Chapter 21 Chapter Seven One, Two, Three

Six months later, one morning in April, I was busy writing a manuscript in my study on the roof of my house in Cape Flat, when a servant came in and said that the policeman in Saint-Jean (my neighboring village) was downstairs asking for see me.I was annoyed at being interrupted and couldn't think of anything the police would want me for.I have done nothing wrong and have paid my regular charitable donations.They also issued me an ID card, which I hid in the car. When I was about to drive over the prescribed speed or parked in the wrong place on the road and was caught, I could let the police accidentally see it when I showed my driving license, so as not to warn me. There is no end.At that time, I thought that it was likely that one of my servants had been written anonymously (this is a lovely aspect of French life), because her identity card had not been completed; however, I and the local police The relationship wasn't bad, and they were always offered a drink before sending them off, so no big deal, I suppose.However, they (who always come in two) came with a completely different mission this time.

After we shook hands and said hello to each other, the older one—he was called the monitor, and had the thickest upper beard I had ever seen—takes a notebook from his pocket, and writes in a dirty Dirty thumbs up. "Have you heard the name Sophie McDonald?" he asked. "I know people with that name," I replied cautiously. "We just spoke to the police station in Toulon, and the sheriff over there wants you to come right away, [Vous prie de vous y rendre][Note]." "Why?" I asked. "I don't know Mrs. McDonald well." I immediately thought that something must have happened to Sophie, possibly something to do with the opium, but I couldn't figure out why it would involve me.

"I don't care about that. There is no doubt that you have had a relationship with this woman. It seems that she has not returned to her residence for five days. Later, someone found a female body in the harbor. The police thought it might be her. The police I want you to recognize it." I shivered.However, this did not surprise me so much.The kind of life she led might well have led her to end her own life abruptly in a moment of depression and boredom. "However, you can also recognize her from the clothes she wears and the documents she carries." "She was caught naked and had her neck cut."

"God!" I was feeling creepy while I was thinking about it.Most likely the police will force me to go, so I'll do as I say, and I'll be fine. "Okay. I'll take the first train." I looked at the train timetable and found that there was a train to Toulon between five and six o'clock.The monitor said he would call the police chief in Toulon and told me to go straight to the police station as soon as I arrived.I packed a suitcase with the necessary clothes, and after lunch I took the bus to the station. two When I reported to the police station in Toulon, I was immediately ushered into the room of the prefect.Behind the desk sat the Inspector, a thick, dark, sullen, Corsican-looking man.Perhaps out of habit, he gave me a skeptical look; but when he noticed the medal[Note] I wore on my collarhole (in case of unpreparedness), he smiled falsely, asked me to sit down, and greeted me, It is really out of necessity to say that it alarmed a person of status like me.I also replied politely, saying that it would be a great honor for me to be able to serve him.Then we got down to business.Reverting to his previous rude and rather haughty look, he looked at the papers in front of him and said to me: "This is a disgraceful thing. It seems that this McDonald woman has a bad reputation, alcoholism, drugs, A rotten scum. Not only does she often sleep with the sailors off the ship, she also sleeps with the local hooligans. How can a person of your age and status get mixed up with this kind of person?"

I wanted to tell him it was none of his business, but, based on my experience of studying hundreds of detective novels, it is better to be polite to the police. "I didn't know her well; I met her in Chicago, when she was a girl. Then she married a man of distinction in Chicago. More than a year ago, through a mutual acquaintance she and I Only some friends met her again." Before this, I had never been able to understand how he could connect me with Sophie, but now, he pushed a book in front of me. "This book was found in her room. Please read what is written on it, and you will understand that your relationship is by no means a casual acquaintance as you claim to be."

It was the French translation of my little book that Sophie had seen in the window of the bookstore, and she had asked me to write a few words on.Under my name I wrote "Mignonne, allons voir si la rose," [Note] because I just picked up the pen.Of course it seemed a little too intimate. "If you think I am her lover, you are mistaken." "It's none of my business," he replied, and then he rolled his eyes: "And I didn't mean to offend your step at all, based on what I found out about this woman's hobbies, I dare say you are not someone she would fancy. But you obviously wouldn't call a complete stranger a beauty."

