hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第62节
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right。〃
¨Tommy never had anything to do with that room。〃
¨No。 And Iˇll exorcise anyone who ever did。〃
¨Now we really should eat something and drink a glass of wine。〃
¨A bottle；〃 she said。 ¨Wasnˇt Tom a lovely boy？ And so funny and good。〃
¨What are you made of？〃
¨What you love；〃 she said。 ¨And steel added。〃
¨I donˇt know whatˇs become of the house boys；〃 Thomas Hudson told her。 ¨They didnˇt expect me back today。 But one boy is supposed to be on the telephone。 Iˇll get the wine。 Itˇs cold now。〃
He opened the bottle and poured two glasses。 It was the good wine he saved for coming…homes； after he had cooled out； and it bubbled small and neat and faithfully。
¨Hereˇs to us and all our mistakes and all our losses and the gains weˇll make。〃
¨Made；〃 he said。
¨Made；〃 she said。 Then she said； ¨The one thing you were always faithful to was good wine。〃
¨Admirable of me； wasnˇt it？〃
¨Iˇm sorry I said it about the drinking this morning。〃
¨Those things are good for me。 Itˇs funny； but they are。〃
¨You mean what you were drinking？ Or the criticism？〃
¨What I was drinking。 The tall frozen ones。〃
¨Maybe they are。 And I donˇt make any criticism now except that it is awfully hard to get something to eat in this house。〃
¨Be patient。 Youˇve told me that enough times。〃
¨Iˇm patient；〃 she said。 ¨Iˇm just hungry。 I know now why people eat at wakes and before funerals。〃
¨Be as rough with it as is good for you。〃
¨Donˇt worry。 Iˇll be。 Are we going to go on saying weˇre sorry for everything？ I said it once。〃
¨Listen； you；〃 he said。 ¨Iˇve had this thing three weeks longer than you and maybe Iˇm in a different phase。〃
¨Youˇd have a different and more interesting phase；〃 she said。 ¨I know you。 Why donˇt you just get back to your whores？〃
¨Wouldnˇt you like to stop it？〃
¨No。 It makes me feel better。〃
¨Who was it said； ˉMary； pity womenˇ？〃
¨Some man；〃 she said。 ¨Some bastard of a man。〃
¨Do you want to hear the whole poem？〃
¨No。 And Iˇm tired of you already and you knowing it three weeks earlier and all that。 Just because Iˇm a non…combatant and youˇre in something so secret you have to sleep with a cat so you wonˇt talk〃
¨And you still donˇt see why we broke up？〃
¨We broke up because I got tired of you。 Youˇve always loved me and you couldnˇt help it and you canˇt help it now。〃
¨Thatˇs true。〃
The house boy was standing in the dining room。 He had unavoidably seen and heard quarrels in the living room before and they made his brown face perspire with unhappiness。 He loved his master and the cats and dogs and he admired the beautiful women respectfully and it made him feel terrible when there were quarrels。 He thought that he had never seen such a beautiful woman and the caballero was quarreling with her and she was saying angry things to the caballero。
¨Se？or；〃 he said。 ¨Pardon me。 May I speak to you in the kitchen？〃
¨Excuse me please； darling。〃
¨I suppose itˇs something mysterious；〃 she said and poured her glass full of wine。
¨Se？or；〃 the boy said。 ¨The Lieutenant spoke in castellano and he said for to come in immediately repeat immediately。 He said you would know where and that it was a business matter。 I did not wish to call on our phone and I called from the village。 Then they told me you were here。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Thank you very much。 Please fry some eggs for the se？orita and me and tell the chauffeur to have the car ready。〃
¨Yes sir；〃 the boy said。
¨What was it； Tom？〃 she asked。 ¨Is it bad？〃
¨I have to go to work。〃
¨But you said you wouldnˇt have to with this wind。〃
¨I know it。 But itˇs out of my hands。〃
¨Do you want me to stay here？〃
¨You can stay and read Tomˇs letters if you like and the chauffeur will take you to your plane。〃
¨All right。〃
¨You can take the letters with you； too； if you want and any pictures or anything you see。 Go through my desk。〃
¨You are changed。〃
¨Maybe a little；〃 he said。
¨Go out to the studio and look at any of the stuff；〃 he said。 ¨There are some good ones from before we started this project。 Take anything you like。 Thereˇs a good one of you。〃
¨Iˇll take it；〃 she said。 ¨Youˇre awfully good when youˇre good。〃
¨Read the letters from her if you like。 Some of them are museum pieces。 Take any along that are comic enough。〃
¨You sound as though I travelled with a trunk。〃
¨You can read them and then drop them out of the John in the plane。〃
