THE MOSLEM WIFE. nese room of a hotel quite near the house where Katherine Mans field (whom no one in this hotel had ever beard of) was. wring “The Daughters ofthe Late Colonel,” Never Ashers father announced hat there ‘would never be a manmade. catire ‘wophe in Europe agsin. The dead of that recent wat, the doomed nowsense (of the Rusan Bolsheviks had final ly knocked sense ine» European heads, What people wanted nov was to get on with Ife, When he said “lif,” he ‘eat its commercial busines ‘Who would have contradicted Mr. Asker?” Certainly not Nets. She did hot understand what he meant quite 0 swell as his French solicitor seemed to, ‘but she did sen with ingerest and ro spect and then watched him signing pa- pets tat, she knew, concerned her for Tite. He wae renewing the Tong lease ber family held on the Hove Prince Ale bert and Albion, Netta was then eleven, ‘One hundred years should at least see Jer trough the prime of lie sid Mr. Asher, only hal jokingly, for of course dhe chought hie seed! was inhnortal, [Neve supposed she might easly Hive to be more than a hundred-—at any rte, for years and years. She knew thar’ hee father did not. want her t0 marry und she wae wens and that she was then supposed fo have 3 prof children, the elders boy. Nett and her father andthe French lawyer shook hands on the Tete, and she was agven her fist glas of champagne. ‘The date on the bore was 1919, for the year of her birth, Newa bravely pronounced the wine deco, but her father said she would know much bet- ter vintages before she Was through Nett remembered the handsiake bout perhaps not che cerms. When the ease had eighty -ight Years tem, she married her fist coin, Jock Ros, which ovas not at all what her father ad had in mind, Nor would there be the usful pair of children Jack coulda'e aide them, Like Net Tre came from a hotelkceping famly here the young were ike bight. Net ta had up to now never shown a sap oF maternal fecing over anything, bat Mr. Asher thought Jack might have rade an amiable parent—a Kind one, at leat. She consoled Mr. Asher on ‘one count, by taking the hotel over in Ii lifetime. ‘The hotel was, to Nets, ‘anata ify and wo when Me, Asher, ying, sad, “She behaves as T wanted her oy" he was eight as far asthe drife of Net's bebavior was concerned but ‘wrong about i course J: the South of France, in the base ‘The Asher” hotel was not down on the seafront, though boats and. sex could be had from the south-facing ‘Actos 2 read nearly empty of trafe Se were handwomne villas, and behind tnd to either side stood heathy olive trees and a large lemon grove. The hotel was painted 2 deep ochre with white trim. Te had white awnings and green shuters and Black iron tale bis a Iequered and shiny as Chinese boxes Te posessed two tennis courts, 3 ly pond, a sheltered. winter garden, formal’ ose garden, and wees full Of nightingale. In the sommer dark, Felledenit glowed pink, lemon, White, and after thir evening water” ing they gave of perfume the varied from plant to plant and seemed 10 snatch the petal coloration, In May the nights were dense with stars and fireflies, From the rose garden one imighe have seen the ‘in pele. of cigarctes on a balcony, where. Jack land Nett sat drinking » las brandy and-soda before wring in. Move of the rooms were shuttered by then, for no traveller would have dreamed of being south except in winter. Jack and Neva and 3 few servants ad the whole place to themselves, Nett would Fire workmen and have the rooms that needed it tepanted—the ble care oom, and the red-walled bar, and the white’ dining teem, where Victorian mirurs gave hack’ glosy walls and Down curtains and sinetenthecentury views of che Ligurian coast, the work of an Asher grestanele, Eseryhing ‘ysis and down was soaked and wiped and polished, and even the pic ures were relendesly washed with Soft clots and ordinary laundry soap. Nett leo fad the beer overhauled and the nen mended and new rano- {rams embroidered and the looking AUGUST 23,1976 lanes rexvered andthe shutters taken Off ther hinges and seraped and made Spruce green again for next years sit 1 fae, while Jack talked about deco- fators and expert gardeners and even ‘wrote wo sme, and banged tennis ball against the large new garage. He also read books and trandated pecry forts own sake and_praciced plying. the lhrnet, He had studied tie once, nd sll houghe that an important ify musical ie, was therein the mle dance. One summer, jst se if he could, be randated page of Se. John Perse, which were as Blank asthe gs- ‘age wall © Net, in any tongue. eta adored very fame of ber We, and che choughe Jack had a good fe too, with nearly all the Jear forthe pleases that sited him. At soon 35 the grounds and rooms. and Cellar and root had ben putt Tht she and Jack packed