"This line, Mr. Director, is the first line of a famous poem by Lonza, whose works must be familiar to a cultured person like you. I recorded this line because I am sure she knows This poem, and the lines that follow it, may make her feel that the life she leads is, if nothing else, at least indecent." "I obviously read Lonza at school, but I'm so busy with things that I've forgotten the verses you mentioned." I recited the first stanza of the poem, knowing that he had never heard the name of the poet before I mentioned it, so I was not at all afraid that he would think that the last stanza had nothing to say about it. It has the flavor of persuading people to learn well.

"She's evidently read a little. We found some detective stories and two or three volumes of poetry in her room. There is a Baudelaire [Note], a Rimbaud [Note], and an English poem written by Eliot [Note]. is he famous " "Famous." "I don't have time to read poetry. I don't know English anyway. It's a pity that if he is a good poet, why doesn't he write poetry in French so that educated people can read him." I am so happy to think that the chief is reading Eliot.Suddenly, he sent a photo to me. "Can you see what kind of man this is?"

I knew it was Larry at once.He was wearing swimming trunks, and the picture was recent, as far as I can guess, from the summer before last when he was at Dinard with Isabel and Gray.The sentence I blurted out was to say that I didn't know him, because I didn't want to implicate Larry in this hateful incident, but on second thought, if the police found out that it was Larry, my denial would make them I was so suspicious that I thought there was something ulterior in this. "He's an American citizen named Lawrence Durrell." "That's the only picture we found among the woman's things. What's the relationship between them?"

"They both grew up in the same village near Chicago and have known each other since childhood." "However, this photo was taken not long ago, and I think it was taken in a seaside resort in the north or west of France. It was not difficult to find out exactly where.What kind of person is he? " "A writer," I ventured.The chief of police raised his thick eyebrows a little, and I think he thought that people in my line of work were not very behaved. "And life doesn't depend on royalties," I added, trying to raise his status. "Where is he now?"

Again I can't help but say I don't know, but still think it's only going to make things awkward.The French police may have many faults, but their organizational system enables them to find a person very quickly. "He lives in Sanary." The Chief of Police looked up, obviously interested. "address?" I remember Larry telling me that August Cottey lent him his little house in the country; As I expected, he declined. I gave his address to the police chief. "I'll just call Sanary and have him brought here. Maybe we can get something out of him." I can't help but think the chief of police probably thinks this might be a suspect, and I want to laugh.I judged that Larry would easily prove that he had nothing to do with it.What I was anxious to know were the details of Sophie's tragic end, but the chief told me only a few more details than I knew.Two fishermen scooped up the body.The local police told me that the corpse was completely naked, which is actually sensational.The murderer left both the briefs and the bra.If Sophie was dressed as I saw her, all the killer had to do was strip her trousers and tights. Unable to find her name, the police added a description to the local newspaper.A woman renting a room in a side street (the French call it a temporary room, where guests can take women or men to sleep as they please), came to the police station after seeing the newspaper.She used to be the eyes and ears of the police station, and the police often asked her to report who came to her inn and what they came for.The last time I met Sophie, she had just been kicked out of the hotel near the pier because her behavior was so outrageous that even the usually sloppy hotel owner couldn't bear it.After that she found the above-mentioned woman and rented a bedroom in her house, plus a small