按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Lunch must be ready by now。〃
〃Just one； darling。 They only have us for lunch。〃
David made two martinis taking his time and the girl came in。 She was wearing a white sharkskin dress and she looked fresh and cool。 〃May I have one too； David？ It was a very hot day。 how was it here？〃
〃You should have stayed home and looked after him；〃 Catherine said。
〃I got along all right；〃 David said。 〃The sea was very good。〃
〃You use such interesting adjectives；〃 Catherine said。 〃They make everything so vivid。〃
〃Sorry；〃 David said。
〃That's another dandy word；〃 Catherine said。 〃Explain what dandy means to your new girl。 It's an Americanism。〃
〃I think I know it；〃 the girl said。 〃It's the third word in 'Yankee Doodle Dandy。' Don't please be cross Catherine。〃
〃I'm not cross；〃 Catherine said。 〃But two days ago when you made passes at me it was simply dandy but today if I felt that way the slightest bit you had to act as though I was an I don't know what。〃
〃I'm sorry； Catherine；〃 the girl said。
〃Another sorry sorry；〃 Catherine said。 〃As though you hadn't taught me what little I know。〃
〃Should we have lunch？〃 David said。 〃It's been a hot day Devil； and you're tired。〃
〃I'm tired of everybody；〃 Catherine said。 〃Please forgive me。 〃There's nothing to forgive；〃 the girl said。 〃I'm sorry I was stuffy。 I didn't come here to be that way。〃 She walked over to Catherine and kissed her very gently and lightly。 〃Now be a good girl；〃 she said。 〃Should we go to the table？〃
〃Didn't we have lunch？〃 Catherine asked。
〃No； Devil；〃 David said。 〃We're going to have lunch now。〃
At the end of lunch Catherine who had made sense through nearly all of it except for some absentmindedness said； 〃Please excuse me but I think I ought to sleep。〃
〃Let me come with you and see you get to sleep；〃 the girl said。
〃Actually I think I drank too much；〃 Catherine said。
〃I'll come in and take a nap too；〃 David said。
〃No please David。 Come in when I'm asleep if you want；〃 Catherine said。
In about half an hour the girl came out of the room 〃She's all right；〃 she said。 〃But we must be careful and good with her and only think about her。〃
In the room Catherine was awake when David came in and he went over and sat on the bed。
〃I'm not a damned invalid；〃 she said。 〃I just drank too much。 I know。 I'm sorry I lied to you about it。 How could I do that； David？〃
〃You didn't remember。〃
〃No。 I did it on purpose。 Will you take me back？ I'm over all the bitchiness。〃
〃You never were away。
〃If you take me back is all I want。 I'll be your really true girl and really truly be。 Would you like that？〃
He kissed her。
〃Really kiss me。〃
〃Oh；〃 she said。 〃Please be slow。〃
They swam at the cove where they had gone the first day。 David had planned to send the two girls to swim and then to take the old Isotta down to Cannes to have the brakes fixed and the ignition overhauled。 But Catherine had asked him to please swim with them and to do the car the next day and she seemed
'34 '35
so happy and sound and cheerful again after her nap and Marita had said very seriously； 〃Will you please come？〃 So he had driven them to the turnout for the cove and shown them both on the way how dangerously the brakes were working。
〃You'd kill yourself with this car；〃 he told Marita。 〃It's a crime to drive it the way it is。〃
〃Had I ought to get a new one？〃 she asked。
〃Christ no。 Just let me fix the brakes to start with。〃
〃We need a larger car with room for all of us；〃 Catherine said。 〃This is a fine car；〃 David said。 〃It just needs a hell of a lot of work done on it。 But it's too much car for you。〃
〃You see if they can fix it properly；〃 the girl said。 〃If they can't we'll get the type of car you want。〃
Then they were tanning on the beach and David said lazily； 〃Come in and swim。
〃Pour some water on my head；〃 Catherine said。 〃I brought a sand bucket in the rucksack。〃
〃Oh that feels wonderful；〃 she said。 〃Could I have one more？ Pour it on my face too。〃
She lay on the hard beach on her white robe in the sun and David and the girl swam out to sea and around the rocks at the mouth of the cove。 The girl was swimming ahead and David overhauled her。 He reached out and grabbed a foot and then held her close in his arms and kissed her as they treaded water。 She felt slippery and strange in the water and they seemed the same height as they treaded water with their bodies close together and kissed。 Then her head went under and he leaned back and she came up laughing and shaking her head that was sleek as a seal； and she brought her lips against his again and they kissed until they both went under。 They lay side by side and floated and touched and then kissed hard and happily and went under again。
