Pagina 169 di 1294

He ate a little, three or four spoonfuls, without appetite, as it

were mechanically. His head ached less. After his meal he

stretched himself on the sofa again, but now he could not sleep;

he lay without stirring, with his face in the pillow. He was

haunted by day-dreams and such strange day-dreams; in one, that

kept recurring, he fancied that he was in Africa, in Egypt, in

some sort of oasis. The caravan was resting, the camels were

peacefully lying down; the palms stood all around in a complete

circle; all the party were at dinner. But he was drinking water

from a spring which flowed gurgling close by. And it was so cool,

it was wonderful, wonderful, blue, cold water running among the

parti-coloured stones and over the clean sand which glistened

here and there like gold.... Suddenly he heard a clock strike. He

started, roused himself, raised his head, looked out of the

window, and seeing how late it was, suddenly jumped up wide awake

as though someone had pulled him off the sofa.