hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第40章
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¨You donˇt have to worry about undertow；〃 young Tom told her。 ¨Itˇs a long gradual slope。〃
¨What about sharks and barracuda？〃
¨Sharks only come in at night；〃 Roger told her。 ¨Barracuda never bother you。 Theyˇd only hit you if the water was roily or muddy。〃
¨If they just saw a flash of something and didnˇt know what it was they might strike at it by mistake；〃 David explained。 ¨But they donˇt bite people in clear water。 Thereˇs nearly always barracuda around where we swim。〃
¨You can see them float along over the sand right alongside of you；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Theyˇre very curious。 But they always go away。〃
¨If you had fish； though；〃 David told her； ¨like goggle…fishing and the fish on a stringer or in a bag； theyˇd go after the fish and they might hit you by accident because theyˇre so fast。〃
¨Or if you were swimming in a bunch of mullet or a big school of sardines；〃 young Tom said。 ¨They could hit you when they were slashing in after the school fish。〃
¨You swim between Tom and me；〃 Andy said。 ¨Nothing will bother you that way。〃
The waves were breaking heavily on the beach and the sandpipers and Wilson plover ran twinklingly out onto the hard new…wet sand as the water receded before the next wave broke。
¨Do you think we ought to swim when itˇs this rough and we canˇt see？〃
¨Oh； sure；〃 David told her。 ¨Just watch where you walk before you start to swim。 Itˇs probably too rough for a sting ray to lie in the sand anyway。〃
¨Mr。 Davis and I will look after you；〃 young Tom said。
¨Iˇll look after you；〃 Andy said。
¨If you bump into any fish in the surf theyˇre probably little pompanos；〃 David said。 ¨They come in on the high tide to feed on the sand fleas。 Theyˇre awfully pretty in the water and theyˇre curious and friendly。〃
¨It sounds a little like swimming in an aquarium；〃 she said。
¨Andy will teach you how to let the air out of your lungs to stay down deep；〃 David told her。 ¨Tom will show you how not to get in trouble with morays。〃
¨Donˇt try to scare her； Dave；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Weˇre not big kings of underwater like he is。 But just because heˇs a king of underwater； Miss Bruce〃
¨Audrey。〃
¨Audrey；〃 Tom said and stopped。
¨What were you saying； Tommy？〃
¨I donˇt know；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Letˇs go in and swim。〃
Thomas Hudson worked on for a while。 Then he went down and sat by David and watched the four of them in the surf。 The girl was swimming without a cap and she swam and dove as sleek as a seal。 She was as good a swimmer as Roger except for the difference in power。 When they came in onto the beach and came walking toward the house on the hard sand； the girlˇs hair was wet and went straight back from her forehead so there was nothing to trick the shape of her head and Thomas Hudson thought he had never seen a lovelier face nor a finer body。 Except one； he thought。 Except the one finest and loveliest。 Donˇt think about it； he told himself。 Just look at this girl and be glad sheˇs here。
¨How was it？〃 he asked her。
¨Wonderful；〃 she smiled at him。 ¨But I didnˇt see any fish at all；〃 she told David。
¨You probably wouldnˇt in so much surf；〃 David said。 ¨Unless you bumped into them。〃
She was sitting on the sand with her hands clasped around her knees。 Her hair hung； damp； to her shoulders and the two boys sat beside her。 Roger lay on the sand in front of her with his forehead on his folded arms。 Thomas Hudson opened the screen door and went inside the house and then upstairs to the porch to work on the picture。 He thought that was the best thing for him to do。
Below on the sand； where Thomas Hudson no longer watched them； the girl was looking at Roger。
¨Are you gloomy？〃 she asked him。
¨No。〃
¨Thoughtful？〃
¨A little maybe。 I donˇt know。〃
¨On a day like this itˇs nice not to think at all。〃
