hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第67章
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¨What time does your plane leave？〃
¨Six oˇclock； I think。〃
¨Weˇll fix everything up；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
A man came over to the table。 He was a local boy。
¨Pardon me；〃 he said。 ¨May I have your autograph？〃
¨Of course。〃
He gave her a card with the picture of the bar on it with Constante standing behind it making a cocktail and she signed with the overlarge theatrical writing Thomas Hudson knew so well。
¨Itˇs not for my little daughter or my son who is in school；〃 the man said。 ¨Itˇs for me。〃
¨Good；〃 she said and smiled at him。 ¨You were very nice to ask me。〃
¨Iˇve seen all of your pictures；〃 the man said。 ¨I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world。〃
¨Thatˇs wonderful；〃 she said。 ¨Please keep on thinking that。〃
¨Would you let me buy you a drink？〃
¨Iˇm drinking with a friend。〃
¨I know him；〃 the radio announcer said。 ¨Iˇve known him for many years。 May I sit down； Tom？ There is an extra lady here。〃
¨This is Mr。 Rodr？guez；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Whatˇs your last name； Ginny？〃
¨Watson。〃
¨Miss Watson。〃
¨Iˇm delighted to know you； Miss Watson；〃 the radio announcer said。 He was a good…looking man； dark and tanned with pleasant eyes； a nice smile； and the big good hands of a ball player。 He had been both a gambler and a ball player and he had some of the good looks of the modern gambler left。
¨Could you all three have lunch with me？〃 he asked。 ¨It is nearly lunchtime now。〃
¨Mr。 Hudson and I have to make a trip into the country；〃 she said。
¨Iˇd love to have lunch with you；〃 Ginny said。 ¨I think youˇre wonderful。〃
¨Is he all right？〃 she asked Thomas Hudson。
¨Heˇs a fine man。 As good as youˇll find in town。〃
¨Thank you very much； Tom；〃 the man said。 ¨You are sure you wonˇt all eat with me？〃
¨We really have to go；〃 she said。 ¨Weˇre late now。 Then Iˇll see you at the hotel； Ginny。 Thank you so much； Mr。 Rodr？guez。〃
¨You really are the most beautiful woman in the world；〃 Mr。 Rodr？guez said。 ¨If I hadnˇt always known it； I know it now。〃
¨Please keep on thinking so；〃 she said and then they were out in the street。
¨Well；〃 she said。 ¨That wasnˇt too bad。 Ginny likes him； too； and heˇs nice。〃
¨He is nice；〃 Thomas Hudson said and the chauffeur opened the door of the car for them。
¨Youˇre nice；〃 she said。 ¨I wish you hadnˇt had quite so many drinks。 Thatˇs why I skipped the champagne。 Who was your dark friend at the end of the bar？〃
¨Just my dark friend at the end of the bar。〃
¨Do you need a drink？ We could stop somewhere and get one。〃
¨No。 Do you？〃
¨You know I never do。 Iˇd like some wine though。〃
¨I have wine out at the house。〃
¨Thatˇs wonderful。 Now you can kiss me。 They wonˇt arrest us now。〃
¨？Adonde vamos？〃 the chauffeur asked looking straight ahead。
¨A la finca；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Oh； Tommy； Tommy； Tommy；〃 she said。 ¨Go right ahead。 It doesnˇt make any difference if he sees us； does it？〃
¨No。 It makes no difference。 You can cut his tongue out if you like。〃
¨No； I donˇt want to。 Nor nothing brutal ever。 But you were nice to offer it。〃
¨It wouldnˇt be a bad idea。 How are you？ You old love…house of always。〃
¨Iˇm the same。〃
¨Really the same？〃
¨The same as one always is。 Iˇm yours in this town。〃
¨Until the plane leaves。〃
¨Exactly；〃 she said and changed her position for the better in the car。 ¨Look；〃 she said。 ¨Weˇve left the shining part and itˇs dirty and smoky。 When didnˇt we do that？〃
¨Sometimes。〃
¨Yes；〃 she said。 ¨Sometimes。〃
Then they looked at the dirty and the smoky and her quick eyes and lovely intelligence saw everything instantly that had taken him so many years to see。
¨Now it gets better；〃 she said。 She had never told him a lie in his life and he had tried to never lie to her。 But he had been quite unsuccessful。
¨Do you still love me？〃 she asked。 ¨Tell me true without adornments。〃