and went travel ling somewhere. Jack made the plans He wae never so cheerful as ‘when buying Baedekers and. dragging. out their sckeed trunks, But Nets wat nothing ofa ravele. She wold have Been glad to we the sme sin ring cut of the tame sea tom whe, window! very day ntl she did. She loved Jack and what abe Ike tee afer hin was the hotel, Ie was a place where, nce, people had come wo ie of uber- cules yet eld no trace or feeling of danger. When Neta walked. with hee workmen through sheeted summer room, bearing the cicadas and heating ‘Tack stag stop, stare some deeply alien music (alen even when her memory Automatically gave her 3 composers ame), she’ was reminded that here the dead had. never been allowed to orrpt the Hivings the dead had been dresed for an cuting and removed fas soon a chet fiat escolar snes feline. Some were wheeled ut in ‘airy siting, and some recined om portable coty as if merely resing. "That a why there bo bad atmo phere here she would ay to here Death has been swepe away, carded When the shite are cred on room, it for sleep of for love, Nesta ould think this easly becaune either she nor Jack was ever sick. “They Kew noting above insomnia and they made Tove crery day of thei Hives they bad marred in order tobe able tw ‘Spring had been the scaon for dy fing in the ol days, Tova who had struggled through the dark comfort of wntr took fright asthe night receded ‘They fel withoue. protection. Nets new about hi and abou the differe ence Between dirknes and brightness, but nicer afected hee, She woe not id of death oF of the dead—theyTHE NEW YORKER were nothing but eal, heavy furniture, She could ave tied jas ‘hut and weighted cye- Tide with mae insine= Sens, other wom cn were born knowing the temperature for = infane’s al, “There are no hosts” she could sa, Entering the room where her_mother, then her father ad dhed, “IF there were, T ‘would know.” News took it for ranted, now she was ‘married, chat Jack fle tthe did about ght, dark, death, and love ‘They were a alike in Some ways (none of them physal) 26 couple of ting, spoke much the same lan fuage inthe same accents, had the same jokesmordy about ‘other peeple~-and had been together as much as their famiies would lee them for-most of their Hives. Osher men seemed dull 10. New —dower, per aps lacking the spoken shorthand she had with Jack, She never mentioned this, For one hing, both of them had the idea hat, being English, one must fot sty ton mich. Born abroad, they ‘worked hard at an Englishness that ‘was innocently intecurate, rooted ‘ost in atitdes, ‘Thee fais had Teen innkeepers along this coast for = century, even before De. John Sutie fdand ‘Christe had discovered. “the ‘Genoese Rivieras” In one of his guides to the rogio, + “Mr, Ross” is mene Honed aes hotel ovener who will ac cept English bank checks and there is SMr Asher” relable purveyor of English groceries. ‘The most crust- worthy shipping agents in 1860 are the Montale brothers, converts to the Anglican Church, porestors of 2 Bete Ssh liearpauer to Males and Egypt. “These fais, by now pated Hike aie, were connections of Nets and Jack's nd sil in business from beyond Mar- filles to Genoa, No wonder that other nen bored her, and that each thought the other boeh friar and unique. But fof course they were unalke ton, When fonce simone asked them, “Are you felited to Monta, the poet?” Newt answered, “What poet?” and Jack ‘Sid, "Tih we were.” “There were no poets inthe family 29 “She's very photogenic.” Ayre from the geeseuncle who had pred lamenper i ony pre 0 Wey anyeing pec had bon Jac, wth Ba mie: He fad been alowed tsa, up to pointy hs fer Dad teen no ged with holed hen 4 {snes in ex ted owt four Se by i cont and bed teen ough foes iy tat Jack Rom mig Be 2 Shnderexd to, Mose gt do hs te might no bet for anthing ele. neematn of tha Lind sont she imeming of fade ud Been leaned beincenreeeesierent fale Name sare of hor Hee com, Jocks fate and mere. com: Inecal anderen had come 0 he Prine Allee and Alo toile ut ce. They were eotewbere bee peers eine tage, bt one ws ple? Ne te cna tober au and cle ler thes were on Jock She could noe rend Fer Bough she eld lt and clay Tider She rer ear Mm, sting ier lower lp her hands Behind her tio sre fcbus of te bent of sneicr i Tie was younger thin Net, iri ned porulfecs arise in'shich be moved ised, cmb, tanging on baer be aud cash fave clined, He ws ofr a he Test eer unl embed 0] dnp brown, His Bue gaze was not = bay's ie was too challenging. He was raked except for shore. that were Tange and seemed about t fall down, The sunburn, the undress were b= cause his mother was reckles and rather of. Netts—whene mater Was perfec wore boot stockings, a Tong= {Sleeved frock, and white su bat. She heard che adults Laugh and say ehat Tick looked