hemingway, ernest - garden of eden-第25章

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〃Let　me　look　at　you；〃　the　girl　said。　〃What　did　you　do　to　your　hair？〃
〃It's　cendre；〃　Catherine　said。　〃Do　you　like　it？　It's　a　rinse　that　Jean's　experimenting　with。〃

〃It's　beautiful；〃　the　girl　said。
Catherine's　hair　was　strange　and　exalting　against　her　dark　face。　She　picked　up　Marita's　drink　and　sipping　it　watched　her　self　in　the　mirror　and　said；　〃Did　you　have　fun　swimming？〃
〃We　both　had　a　good　swim；〃　the　girl　said。　〃But　not　as　long　as　yesterday。〃
〃This　is　such　a　good　drink；　David；〃　Catherine　said。　〃What　makes　your　martinis　better　than　anyone　else's？〃
〃Gin；〃　David　said。
〃Will　you　make　me　one　please？〃
〃You　don't　want　one　now；　Devil。　We're　going　to　have　lunch。〃

〃Yes　I　do；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　going　to　sleep　after　lunch。　You

didn't　have　to　go　through　all　the　bleaching　and　re…bleaching　and　all　of　it。　It's　exhausting。〃

〃What　color　is　your　hair　really　now？〃　David　asked。

〃It's　almost　like　white；〃　she　said。　〃You'd　like　it。　But　I　want　to　keep　this　so　we　see　how　it　lasts。〃

〃How　white　is　it？〃　David　asked。

〃About　like　the　soap　suds；〃　she　said。　〃Do　you　remember？〃


That　evening　Catherine　was　completely　different　from　the　way　she　had　been　at　mid…day。　She　was　sitting　at　the　bar　when　they　drove　up　from　swimming。　The　girl　had　stopped　off　at　her　room　and　when　David　came　into　the　big　main　room　he　said；　〃What　have　you　done　to　yourself　now；　Devil？〃

〃I　shampooed　all　that　nonsense　out；〃　she　said。　〃It　made　gray　stains　on　the　pillow。〃

She　looked　very　striking；　her　hair　a　very　light　almost　toneless　silver　that　made　her　face　darker　than　it　had　ever　looked。

〃You're　too　damned　beautiful；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　wish　they'd　never　touched　your　hair。〃

〃It's　too　late　for　that　now。　Can　I　tell　you　something　else？〃

〃Sure。〃

〃Tomorrow　I'm　not　going　to　have　drinks　and　I'm　going　to　study　Spanish　and　read　again　and　stop　thinking　only　about　myself。〃

〃My　God；〃　David　said。　〃You　had　a　big　day。　Here；　let　me　get　a　drink　and　go　in　and　change。〃

〃I'll　be　here；〃　Catherine　said。　〃Put　on　your　dark　blue　shirt　will　you？　The　one　I　got　you　like　the　one　of　mine？〃

David　took　his　time　in　the　shower　and　changing　and　when　he　came　back　the　two　girls　were　together　at　the　bar　and　he　wished　he　could　have　a　painting　of　them。

〃I　told　Heiress　everything　about　my　new　leaf；〃　Catherine　said。　〃The　one　I　just　turned　over　and　how　I　want　you　to　love　her　too　and　you　can　marry　her　too　if　she'll　have　you。〃

〃We　could　in　Africa　if　I　was　registered　Mohammedan。　You're　allowed　three　wives。〃

〃I　think　it　would　be　much　nicer　if　we　were　all　married；〃　Catherine　said。　〃Then　no　one　could　criticize　us。　Will　you　really　marry　him；　Heiress？〃

〃Yes；〃　the　girl　said。

〃I'm　so　pleased；〃　Catherine　said。　〃Everything　I　worried　about　is　so　simple　now。〃

〃Would　you　really？〃　David　asked　the　dark　girl。

〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃Ask　me。〃

David　looked　at　her。　She　was　very　serious　and　excited。　He　thought　of　her　face　with　her　eyes　closed　against　the　sun　and　her　black　head　against　the　whiteness　of　the　towel　robe　on　the　yellow　sand　as　it　had　been　when　they　had　made　love　at　last。　〃I'll　ask　you；〃　he　said。　〃But　not　in　any　damned　bar。

〃This　isn't　any　damned　bar；〃　Catherine　said。　〃This　is　our　own　special　bar　and　we　bought　the　mirror。　I　wish　we　could　marry　you　tonight。〃

〃Don't　talk　balls；〃　David　said。

〃I'm　not；〃　Catherine　said。　〃I　really　mean　it。　Truly。〃

〃Do　you　want　a　drink？〃　David　asked。

〃No；〃　Catherine　said。　〃I　want　to　get　it　said　right　first。　Look　at　me　and　see。〃　The　girl　was　looking　down　and　David　looked　at　Catherine。　〃I　thought　it　all　out　this　afternoon；〃　she　said。　〃I　really　did。　Didn't　I　tell　you；　Marita？〃

〃She　did；〃　the　girl　said。

David　saw　that　she　was　serious　about　this　and　that　they　had　reached　some　understanding　that　he　did　not　know　about。

