hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第37节
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¨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 good for him？〃
¨You might。〃
¨There are some complications。〃
¨There always are。〃
¨Should I tell you now？〃
¨No；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨You better get dressed and comb your hair and get up there。 He might meet some other woman while he was waiting。〃
¨You werenˇt like this in the old days。 I thought you were the kindest man I ever knew。〃
¨Iˇm awfully sorry； Audrey。 And Iˇm glad youˇre here。〃
¨We are old friends； arenˇt we？〃
¨Sure；〃 he said。 ¨Change and fix yourself up and get up there。〃
He looked away from the girl and she shut the door of the shower。 He did not know what made him feel as he did。 But the happiness of the summer began to drain out of him as when the tide changes on the flats and the ebb begins in the channel that opens out to sea。 He watched the sea and the line of beach and he noticed that the tide had changed and the shore birds were working busily well down the slope of new wet sand。 The breakers were diminishing as they receded。 He looked a long way up along the shore and then went into the house。
XIII
THEY HAD A FINE TIME the last few days。 It was as good as any of the time before and there was no pre…going sadness。 The yacht left and Audrey took a room over the Ponce de Le？n。 But she stayed at the house and slept on a cot on the sleeping porch at the far end of the house and used the guest room。
She did not say anything again about being in love with Roger。 All Roger said to Thomas Hudson about her was； ¨Sheˇs married to some sort of a son of a bitch。〃
¨You couldnˇt expect her to wait all her life for you； could you？〃
¨At least heˇs a son of a bitch。〃
¨Arenˇt they always？ Youˇll find he has his nice side。〃
¨Heˇs rich。〃
¨Thatˇs probably his nice side；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Theyˇre always married to some son of a bitch and he always has some tremendously nice side。〃
¨All right；〃 Roger said。 ¨Letˇs not talk about it。〃
¨Youˇre going to do the book； arenˇt you？〃
¨Sure。 Thatˇs what she wants me to do。〃
¨Is that why youˇre going to do it？〃
¨Shove it； Tom；〃 Roger told him。
¨Do you want to use the Cuba House？ Itˇs only a shack。 But youˇd be away from people。〃
¨No。 I want to go West。〃
¨The Coast？〃
¨No。 Not the Coast。 Could I stay at the ranch for a while？〃
¨Thereˇs only the one cabin thatˇs on the far beach。 I rented the rest。〃
¨That would be fine。〃
The girl and Roger took long walks on the beach and swam together and with the boys。 The boys went bone…fishing and took Audrey bone…fishing and goggle…fishing on the reef。 Thomas Hudson worked hard and all the time he was working and the boys were out on the flats he had the good feeling that they would be home soon and they would be having supper or dinner together。 He was worried when they were goggle…fishing but he knew Roger and Eddy would make them be careful。 One time they all went trolling for a full day up to the furthest light at the end of the bank and had a wonderful day with bonito and dolphin and three big wahoo。 He painted a canvas of a wahoo with his strange flattened head and his stripes around his long speed…built body for Andy； who had caught the biggest one。 He painted him against a background of the big spider…legged lighthouse with the summer clouds and the green of the banks。
Then one day the old Sikorsky amphibian circled the house once and then landed in the bay and they rowed the three boys out to her in the dinghy。 Joseph sculled out in another dinghy with their bags。 Young Tom said； ¨Goodbye； papa。 It certainly was a swell summer。〃
David said； ¨Goodbye； papa。 It certainly was wonderful。 Donˇt worry about anything。 Weˇll be careful。〃
Andrew said； ¨Goodbye； papa。 Thanks for a wonderful； wonderful summer and for the trip to Paris。〃
They climbed up into the cockpit door and all waved from the door to Audrey； who was standing on the dock； and called； ¨Goodbye！ Goodbye； Audrey。〃
Roger was helping them up and they said； ¨Goodbye； Mr。 Davis。 Goodbye； papa。〃 Then very loud and carrying over the water； ¨Goodbye； Audrey！〃
Then the door closed and locked and they were faces through the small glass panes and then they were water…splashed faces as the old coffee mills revved up。 Thomas Hudson pulled away from the rush of spray and the ancient； ugly plane taxied out and took off into the little breeze there was and then circled once and straightened course； steady； ugly； and slow across the Gulf。
Thomas Hudson knew Roger and Audrey would be leaving and as the run…boat was coming the next day he asked Roger when he was going。
¨Tomorrow； old Tom；〃 Roger said。
¨With Wilson？〃
¨Yes。 I asked him to come back。〃
¨I just wanted to know about ordering on the run…boat。〃
So the next day they left the same way。 Thomas Hudson kissed the girl goodbye and she kissed him。 She had cried when the boys left and she cried that day and held him close and hard。
¨Take good care of him and take good care of you。〃
¨Iˇm going to try。 Youˇve been awful good to us； Tom。〃
¨Nonsense。〃
¨Iˇll write；〃 Roger
