whenheopenedthedoorthebuzzfromthelivingroomexplodedintoourfaces.itseemedlouderthanbefore,ifpossible.abouttwodrinkslouder.wadesaidhellohereandthereandpeopleseemedgladtoseehim.butbythattimetheywouldhavebeengladtoseepittsburghphilwithhiscustom-builticepick.lifewasjustonegreatbigvaudevilleshow.

onthewaytothebarwecamefacetofacewithdr.loringandhiswife.thedoctorstoodupandsteppedforwardtofacewade.hehadalookonhisfacethatwasalmostsickwithhatred.

「nicetoseeyou,doctor,」wadesaidamiably.「hi,linda.wherehaveyoubeenkeepingyourselflately?no,iguessthatwasastupidquestion.i—」

「mr.wade,」loringsaidinavoicethathadatremortoit,「ihavesomethingtosaytoyou.somethingverysimple,andihopeveryconclusive.stayawayfrommywife.」

wadelookedathimcuriously.「doctor,you’retired.andyoudon’thaveadrink.letmegetyouone.」

「idon’tdrink,mr.wade.asyouverywellknow.iamhereforonepurposeandihaveexpressedthatpurpose.」

「well,iguessigetyourpoint,」wadesaid,stillamiable.「andsinceyouareaguestinmyhouse,ihavenothingtosayexceptthatithinkyouarealittleoffthebeam.」

therehadbeenadropinthetalknearby.theboysandgirlswereallears.bigproduction.dr.loringtookapairofglovesoutofhispocket,straightenedthem,tookholdofonebythefingerend,andswungithardagainstwade’sface.

wadedidn’tbataneye.「pistolsandcoffeeatdawn?」heaskedquietly.

ilookedatlindaloring.shewasflushedwithanger.shestoodupslowlyandfacedthedoctor.

「deargod,whatahamyouare,darling.stopactinglikeadamnfool,willyou,darling?orwouldyouratherstickarounduntilsomebodyslapsyourface?」

loringswungaroundtoherandraisedthegloves.wadesteppedinfrontofhim.「takeiteasy,doc.aroundhereweonlyhitourwivesinprivate.」

「ifyouarespeakingforyourself,iamwellawareofit,」loringsneered.「andidon’tneedlessonsinmannersfromyou.」

「ionlytakepromisingpupils,」wadesaid.「sorryyouhavetoleavesosoon.」heraisedhisvoice.「candy!queeldoctorloringsalgadeaquienelacto!」heswungbacktoloring.「incaseyoudon’tknowspanish,doctor,thatmeansthedoorisoverthere.」hepointed.

loringstaredathimwithoutmoving.「ihavewarnedyou,mr.wade,」hesaidicily.「andanumberofpeoplehaveheardme.ishallnotwarnyouagain.」

「don’t,」wadesaidcurtly.「butifyoudo,makeitonneutralterritory.givesmealittlemorefreedomofaction.sorry,linda.butyoumarriedhim.」herubbedhischeekgentlywheretheheavyendoftheglovehadhithim.lindaloringwassmilingbitterly.sheshrugged.

「weareleaving,」loringsaid.「come,linda.」

shesatdownagainandreachedforherglass.shegaveherhusbandaglanceofquietcontempt.「youare,」shesaid.「youhaveanumberofcallstomake,remember.」

「youareleavingwithme,」hesaidfuriously.

sheturnedherbackonhim.hereachedsuddenlyandtookholdofherarm.wadetookhimbytheshoulderandspunhimaround.

「takeiteasy,doc.youcan’twinthemall.」

「takeyourhandoffme!」

「sure,justrelax,」wadesaid.「ihaveagoodidea,doctor.whydon’tyouseeagooddoctor?」

somebodylaughedloudly.loringtensedlikeananimalallsettospring.wadesenseditandneatlyturnedhisbackandmovedaway.whichleftdr.loringholdingthebag.ifhewentafterwade,hewouldlooksillierthanhelookednow.therewasnothingforhimtodobutleave,andhedidit.hemarchedquicklyacrosstheroomstaringstraightinfrontofhimtowherecandywasholdingthedooropen.hewentout,candyshutthedoor,wooden-faced,andwentbacktothebar.iwentoverthereandaskedforsomescotch.ididn’tseewherewadewent.hejustdisappeared.ididn’tseeeileeneither.iturnedmybackontheroomandletthemsizzlewhileidrankmyscotch.

asmallgirlwithmud-coloredhairandabandaroundherforeheadpoppedupbesidemeandputaglassonthebarandbleated.candynoddedandmadeheranotherdrink.

thesmallgirlturnedtome.「areyouinterestedincommunism?」sheaskedme.shewasglassy-eyedandshewasrunningasmallredtonguealongherlipsasiflookingforacrumbofchocolate.「ithinkeveryoneoughttobe,」shewenton.「butwhenyouaskanyofthemenheretheyjustwanttopawyou.」

inoddedandlookedovermyglassathersnubnoseandsun-coarsenedskin.

