hemingway, ernest - garden of eden-第17章

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〃I　don't　think　I'm　staying。〃

〃Really？　That's　too　bad；〃　he　said　and　felt　the　tension　come　to　the　table　and　draw　taut　as　a　hawser。　He　looked　from　the　girl　with　her　eyelashes　down　so　they　touched　her　cheeks　to　Catherine　and　she　looked　at　him　very　straight　and　said；　〃She　was　going　back　to　Paris　and　I　said　why　not　stay　here　if　Aurol　has　a　room？　Gome　on　up　to　lunch　and　see　if　David　likes　you　and　if　you　like　the　place。　David　do　you　like　her？〃

〃It's　not　a　club；〃　David　said。　〃It's　a　hotel。〃　Catherine　looked　away　and　he　moved　fast　to　help　her；　going　on　as　though　it　had　not　been　stated。　〃We　like　you　very　much　and　I'm　sure　Aurol　has　room。　He　should　be　delighted　to　have　someone　else　here。〃

The　girl　sat　at　the　table　with　her　eyes　down。　〃I　think　I'd　better　not。〃

〃Please　stay　a　few　days；〃　Catherine　said。　〃David　and　I　would　both　love　to　have　you。　I've　no　one　here　to　keep　me　company　while　he　works。　We'd　have　good　times　the　way　we　did　this　morning。　Tell　her　David。〃

The　hell　with　her；　David　thought。　Fuck　her。

〃Don't　be　silly；〃　he　said。　〃Call　Monsieur　Aurol　please；〃　he　told　the　boy　who　served。　〃We'll　find　out　about　a　room。

'You　won't　mind　truly？〃　the　girl　asked。

96　97


〃We　wouldn't　have　asked　you　if　we　minded；〃　David　said。　〃We　like　you　and　you're　very　decorative。〃
〃I'll　be　useful　if　I　can；〃　the　girl　said。　〃I　hope　I'll　find　out　how　to　be。〃
〃Be　happy　the　way　you　were　when　you　came　in；〃　David　told　her。　〃That's　useful。〃
〃I　am　now；〃　the　girl　said。　〃I　wish　I'd　taken　the　martini　now　that　I　don't　have　to　drive。〃
〃You　can　have　one　tonight；〃　Catherine　said。

〃That　will　be　lovely。　Can　we　go　and　see　the　rooms　now　and　get　it　over　with？〃


David　had　driven　her　down　to　retrieve　the　big　old　Isotta　convertible　and　her　bags　from　where　the　car　had　been　parked　in　front　of　the　cafe　in　Cannes。
On　the　way　she　said；　〃Your　wife　is　wonderful　and　I'm　in　love　with　her。〃
She　was　sitting　beside　him　and　David　did　not　look　to　see　if　she　blushed。
〃I'm　in　love　with　her　too；〃　he　said。
〃I'm　in　love　with　you　also；〃　she　said。　〃Is　that　all　right？〃　He　dropped　his　arm　and　closed　his　hand　on　her　shoulder　and　she　leaned　close　against　him。
〃We'll　have　to　see　about　that；〃　he　said。
〃I'm　glad　I'm　smaller。〃
〃Smaller　than　who？〃
〃Catherine；〃　she　said。
〃That's　a　hell　of　a　thing　to　say；〃　he　said。
〃I　mean　I　thought　you　might　like　someone　of　my　size。　Or　do　you　only　care　for　tall　girls？〃
〃Catherine's　not　a　tall　girl。〃
〃Of　course　not。　I　only　meant　that　I　was　not　as　tall。〃
〃Yes　and　you're　very　dark　too。〃

〃Yes。　We'll　look　well　together。〃

〃Who　will？〃

〃Catherine　and　I　and　you　and　I。〃

〃We'll　have　to。〃

〃What　does　that　mean？〃

〃I　mean　we　can't　escape　looking　well　together　can　we；　if　we　look　well　and　we　are　together？〃

