hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第38章
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Wonˇt any of you do anything about it？〃
¨I think itˇs a joke；〃 one of the men said to her。 ¨Like that rude waiter they hire at a party。 Or like double talk。〃
¨No； itˇs not a joke。 That dreadful man gives him gin。 Itˇs horrible and itˇs tragic。〃
¨Mr。 Bobby？〃 Tom asked。 ¨Is five my limit？〃
¨For today；〃 Bobby said。 ¨I wouldnˇt want you to do anything to shock the lady。〃
¨Oh get me out of here；〃 the girl said。 ¨I wonˇt watch it。〃
She started to cry and two of the men went out with her and Thomas Hudson and Roger and the boys all felt quite bad。
The other girl； the really lovely…looking one； came over。 She had a beautiful face and clear brown skin and tawny hair。 She wore slacks but she was built wonderfully as far as Thomas Hudson could see and her hair was silky and it swung when she walked。 He knew he had seen her before。
¨It isnˇt really gin； is it？〃 she said to Roger。
¨No。 Of course not。〃
¨Iˇll go out and tell her；〃 she said。 ¨She really feels awfully badly。〃
She went out the door and she smiled at them as she went out。 She was a wonderful…looking girl。
¨Now itˇs over； papa；〃 Andy said。 ¨Can we have Cokes？〃
¨Iˇd like a beer； papa。 If it wouldnˇt make that lady feel bad；〃 young Tom said。
¨I donˇt think sheˇd feel badly about a beer；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Can I buy you a drink？〃 he asked the man who wanted to buy the picture。 ¨Iˇm sorry if we were too stupid。〃
¨No。 No；〃 the man said。 ¨Very interesting。 The whole thing was very interesting to me。 Fascinating。 Iˇve always been interested in writers and artists。 Were you all improvising？〃
¨Yes；〃 said Thomas Hudson。
¨Now about that canvas〃
¨It belongs to Mr。 Saunders；〃 Thomas Hudson explained to him。 ¨I painted it for him as a present。 I donˇt think he wants to sell it。 But itˇs his and he can do whatever he likes with it。〃
¨I want to keep her；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Donˇt offer me a lot of money for her because it would just make me feel bad。〃
¨I would really like to have it。〃
¨So would I； goddam it；〃 said Bobby。 ¨And Iˇve got it。〃
¨But Mr。 Saunders。 That is a valuable canvas to have in a place like this。〃
Bobby was getting angry。
¨Leave me alone； will you？〃 he said to the man。 ¨We were having a wonderful time。 As good a time as I ever had and women have to cry and ball up everything。 I know she meant right。 But what the hell。 Meant right gets you quicker than anything else。 My old woman means right and does right and it beats the hell out of me every day。 The hell with means right。 Now youˇre here and you think you can take my picture just because you want it。〃
¨But Mr。 Saunders； you said yourself you wanted the picture out of here and that it was for sale。〃
¨That was all balls；〃 Bobby said。 ¨That was when we were having fun。〃
¨Then the picture is not for sale。〃
¨No。 The picture is not for sale； rent； nor charter。〃
¨Well；〃 said the man。 ¨Here is my card in case it ever is for sale。〃
¨Thatˇs fine；〃 said Bobby。 ¨Tom may have some up at his place he wants to sell。 What about it； Tom？〃
¨I donˇt think so；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Iˇd like to come up and see them；〃 the man told him。
¨Iˇm not showing anything now；〃 Thomas Hudson answered。 ¨Iˇll give you the address of the gallery in New York if youˇd like it。〃
¨Thank you。 Will you write it here？〃
The man had a fountain pen with him and he wrote the address on the back of one of his cards and gave another card to Thomas Hudson。 Then the man thanked Thomas Hudson again and asked if he might offer him a drink。
¨Can you give me any idea about the prices of the larger canvases？〃
¨No；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But the dealer will be able to。〃
¨Iˇll see him as soon as Iˇm back in town。 This canvas is extremely interesting。〃
¨Thank you；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Youˇre quite sure it canˇt be sold。〃