「notthatimindtoomuchifit’sdonenicely,」shetoldme,reachingforthefreshdrink.sheshowedmehermolarswhilesheinhaledhalfofit.

「don’trelyonme,」isaid.

「what’syourname?」

「marlowe.」

「withan‘e’ornot?」

「with.」

「ah,marlowe,」sheintoned.「suchasadbeautifulname.」sheputherglassdowndamnnearlyemptyandclosedhereyesandthrewherheadbackandherarmsout,almosthittingmeintheeye.hervoicethrobbedwithemotion,saying:

「wasthisthefacethatlaunch’dathousandships

andburntthetoplesstowersofilium?

sweethelen,makemeimmortalwithakiss.」

sheopenedhereyes,grabbedherglass,andwinkedatme.「youwereprettygoodinthere,chum.beenwritinganypoetrylately?」

「notverymuch.」

「youcankissmeifyoulike,」shesaidcoyly.

aguyinashantungjacketandanopenneckshirtcameupbehindherandgrinnedatmeoverthetopofherhead.hehadshortredhairandafacelikeacollapsedlung.hewasasuglyaguyasieversaw.hepattedthetopofthegirl’shead.

「comeon,kitten.timetogohome.」

sheroundedonhimfuriously.「youmeanyougottowaterthosegoddamnedtuberousbegoniasagain?」sheyelled.

「awlisten,kitten—」

「takeyourhandsoffme,yougoddamnedrapist,」shescreamed,andthrewtherestofherdrinkinhisface.therestwasn’tmorethanateaspoonfulandtwolumpsofice.

「forchrissake,baby,i’myourhusband,」heyelledback,grabbingforahandkerchiefandmoppinghisface.「getit?yourhusband.」

shesobbedviolentlyandthrewherselfintohisarms.isteppedaroundthemandgotoutofthere.everycocktailpartyisthesame,eventhedialogue.

thehousewasleakingguestsoutintotheeveningairnow.voiceswerefading,carswerestarting,goodbyeswerebouncingaroundlikerubberballs.iwenttothefrenchwindowsandoutontoaflaggedterrace.thegroundslopedtowardsthelake,whichwasasmotionlessasasleepingcat.therewasashortwoodenpierdowntherewitharowboattiedtoitbyawhitepainter.towardsthefarshore,whichwasn’tveryfar,ablackwaterhenwasdoinglazycurves,likeaskater.theydidn’tseemtocauseasmuchasashallowripple.

istretchedoutonapaddedaluminumchaiseandlitapipeandsmokedpeacefullyandwonderedwhatthehelliwasdoingthere.rogerwadeseemedtohaveenoughcontroltohandlehimselfifhereallywantedto.hehaddoneallrightwithloring.iwouldn’thavebeentoosurprisedifhehadhungoneonloring’ssharplittlechin.hewouldhavebeenoutoflinebytherules,butloringwasmuchfartheroutofline.

iftherulesmeananythingatallanymore,theymeanthatyoudon’tpickaroomfulofpeopleasthespottothreatenamanandhithimacrossthefacewithaglovewhenyourwifeisstandingrightbesideyouandyouarepracticallyaccusingherofalittledoubletime.foramanstillshakyfromahardboutwiththehardstuffwadehaddoneallright.hehaddonemorethanallright.ofcourseihadn’tseenhimdrunk.ididn’tknowwhathewouldbelikedrunk.ididn’tevenknowthathewasanalcoholic.there’sabigdifference.amanwhodrinkstoomuchonoccasionisstillthesamemanashewassober.analcoholic,arealalcoholic,isnotthesamemanatall.youcan’tpredictanythingabouthimforsureexceptthathewillbesomeoneyounevermetbefore.

lightstepssoundedbehindmeandeileenwadecameacrosstheterraceandsatdownbesidemeontheedgeofachaise.

「well,whatdidyouthink?」sheaskedquietly.

「aboutthegentlemanwiththeloosegloves?」

「ohno.」shefrowned.thenshelaughed.「ihatepeoplewhomakestagysceneslikethat.notthatheisn’tafinedoctor.hehasplayedthatscenewithhalfthemeninthevalley.lindaloringisnotramp.shedoesn’tlooklikeone,talklikeone,orbehavelikeone.idon’tknowwhatmakesdr.loringbehaveasifshewas.」

「maybehe’sareformeddrunk,」isaid.「alotofthemgrowprettypuritanical.」