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hemingway, ernest - garden of eden-第27章

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〃I'm ready; David;〃 she said。 She had on a tight sweater and slacks and her face was shining。 She brushed her dark hair and looked at him。
〃It's wonderful when you're so gay。
〃It's such a good day;〃 he said。 〃And we're so lucky。〃
〃Do you think so?〃 she said as they walked to the car。 〃Do you think we're really lucky?〃
〃Yes;〃 he said。 〃I think it changed this morning or maybe in the night。〃


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Chapter Twenty…five






CATHERINE's CAR was in the driveway of the hotel when they drove up。 It was parked on the right side of the gravelled approach。 David stopped the Isotta behind it and he and Marita got out and walked down the drive past the small; low empty blue car and onto the flagstones of the walk without speaking。

They passed David's room with the locked door and the open windows and Marita stopped outside of her door and said; 〃Good bye。〃

〃What are you doing this afternoon?〃 he asked。

〃I don't know;〃 she said。 〃I'll be here。〃

He walked on down to the patio of the hotel and went in the main door。 Catherine was sitting at the bar reading the Paris Herald with a glass and half a bottle of wine beside her on the bar。 She looked up at him。

〃What brought you back?〃 she asked。

〃VVe had lunch in town and came on up;〃 David said。

〃How is your whore?〃


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。 。
〃I haven't one yet。〃
〃I mean the one you write the stories for。〃

〃Oh。 The stories。

〃Yes。 The stories。 The dreary dismal little stories about your adolescence with your bogus drunken father。〃

〃He wasn't so bogus really。〃

〃Didn't he defraud his wife and all his friends?〃

〃No。 Just himself really。〃

〃You certainly make him despicable in these last sketches or vignettes or pointless anecdotes you write about him。〃

〃You mean the stories。〃

〃You call them stories;〃 Catherine said。

〃Yes;〃 David said and poured a glass of the lovely cold wine on the bright clear day in the pleasant; sunny room in the clean; comfortable hotel and; sipping it; felt it fail to lift up his dead cold heart。

〃Would you like me to go and get Heiress?〃 Catherine said。 〃It wouldn't do to have her think that we'd had a misunder standing about whose day it is or that we'd taken up solitary drinking together。〃

〃You don't need to get her。〃

〃I'd like to。 She took care of you today and I didn't。 Really; David; I'm not a bitch yet。 I just act and talk like one。〃

While David waited for Catherine to come back he drank another glass of the champagne and read the Paris edition of The New York Herald she had left on the bar。 Drinking the wine by himself it did not taste the same and he found a cork in the kitchen to stop up the bottle before he put it back in the ice chest。 But the bottle did not feel heavy enough and lifting it against the light that came in the west window he saw how little wine was left and he poured it out and drank it off and put the bottle down on the tiled floor。 Even when he drank it off quickly it did nothing for him。


210

Thank Cod he was breaking through on the stories now。 What had made the last book good was the people who were in it and the accuracy of the detail which made it believable。 He had; really; only to remember accurately and the form came by what he would choose to leave out。 Then; of course; he could close it like the diaphragm of a camera and intensify it so it could be concentrated to the point where the heat shone bright and the smoke began to rise。 He knew that he was getting this now。

What Catherine had said about the stories when she was trying to hurt him had started him thinking about his father and all the things he had tried to do whatever he could about。 Now; he told himself; you must try to grow up again and face what you have to face without being irritable or hurt that someone did not understand and appreciate what you wrote。 She understands it less and less。 But you've worked well and nothing can touch you as long as you can work。 Try to help her now and forget about yourself。 Tomorrow you have the story to go over and to make perfect。

But David did not want to think about the story。 He cared about the writing more than about anything else; and he cared about many things; but he knew that when he was doing it he must not worry about it nor finger it nor handle it any more than he would open up the door of the darkroom to see how a negative was developing。 Leave it alone; he told himself。 You are a bloody fool but you know that much。

His thoughts turned to the two girls and he wondered if he should go find them and see what they wanted to do or if they wanted to go off and swim。 After all; it was Marita's and his day and she might be waiting。 Maybe something could still be salvaged out of the day for all of them。 They might be cooking something up。 He ought to go by and ask what they wanted to do。 Then do it; he told himself。 Don't stand here and think about it。 Go on and find them。


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The door to Marita's room was shut and he knocked on it。

They had been talking and when he knocked the talking stopped。

〃Who is it?〃 Marita asked。

He heard Catherine laugh and she said; 〃Come in whoever you are。

He heard Marita say something to her and Catherine said; 〃Come in; David。〃

He opened the door。 They were lying in the big bed together side by side; the sheet pulled up under their chins。

〃Please come in; David;〃 Catherine said。 〃We've been waiting for you。〃

David looked at them; the serious dark girl and the fair laugh ing one。 Marita looked at him trying to tell him something。 Catherine was laughing。

〃Won't you come in too; David?〃

〃I came by to see if you wanted to go to swim or anything;〃 David said。

〃I don't want to;〃 Catherine said。 〃Heiress was in bed asleep and I got into bed with her。 She was very good and asked me to leave。 She's not a bit unfaithful to you。 Not in the least little bit。 But won't you come in too so we can both be faithful to you?〃