sitting room.Rent out a room two or three times a night, and earn more money. However, Sophie paid a high price, so the woman agreed to rent it to her on a monthly basis.The woman now came to the police station to say that her lodger hadn't come back for several days; she didn't take it seriously at first, thinking that she had gone to Marseilles or Villefranche for the time being, because the British warship had recently arrived, and this The thing had fascinated all girls and boys along the coast; but, reading the newspaper description of the dead man, she thought it might be her lodger.The police took her to see the body, and she hesitated for a moment before claiming it was Sophie McDonald. "But, if the body has been identified, what do you want me to do?" "Mrs. Bailey was a very honest woman, and of good character," said the Commissioner, "but the reason why she recognized the dead woman may be unknown to us; anyhow, I think it should be confirmed by someone who has a close relationship with the deceased. Just a moment." [Note] "Do you think it's possible to catch the murderer?" The chief shrugged his broad shoulders. "Of course we're looking. We asked some people in the bar she frequented. She could have been murdered out of jealousy by a sailor whose boat had left port, or a local hooligan had snatched her Kill her for money. It seems that she always has a lot of money with her so that the gangsters will take a fancy to her. Maybe some people think that so-and-so is very suspicious, but among those who associate with her, unless for No one will speak out about their own interests. Getting along with these ring eggs day and night like her is completely unexpected." I have nothing to say to him.The chief asked me to come after nine o'clock tomorrow morning, when he would have met "the man in the picture" before a policeman took us to the morgue to see the body. "What about her funeral?" "If it is verified that you are a friend of the deceased and you are willing to pay for the funeral expenses, you will be approved." "I would venture to say that both Mr. Darrell and I would love to be approved very quickly." "I totally understand. What happened to the poor woman, the sooner she can rest in peace the better. Your words remind me that I have a funeral director's business card here. He charges a fair fee and does a good job. I will write a few words on it. A word, tell him to be more thoughtful." I'm sure he'll get a kickback on the funeral expenses, but I thank him all the time.I found the address on the business card as soon as he had tried to be respectful and sent me out.Funeral directors are brisk and prim.I picked a coffin, neither the cheapest nor the most expensive.He offered to order two or three wreaths for me from a florist of his acquaintance--"to save Monsieur from an unpleasant obligation, and out of respect for the dead," he said--and arranged for the Pirates to meet at two o'clock the next day. Arrived at the morgue at one o'clock.He told me that there was no need to worry about the cemetery, that everything would be arranged by him, and that "I guess my wife is a Protestant", so if I agreed, he would find a priest to wait over there in the cemetery for the burial. The dead pray.All this big set makes me admire his ability to handle affairs.However, since I am a stranger to him and I am a foreigner, I dare say I would not mind if I were kind enough to write him a check in advance.He gave a slightly larger amount than I expected, evidently to prepare me for a counter-offer; but without a word, I took out my check book and wrote him a check; at the time I could see the astonishment on his face. Even a little disappointed[Note]. I got a room at the hotel, and the next morning, went to the police station.After waiting in the waiting room for a while, I was invited to the police chief's room.I saw Larry, serious and uncomfortable, sitting in the same chair I was sitting in yesterday.The chief greeted me cheerfully, as if I were a long-lost brother. "Very well, my dear sir, your friend answered with the utmost frankness the question which I was obliged to ask him. I have no reason not to believe that he had not