the glimpses of the moon-第16部分

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we'd　been　as　detachable　as　all　that？　　As　it　is；　it's　going　to

hurt　horribly。　　But　talking　it　over　won't　help。　　You　were　right

just　now　when　you　asked　how　else　we　were　going　to　live。　　We're

born　parasites；　both；　I　suppose；　or　we'd　have　found　out　some　way

long　ago。　　But　I　find　there　are　things　I　might　put　up　with　for

myself；　at　a　pinchand　should；　probably；　in　time　that　I　can't

let　you　put　up　with　for　me　。。。　ever　。。。。　　Those　cigars　at　Como：

do　you　suppose　I　didn't　know　it　was　for　me？　　And　this　too？

Well；　it　won't　do　。。。　it　won't　do　。。。。〃



He　stopped；　as　if　his　courage　failed　him；　and　she　moaned　out：

〃But　your　writingif　your　book's　a　success　。。。。〃



〃My　poor　Susythat's　all　part　of　the　humbug。　　We　both　know　that

my　sort　of　writing　will　never　pay。　　And　what's　the　alternative

except　more　of　the　same　kind　of　baseness？　　And　getting　more　and

more　blunted　to　it？　　At　least；　till　now；　I've　minded　certain

things；　I　don't　want　to　go　on　till　I　find　myself　taking　them　for

granted。〃



She　reached　out　a　timid　hand。　　〃But　you　needn't　ever；　dear　。。。　

if　you'd　only　leave　it　to　me　。。。。〃



He　drew　back　sharply。　　〃That　seems　simple　to　you；　I　suppose？

Well；　men　are　different。〃　　He　walked　toward　the　dressing…table

and　glanced　at　the　little　enamelled　clock　which　had　been　one　of

her　wedding…presents。



〃Time　to　dress；　isn't　it？　　Shall　you　mind　if　I　leave　you　to　dine

with　Streffy；　and　whoever　else　is　coming？　　I'd　rather　like　a

long　tramp；　and　no　more　talking　just　at　present　except　with

myself。〃



He　passed　her　by　and　walked　rapidly　out　of　the　room。　　Susy　stood

motionless；　unable　to　lift　a　detaining　hand　or　to　find　a　final

word　of　appeal。　　On　her　disordered　dressing…table　Mrs。

Vanderlyn's　gifts　glittered　in　the　rosy　lamp…light。



Yes：　　men　were　different；　as　he　said。







XI。



BUT　there　were　necessary　accommodations；　there　always　had　been；

Nick　in　old　times；　had　been　the　first　to　own　it　。。。。　　How　they

had　laughed　at　the　Perpendicular　People；　the　people　who　went　by

on　the　other　side　（since　you　couldn't　be　a　good　Samaritan

without　stooping　over　and　poking　into　heaps　of　you　didn't　know

what）！　　And　now　Nick　had　suddenly　become　perpendicular　。。。。



Susy；　that　evening；　at　the　head　of　the　dinner　table；　sawin　the

breaks　between　her　scudding　thoughtsthe　nauseatingly　familiar

faces　of　the　people　she　called　her　friends：　　Strefford；　Fred

Gillow；　a　giggling　fool　of　a　young　Breckenridge；　of　their　New

York　group；　who　had　arrived　that　day；　and　Prince　Nerone

Altineri；　Ursula's　Prince；　who；　in　Ursula's　absence　at　a

tiresome　cure；　had；　quite　simply　and　naturally；　preferred　to

join　her　husband　at　Venice。　　Susy　looked　from　one　to　the　other

of　them；　as　if　with　newly…opened　eyes；　and　wondered　what　life

would　be　like　with　no　faces　but　such　as　theirs　to　furnish

it　。。。。



Ah；　Nick　had　become　perpendicular！　。。。。　　After　all；　most　people

went　through　life　making　a　given　set　of　gestures；　like　dance…

steps　learned　in　advance。　　If　your　dancing　manual　told　you　at　a

given　time　to　be　perpendicular；　you　had　to　be；　automatically

and　that　was　Nick！



〃But　what　on　earth；　Susy；〃　Gillow's　puzzled　voice　suddenly　came

to　her　as　from　immeasurable　distances；　　〃Are　you　going　to　do　in