〃I'm　still　your　wife；〃　Catherine　said。　〃We'll　start　with　that。　I　want　Marita　to　be　your　wife　too　to　help　me　out　and　then　she

inherits　from　me。

〃Why　does　she　have　to　inherit？〃

〃People　make　their　wills；〃　she　said。　〃And　this　is　more　important　than　a　will。〃

〃What　about　you？〃　David　asked　the　girl。

〃I　want　to　do　it　if　you　want　me　to。〃

〃Good；〃　he　said。　〃Do　you　mind　if　I　have　a　drink？〃

〃You　have　one　please；〃　Catherine　said。　〃You　see　I'm　not　going　to　have　you　ruined　if　I'm　crazy　and　I　won't　be　able　to　decide。　I'm　not　going　to　be　shut　up　either。　I　decided　that　too。　She　loves　you　and　you　love　her　a　little。　I　can　tell。　You'd　never　find　anybody　else　like　her　and　I　don't　want　you　to　go　to　some　damn　bitch　or　be　lonely。〃

〃Come　on　and　cheer　up；〃　David　said。　〃You're　healthy　as　a　goat。〃

〃Well；　we're　going　to　do　it；〃　Catherine　said。　〃We'll　work　out　everything。〃


Chapter　Seventeen





THE　SUN　WAS　BRIGHT　now　in　the　room　and　it　was　a　new　day。

You　better　get　to　work；　he　told　himself。　You　can't　change　any　of　it　back。　Only　one　person　can　change　it　back　and　she　can't　know　how　she　will　wake　nor　if　she'll　be　there　when　she　wakes。　It　doesn't　matter　how　you　feel。　You　better　get　to　work。　You　have　to　make　sense　there。　You　don't　make　any　in　this　other。　Nothing　will　help　you。　Nor　would　have　ever　since　it　started。

When　he　finally　got　back　into　the　story　the　sun　was　well　up　and　he　had　forgotten　the　two　girls。　It　had　been　necessary　to　think　what　his　father　would　have　thought　sitting　that　evening　with　his　back　against　the　green…yellow　trunk　of　the　fig　tree　with　the　enameled　cup　of　whiskey　and　water　in　his　hand。　His　father　had　dealt　so　lightly　with　evil；　giving　it　no　chance　ever　and　denying　its　importance　so　that　it　had　no　status　and　no　shape　nor　dignity。　He　treated　evil　like　an　old　entrusted　friend；　David　thought；　and　evil；　when　she　poxed　him；　never　knew　she'd　scored。　His　father　was　not　vulnerable　he　knew　and；　unlike　most　people　he　had　known；　only　death　could　kill　him。　Finally；　he　knew　what

his　father　had　thought　and　knowing　it；　he　did　not　put　it　in　the　story。　He　only　wrote　what　his　father　did　and　how　he　felt　and　in　all　this　he　became　his　father　and　what　his　father　said　to　Mob　was　what　he　said。　He　slept　well　on　the　ground　under　the　tree　and　he　waked　and　heard　the　leopard　cough。　Later　he　did　not　hear　the　leopard　in　the　camp　but　he　knew　he　was　there　and　he　went　back　to　sleep。　The　leopard　was　after　meat　and　there　was　plenty　of　meat　so　there　was　no　problem。　In　the　morning　before　daylight　sitting　by　the　ashes　of　the　fire　with　his　tea　in　the　chipped　enameled　cup　he　asked　Mob　if　the　leopard　had　taken　meat　and　Mob　said；　〃Ndiyo〃　and　he　said；　〃There's　plenty　where　we　re　going。　Get　them　moving　so　we　can　start　the　climb。〃

They　were　moving　for　the　second　day　through　the　high　wooded　and　park…like　country　above　the　escarpment　when　he　stopped　finally　and　he　was　happy　with　the　country　and　the　day　and　the　distance　they　had　made。　He　had　his　father's　ability　to　forget　now　and　not　dread　anything　that　was　coming。　There　was　another　day　and　another　night　ahead　in　that　new　high　country　when　he　stopped　and　he　had　lived　two　days　and　a　night　today。

Now　that　he　left　that　country　his　father　was　with　him　still　as　he　locked　the　door　and　walked　back　to　the　big　room　and　the　bar。

He　told　the　boy　he　did　not　want　breakfast　and　to　bring　him　a　whiskey　and　Perrier　and　the　morning　paper。　It　was　past　noon　and　he　had　intended　to　drive　the　old　Isotta　into　Cannes　and　see　that　the　repairs　were　made　but　he　knew　the　garages　were　closed　now　and　it　was　too　late。　Instead　he　stood　at　the　bar　because　that's　where　he　would　have　found　his　father　at　that　hour　and；　having　just　come　down　from　the　high　country；　he　missed　him。　The　sky　outside　was　very　much　the　sky　that　he　had　left。　It　was　high　blue　and　the　clouds　white　cumulus　and　he　welcomed　his　father's　presence　at　the　bar　until　he　glanced　in　the　mirror　and　saw　he　was　alone。　He　had　intended　to　ask　his　father　about　two　things。　His　father；　who　ran　his　life　more　disastrously　than　any　man　that


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he　had　ever　known；　gave　marvelous　advice。　He　distilled　it　out　of　the　bitter　mash　of　all　his　previous　mistakes　with　the　freshening　addition　of　the　new　mistakes　he　was　about　to　make　and　he　gave　it　with　an　accuracy　and　precision　that　carried　the　authority　of　a　man　who　had　heard　all　the　more　grisly　provisions　of　his　sentence　and　gave　it　no　more　importance　than　he　had　given　to　the　fine　print　on　a　transatlantic　steamshi