considered likely to rouse into life and attention the two unshaven
men in smocks； who were smoking cigarettes； and staring vaguely at the
metal sheet on which the luggage was placed to be weighed。 Suzanne
remained expectantly in attendance； and Domini； having nothing to do；
and seeing no bench to rest on； walked slowly up and down the hall
near the entrance。
It was now half…past four in the morning； and in the air Domini
fancied that she felt the cold breath of the coming dawn。 Beyond the
opening of the station； as she passed and repassed in her slow and
aimless walk； she saw the soaking tarpaulin curtains of the carriage
she had just left glistening in the faint lamp…light。 After a few
minutes the Arabs she had noticed on the road entered。 Their brown；
slipperless feet were caked with sticky mud； and directly they found
themselves under shelter in a dry place they dropped the robes they
had been holding up； and； bending down； began to flick it off on to
the floor with their delicate fingers。 They did this with
extraordinary care and precision； rubbed the soles of their feet
repeatedly against the boards； and then put on their yellow slippers
and threw back the hoods which had been drawn over their heads。
A few French passengers straggled in； yawning and looking irritable。
The touts surrounded them； with noisy offers of assistance。 The men in
smocks still continued to smoke and to stare at the metal sheet on the
floor。 Although the luggage now extended in quite a long line upon the
counter they paid no attention to it； or to the violent and reiterated
cries of the Arabs who stood behind it； anxious to earn a tip by
getting it weighed and registered quickly。 Apparently they were
wrapped in savage dreams。 At length a light shone through the small
opening of the ticket…office； the men in smocks stirred and threw down
their cigarette stumps； and the few travellers pressed forward against
the counter； and pointed to their boxes with their sticks and hands。
Suzanne Charpot assumed an expression of attentive suspicion； and
Domini ceased from walking up and down。 Several of the recruits came
in hastily； accompanied by two Zouaves。 They were wet； and looked
dazed and tired out。 Grasping their bags and bundles they went towards
the platform。 A train glided slowly in； gleaming faintly with lights。
Domini's trunks were slammed down on the weighing machine； and
Suzanne； drawing out her purse； took her stand before the shining hole
of the ticket…office。
In the wet darkness there rose up a sound like a child calling out an
insulting remark。 This was followed immediately by the piping of a
horn。 With a jerk the train started； passed one by one the station
lamps； and； with a steady jangling and rattling； drew out into the
shrouded country。 Domini was in a wretchedly…lit carriage with three
Frenchmen； facing the door which opened on to the platform。 The man
opposite to her was enormously fat； with a coal…black beard growing up
to his eyes。 He wore black gloves and trousers； a huge black cloth
hat； and a thick black cloak with a black buckle near the throat。 His
eyes were shut； and his large； heavy head drooped forward。 Domini
wondered if he was travelling to the funeral of some relative。 The two
other men； one of whom looked like a commercial traveller； kept
shifting their feet upon the hot…water tins that lay on the floor；
clearing their throats and sighing loudly。 One of them coughed； let
down the window； spat； drew the window up； sat sideways； put his legs
suddenly up on the seat and groaned。 The train rattled more harshly；
and shook from side to side as it got up speed。 Rain streamed down the
window…panes； through which it was impossible to see anything。
Domini still felt alert； but an overpowering sensation of dreariness
had come to her。 She did not attribute this sensation to fatigue。 She
did not try to analyse it。 She only felt as if she had never seen or
heard anything that was not cheerless； as if she had never known
anything that was not either sad； or odd； or inexplicable。 What did
she remember？ A train of trifles that seemed to have been enough to
fill all her life； the arrival of the nervous and badly…dressed
recruits at the wharf； their embarkation； their last staring and
pathetic look at France； the stormy voyage； the sordid illness of
almost everyone on board； the approach long after sundown to the small
and unknown town； of which it was impossible to see anything clearly；
the marshalling of the recruits pale with sickness； their pitiful
attempt at cheerful singing； angrily checked by the Zouaves in charge