seen the poor woman for a year and six months. He related His whereabouts in the last week, and the origin of his photo in the woman's room, are very satisfactory. The photo was taken in Dinard, which happened to be in his pocket one day when he was having lunch with the woman.The report I received from Sanary on the young man was very good, and I, not trying to show off, had a good sense of people;And I don't take the liberty of sympathizing with him that a childhood friend, and who had been brought up in a healthy and well-bred home, should have sunk so low.However, this is life.Now, dear gentlemen, one of my subordinates will accompany the two of you to the morgue, and after you have confirmed the deceased, there will be nothing else for you.Go for a good lunch.Here I have a card with the best restaurants in Toulon, and if I write a few words on it, the restaurateur will do his best to entertain you.After all this fuss, a good bottle of wine will do you both good. " He was indeed full of kindness at this time.We followed a policeman to the morgue.Business here is not booming.Only one board rested on a dead body.As we approached the corpse, the guards removed the covering from the head.That image is very ugly.The sea water has already straightened the curly silver-gray dyed hair, and it sticks wetly to the skull.The face was so swollen that it looked creepy, but there was no doubt that it was Sophie.The warden drew down the shade a little more, and showed us the hideous knife-mark that went down to the ears on both sides; it was better for both of us not to see it. We're back at the bureau.The chief had no time to see visitors, so we had to tell an assistant what we had to say.He left us and soon came out with his papers, which we took to give to the funeral director. "Now go get a drink," I said. Larry didn't say a word from the time we left the police station to go to the morgue, except when he came back from the morgue and claimed that he recognized the body as Sophie McDonald.I took him up to the pier and sat with him in the same café where Sophie and I used to sit.A strong northerly wind was blowing outside, and the usually mirror-flat harbor was dotted with white waves.The fishing boat swayed gently.The sun is shining brightly; like every time when the north wind blows, everything you see is extremely clear and dazzling, as if you are looking at the object from a telescope, giving people an impression of shocking the heartstrings and trembling in life .I had a brandy-soda, but Larry never touched the one I ordered him.He sat depressed, not making a sound, and I didn't bother him. After a while, I looked at my watch. "Let's go get something to eat," I said. "We'll be at the morgue at two o'clock." "I'm hungry, I didn't have breakfast." I judged by his appearance that the chief of police knew how to eat well, so I took Larry to the restaurant the chief had told me about.I knew that Larry seldom ate meat, so I ordered a spread of eggs and fried lobster, and then asked for the wine list. I still followed the director's instructions and picked out a bottle of wine.When the wine arrived, I poured Larry a glass. "You'd better drink it," I said. "It might suggest a topic for you." He obediently followed my advice and drank it. "Sirie Ganesh used to say that silence was talk," he muttered. "It reminds one of a jovial gathering of those Mr. Tonham at Cambridge University." "I'm afraid you will have to bear the funeral expenses alone," he said. "I have no money." "I totally do," I replied.Then the meaning of his words struck me. "Can't you really do it?" He was silent for a while.I noticed the sly look in his eyes. "You didn't give away your money, did you?" "Except for the necessary expenses until my ship arrives, all are given away." "What ship?" "The neighbors of my house in Sanary were in charge of the Marseilles offices of a freighter that sailed between the Near East and New York. They wired him from Alexandria that a ship bound for Marseilles had two The sailor was sick and went ashore in Alexandria, and told him to find two substitutes. He is my good friend, and he promised to get me on board. I gave him my old Citroen