hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第41章
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¨Audrey；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I remember you now。 You used to come to the studio with Mr。 Raeburn。 You never talked at all。 You and I and Papa and Mr。 Raeburn used to go to the different circuses and we used to go racing。 But you werenˇt as beautiful then。〃
¨Sure she was；〃 Roger said。 ¨Ask your father。〃
¨Iˇm sorry about Mr。 Raeburn dying；〃 young Tom said。 ¨I remember him dying very well。 He was killed by a bobsled that rode high over a turn and went into the crowd。 Heˇd been very ill and Papa and I went to visit him。 Then he was better after a while and he went to watch the bob races although he shouldnˇt have。 We werenˇt there when he was killed。 Iˇm sorry if talking about it upsets you； Audrey。〃
¨He was a nice man；〃 Audrey said。 ¨It doesnˇt upset me； Tommy。 It was a long time ago。〃
¨Did you know either of us boys？〃 Andy asked her。
¨How could she； horseman？ We werenˇt born yet；〃 David said。
¨How was I to know？〃 Andy asked。 ¨I canˇt remember anything about France and I donˇt think you remember much。〃
¨I donˇt pretend to。 Tommy remembers France for all of us。 Later on Iˇll remember this island。 And I can remember every picture papa ever painted that Iˇve seen。〃
¨Can you remember the racing ones？〃 Audrey asked。
¨Every one Iˇve seen。〃
¨I was in some of them；〃 Audrey said。 ¨At Longchamps and at Auteuil and St。 Cloud。 Itˇs always the back of my head。〃
¨I can remember the back of your head then；〃 young Tom said。 ¨And your hair was down to your waist and I was two steps above you to see better。 It was a hazy day the way it is in the fall when itˇs blue smoky looking and we were in the upper stand right opposite the water jump and on our left was the bullfinch and the stone wall。 The finish was on the side closer to us and the water jump was on the inner course of the track。 I was always above and behind you to see better except when we were down at the track。〃
¨I thought you were a funny little boy then。〃
¨I guess I was。 And you never talked。 Maybe because I was so young。 But wasnˇt Auteuil a beautiful track though？〃
¨Wonderful。 I was there last year。〃
¨Maybe we can go this year； Tommy；〃 David said。 ¨Did you use to go to the races with her； too； Mr。 Davis？〃
¨No；〃 Roger said。 ¨I was just her swimming teacher。〃
¨You were my hero。〃
¨Wasnˇt papa ever your hero？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Of course he was。 But I couldnˇt let him be my hero as much as I wanted because he was married。 When he and Tommyˇs mother were divorced I wrote him a letter。 It was very powerful and I was ready to take Tommyˇs motherˇs place in any way I could。 But I never sent it because he married Davyˇs and Andyˇs mother。〃
¨Things are certainly complicated；〃 young Tom said。
¨Tell us some more about Paris；〃 David said。 ¨We ought to learn all we can if weˇre going there now。〃
¨Do you remember when weˇd be down on the rail； Audrey； and how after the horses came over the last obstacle they would be coming straight down toward us and the way they would look coming bigger and bigger and the noise they would make on the turf when they would go past？〃
¨And how cold it used to be and how we would get close to the big braziers to get warm and eat the sandwiches from the bar？〃
¨I loved it in the fall；〃 young Tom said。 ¨We used to ride back home in a carriage； an open one； do you remember？ Out of the Bois and then along the river with it just getting dark and the burning leaves smell and the tugs towing barges on the river。〃
¨Do you really remember it that well？ You were an awfully small boy。〃
¨I remember every bridge on the river from Suresnes to Charenton；〃 Tommy told her。
¨You canˇt。〃
¨I canˇt name them。 But Iˇve got them in my head。〃
¨I donˇt believe you can remember them all。 And part of the riverˇs ugly and many of the bridges are。〃
