死亡约会 Part I Chapter 11（1）（在线收听）

Chapter 11

Mrs Boynton was here, at Petra!

Sarah answered mechanically questions that were addressed to her. Would she have dinnerstraight away—it was ready—or would she like to wash first? Would she prefer to sleep in a tentor a cave?

Her answer to that came quickly. A tent. She flinched at the thought of a cave, the vision of thatmonstrous squatting figure recurred to her. (Why was it that something about the woman seemedhardly human?)

Finally she followed one of the native servants. He wore khaki breeches, much patched, anduntidy puttees and a ragged coat very much the worse for wear. On his head the native headdress,the cheffiyah, its long folds protecting the neck and secured in place with a black silk twist fittingtightly to the crown of his head. Sarah admired the easy swing with which he walked—thecareless proud carriage of his head. Only the European part of his costume seemed tawdry andwrong. She thought: ‘Civilization is all wrong—all wrong! But for civilization there wouldn’t be aMrs Boynton! In savage tribes they’d probably have killed and eaten her years ago!’

She realized, half-humorously, that she was over-tired and on edge. A wash in hot water and adusting of powder over her face and she felt herself again—cool, poised, and ashamed of herrecent panic.

She passed a comb through her thick black hair, squinting sideways at her reflection in thewavering light of a small oil-lamp in a very inadequate glass.

Then she pushed aside the tent-flap and came out into the night prepared to descend to the bigmarquee below.

‘You—here?’

It was a low cry—dazed, incredulous.

She turned to look straight into Raymond Boynton’s eyes. So amazed they were! Andsomething in them held her silent and almost afraid. Such an unbelievable joy…It was as thoughhe had seen a vision of Paradise—wondering, dazed, thankful, humble! Never, in all her life, wasSarah to forget that look. So might the damned look up and see Paradise…He said again: ‘You…’