hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第59节
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t outside。
¨I have no real use for it。〃
¨Hombre;〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨Are you feeling all right? Do you feel OK?〃
¨Quite;〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Iˇm quite OK; thank you very much。〃
¨How was the trip?〃 Honest Lil asked from her stool at the bar。 Thomas Hudson looked at her and saw her again for the first time。 She looked considerably darker and much wider。
¨It was a nice trip;〃 he said。 ¨You always meet interesting people when you travel。〃
Honest Lil put her hand on his thigh and squeezed it and he was looking down the bar; away from Honest Lil; past the Panama hats; the Cuban faces; and the moving dice cups of the drinkers and out the open door into the bright light of the square; when he saw the car pull up and the doorman opened the rear door; his cap in his hand; and she got out。
It was her。 No one else got out of a car that way; practically and easily and beautifully and at the same time as though she were doing the street a great favor when she stepped on it: Everyone had tried to look like her for many years and some came quite close。 But when you saw her; all the people that looked like her were only imitations。 She was in uniform now and she smiled at the doorman and asked him a question and he answered happily and nodded his head and she started across the sidewalk and into the bar。 There was another woman in uniform behind her。
Thomas Hudson stood up and he felt as though his chest was being constricted so that he could not breathe。 She had seen him and she was walking down the gap between the people at the bar and the tables toward him。 The other woman was following behind her。
¨Excuse me;〃 he said to Honest Lil and to the Alcalde Peor。 ¨I have to see a friend。〃
They met halfway down the free corridor between the bar and the tables and he was holding her in his arms。 They were both holding hard and tight as people can hold and he was kissing her hard and well and she was kissing him and feeling both his arms with her hands。
¨Oh you。 You。 You;〃 she said。
¨You devil;〃 he said。 ¨How did you get here?〃
¨From Camag?ey; of course。〃
People were looking at them and he picked her off her feet and held her tight against him and kissed her once more then put her down and took her hand and started for a table in the corner。
¨We canˇt do that here;〃 he said。 ¨Weˇll get arrested。〃
¨Letˇs get arrested;〃 she said。 ¨This is Ginny。 Sheˇs my secretary。〃
¨Hi; Ginny;〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Letˇs get this mad woman behind that table。〃
Ginny was a nice; ugly girl。 They were both wearing the same uniform; officersˇ blouses without insignia; shirts and ties; skirts; stockings; and brogues。 They had overseas caps and a patch on their left shoulders he had not seen before。
¨Take your cap off; devil。〃
¨Iˇm not supposed to。〃
¨Take it off。〃
¨All right。〃
She took it off and lifted her face and shook her hair loose and moved her head back and looked at him and he saw the high forehead; the magic rolling line of the hair that was the same silvery ripe…wheat color as always; the high cheekbones with the hollows just below them; the hollows that could always break your heart; the slightly flattened nose; and the mouth he had just left that was disarranged by the kissing; and the lovely chin and throat line。
¨How do I look?〃
¨You know。〃
¨Did you ever kiss anybody in these clothes before? Or scratch yourself on army buttons?〃
¨No。〃
¨Do you love me?〃
¨I always love you。〃
¨No。 Do you love me right now。 This minute。〃
¨Yes;〃 he said and his throat ached。
¨Thatˇs good;〃 she said。 ¨It would be pretty awful for you if you didnˇt。〃
¨How long are you here for?〃
¨Just today。〃
¨Let me kiss you。〃
¨You said weˇd be arrested。〃
¨We can wait。 What do you want to drink?〃
¨Do they have good champagne?〃
¨Yes。 But thereˇs an awfully good local drink。〃
¨There must be。 About how many of them have you had?〃
¨I donˇt know。 About a dozen。〃
¨You only look tight around the eyes。 Are you in love with anyone?〃
¨No。 You?〃
¨Weˇll have to see。 Where is your bitch of a wife?〃
¨In the Pacific。〃
¨I wish she was。 About a thousand fathoms deep。 Oh; Tommy; Tommy; Tommy; Tommy; Tommy。〃
¨Are you in love with anyone?〃
¨Iˇm afraid so。〃
¨You bastard。〃
¨Isnˇt it terrible? The first time I ever meet you since I went away and youˇre not in love with anyone and Iˇm in love with someone。〃
¨You went away?〃
¨Thatˇs my story。〃
¨Is he nice?〃
¨Heˇs nice; this one; like children are nice。 Iˇm very necessary to him。〃
¨Where is he?〃
¨Thatˇs a military secret。〃
¨Is that where youˇre going?〃
¨Yes。〃
¨What are you?〃
¨Weˇre USO。〃
¨Is that the same as OSS?〃
¨No; goofy。 Donˇt pretend to be stupid and donˇt be stuffy just because I love someone。 You never consult me when you fall in love with people。〃
¨How much do you love him?〃
¨I didnˇt say I loved him。 I said I was in love with him。 I wonˇt even be in love with him today if you donˇt want。 Iˇm only here for a day。 I donˇt want not to be polite。〃
¨Go to hell;〃 he said。
¨How would it be if I took the car and went to the hotel?〃 Ginny asked。
¨No; Ginny。 Weˇre going to have some champagne first。 Do you have a car?〃 she asked Thomas Hudson。
¨Yeah。 Outside on the square。〃
¨Can we drive out to your place?〃
¨Of course。 We can eat and then go out。 Or I can pick up something for us to eat out there。〃
¨Werenˇt we lucky that we could get here?〃
¨Yes;〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨How did you know anyone was here?〃
¨A boy at the field at Camag?ey told me you might be here。 If we didnˇt find you; we were going to see Havana。〃
¨We can see Havana。〃
¨No;〃 she said。 ¨Ginny can see it。 Do you know anybody who could take Ginny out?〃
¨Sure。〃
¨We have to get back to Camag?ey tonight。〃
¨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 wouldnˇ