as a souvenir. After boarding, I except Apart from the clothes on my body and a handbag, I don’t have much else.” "Well, it's your own money anyway. Now you're free, white and twenty-one." "Free is the right word. I've never been happier and more free in my life. When I get to New York, they will pay me a salary that will last me until I get a job. " "What about your book?" "Oh, it's written and printed. I've made a list of free books, and you'll have them in a day or two." "Thank you." There is nothing more to say here.We finished our lunch in friendly silence.I ordered coffee.Larry lit his pipe; I lit a cigar and looked at him thoughtfully.He felt my eyes turn towards him, and give me a look; his own eyes flashed mischievously. "If you want to call me a fool, go ahead and call me. I don't mind at all." "No, I don't really want to scold you. I'm just wondering if your lifestyle would be more normal if you married and had children like everybody else." he laughed.I have mentioned his beautiful smile in the past, must have been twenty times; his smile is so comfortable, sincere and charming, just reflects the frank and honest side of his good qualities, but I will mention it again , because besides all the above-mentioned things, his smile now also has a kind of sadness and tenderness. "It's too late now. Poor Sophie is the only woman I've met who might marry her." I looked at him in surprise. "After all this, can you still say that?" "She has a lovely soul, warm, detached, generous. Her ideals are noble. Even in the end she finds a way to destroy herself, which has a sublime tragic flavor." I was silent; I didn't know what to make of these outlandish remarks. "Why didn't you marry her then?" I asked. "She was a child. To tell you the truth, it never occurred to me that when I used to go to her grandfather's house and read poems with her under the elm tree, there was a seed of beauty in this skinny little ghost." I couldn't help being surprised that at this juncture he didn't mention Isabel.It was impossible for him to forget that he had been engaged to her.One can only imagine that he saw the engagement as a foolish, unreasonable affair of two immature young men.It never occurred to him that Isabel had been in love with him, and I am sure he had not even a shadow of it in his mind. Now is the time to move.We walked to the plaza where Larry had parked, and the car was quite worn out.We drove to the morgue.The funeral director did not lie.Everything was done in perfect order; and under that brilliant daylight the wind bent the cypresses of the cemetery, adding a final touch of terror to the funeral.After everything was over, the undertaker held hands with us respectfully. "I hope you are satisfied, gentlemen. Is it well done?" "Very nice," I said. "Please remember, sir, if you have any orders, you can order them at any time. It doesn't matter if Lu Yuan is far away." I thank him.When we got to the gate of the cemetery, Larry asked me if there was anything else he could do. "there is none left." "I want to get back to Sanary as soon as possible." "Drive me to my hotel, will you?" We didn't speak a word while driving the car.When I got to the hotel, I got out of the car, and the two held hands, and he drove away.I paid the hotel bill, took my suitcase, hired a taxi and went to the station.I also want to leave quickly. three In a few days I was leaving for England.My original plan was to stop on the road, but after the Sophie incident, I wanted to see Isabelle so much that I decided to stop twenty-four hours in Paris.I wired her and asked her if I could come later in the afternoon and have dinner at her house.When I got to my hotel, I had a note from her saying that she and Gray were having dinner that evening, but I was welcome to come before five-thirty, because after that she was going to be fitting. It was cold and rained intermittently, but hard; I guess Gray wouldn't go to Mautfontaine to play golf.It didn't suit me well, because I wanted to see Isabel alone.But the first thing she told me when I got to the apartment was that Gray had gone to the Travelers' Club to play bridge. "I told him not to come back too late, if he