this　beastly　stifling　hole　for　the　rest　of　the　summer？〃



〃Ask　Nick；　my　dear　fellow；〃　Strefford　answered　for　her；　and：

〃By　the　way；　where　is　Nickif　one　may　ask？〃　young　Breckenridge

interposed；　glancing　up　to　take　belated　note　of　his　host's

absence。



〃Dining　out；〃　said　Susy　glibly。　　〃People　turned　up：　　blighting

bores　that　I　wouldn't　have　dared　to　inflict　on　you。〃　　How　easily

the　old　familiar　fibbing　came　to　her　！



〃The　kind　to　whom　you　say；　'Now　mind　you　look　me　up'；　and　then

spend　the　rest　of　your　life　dodging…like　our　good　Hickses；〃

Strefford　amplified。



The　Hicksesbut；　of　course；　Nick　was　with　the　Hickses！　　It　went

through　Susy　like　a　knife；　and　the　dinner　she　had　so　lightly

fibbed　became　a　hateful　truth。　　She　said　to　herself　feverishly：

〃I'll　call　him　up　there　after　dinnerand　then　he　will　feel

silly〃but　only　to　remember　that　the　Hickses；　in　their

mediaeval　setting；　had　of　course　sternly　denied　themselves　a

telephone。



The　fact　of　Nick's　temporary　inaccessibilitysince　she　was　now

convinced　that　he　was　really　at　the　Hickses'turned　her

distress　to　a　mocking　irritation。　　Ah；　that　was　where　he　carried

his　principles；　his　standards；　or　whatever　he　called　the　new　set

of　rules　he　had　suddenly　begun　to　apply　to　the　old　game！　　It　was

stupid　of　her　not　to　have　guessed　it　at　once。



〃Oh；　the　HicksesNick　adores　them；　you　know。　　He's　going　to

marry　Coral　next；〃　she　laughed　out；　flashing　the　joke　around　the

table　with　all　her　practiced　flippancy。



〃Lord！〃　grasped　Gillow；　inarticulate：　　while　the　Prince

displayed　the　unsurprised　smile　which　Susy　accused　him　of

practicing　every　morning　with　his　Mueller　exercises。



Suddenly　Susy　felt　Strefford's　eyes　upon　her。



〃What's　the　matter　with　me？　　Too　much　rouge？〃　she　asked；　passing

her　arm　in　his　as　they　left　the　table。



〃No：　　too　little。　　Look　at　yourself；〃　he　answered　in　a　low　tone。



〃Oh；　in　these　cadaverous　old　looking…glasses…everybody　looks

fished　up　from　the　canal！〃



She　jerked　away　from　him　to　spin　down　the　long　floor　of　the

sala；　hands　on　hips；　whistling　a　rag…time　tune。　　The　Prince　and

young　Breckenridge　caught　her　up；　and　she　spun　back　with　the

latter；　while　Gillow…it　was　believed　to　be　his　sole

accomplishment…snapped　his　fingers　in　simulation　of　bones；　and

shuffled　after　the　couple　on　stamping　feet。



Susy　sank　down　on　a　sofa　near　the　window；　fanning　herself　with　a

floating　scarf；　and　the　men　foraged　for　cigarettes；　and　rang　for

the　gondoliers；　who　came　in　with　trays　of　cooling　drinks。



〃Well；　what　nextthis　ain't　all；　is　it？〃　Gillow　presently

queried；　from　the　divan　where　he　lolled　half…asleep　with

dripping　brow。　　Fred　Gillow；　like　Nature；　abhorred　a　void；　and

it　was　inconceivable　to　him　that　every　hour　of　man's　rational

existence　should　not　furnish　a　motive　for　getting　up　and　going

somewhere　else。　　Young　Breckenridge；　who　took　the　same　view；　and

the　Prince；　who　earnestly　desired　to；　reminded　the　company　that

somebody　they　knew　was　giving　a　dance　that　night　at　the　Lido。



Strefford　vetoed　the　Lido；　on　the　ground　that　he'd　just　come

back　from　there；　and　proposed　that　they　should　go　out　on　foot

for　a　change。



〃Why　not？　　What　fun！〃　　Susy　was　up　in　an　instant。　　〃Let's　pay

somebody　a　surprise　visitI　don't　know　who！　　Streffy；　Prince；

can't　you　think　of　somebody　who'd　be　particularly　annoyed　by　our