〃No;〃 David said。

〃Please; David;〃 Catherine said。 〃It's such a lovely day。〃

〃Do you want to go to swim?〃 David asked Marita。

〃I'd like to;〃 the girl said above the sheet。

〃You two puritans;〃 Catherine said。 〃Please both be reasonable and come to bed David。〃

〃I want to go to swim;〃 Marita said。 〃Please go out; David。〃

'Why can't he see you?〃 Catherine asked。 〃He sees you at the beach。〃

〃He'll see me at the cove;〃 Marita said。 〃Please go out; David。〃

David went out and closed the door without looking back; hearing Marita talking in a low voice to Catherine and Catherine's laughter。 He walked down the flagstones to the front of the hotel and looked out at the sea。 There was a light breeze now and he watched three French destroyers and a cruiser; neat and dark; and sharply etched on the blue sea as they moved in formation working out some problems。 They were far out and they looked to be recognition silhouettes from their size until a white line would show at the bow as a ship speeded up to change the pattern。 David watched them until the two girls came up to him。

〃Please don't be cross;〃 Catherine said。

They were dressed to go to the beach and Catherine put a bag with the towels and the robes on an iron chair。

〃Are you going swimming too?〃 David said to her。

〃If you're not angry with me。

David said nothing and watched the ships as they changed course and another destroyer moved out of the pattern at a sharp angle with the line of white curling back from her bows。 She began to make smoke and it trailed in a black widening plume as she curved at flank speed。

〃It was only a joke;〃 Catherine said。 'We'd been making such good rough jokes。 You and I had。〃

〃What are they doing; David?〃 Marita asked。

〃Anti…sub maneuvers; I think;〃 he said。 〃Maybe there are subs working with them。 They're probably out from Toulon。〃

〃They were in Sainte Maxime or Saint Raphael;〃 Catherine said。 〃I saw them the other day。〃

〃I don't know what it is now with the smoke screen;〃 David said。 〃There must be other ships we cane t see。

〃There come the planes;〃 Marita said。 〃Aren't they lovely?〃

They were very small; neat sea…planes and three of them were coming around the point low over the water。

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〃When we were here in the early summer they had gunnery practice off the Porquerolles and it was terrific;〃 Catherine said。 〃It shook the window。 Will they use depth bombs now; David?〃

〃I don't know。 I shouldn't think so if they're working with real subs。〃

〃I can go to swim; can't I please David?〃 Catherine asked。 〃I'm going away and then you can swim all the time by yourselves。〃

〃I asked you to swim;〃 David said。

〃That's true;〃 Catherine said。 〃You did。 Then let's go now and all be friends and happy。 If the planes come in close they can see us on the beach at the cove and that will cheer them up。

The planes did come by close off the cove while David and Marita were swimming far out and Catherine was tanning on the beach。 They passed rapidly; three echelons of three; their big Rh6ne motors roaring suddenly as they flew over then dying away as they went toward Sainte Maxime。

David and Marita swam back in to the beach and sat on the sand by Catherine。

〃They never even looked at me;〃 Catherine said。 〃They must be very serious boys。〃

〃What did you expect? Aerial photography?〃 David asked her。

Marita had said very little since they had left the hotel and she said nothing to this。

〃It was fun when David really did live with me;〃 Catherine said to her。 〃I can remember when I liked everything that David did。 You must try to like his things too; Heiress。 That is if he has any left。〃

〃Do you have any left; David?〃 Marita asked。

〃He traded everything he had in on those stories;〃 Catherine said。 〃He used to have so many things。 I certainly hope you like stories; Heiress。〃

〃I like them;〃 Marita said。 She did not look at David but he

saw her serene dark face and sea wet hair and smooth lovely skin and her beautiful body as she sat looking out at the sea。

〃That's good;〃 Catherine said lazily and took a long deep lazy breath as she stretched out on the beach robe on the sand that was still warm from the afternoon sun。 〃Because that's what you're going to get。 He used to do so many things too and he did them all so beautifully。 He had a wonderful life and all he thinks about now is Africa and his drunken father and his press cuttings。 His clippings。 Has he ever shown you his clippings; Heiress?〃

〃No; Catherine;〃 Marita said。

〃He will;〃 Catherine said。 〃He tried to show them to me once at le Grau du Roi but I put a stop to that。 There were hundreds of them and every one; almost; had his picture and they were all the same pictures。 It's worse than carrying around obscene post cards really。 I think he reads them by himself and is unfaithful to me with them。 In a wastebasket probably。 He always has a wastebasket。 He said himself it was the most important thing for a writer—〃

〃Let's go in and swim; Catherine;〃 Marita said。 〃I think I'm getting cold。〃

〃I mean the wastebasket was the most important thing for a writer;〃 Catherine said。 〃I used to think I ought to get him a really wonderful one that would be worthy of him。 But he never puts anything he writes in the wastebasket。 He writes in those ridiculous child's noteb

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