN AN ALTAR THERE AND CANDLES AND ROOF AND CARPET AND ALL THE SOLEMNITY OF A CATHEDRAL'S INTERIOR YET TO SEE THAT PHOTOGRAPH AND TO STAND ON THAT WEEDY HEAP IN THE WIND UNDER THE JACKDAWS WAS A CONTRAST WITH WHICH THE MIND FUMBLED
s that had once been the cathedral; perhaps she had once been the Bishop's servant, or the wife of one of the vergers; she only remained of all who had been there in other days, she and the pigeons and jackdaws. I spoke to her. All Arras, she said, was ruined. The great cathedral was ruined, her own family were ruined utterly, and she pointed to where the sad houses gazed from forlorn dead windows. Absolute ruin, she said; but there must be no armistice. No armistice. No. It was necessary that there should be no armistice at all. No armistice with Germans. She passed on, resolute and sad, and the guns boomed on beyond Arras. A French interpreter, with the Sphinxes' heads on his collar, showed me a picture postcard with a photograph of the chancel as it was five years ago. It was the very chancel before which I was standing. To see that photograph astonished me, and to know that the camera that took it must have stood where I was standing, only a little lower down, under the great heap. TER THE MOUNDS AND STONES THAT HAD ONCE BEEN THE CATHEDRAL PERHAPS SHE HAD ONCE BEEN THE BISHOP'S SERVANT OR THE WIFE OF ONE OF THE VERGERS SHE ONLY REMAINED OF ALL WHO HAD BEEN THERE IN OTHER DAYS SHE AND THE PIGEONS AND THE JACKDAWS I SPOKE TO HER ALL ARAS SHE SAID WAS RUINED THE GREAT CATHEDRAL WAS RUINED HER OWN FAMILY WERE RUINED UTTERLY AND SHE POINTED TO WHERE THE SAD HOUSES GAZED FROM FORLORN DEAD WINDOWS ABSOLUTE RUIN SHE SAID BUT THERE MUST BE NO ARMISTICE NO ARMISTICE NO IT WAS NECESSARY THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO ARMISTICE AT ALL NO ARMISTICE WITH THE GERMANS SHE PASSED ON RESOLUTE AND SAD AND THE GUNS BOOMED ON BEYOND ARRAS A FRENCH INTERPRETER WITH THE SPHINX'S HEADS ON HIS COLLAR SHOWED ME A PICTURE POSTCARD WITH A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE CHANCEL AS IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO IT WAS THE VERY CHANCEL BEFORE WHICH I WAS STANDING TO SEE THAT PHOTOGRAPH ASTONISHED ME AND TO KNOW THAT THE CAMERA THAT TOOK IT MUST HAVE STOOD WHERE I WAS STANDING ONLY A LITTLE LOWER DOWN UNDER THE GREAT HEAP
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