'We're　together　now。

〃No。〃　He　was　driving　with　only　one　hand　on　the　wheel；　leaning　back　and　looking　up　the　road　ahead　at　the　juncture　with　the　N。7。　She　had　put　her　hand　on　him。　〃We're　just　riding　in　the　same　car；〃　he　said。

〃But　I　can　feel　that　you　like　me。

〃Yes。　I'm　very　reliable　that　way　but　it　doesn't　mean　a　thing。〃

〃It　does　mean　something。〃

〃Just　what　it　says。〃

〃It's　a　very　nice　thing　to　say；〃　she　said　and　did　not　say　any　thing　more　nor　take　her　hand　away　until　they　had　turned　at　the　Boulevard　and　pulled　up　behind　the　old　Isotta　Fraschini　parked　in　front　of　the　cafe　under　the　old　trees。　Then　she　had　smiled　at　him　and　got　out　of　the　small　blue　car。

Now；　at　the　hotel　in　the　pines　that　were　still　being　blown　by　the　wind；　David　and　Catherine　were　alone　in　their　room　after　she　finally　came　in　from　settling　the　girl　in　the　two　rooms　that　she　had　taken。

〃I　think　she'll　be　comfortable；〃　Catherine　said。　〃Of　course　the　best　room　beside　our　own　is　the　one　at　the　far　end　where　you　work。〃

〃And　I'm　going　to　keep　it；〃　David　said。　〃I'm　going　damn　well　and　I　won't　change　my　work　room　for　an　imported　bitch！〃

'Why　are　you　being　so　violent？〃　Catherine　said。　〃No　one　asked　you　to　give　it　up。　I　just　said　it　was　the　best。　But　the　two　next　door　to　it　work　out　very　well。〃

〃Who　is　this　girl　anyway？〃
98　99

〃Don't　be　so　violent。　She's　a　nice　girl　and　I　like　her。　I　know　it　was　unforgivable　to　bring　her　up　without　speaking　to　you　and　I'm　sorry。　But　I　did　it　and　it's　done。　I　thought　you'd　like　to　have　someone　pleasant　and　attractive　for　me　to　have　as　a　friend　to　go　around　with　while　you're　working。〃

〃I　do　if　you　want　someone。

〃I　didn't　want　someone。　I　just　ran　into　someone　that　I　liked　and　thought　you　would　like　and　it　would　be　pleasant　for　her　to　be　here　for　a　little　while。〃

〃But　who　is　she？〃

〃I　haven't　examined　her　papers。　You　interrogate　her　if　you　need　to。〃

〃Well；　she's　decorative　at　least。　But　whose　girl　is　she？〃

〃Don't　be　rough。　She's　nobody's。〃

〃Tell　me　straight。〃

〃All　right。　She's　in　love　with　us　both　unless　I'm　crazy。

〃You're　not　crazy。

〃Not　yet　maybe。〃

〃So　what's　the　drill？〃

〃I　wouldn't　know；〃　Catherine　said。

〃I　wouldn't　either。〃

〃It's　sort　of　strange　and　fun。〃

〃I　wouldn't　know；〃　David　said。　〃Do　you　want　to　go　to　swim？　We　missed　it　yesterday。〃

〃Let's　swim。　Should　we　ask　her？　It　would　only　be　polite。〃

'We'd　have　to　wear　suits。〃

〃It　wouldn't　matter　with　this　wind。　It's　no　day　to　be　on　the　sand　to　tan。〃

〃I　hate　to　wear　suits　with　you。〃

〃Me　too。　But　maybe　tomorrow　the　wind　will　be　over。〃

Then　on　the　Esterel　road　with　David　driving　the　big　old　Isotta；　feeling　and　condemning　the　too　sudden　brakes　and　finding　how　badly　the　motor　needed　to　be　worked　over；　the　three　of　them　sat
together　and　Catherine　said；　〃There　are　two　or　three　different　coves　where　we　swim　without　suits　when　we're　alone。　That's　the　only　way　to　get　really　dark。〃
〃It's　not　a　good　day　to　tan；〃　David　said。　〃It's　too　windy。〃
〃We　can　swim　though　without　suits　if　you　like；〃　Catherine　said　to　the　girl。　〃If　David　doesn't　mind。　It　might　be　fun。〃
〃I'd　love　to；〃　the　girl　said。　〃Do　you　mind？〃　she　asked　David。