wanted to see you, but we don't have dinner until nine o'clock, which means we don't have to arrive before half past nine, so we have plenty of time for a good talk. Just a moment. I have a lot to tell you." They have sublet the apartment.Eliot's collection of paintings will be auctioned within two weeks.They were going to be at the auction, so they were planning to move to the Ritz Hotel.Then board the ship and return home.Isabelle sold everything but the modern paintings that Eliot hung in his house in Antibes.Although she didn't like these modern paintings much, she thought that hanging them in their future home would increase their value; she was quite right. "Unfortunately, poor Uncle Elliott is not quite out of date. Picasso, Matisse, Rouault, you know. I think he has a good collection, but a little out of date, I'm afraid." "If I were you, I'd leave it alone. In a few years, other painters will come along. Picasso and Matisse aren't any more up-to-date than your Impressionists." The negotiations between Gray and others are almost over.With the capital Isabel had provided him, he was to join a thriving enterprise as assistant manager.The business has ties to oil, so they plan to live in Dallas. "Our first priority was to find a proper house. I wanted a nice garden so Gray could have a place to hang out when he got home from work, and I had to have a really big sitting room so I could entertain guest." "I don't understand why you don't take Elliot's furniture away." "I don't think it's quite right. I'm going to have all the modern furniture, maybe some Mexican touches here and there, to give it a mood. When I get to New York, I'll find out which interior decorators are in demand right now." Antoine, the manservant, brought in a tray with a number of bottles on it.Isabelle, always astute enough to know that nine out of ten men think they make better cocktails than women (and they are right), asked me to make two.I poured out the gin and noiripura, and mixed it with a pinch of absinthe; it was with this absinthe that it turned the flat martini from an indescribable The well-known wine becomes a elixir, and even the gods of Olympus will surely give up their own home brew to drink it.I've always secretly thought it was a Coca-Cola drink.As I handed Isabel the glass, I noticed a book on the table. "Hi," I said. "That's the book Larry wrote." "Yes, I sent it this morning, but I am very busy. I have so many things to do before lunch; I ate lunch outside; in the afternoon I went to the Molino fashion store. I don't know when To flip it a little bit." I feel dejected when I think of a writer who spends years and years working on a book, perhaps putting his heart and soul into it, but then being left there and not reading it until there is nothing else to do. "Like you know Larry spent the winter in Sanary. Did you meet him?" "Me. We were in Toulon together a few days ago." "Really? What are you doing at Toulon?" "Bury Sophie." "Is she dead?" Isabel called out. "If she is not dead, what excuse would we have to bury her?" "It's not funny," she paused. "I don't want to fake it. I'm afraid it's a combination of alcohol and drugs." "No, someone cut his neck and threw him naked into the sea." Like St. Jean's police squad leader, I feel compelled to emphasize her stripping. "It's dreadful! Poor thing. Of course it must be miserable to live like her." "That's what the prefect of police in Toulon said too." "Do they know who the murderer is?" "No, but I do. I think you killed her." She stared at me in surprise. "What are you talking about?" Then, with a half-smile, "Let's guess again: I have solid evidence and am not at the scene of the crime." "I met her in Toulon last summer and had a long conversation with her." "Is she not drunk?" "Quite sober. She told me how she disappeared for no apparent reason a few days before she was going to marry Larry." I saw Isabel's face harden.Then I told her exactly what Sophie had told me.Isabel listened with pricked ears. "Since that time, I have thought about what she told me for a long time, and the more I think about it, the more I realize that there must be ghosts in it. I have had lunch with you