hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第37章
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Young Tom looked up in his fatherˇs face and started to cry。 He kept himself from actually crying but it was sad to see and it was not overdone。
Nobody spoke until Andy said； ¨Iˇd like another gin； please； Mr。 Bobby。〃
¨Pour your own；〃 said Bobby。 ¨You poor unfortunate child。〃 Then he turned to Thomas Hudson。 ¨Hudson；〃 he said。 ¨Have another and get out。〃
¨I can stay as long as Iˇm quiet；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨If I know you； you wonˇt be quiet for long；〃 Bobby said； vindictively。
Roger pointed toward the bottle and young Tom hung onto his sleeve。 Heˇd controlled his tears and he was being brave and good。
¨Mr。 Davis；〃 he said。 ¨You donˇt have to。〃
Roger did not say anything and Mr。 Bobby put the bottle in front of him again。
¨Mr。 Davis； you have to write tonight；〃 young Tom said。 ¨You know you promised to write tonight。〃
¨What do you think Iˇm drinking for？〃 Roger said to him。
¨But； Mr。 Davis； you didnˇt have to drink this much when you wrote The Storm。〃
¨Why donˇt you shut up？〃 Roger said to him。
Young Tom was patient and brave and long…suffering。
¨I will； Mr。 Davis。 I only do it because you asked me to。 Canˇt we go back to the house？〃
¨Youˇre a good kid； Tom；〃 Roger said。 ¨But weˇre staying here。〃
¨For very long； Mr。 Davis？〃
¨To the goddam end。〃
¨I donˇt think we need to； Mr。 Davis；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Really I donˇt。 And you know if you get so you canˇt see you wonˇt be able to write。〃
¨Iˇll dictate；〃 Roger said。 ¨Like Milton。〃
¨I know you dictate beautifully；〃 young Tom said。 ¨But this morning when Miss Phelps tried to take it off the machine it was mostly music。〃
¨Iˇm writing an opera；〃 Roger said。
¨I know youˇll write a wonderful opera； Mr。 Davis。 But donˇt you think we ought to finish the novel first？ You took a big advance on the novel。〃
¨Finish it yourself；〃 Roger said。 ¨You ought to know the plot by now。〃
¨I know the plot； Mr。 Davis； and itˇs a lovely plot but it has that same girl in it that you had die in that other book and people may be confused。〃
¨Dumas did the same thing。〃
¨Donˇt badger him；〃 Thomas Hudson said to young Tom。 ¨How can he write if you badger him all the time？〃
¨Mr。 Davis； couldnˇt you just get a really good secretary to write it for you？ Iˇve heard that novelists did that。〃
¨No。 Too expensive。〃
¨Do you want me to help you； Roger？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨Yes。 You can paint it。〃
¨Thatˇs wonderful；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Will you truly； papa？〃
¨Iˇll paint it in a day；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Paint it upside down like Michelangelo；〃 Roger said。 ¨Paint it big enough so King George can read it without his spectacles。〃
¨Are you going to paint it； papa？〃 David asked。
¨Yes。〃
¨Good；〃 David said。 ¨Thatˇs the first sensible thing Iˇve heard。〃
¨It wonˇt be too difficult； papa？〃
¨Hell no。 Itˇs probably too simple。 Whoˇs the girl？〃
¨That girl Mr。 Davis always has。〃
¨Paint her in half a day；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Paint her upside down；〃 Roger said。
¨Keep it clean；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。
¨Mister Bobby； may I have another slug？〃 Andy asked。
¨How many have you had； son？〃 Bobby asked him。
¨Only two。〃
¨Go ahead；〃 Bobby told him and handed him the bottle。 ¨Listen； Hudson； when are you going to get that picture out of here？〃
¨Havenˇt you had any offers on it？〃
¨No；〃 Bobby said。 ¨And it clutters the place up。 Besides it makes me goddam nervous。 I want it out of here。〃
¨Pardon me；〃 one of the men from the yacht spoke to Roger。 ¨Is that canvas for sale？〃
¨Who spoke to you？〃 Roger looked at him。
¨No one；〃 the man said。 ¨Youˇre Roger Davis； arenˇt you？〃
¨Youˇre damn right I am。〃
¨If your friend painted that canvas and it is for sale Iˇd like to discuss the price with him；〃 the man said turning。 ¨Youˇre Thomas Hudson； arenˇt you？〃
¨Hudson is the name。〃