Tike 2 prizefghter. She walked around his prion, staring, and ‘he Bhe-eyed Fighter stared back. "The Reeses stayed for s long time, while the family sent telegrams and ted to rse money for them. No one Tooked after Jack much. He would be fon a marble sep ofthe starese Watch> ing the hotel guests going int the card room oF the dining room. One nigh, for a rest that remorse was to wipe ‘ut in a mite, Nett gave him such = sivage Kick (though he as not realy fn her way) that one of his legs rained paralyzed for ong time. “I hy did you do it?” her father asked her—this in the room where she teas shut up on bread and water. Nets Aidt know. She loved Jack, but who ‘would Believe ie now? Jack lesemed to wal then to run, and in dene eo ski tnd play tennisy but ber lifelong gift to him was ln of Balance, 3 adden, lopsided bend of knee, Jack's paren0 “Let's not part on such a sour note, Hendel. Have 4 fomato—I grew them myself? had meantime been given a small hotel torun at Bandol, Mr. Asher, respons ble for a bank lean, kept an eye on the Place. He went often, in a hotcl car with a chauffeur, Nett perched beside him. ‘Wien, years later, the faaies found out shat the devoted young couse ins had become lover, they separated them without saying much. Net was too independent to be dealt with, Be- Sides, er father didnot want aif his wie had died, and he needed Nett. Jack, whose lain on music had been the Subject of teasing until now, was suddenly sent wo study in England, Nets saw that he was secredy dis rmayed, He wanted to be almost any thing as long asi was impossible, and then only as an act of grace. Net's father di think it was Bis duty to tel her that marrige was, a i bes a parched arrangement, itelerable with futa flow of golden guinces and resh blood. As cousins, Jack and. Neti could) not bring eich other anything fexcept stale’ money. Nothing stepped them: ghey were marred four months after Jack beeame twenty-one. Netts hard” Someone remark at her wed ding, “She doesn't need husband,” ‘meaning perhaps the practical, matter foftact person she now seemed to be, She did have the dry, burned-out look of someone turned inward, Her dark tyes glowed out of a thin, face. She had the shape of a gi of fourteen Jack, who was large, and fair and who” might ‘be stout at forty if he wasn't catefl, looked exactly his age, and serned gute ready cote marie ‘Nett cold noe ondercand hy, loving Jack ase diy se id not ok trae ike hin. It had troubled her in the pat when they did woe eta x Seth the te thing a aes te me time. During th crt metings of at bag expgare da ented tov even beer a pering they ere reary apart they hd Begun co Sane imesh? the eet Drinking alan Sink, cally inthe ie of rales wry sexton the would we dat fork war somevhere che, inking. out the need hing to Net, The en Sew thing might ony fea hook he Wamted to ah seaing, hut wae ough to ke her fel ened, He often told Net, “Pat nee hiding on to you, You'e fee” bee fe ‘hough osedd ying and of cours he waned freedom for ims. But Net “freedom? ad» cold sound. Is tha what T do way se would wane dr, that whet I think be should of fer) Thal pring were fe one ge of parting rcvey ot ht be Catt Jack ha sal o done or thought the ong thing but bene berwten them they generated the high sal tendon tat ed to quar arly en ‘inatsaferagreing ht no oe the Sor coal psy Know wae thoy new, one of them, er coe could cure’ the other et over ssething wiv. Ver thy were, and remsineds Ep heise tare Neca went him lene tae wee nex dvpting with encantnen AUGUST 23,1976 [eee cou, But is Iter Spbenan of icing csp an uni fs ctpaciy ae seed t have for pense Sees wri her ‘appearance Eerie ilertneterl ‘tidied, Sve for an per de eal Cone Nea read firs) Jack's rcages might fave teen meant for Peeves Sc Bind. Love froe memory, and he wean no. good we the Pera (atatire oasis We ded Neen thre he ant be mere te new al he had tmieds Bt Newey by then, Gk forge, and she came Wo each new meeting ngeresive and hor afited wth the py Sgr of hor doubs and injure eld sors ashe, erat pri myers tempersares Th shed fo dacs he wold sy, "We aren't going over all ht again, ace wet” Whore Nea Ws concerned he had std for the ‘snd th, fot Nets who fa ‘des, more sere Gd, wae Prager « minute, not to speak of une rasta pel rma When thy finaly mare both were rceved tat the atmin of pre ings and of tense dite fn ray stan would come tos sop. Each Privat" Samed the eer for post lee and ooh tlre that ence they cook tne pen, with inte ference they would ‘ncter have 2 AEagrecmen gene Net di not ant Sack wo rege the od freedom be fad ‘tiny redo offer er He mat bane iar a eens teen, a oy anything be waned are eel ee eee ewan realy tet her go tress The fist hing Net did ws ok ce thn they had the Bs oom inte = tc. She had never