of them； their departure up the hill carrying their poor belongings；
the sleepless night； the sound of the rain falling； the scents rising
from the unseen earth。 The tap of the Italian waiter at the door； the
damp drive to the station； the long wait there； the sneering signal；
followed by the piping horn； the jerking and rattling of the carriage；
the dim light within it falling upon the stout Frenchman in his
mourning； the streaming water upon the window…panes。 These few sights；
sounds； sensations were like the story of a life to Domini just then；
were more； were like the whole of life； always dull noise； strange；
flitting； pale faces； and an unknown region that remained perpeturally
invisible； and that must surely be ugly or terrible。
The train stopped frequently at lonely little stations。 Domini looked
out； letting down the window for a moment。 At each station she saw a
tiny house with a peaked roof； a wooden railing dividing the platform
from the country road； mud； grass bending beneath the weight of water…
drops； and tall； dripping； shaggy eucalyptus trees。 Sometimes the
station…master's children peered at the train with curious eyes； and
depressed…looking Arabs； carefully wrapped up； their mouths and chins
covered by folds of linen； got in and out slowly。
Once Domini saw two women； in thin； floating white dresses and
spangled veils； hurrying by like ghosts in the dark。 Heavy silver
ornaments jangled on their ankles； above their black slippers splashed
with mud。 Their sombre eyes stared out from circles of Kohl； and； with
stained； claret…coloured hands； whose nails were bright red； they
clasped their light and bridal raiment to their prominent breasts。
They were escorted by a gigantic man； almost black； with a zigzag scar
across the left side of his face； who wore a shining brown burnous
over a grey woollen jacket。 He pushed the two women into the train as
if he were pushing bales； and got in after them； showing enormous bare
legs； with calves that stuck out like lumps of iron。
The darkness began to fade； and presently； as the grey light grew
slowly stronger； the rain ceased； and it was possible to see through
the glass of the carriage window。
The country began to discover itself； as if timidly； to Domini's eyes。
She had recently noticed that the train was going very slowly； and she
could now see why。 They were mounting a steep incline。 The rich； damp
earth of the plains beyond Robertville； with its rank grass； its moist
ploughland and groves of eucalyptus； was already left behind。 The
train was crawling in a cup of the hills； grey； sterile and abandoned；
without roads or houses； without a single tree。 Small； grey…green
bushes flourished here and there on tiny humps of earth； but they
seemed rather to emphasise than to diminish the aspect of poverty
presented by the soil； over which the dawn； rising from the wet arms
of night； shed a cold and reticent illumination。 By a gash in the
rounded hills； where the earth was brownish yellow； a flock of goats
with flapping ears tripped slowly； followed by two Arab boys in rags。
One of the boys was playing upon a pipe coverd with red arabesques。
Domini heard two or three bars of the melody。 They were ineffably wild
and bird…like； very clear and sweet。 They seemed to her to match
exactly the pure and ascetic light cast by the dawn over these bare；
grey hills； and they stirred her abruptly from the depressed lassitude
in which the dreary chances of recent travel had drowned her。 She
began； with a certain faint excitement； to realise that these low；
round…backed hills were Africa； that she was leaving behind the sea；
so many of whose waves swept along European shores； that somewhere；
beyond the broken and near horizon line toward which the train was
creeping； lay the great desert； her destination； with its pale sands
and desolate cities； its sunburnt tribes of workers； its robbers；
warriors and priests； its ethereal mysteries of mirage； its tragic
splendours of colour； of tempest and of heat。 A sense of a wider world
than the compressed world into which physical fatigue had decoyed her
woke in her brain and heart。 The little Arab； playing carelessly upon
his pipe with the red arabesques； was soon invisible among his goats
beside the dry water…course that was probably the limit of his
journeying； but Domini felt that like a musician at the head of a
procession he had played her bravely forward into the dawn and Africa。
At Ah…Souf Domini changed into another train and had the carriage to
herself。 The recruits had reached their destination。 Hers was