Hills Like White Elephants

Hills Like White Elephants

The hills across the valley of the Ebrol were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar, to keep out flies. The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid.

\What should we drink?\and put it on the table.

\ \curtain. \ \

The woman brought two glasses of beer and two felt pads. She put the felt pads and the beer glasses on the table and looked at the man and the girl. The girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry. \

\have.\

\doesn't prove anything.\

The girl looked at the bead curtain. \it,\What does it say?\ \ \Could we try it?\

The man called \the curtain. The woman came out from the bar. \

\ \

\

\Is it good with water?\ \

\ \

\ \

\

things you've waited so long for, like absinthe.\ \

\time.\

\

\elephants. Wasn't that bright?\ \

\That's all we do, isn't it--look at things and try new drinks?\ \

The girl looked across at the hills.

\elephants. I just meant the coloring of their skin through the trees.\ \ \

The warm wind blew the bead curtain against the table. \ \

\really an operation at all.\

The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on.

\let the air in.\

The girl did not say anything.

\in and then it's all perfectly natural.\ \Then what will we do afterward?\

\ \What makes you think so?\

%unhappy.\

The girl looked at the bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings of beads.

\ \people that have done it.\

\ \wouldn't have you do it if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly simple.\

\And you really want to?\

\don't really want to.\