¨All right。〃
¨Iˇll try to get back before you go。 But donˇt count on it。 If I have to use the chauffeur Iˇll send a taxi to take you to the hotel or the airport。〃
¨Good。〃
¨The boy will look after you。 He can do any pressing for you and you can use any clothes of mine or anything you find around。〃
¨Good。 Will you try to love me； Tom； and not let anything like that last one ruin it？〃
¨Sure。 They donˇt mean anything and you pointed out I couldnˇt help it。〃
¨Try and not be able to help it。〃
¨Itˇs out of my hands。 Take any books you want or anything you find around the joint and give my eggs or one anyway to Boise。 He likes them cut up small。 I better shove。 Thereˇs been a time lag on this already。〃
¨Goodbye； Tom；〃 she said。
¨Goodbye； devil； and take good care。 This is probably nothing anyway。〃
He was gone out the door。 But the cat had slipped through it with him and was looking up at him。
¨Itˇs all right； Boise；〃 he said。 ¨Iˇll be back before we shove。〃
¨Where do we go？〃 the driver asked him。
¨Town。〃
I canˇt believe thereˇs any business with this heavy sea。 But maybe they found something。 Maybe one is in trouble somewhere。 Christ； I hope we make it this time。 I want to remember to make out one of those pocket wills and leave her the joint。 Must remember to get it witnessed at the Embassy and leave it in the safe。 She certainly took it awfully well。 But then it hasnˇt really hit her yet。 I wish I could help her when it hits her。 I wish I could be some real good to her。 Maybe I can if we get by this one and the next one and the next one。
Letˇs get by this one first。 I wonder if sheˇll take the stuff。 I hope she will and that sheˇll remember to give Boise the egg。 He gets hungry when the weatherˇs cold。
The boys wonˇt be hard to find and she can take another beating before we haul her out。 One more anyway。 One for sure。 Weˇll gamble on it。 There are spares for nearly everything。 Whatˇs one more beating if we get to close？ It would have been nice to have stayed in。 Maybe it would have been。 The hell it would have been。
Get it straight。 Your boy you lose。 Love you lose。 Honor has been gone for a long time。 Duty you do。
Sure and whatˇs your duty？ What I said Iˇd do。 And all the other things you said youˇd do？
In the bedroom of the farmhouse； now； the room that looked like the Normandie； she was lying on the bed with the cat named Boise beside her。 She had not been able to eat the eggs and the champagne had no taste。 She had cut up all the eggs for Boise and pulled open one desk drawer and seen the boyˇs handwriting on the blue envelopes and the censor stamp and then she had gone over and lain face down on the bed。
¨Both of them；〃 she said to the cat； who was happy from the eggs and from the smell of the woman who lay beside him。
¨Both of them；〃 she said。 ¨Boise； tell me。 What are we going to do about it？〃
The cat purred imperceptibly。
¨You donˇt know either；〃 she said。 ¨And neither does anyone else。〃
Part III
AT SEA
I
THERE WAS A LONG WHITE BEACH with coconut palms behind it。 The reef lay across the entrance to the harbor and the heavy east wind made the sea break on it so that the entrance was easy to see once you had opened it up。 There was no one on the beach and the sand was so white that it hurt his eyes to look at it。
The man on the flying bridge studied the shore。 There were no shacks where the shacks should have been and there were no boats anchored in the lagoon that he could see。
¨Youˇve been in here before；〃 he said to his mate。
¨Yes。〃
¨Werenˇt the shacks over there？〃
¨They were over there and it shows a village on the chart。〃
¨They sure as hell arenˇt here now；〃 the man said。 ¨Can you make out any boats up in the mangroves？〃
¨Thereˇs nothing that I can see。〃
¨Iˇm going to take her in and anchor；〃 the man said。 ¨I know this cut。 Itˇs about eight times as deep as it looks。〃
He looked down into the green water and saw the size of the shadow of his ship on the bottom。
¨Thereˇs good holding ground east from where the village used to be；〃 his mate said。
¨I know。 Break out the starboard anchor and stand by。 Iˇm going to lay off there。 With this wind blowing day and night there will be no insects。〃
¨No sir。〃
They anchored and the boat； not big enough to be called a ship except in the mind of the man who was her master； lay with her bow into the wind with the waves breaking white and green on the reef。
The man on the bridge watched that she swung well and held solid