〃I don't worry about anything now；〃 she said； when they came up again。 〃You mustn't either。〃
〃I won't；〃 he said and they swam in。
〃You better go in； Devil；〃 he said to Catherine。 〃Your head will get too hot。〃
〃All right。 Let's go in；〃 she said。 〃Let Heiress darken now。 Let me put some oil on her。〃
〃Not too much；〃 the girl said。 〃May I have a pail of water on my head too？〃
〃Your head's as wet as it can get；〃 Catherine said。
〃I just wanted to feel it；〃 the girl said。
〃Wade out； David； and get a good cold one；〃 Catherine said。 And after he had poured the clear cool sea water on Marita's head they left her lying with her face on her arms and swam out to sea。 They floated easily like sea animals and Catherine said； 〃Wouldn't it be wonderful if I wasn't crazy？〃
〃You're not crazy。
〃Not this afternoon；〃 she said。 〃Anyway not so far。 Can we swim further？〃
〃We're pretty well out； Devil。〃
〃All right。 Let's swim back in。 But the deep water's beautiful out here。〃
〃Do you want to swim down once before we go in？〃
〃Just once；〃 she said。 〃In this very deep part。〃
〃We'll swim down until we just can make it up。〃
136 '37
Chapter Sixteen
HE WOKE when it was barely just light enough to see the pine trunks and he left the bed； careful not to wake Catherine； found his shorts and went； the soles of his feet wet from the dew on the stones； along the length of the hotel to the door of his work room。 As he opened the door he felt； again； the touch of the air from the sea that promised how the day would be。
When he sat down the sun was not yet up and he felt that he had made up some of the time that was lost in the story。 But as he reread his careful legible hand and the words took him away and into the other country； he lost that advantage and was faced with the same problem and when the sun rose out of the sea it had； for him； risen long before and he was well into the crossing of the gray； dried； bitter lakes his boots now white with crusted alkalis。 He felt the weight of the sun on his head and his neck and his back。 His shirt was wet and he felt the sweat go down his back and between his thighs。 When he stood straight up and rested； breathing slowly； and his shirt hung away from
his shoulders； he could feel it dry in the sun and see the white patches that the salts of his body made in the drying。 He could feel and see himself standing there and knew there was nothing to do except go on。
At half past ten he had crossed the lakes and was well beyond them。 By then he had reached the river and the great grove of fig trees where they would make their camp。 The bark of the trunks was green and yellow and the branches were heavy。 Baboons had been eating the wild figs and there were baboon droppings and broken figs on the ground。 The smell was foul。
But the half past ten was on the watch on his wrist as he looked at it in the room where he sat at a table feeling the breeze from the sea now and the real time was evening and he was sitting against the yellow gray base of a tree with a glass of whiskey and water in his hand and the rolled figs swept away watching the porters butchering out the Kongoni he had shot in the first grassy swale they passed before they came to the river。
I'll leave them with meat； he thought and so it is a happy camp tonight no matter what comes after。 So he put his pencils and the notebooks away and locked the suitcase and went out the door and walked on the stones； dry and warm now； to the hotel patio。
The girl was sitting at one of the tables reading a book。 She wore a striped fisherman's shirt and tennis skirt and espadrilles and when she saw him she looked up and David thought she was going to blush but she seemed to check it and said； 〃Good morning； David。 Did you work well？〃
〃Yes； beauty；〃 he said。
She stood up then and kissed him good morning and said； 〃I'm very happy then。 Catherine went in to Cannes。 She said to tell you I was to take you swimming。〃
〃Didn't she want you to go in town with her？〃
〃No。 She wanted me to stay。 She said you got up terribly early to work and maybe you'd be lonely when you finished。 Can I order some breakfast？ You shouldn't always not eat breakfast。〃
The girl went into the kitchen and she came out with oeufs plat avec jambon and English mustard and Sovora。
〃Was it difficult today？〃 she asked him。
〃No；〃 he said。 〃It's always difficult but it's easy too。 It went very well。〃
〃I wish I could help。〃
〃Nobody can help；〃 he said。
〃But I can help in other