In　the　evening　David　made　martinis　and　the　girl　said；　〃Is　everything　always　as　wonderful　as　it　has　been　today？〃
〃It's　been　a　pleasant　day；〃　David　said。　Catherine　had　not　yet　come　out　from　their　room　and　he　and　the　girl　were　sitting　in　front　of　the　small　bar　M。　Aurol　had　installed　the　previous　winter　in　the　corner　of　the　big　Provencal　room。
'When　I　drink　I　want　to　say　things　I　should　never　say；〃　the　girl　said。
〃Then　don't　say　them。〃　〃Then　what's　the　use　of　drinking？〃　〃It　isn't　these。　You've　only　had　one。〃　〃Were　you　embarrassed　when　we　swam？〃
〃No。　Should　I　have　been？〃　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃I　loved　to　see　you。
〃That's　good；〃　he　said。　〃How's　the　martini？〃
〃It's　very　strong　but　I　like　it。　Did　you　and　Catherine　never　swim　before　like　that　with　anyone？〃
〃No。　Why　should　we？〃
〃I'll　get　really　brown。〃
〃I'm　sure　you　will。〃
'Would　you　rather　I　was　not　so　deeply　brown？〃
〃You're　a　nice　color。　Get　that　color　all　over　if　you　like。〃
〃I　thought　perhaps　you'd　like　one　of　your　girls　lighter　than　the　other。〃


〃You're　not　my　girl。〃
〃I　am；〃　she　said。　〃I　told　you　before。〃
〃You　don't　blush　anymore。
〃I　got　over　it　when　we　went　bathing。　I　hope　I　won't　now　for　a　long　time。　That's　why　I　said　everything&mdash；to　get　over　it。　That's　why　I　told　you。〃
〃You　look　nice　in　that　cashmere　sweater；〃　David　said。　〃Catherine　said　we'd　both　wear　them。　You　don't　dislike　me　because　I　told　you？〃
〃I　forget　what　you　told　me。
〃That　I　love　you。
〃Don't　talk　rot。〃
〃Don't　you　believe　it　happens　to　people　like　that？　The　way　it　happened　to　me　about　you　two？〃
〃You　don't　fall　in　love　with　two　people　at　once。
〃You　don't　know；〃　she　said。
〃It's　rot；〃　he　said。　〃It's　just　a　way　of　talking。〃
〃It　isn't　at　all。　It's　true。〃
〃You　just　think　it　is。　It's　nonsense。〃
〃All　right；〃　she　said。　〃It's　nonsense。　But　I'm　here。〃
〃Yes。　You're　here；〃　he　said。　He　was　watching　Catherine　as　she　crossed　the　room；　smiling　and　happy。
〃1…lello　swimmers；〃　she　said。　〃Oh　what　a　shame。　I　didn't　get　to　see　Marita　have　her　first　martini。〃
〃This　is　still　it；〃　the　girl　said。
〃How　did　it　affect　her；　David？〃
〃Made　her　talk　rot。〃
〃We'll　start　with　a　fresh　one。　Weren't　you　good　to　resuscitate　this　bar。　It's　such　a　sort　of　tentative　bar。　We'll　get　a　mirror　for　it。　A　bar's　no　good　without　a　mirror。〃
〃We　can　get　one　tomorrow；〃　the　girl　said。　〃I'd　like　to　get　it。