twenty times, and you never have rum at lunch.You had lunch alone that day.Why is there a bottle of Subro vodka on the plate where the coffee cups are placed? " "Uncle Elliott has just sent for the wine. I want to try it and see if it tastes as good as it did when I tasted it at the Ritz." "Yes, I remember you boasting about the wine. I was surprised because you never drank rum; you were so conscious of your figure that you would never want to drink rum. I had the impression at the time that you wanted Fuck Sophie; I think you're just mean." "Thank you." "You're usually very punctual when you date people. You asked Sophie to try on a wedding dress. This matter is very important to her and fun to you. Why did you run out?" "She told you that herself. I'm not sure about Joan's teeth. Our dentist is very busy and can only be there at his appointed time." "Appointments with the dentist are always made before the last visit." "I know. However, he called me in the morning and said that he couldn't see the doctor because of something, but it can be changed to three o'clock in the afternoon of the same day; of course I will not miss this time." "Can't the nurse be asked to take Joan?" "Joan was terribly frightened, poor child, and I thought it would be better for her to take her there myself." "When you came back, three-quarters of the bottle of Subro Voga was gone, and Sophie was gone. Aren't you surprised?" "I thought she was impatient and went to Molino by herself. When I went to Molino to ask, she didn't go, which made me baffled." "And that bottle of Subro Voga?" "Oh, I did see a lot of wine, and I thought it was Antoine who drank it secretly, and I almost accused him, but his salary was paid by Uncle Elliott, and he was Joseph's friend, so I Think about it or ignore it. He is a very good servant, even if he sneaks a little bit occasionally, I don't need to blame him. " "You're such a liar, Isabel." "Do not you trust me?" "I don't believe it at all." Isabel got up and went to the mantelpiece.Firewood is burning in the fireplace, which makes people feel comfortable in this cold weather. She leaned her elbows on the chimney-piece with grace; it was one of her delightful gifts to be able to look without a little affectation.Most French ladies wear black by day, and she too, which suits her fair complexion; today she wore a very expensive but simple dress, which flattered her slender figure very well.She was smoking a cigarette for a minute. "I have nothing to say to you. It was unfortunate that I was going out that day, and Antoine really shouldn't have left the rum and coffee cups and trays in the room. He should have taken them when I went out." When I came back, I saw that the wine in the bottle was almost empty. Of course I knew what was going on. Later, when I heard that she was missing, I guessed that she must have been drunk and messed up. Embarrassing Larry more, that alone is enough to bother him." "Are you sure you didn't put that bottle of wine there on purpose?" "surely not." "I do not believe." "Then don't believe it." She threw the cigarette into the fire viciously; her eyes gleamed fiercely. "Well, if you want to know the truth, tell you the truth and fuck off. I did it, and I still do it. I tell you, I'm going to stop at nothing to prevent her from marrying Larry.You wouldn't stop it, you or Gray, you'd just shrug your shoulders and say it was absurd.You don't care at all.i care. " "If you hadn't intervened, she would still be alive now." "Marrying Larry made Larry miserable. He thought it would make her a new man. What fools men! I knew early on that sooner or later she would get overwhelmed.This is obvious.You saw for yourself how fidgety she was when we all had lunch in the Ritz.I noticed you were looking at her while she was drinking coffee; her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't hold one hand, so she had to hold both hands to her mouth.I could see the waiter's eyes fixed on the wine as it poured us; a pair of listless eyes followed the bottle, like a snake watching the flapping wings of a full-feathered chicken. I know she'll do her best to get a drink. " Isabelle was now facing me, her