歌唱的水域-英文名称- Singing Waters - Ann Bridge.pdfVIP

SINGINGWATERS

ANovelby

ANNBRIDGE

For

RACHEL

WithLove

Contents

ChapterOne

ChapterTwo

ChapterThree

ChapterFour

ChapterFive

ChapterSix

ChapterSeven

ChapterEight

ChapterNine

ChapterTen

ChapterEleven

ChapterTwelve

ChapterThirteen

ChapterFourteen

ChapterFifteen

ChapterSixteen

ChapterSeventeen

ANoteontheAuthor

ChapterOne

Asthetrain,leavingDomodossola,corkscreweditswaythroughthegorges

andbegantoemergeintomoreopencountry,NilsLarsenputdownhis

bookandturnedtolookoutofthewindowofhissleeper.Thecountryside

wasstillonatilt,andharshwithcliffandrock;butthereweresteepsmall

fields,andscatteredsparselyamongthem,ingroups,therewerealso

houses.TheseNilsconsideredwiththesurprisewhichneverfailedto

overtakehimatthebeautyofItalianruralarchitecture.Nothingcouldbe

simplerthanthehousesthemselves,solid,withflattishroofsofbrown

pantiles;buttheirsevereshape,andthewaytheyweregrouped—abovea

bridge,roundachurch,highonabluff—gavethemaqualitythatwas

profoundlysatisfying.“Extraordinary!”Nilsmutteredtohimself—“They

can’tputafootwronginarchitecture!Andyetinpolitics—myGod!”He

begantorecallthesmallhousesofthepeopleinothercountrieswhichwere

politicallylesstiresomethanItaly;thebrickvillasofSouthernEngland,the

untidyshacksoftheEasternStates,theprimsqualorofFrenchvillages,

eventherathertediousbrownreiterationofSwisschalets.Ohwell,there

wasnothingwrongwithchalets,aesthetically,hethought,forNilshada

quitepassionateadmirationforthepoliticalgeniusoftheSwis