¨I know it。 But I was there a long time after I knew you； and papa and I used to walk the whole river。 The ugly parts and the beautiful parts and Iˇve fished a lot of it with different friends of mine。〃
¨You really fished in the Seine？〃
¨Of course。〃
¨Did papa fish it； too？〃
¨Not so much。 He used to fish sometimes at Charenton。 But he wanted to walk when he finished work and so we would walk until I got too tired and then get a bus back some way。 After we had some money we used to take taxis or horsecabs。〃
¨You must have had money when we were going to the races。〃
¨I think we did that year；〃 Tommy said。 ¨I canˇt remember that。 Sometimes we had money and sometimes we didnˇt。〃
¨We always had money；〃 Audrey said。 ¨Mother never married anyone who didnˇt have lots of money。〃
¨Are you rich； Audrey？〃 Tommy asked。
¨No；〃 the girl said。 ¨My father spent his money and lost his money after he married mother and none of my stepfathers ever made any provision for me。〃
¨You donˇt have to have money；〃 Andrew said to her。
¨Why donˇt you live with us？〃 young Tom asked her。 ¨Youˇd be fine with us。〃
¨It sounds lovely。 But I have to make a living。〃
¨Weˇre going to Paris；〃 Andrew said。 ¨You come along。 It will be wonderful。 You and I can go and see all the arrondissements together。〃
¨Iˇll have to think it over；〃 the girl said。
¨Do you want me to make you a drink to help you decide？〃 David said。 ¨Thatˇs what they always do in Mr。 Davisˇs books。〃
¨Donˇt ply me with liquor。〃
¨Thatˇs an old white slaverˇs trick；〃 young Tom said。 ¨Then the next thing they know theyˇre in Buenos Aires。〃
¨They must give them something awfully strong；〃 David said。 ¨Thatˇs a long trip。〃
¨I donˇt think thereˇs anything much stronger than the way Mr。 Davis makes martinis；〃 Andrew said。 ¨Make her a martini； please； Mr。 Davis。〃
¨Do you want one； Audrey？〃 Andrew asked。
¨Yes。 If itˇs not too long before lunch。〃
Roger got up to make them and young Tom came over and sat by her。 Andrew was sitting at her feet。
¨I donˇt think you ought to take it； Audrey；〃 he said。 ¨Itˇs the first step。 Remember ce nˇest que le premier pas qui conte。〃
Up on the porch Thomas Hudson kept on painting。 He could not keep from hearing their talk but he had not looked down at them since they had come in from swimming。 He was having a difficult time staying in the carapace of work that he had built for his protection and he thought； if I donˇt work now I may lose it。 Then he thought that there would be time to work when they were all gone。 But he knew he must keep on working now or he would lose the security he had built for himself with work。 I will do exactly as much as I would have done if they were not here； he thought。 Then I will clear up and go down and the hell with thinking of Raeburn or of the old days or of anything。 But as he worked he felt a loneliness coming into him already。 It was next week when they would leave。 Work； he told himself。 Get it right and keep your habits because you are going to need them。
When he had finished work and gone down to join them； Thomas Hudson was still thinking about the painting and he said ¨Hi〃 to the girl and then looked away from her。 Then he looked back。
¨I couldnˇt help hearing it；〃 he said。 ¨Or overhearing it。 Iˇm glad weˇre old friends。〃
¨So am I。 Did you know？〃
¨Maybe；〃 he said。 ¨Letˇs get lunch。 Are you dry； Audrey？〃
¨Iˇll change in the shower；〃 she said。 ¨I have a shirt and the skirt to this。〃
¨Tell Joseph and Eddy that weˇre ready；〃 Thomas Hudson said to young Tom。 ¨Iˇll show you the shower； Audrey。〃
Roger went into the house。
¨I thought I shouldnˇt be here under false pretenses；〃 Audrey said。
¨You werenˇt。〃
¨Donˇt you think I could be any good for him？〃
¨You might。 What he needs is to work well to save his soul。 I donˇt know anything about souls。 But he misplaced his the first time he went out to the Coast。〃
¨But heˇs going to write a novel now。 A great novel。〃
¨Where did you hear that？〃
¨It was in one of the columns。 Cholly Knickerbocker； I think。〃
¨Oh；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Then it must be true。〃
¨Donˇt you truly think I might be