¨All right。 Letˇs not think。 Is it all right if I watch the waves？〃
¨The waves are free。〃
¨Do you want to go in again？〃
¨Later。〃
¨Who taught you to swim？〃 Roger asked her。
¨You did。〃
Roger raised his head and looked at her。
¨Donˇt you remember the beach at Cap dˇAntibes？ The little beach。 Not Eden Roc I used to watch you dive at Eden Roc。〃
¨What the hell are you doing here and whatˇs your real name？〃
¨I came to see you；〃 she said ¨And I suppose my name is Audrey Bruce。〃
¨Should we go； Mr。 Davis？〃 young Tom asked。
Roger did not even answer him。
¨What your real name？〃
¨I was Audrey Raeburn。〃
¨And why did you come to see me？〃
¨Because I wanted to。 Was it wrong？〃
¨I guess not；〃 Roger said。 ¨Who said I was here？〃
¨A dreadful man I met at a cocktail party in New York。 Youˇd had a fight with him here。 He said you were a beachcomber。〃
¨Well itˇs combed pretty neatly；〃 Roger said looking out to sea。
¨He said you were quite a few other things； too。 None of them were very complimentary。〃
¨Who were you at Antibes with？〃
¨With mother and Dick Raeburn。 Now do you remember？〃
Roger sat up and looked at her。 Then he went over and put his arms around her and kissed her。
¨Iˇll be damned；〃 he said。
¨Was it all right to come？〃 she asked。
¨You old brat；〃 Roger said。 ¨Is it really you？〃
¨Do I have to prove it？ Couldnˇt you just believe it？〃
¨I donˇt remember any secret marks。〃
¨Do you like me now？〃
¨I love you now。〃
¨You couldnˇt expect me to look like a colt forever。 Do you remember when you told me I looked like a colt at Auteuil that time and I cried？〃
¨It was a compliment； too。 I said you looked like a colt by Tenniel out of Alice in Wonderland。〃
¨I cried。〃
¨Mr。 Davis；〃 Andy said。 ¨And Audrey。 We boys are going to go and get some Cokes。 Do you want any？〃
¨No； Andy。 You； brat？〃
¨Yes。 Iˇd love one。〃
¨Come on； Dave。〃
¨No。 I want to hear it。〃
¨You are a bastard for a brother sometimes；〃 young Tom said。
¨Bring me one； too；〃 David said。 ¨Go right ahead； Mr。 Davis； donˇt mind me at all。〃
¨I donˇt mind you； Davy；〃 the girl said。
¨But where did you go and why are you Audrey Bruce？〃
¨Itˇs sort of complicated。〃
¨I guess it was。〃
¨Mother married a man named Bruce finally。〃
¨I knew him。〃
¨I liked him。〃
¨I pass；〃 Roger said。 ¨But why the Audrey？〃
¨Itˇs my middle name。 I took it because I didnˇt like motherˇs。〃
¨I didnˇt like mother。〃
¨Neither did I。 I liked Dick Raeburn and I liked Bill Bruce and I loved you and I loved Tom Hudson。 He didnˇt recognize me either； did he？〃
¨I donˇt know。 Heˇs strange and he might not say。 I know he thinks you look like Tommyˇs mother。〃
¨I wish I did。〃
¨You do damned plenty enough。〃
¨Truly you do；〃 David said。 ¨Thatˇs something I know about。 Iˇm sorry； Audrey。 I ought to shut up and go away。〃
¨You didnˇt love me and you didnˇt love Tom。〃
¨Oh yes； I did。 Youˇll never know。〃
¨Whereˇs mother now？〃
¨Sheˇs married to a man named Geoffrey Townsend and lives in London。〃
¨Does she still drug？〃
¨Of course。 And sheˇs beautiful。〃
¨Really？〃
¨No。 She really is。 This isnˇt just filial piety。〃
¨You had a lot of filial piety once。〃
¨I know。 I used to pray for everyone。 Everything used to break my heart。 I used to do First Fridays for mother to give her the grace of a happy death。 You donˇt know how I prayed for you； Roger。〃
¨I wish it would have done more good；〃 Roger said。
¨So do I；〃 she said。
¨You canˇt tell； Audrey。 You never know when it may；〃 David said。 ¨I donˇt mean that Mr。 Davis needs to be prayed for。 I just mean about prayer technically。〃
¨Thanks； Dave；〃 Roger said。 ¨What ever became of Bruce？〃
¨He died。 Donˇt you remember？〃
¨No。 I remember Dick Raeburn did。〃
¨I imagine you do。〃
¨I do。〃
Young Tom and Andy came back with the bottles of Coca…Cola and Andy gave a cold bottle to the girl and one to David。
¨Thank you；〃 she said。 ¨Itˇs wonderful and cold。〃
¨Audrey；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I remember you now。 You used to come to the studio with Mr。 Raeburn。 You nev