¨Yes。 You ought to know。〃
¨I know；〃 she said； holding him to prove it if it could prove it。
¨Who is the man now？〃
¨Letˇs not talk about him。 You wouldnˇt care for him。〃
¨Maybe not；〃 he said and held her so close that it was as though something must break if both were truly serious。 It was their old game and she broke and the break was clean。
¨You donˇt have breasts；〃 she said。 ¨And you always win。〃
¨I donˇt have a face to break your heart。 Nor what you have and the long lovely legs。〃
¨You have something else。〃
¨Yes；〃 he said。 ¨Last night with a pillow and a cat making love。〃
¨Iˇll make up for the cat。 How far is it now？〃
¨Eleven minutes。〃
¨Thatˇs too far the way things are now。〃
¨Should I take it from him and drive it in eight？〃
¨No； please； and remember everything I taught you about patience。〃
¨That was the most intelligent and stupid lesson I learned。 Reteach it to me a little now。〃
¨Do I have to？〃
¨No。 It is only eight minutes now。〃
¨Will it be a nice place and will the bed be big？〃
¨We will have to see；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Are you starting to have your old doubts already？〃
¨No；〃 she said。 ¨I want a big； big bed。 To forget all about the army。〃
¨There is a big bed；〃 he said。 ¨Maybe not as big as the army。〃
¨You donˇt have to be rough；〃 she said。 ¨All the beautiful ones end up showing pictures of their wives。 You should know the Airbornes。〃
¨Iˇm glad I donˇt。 Weˇre a little waterlogged。 But we were never waterborne nor said so。〃
¨Can you tell me anything about it？〃 she asked him； her hand now soundly in his pocket。
¨No。〃
¨You never would and I love you for it。 But I get curious and people ask me and I worry。〃
¨Just be curious；〃 he said。 ¨And never worry。 Donˇt you remember that curiosity killed a cat？ Iˇve got a cat and heˇs curious enough。〃 He thought of Boise。 Then he said； ¨But worry kills big businessmen right in their prime。 Do I have to worry about you？〃
¨Only as an actress。 Then not too much。 Now itˇs only two minutes more。 Itˇs nice country now and I like it。 Can we have lunch in bed？〃
¨Can we go to sleep then； too？〃
¨Yes。 Itˇs not a sin； if we donˇt miss the plane。〃
The car climbed steeply now on the old stone…paved road with the big trees on either side。
¨Have you anything to miss？〃
¨You；〃 he said。
¨I mean duty。〃
¨Did I look as though I were on duty？〃
¨You might be。 Youˇre a wonderful actor。 The worst I ever saw。 I love you； my dear crazy；〃 she said。 ¨Iˇve seen you play all your great roles。 The one I loved you the best in was when you were playing the Faithful Husband and you were doing it so wonderfully and there was a big spot of natural juices showed on your trousers and every time you looked at me it was bigger。 That was in the Ritz； I think。〃
¨That was where I played the Faithful Husband best；〃 he said。 ¨Like Garrick at the Old Bailey。〃
¨Youˇre a little confused；〃 she said。 ¨I think you played it best on the Normandie。〃
¨When they burned her I didnˇt give a damn about anything for six days。〃
¨Thatˇs not your record。〃
¨No；〃 he said。
They were stopped at the gate now and the chauffeur was unlocking it。
¨Do we really live here？〃
¨Yes。 Up the hill。 Iˇm sorry the driveˇs in such bad shape。〃
The car climbed it through the mango trees and the unflowering flamboyanes； turned past the cattle sheds and on up the circular drive to the house。 He opened the door of the car and she stepped out as though conferring a warm and generous favor to the ground。
She looked at the house and could see the open windows of the bedroom。 They were big windows and in some way it reminded her of the Normandie。
¨Iˇll miss the plane；〃 she said。 ¨Why canˇt I be ill？ All the other women are ill。〃
¨I know two good doctors that will swear you are。〃
¨Wonderful；〃 she said； going up the stairs。 ¨We wonˇt have to ask them to dinner； will we？〃
¨No；〃 he said； opening the door； ¨Iˇll call them up and send the chauffeur for the certificates。〃
¨I am ill；〃 she sai