¨Is the canvas for sale？〃
¨No；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 ¨Iˇm sorry。〃
¨But the bartender said〃
¨Heˇs crazy；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。 ¨Heˇs an awfully good fellow。 But heˇs crazy。〃
¨Mr。 Bobby； may I please have another gin？〃 Andrew asked very politely。
¨Certainly； my little man；〃 Bobby said and served it。 ¨Do you know what they ought to do？ They ought to put your healthy charming face on the label of those gin bottles instead of that idiotic collection of berries。 Hudson； why donˇt you design a suitable label for a gin bottle that would reproduce the childish charm of young Andyˇs face？〃
¨We could launch a brand；〃 Roger said。 ¨Theyˇve got Old Tom gin。 Why shouldnˇt we put out Merry Andrew？〃
¨Iˇll put up the money；〃 said Bobby。 ¨We can make the gin here on the island。 The little lads can bottle it and affix the labels。 We can sell it wholesale and in detail。〃
¨It would be a return to craftsmanship；〃 Roger said。 ¨Like William Morris。〃
¨What would we make the gin from； Mr。 Bobby？〃 Andrew asked。
¨From bonefish；〃 Bobby said。 ¨And from conches。〃
The yacht people did not look at Roger or Thomas Hudson nor at the boys now。 They were watching Bobby and they looked worried。
¨About that canvas；〃 the one man said。
¨What canvas are you referring to； my good man？〃 Bobby asked him； downing another quick one。
¨The very big canvas with the three waterspouts and the man in a dinghy。〃
¨Where？〃 asked Bobby。
¨There；〃 said the man。
¨Begging your pardon； sir； I think youˇve had enough。 This is a respectable place。 We donˇt run to waterspouts and men in dinghys here。〃
¨I mean the picture there。〃
¨Donˇt provoke me； sir。 Thereˇs no picture there。 If there was a painting in here it would be above the bar where paintings belong and it would be a nude reclining full length in a proper shipshape manner。〃
¨I mean that picture there。〃
¨What picture where？〃
¨There。〃
¨Iˇd be happy to fix you a Bromo Seltzer； sir。 Or call you a rickshaw；〃 Bobby said。
¨A rickshaw？〃
¨Yes。 A goddam rickshaw if you want it straight to your face。 Youˇre a rickshaw。 And youˇve had enough。〃
¨Mr。 Bobby？〃 Andy asked very politely。 ¨Do you think Iˇve had enough？〃
¨No； my dear boy。 Of course not。 Serve yourself。〃
¨Thank you； Mr。 Bobby；〃 Andy said。 ¨This is four。〃
¨I wish it was a hundred；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Youˇre the pride of my heart。〃
¨What do you say we get out of here； Hal；〃 one of the men said to the man who wanted to buy the picture。
¨Iˇd like to pick up that canvas；〃 the other told him。 ¨If I can get it for a decent price。〃
¨Iˇd like to get out of here；〃 the first man insisted。 ¨Funˇs fun and all that。 But watching children drink is a little too much。〃
¨Are you really serving that little boy gin？〃 the nice…looking blonde girl at the end of the bar toward the door asked Bobby。 She was a tall girl with very fair hair and pleasant freckles。 They were not redhead freckles but were the sort blondes get when they have skins that tan instead of burn。
¨Yes maˇam。〃
¨I think itˇs shameful；〃 the girl said。 ¨Itˇs disgusting and itˇs shameful and itˇs criminal。〃
Roger avoided looking at the girl and Thomas Hudson kept his eyes down。
¨What would you like him to drink； maˇam？〃 Bobby asked。
¨Nothing。 He shouldnˇt have anything to drink。〃
¨Hardly seems fair；〃 Bobby said。
¨What do you mean fair？ Do you think itˇs fair to poison a child with alcohol？〃
¨See； papa？〃 young Tom said。 ¨I thought it was wrong for Andy to drink。〃
¨Heˇs the only one of the three who drinks； maˇam。 Since Sport here stopped it；〃 Bobby tried to reason with her。 ¨Do you think itˇs fair to deprive the only one in a family of three boys of what little pleasure he gets？〃
¨Fair！〃 the girl said。 ¨I think youˇre a monster。 And youˇre another monster；〃 she said to Roger。 ¨And youˇre another monster； too；〃 she said to Thomas Hudson。 ¨Youˇre all horrible and I hate you。〃
There were tears in her eyes and she turned her back on the boys and Mr。 Bobby and said to the men with her； ¨Wonˇt any of y