arrival？〃



〃Oh；　the　list's　too　long。　　Let's　start；　and　choose　our　victim　on

the　way；〃　Strefford　suggested。



Susy　ran　to　her　room　for　a　light　cloak；　and　without　changing　her

high…heeled　satin　slippers　went　out　with　the　four　men。　　There

was　no　moonthank　heaven　there　was　no　moon！but　the　stars　hung

over　them　as　close　as　fruit；　and　secret　fragrances　dropped　on

them　from　garden…walls。　Susy's　heart　tightened　with　memories　of

Como。



They　wandered　on；　laughing　and　dawdling；　and　yielding　to　the

drifting　whims　of　aimless　people。　　Presently　someone　proposed

taking　a　nearer　look　at　the　facade　of　San　Giorgio　Maggiore；　and

they　hailed　a　gondola　and　were　rowed　out　through　the　bobbing

lanterns　and　twanging　guitar…strings。　　When　they　landed　again；

Gillow；　always　acutely　bored　by　scenery；　and　particularly

resentful　of　midnight　aesthetics；　suggested　a　night　club　near　at

hand；　which　was　said　to　be　jolly。　　The　Prince　warmly　supported

this　proposal；　but　on　Susy's　curt　refusal　they　started　their

rambling　again；　circuitously　threading　the　vague　dark　lanes　and

making　for　the　Piazza　and　Florian's　ices。　　Suddenly；　at　a　calle…

corner；　unfamiliar　and　yet　somehow　known　to　her；　Susy　paused　to

stare　about　her　with　a　laugh。



〃But　the　Hicksessurely　that's　their　palace？　　And　the　windows

all　lit　up！　　They　must　be　giving　a　party！　　Oh；　do　let's　go　up

and　surprise　them！〃　　The　idea　struck　her　as　one　of　the　drollest

that　she　had　ever　originated；　and　she　wondered　that　her

companions　should　respond　so　languidly。



〃I　can't　see　anything　very　thrilling　in　surprising　the　Hickses；〃

Gillow　protested；　defrauded　of　possible　excitements；　and

Strefford　added：　　〃It　would　surprise　me　more　than　them　if　I

went。〃



But　Susy　insisted　feverishly：　　〃You　don't　know。　　It　may　be

awfully　exciting！　　I　have　an　idea　that　Coral's　announcing　her

engagementher　engagement　to　Nick！　　Come；　give　me　a　hand；

Streffand　you　the　other；　Fred…〃　she　began　to　hum　the　first

bars　of　Donna　Anna's　entrance　in　Don　Giovanni。　　〃Pity　I　haven't

got　a　black　cloak　and　a　mask　。。。。〃



〃Oh；　your　face　will　do；〃　said　Strefford；　laying　his　hand　on　her

arm。



She　drew　back；　flushing　crimson。　　Breckenridge　and　the　Prince

had　sprung　on　ahead；　and　Gillow；　lumbering　after　them；　was

already　halfway　up　the　stairs。



〃My　face？　　My　face？　　What's　the　matter　with　my　face？　　Do　you

know　any　reason　why　I　shouldn't　go　to　the　Hickses　to…night？〃

Susy　broke　out　in　sudden　wrath。



〃None　whatever；　except　that　if　you　do　it　will　bore　me　to　death；〃

Strefford　returned；　with　serenity。



〃Oh；　in　that　case！〃



〃No；　come　on。　　I　hear　those　fools　banging　on　the　door　already。〃

He　caught　her　by　the　hand；　and　they　started　up　the　stairway。

But　on　the　first　landing　she　paused；　twisted　her　hand　out　of

his；　and　without　a　word；　without　a　conscious　thought；　dashed

down　the　long　flight；　across　the　great　resounding　vestibule　and

out　into　the　darkness　of　the　calle。



Strefford　caught　up　with　her；　and　they　stood　a　moment　silent　in

the　night。



〃Susywhat　the　devil's　the　matter？〃



〃The　matter？　　Can't　you　see？　　That　I'm　tired；　that　I've　got　a

splitting　headachethat　you　bore　me　to　death；　one　and　all　of

you！〃　　She　turned　and　laid　a　deprecating　hand　on　his　arm。

〃Streffy；　old　dear；　don't　mind　me：　　but　for　God's　sake　find　a

gondo