¨Jesus；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Stop it； will you？ Thatˇs my picture。 I had the idea for it and Tom painted it for me。〃
The man looked as though what he had thought of as ¨the charades〃 were beginning again so he smiled with much good fellowship。
¨I donˇt like to be insistent〃
¨Youˇre just about as insistent as a goddam loggerhead；〃 Bobby told him。 ¨Come on。 Have a drink on me and forget it。〃
The boys were talking with Roger。 ¨It was pretty good while it lasted； wasnˇt it； Mr。 Davis？〃 young Tom asked。 ¨I didnˇt overdo it too badly； did I？〃
¨It was fine；〃 Roger said。 ¨Dave didnˇt have much though。〃
¨I was just getting ready to be a monster；〃 David said。
¨Youˇd have killed her； I think；〃 young Tom said。 ¨She was hurt pretty badly already。 Were you going to come up as a monster？〃
¨I had my eyelids inside out and all ready to come up；〃 David told them。 ¨I was bent down fixing myself to come up when we stopped。〃
¨It was bad luck she was such a nice woman；〃 Andy said。 ¨I hadnˇt started to let it have any effect on me yet。 I guess now we wonˇt have any chance to do another one。〃
¨Wasnˇt Mr。 Bobby wonderful？〃 young Tom asked。 ¨Boy； you were swell； Mr。 Bobby。〃
¨Sure was a pity to stop；〃 Bobby said。 ¨And Constable hadnˇt even come in yet。 I was just beginning to get worked up。 I know just how those great actors must feel。〃
The girl came in through the door。 As she came in； the wind blew her sweater against her and blew her hair as she turned to Roger。
¨She wouldnˇt come back。 But itˇs all right。 Sheˇs fine now。〃
¨Will you have a drink with us？〃 Roger asked her。
¨Iˇd love to。〃
Roger told her all of their names and she said that she was Audrey Bruce。
¨Can I come up and see your pictures？〃
¨Of course；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Iˇd like to come with Miss Bruce；〃 the man of persistence said。
¨Are you her father？〃 Roger asked him。
¨No。 But Iˇm a very old friend。〃
¨You canˇt come；〃 Roger said。 ¨You have to wait for Very Old Friends Day。 Or get a card from the committee。〃
¨Please donˇt be rude to him；〃 she said to Roger。
¨Iˇm afraid I have been。〃
¨Donˇt be anymore。〃
¨Fine。〃
¨Letˇs be pleasant。〃
¨Good。〃
¨I liked Tomˇs line about that same girl that is in all your books。〃
¨Did you really like it？〃 young Tom asked her。 ¨It isnˇt really accurate。 I was teasing Mr。 Davis。〃
¨I thought it was a little bit accurate。〃
¨You come up to the house；〃 Roger told her。
¨Do I bring my friends？〃
¨No。〃
¨None of them？〃
¨Do you want them very much？〃
¨No。〃
¨Good。〃
¨Around what time of day do I come up to the house？〃
¨Any time；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Do I stay for lunch？〃
¨Naturally；〃 Roger said。
¨This sounds like a splendid island；〃 she said。 ¨Iˇm so glad weˇre all pleasant。〃
¨David can show you how he was going to be a monster when we called it off；〃 Andy said to her。
¨Oh dear；〃 she said。 ¨Weˇll have absolutely everything。〃
¨How long are you staying？〃 young Tom asked her。
¨I donˇt know。〃
¨How long is the yacht staying？〃 Roger asked。
¨I donˇt know。〃
¨What do you know？〃 Roger asked。 ¨I mean it pleasantly。〃
¨Not very much。 What about you？〃
¨I think youˇre lovely；〃 Roger said。
¨Oh；〃 she said。 ¨Thank you very much。〃
¨Will you stay for a while？〃
¨I donˇt know。 I might。〃
¨Will you come up to the house now and have a drink instead of having it here？〃 Roger asked her。
¨Letˇs have one here；〃 she said。 ¨Itˇs awfully nice here。〃
XII
THE NEXT DAY THE WIND had dropped off and Roger and the boys were swimming on the beach and Thomas Hudson was on the upper porch working。 Eddy had said he thought it would do Davidˇs feet no harm to swim in the salt water if he put a new dressing on them afterwards。 So they had all gone in and Thomas Hudson had looked down and watched them from time to time while he painted。 He was wondering about Roger and the girl and that distracted him so he stopped thinking about it。 He could not help thinking of how much the girl reminded him of young Tomˇs mother when he had first met her。 But so many girls had managed to lo