eyes full of passion, her voice stern, and she couldn't wait to go on. "I felt terrible when Uncle Elliott blew up that bastard's molasses, but insisted I'd never tasted anything like it. I'm sure she wouldn't, if she had the chance. Courage was enough to resist. So I took her to a fashion show. So I was going to give her a wedding dress. At the last sampling of the day, I told Antoine that I would have a glass of Subro vodka for lunch, and later, And told him I had an appointment with a lady, and asked her to wait for a cup of coffee when she came, and left the liqueur, which she might like to drink. I did take Joan to the dentist, But since the doctor couldn't see a doctor without an appointment, I took Joan to a newsreel[Note] and I made up my mind that if Sophie didn't get the job, I'd just go out of my way and try to be nice to her. I swear it's true. But when I got home, I looked at the bottle and knew I had done it right. She's gone, and I'll bet my head that she'll never come back." When Isabel finished speaking, she honestly was a little out of breath. "It's more or less what I imagined," I said. "You see, I guessed right; you cut her neck with the knife yourself." "She was bad, bad, bad! I'm glad she's dead." She collapsed on a couch. "Give me a cocktail, you bastard." I walked over and took another drink. "You're a mean bastard," she said as she took the cocktail from me.Then she forced a smile; her smile was like that of a child, knowing that she was being naughty, but she thought that a little bit of innocence could coax you from getting angry. "You won't tell Larry?" "How did you get it?" "Can you swear to God? Men are unreliable." "I promise you not to tell him. But even if I want to tell him, I have no chance, because I'm afraid I won't meet him again in this life." She sat up straight. "what did you say?" "By this time, he had already boarded a freighter as a sailor or stoker, and was bound for New York." “你这话是真的吗？他真是个怪人！几个星期前，他还到巴黎来，为他那本书上公共图书馆查资料的，可是，绝口不提他要去美国。我很高兴；这就是说，我们又要和他见面了。” “我不敢说。他的美国离开你的美国就和戈壁沙漠一样远。” 接着，我就告诉伊莎贝儿，拉里怎样处理掉自己的财产，以及他今后的打算。 她张口结舌地听我讲；脸上显出骇异的神情；有时候，打断我的话，喊“他疯了，疯了”。我说完之后，她垂着头，两行眼泪沿颊上流下来。 “现在我真正失去他了。” 她转过身去，脸抵着沙发椅背哭起来。悲伤破环她的美丽容颜，她也不在乎。 我束手无策；不懂得在她的心灵深处是什么愚蠢而矛盾的希望被我传来的消息最后砸得粉碎。我有个模糊看法，好象能够偶尔见到拉里，至少知道拉里是她的世界的一部分，就把她和拉里牵在一起，而拉里的行动最后把这根微弱的牵线也割断了，因此她觉得自己永远丧失了他。我弄不懂使她痛苦的，使她枉自悔恨的是什么；想想还是让她哭一阵的好。我拿起拉里的书，看看目录。我的一本在我离开里维埃拉时还没有寄来，现在在几天之内没法看到。书写得完全出乎我的意料，是一本论文集，篇幅和利顿?斯特雷奇[注]的《维多利亚名人传》相仿佛，论述了若干有名人物。他挑选的人使我迷惑不解。有一篇论述罗马独裁者苏拉[注]，在独揽大权之后，退位归隐，一篇论建立帝国的蒙古征服者阿克巴尔[注]；一篇论吕本[注]，一篇论歌德，还有一篇论切斯特菲尔德勋爵，那个搞文学的[注]。显然每篇文章都需要读许多书，无怪拉里要花这么长的时间才能写成，可是，我不懂得为什么他认为值得在这上面花这么多时间，也不懂得他为什么选择这些人来研究。接着我想起来，这些人都各有一套方式在自己一生中取得卓越的成就，而使拉里感觉兴趣的想来就在于此。他有心估量一下究竟是怎样的成就。 我随便读了一页，看看他的文笔怎样。是那种学术性的文章，但是写得流畅，一点没有初学写作的人往往有的卖弄或者陈腐气。看得出他就和艾略特?谈波登经常亲近达官贵人一样，他也是经常浸润在名著中的。我的思绪被伊莎贝儿的一声叹息打断了。她坐起来，皱着脸把变得微温的鸡尾酒一饮而尽。 “我再哭下去，眼睛要肿得不象样子了；今天晚上，我们还要出去吃晚饭呢。” 她从皮包里取出一面镜子，不放心地照照自己。“对了，用冰袋在眼睛上放半小时，这就是我要做的。”她在脸上扑了粉，涂了口红。后来若有所思地望着我，“你听了我这样作为，会瞧不起我吗？” “你在乎吗？” “你也许会奇怪，我在乎。我要你觉得我人不错。” I laughed. “亲爱的，我是一个很不道德的人，”我答。“当我真正欢喜一个人的时候，尽管我不赞成他做的那些坏事，但是照样喜欢他。按说你不是个坏女人，而且风度翩翩。我知道你的美貌是两种因素的巧合，高超的审美眼光和不顾一切的决心，但并不因此而影响我对你的欣赏。你只是缺少一样使人完全对你着迷的东西。” 她微笑着等待。 “温柔。” 她唇边的笑意消失了，恶狠狠地看了我一眼，可是还没有来得及定下神来回答我，格雷已经瞒珊地走进来。在巴黎住了这三年，格雷已经胖得厉害，脸色变得更红，头发秃得很快，可是健康好到极顶，而且兴致勃勃的。看见我时，高兴得一点不做作。他讲话充满了口头禅。不管怎样过时的字眼，他说起来总深信自己是第一个想到这样说的。上床是打稻草，睡觉总睡得象没有亏心事的人一样；下雨总是敲锣击鼓，巴黎必定是繁华的巴黎。可是他为人非常善良，非常不自私，非常正直，非常可靠，非常不搭架子，使人没法子不喜欢他。我对他倒有真实感情。他现在对于即将动身回国很兴奋。 “天哪，又要上笼头了，真开心，”他说。“我已经闻到饲草香了。” “是不是都谈妥了？” “我还没有在虚线上签字呢，但是有十成十了。我打算合伙的是我大学里一个同房间同学，一个好样的，我敢保他不会叫我上当。可是，我们一到达纽约，我就会飞往得克萨斯把整个设备检查一下，在我把伊莎贝儿的钱吐出之前，敢保任何可疑的情况都不会逃过我的眼睛的。” “你知道，格雷是一个很精明的生意人，”她说。 “我又不是在牛棚里长大的，”格雷微笑说。 他继续告诉我他预备加入那项生意的情况，时间拖得相当长，可是我对这类事情简直不懂，只掌握到一件具体事实，就是他很有希望赚一大笔。他对自己讲的事情越来越感兴趣，所以，不久就转身向伊莎贝儿说：“我说，我们何不把今晚这顿讨厌的饭回掉，就我们三个人上银堡痛痛快快吃一顿晚饭呢？” “哎，亲爱的，这不能做。他们是为我们请的客。” “反正我也来不了，”我插嘴说。“在我听到你们晚上有饭局之后，我打电话给苏姗?鲁维埃，约好带她出来吃饭了。” “苏姗?鲁维埃是谁？”伊莎贝儿问。 “拉里认识的一个女子，”我说，故意捉弄她。 “我总疑心拉里有个小娘儿藏在哪儿不给我们知道，”格雷说，咯咯笑了出来。 “胡扯，”伊莎贝儿愤然说。“拉里的性生活我全知道。他没有人。” “好吧，让我们分手之前再喝一杯鸡尾酒，”格雷说。 我们喝了鸡尾酒，然后，我和他们道别。他们陪我到了穿堂里。当我穿上大衣时，伊莎贝儿把胳臂和格雷的胳臂套起，挨近他身子，盯着他的眼睛看，脸上带着我指责她所缺乏的那种温柔表情。 “你说说。格雷——坦白地说——你觉得我狠心吗？” “不，亲爱的，远不是如此。怎么，难道有人说你狠心吗？” "nobody." 她把头掉过去，使格雷看不见她，向我把舌头吐了出来，那个派头艾略特肯定会说不象个上流女子。 “那是两回事情，”我一面咕哝着，一面走到门外，随手把门带上。