actually owned elena a ope tems of er fan ad ahways ben torendered ina eta eerone hed packed up and soved a edo were Gti. She and Jock wer bopekeay this, bene Goth had spe the tay years moving doen betel corr tory taling bla and mince Wh tennis sho hanging. fem, Knotted Sengs over their holders the rms‘THE NEW YORKER around books and swesters and gray flannel bundle. Both had done lesons in the comers of lounges, with cups and glass rating, and oer cidren running, and English veces Toader than anything, Jack, who had been vaguely educated, ‘remembered his Sourding sco as places where one Imad » permanent bed, Nets chose for her anderagea south-facing room with large balcony and an. awaing of Alazaling white. Te vss furnished eth lemonwood shat had boon brought t0 the Riviers hy Rosane for ther ow bills lang before. To the lemonvood Netn’s mother had added English hintcsy the tesa in Newt’ ee, wees not bizare but charming. ‘The oom was deeply mirrored when the shutters over closed on hot afternoons 4 play. of ight became as green as 4 force on the wally and as Be as se water inthe ghas, A quali of suse pension, of dsblict in gravity, now hinged to Nett, She became dy, silent, less introspective, as watchful land as refccve as her bedroom i= rors, Jack stayed a6 he was, lucy ny alteration would have” word het, juse a8 a change in an oftencread story vil trouble =. sll fil, She was Intense- yy slmose unnaturally happy ‘One day she over: heard an English doc tor, whese wife played Bridge every afternoon at the howl, reer wo hee, to Netty as “the File Modern wife” Te vas sid affectonatcly for the doctor liked hee, She seondered if he ad. scen through walls and fad wentched her picking up the Clothing andthe wet towels Jack lefe strewn The cls to his pres ence. ‘The phrase was Collected and. paed from mouth to mouth inthe idle English cal= ony. Netay the ast petson inthe word de= Iiberately to eavesdrop (abe locked that sort of inerest in other people), was sharp of esting where her mar= riage ‘wis concerned, She had a special an tena for Jack, for is shades of meaning, Secret intentions, for is innocent contradic. tions, Peshaps “Modem wife meant feveral things, and posily i was pain to anyone with eyes that Jack, frithoue meanings bit of harm by i had a way with women. Those be attracted were a puzzling lo to Neca. She had already catalogued. them— gant elderly partes with tongucs Tike carving. knives; gently clever gels who Rourthed on the nating ile; untouchabe-daughter types hy about their virginky, wondering i Tack would be father enough to jsti= iy the serie. There wae il snother Kind—tough, sunburned, clad in dark colore—wwho made Nett think inthe ‘ocabulary of horoscopes: Her geat— diamonds. Hee color—black. Her lan= uage—worse than Net's She no ced that even when Jack had no rel tne for a woman he never made i ap- parent; e adopted anyone who took Tiking ‘to him. He assimed—News thoughts eral, paternal air dat was turous in so young a man. The plot af attaction interested him no. matter how i tumed out, He was ie someone reading several novels st ance, oF Hike someone plying smultancous chew 3 [ete did not want her mariage to become a world of stone. She sid nothing excep, “Listen, Jock, Dve ten at this hotel business Hanger chan you have. Tes wiser not w be to pally ‘with the guests” At Chrscmas. the older women gave him boxes of ex pensive wap. “They mast think some fone around here wants 2 good wash,” Never remarked, Outside ther fenced ares of private jokes and private love was a landscape too open, 20 light drenched, for serious elke And then, when? Jack wee up quickly and exit fn the moming and snled as naturally as children do, He knew where he wat dnd the day of the werk and the our. ‘The best moment of the day was the firse Ggaste, Whsn something bloody happened, i was never before inthe evening. At night he had a dark Took that went with» dark mond some~ times, News would tell him ehat she could see enue ship eating on the Hack horizon lke a pece of the Milky Way, and she would get that look for an answer, But it never lasted. His memory was too short to Tet him silk, no matter what fragment of nighe had2 ‘rested his mind. She Knew, having heard other couples all her lie, that at lease she and Jack never made the conjugal sounds lat passed for con eration and that might as well have een bowwow and quack quack, Tf, by chance, Jack found himself Aravin toanether woman, ithe tide of traction suddenly ran the other way, then he would discover in himelt igeat need to tlk to his wife, They st ‘out on ther haleony for much of one Tong night. and he tld her about hi Trish mother. His mothers ceven- cncty "Vers dene,” where the family was concerned had kept Jack Foor taking anything seriously, Te had eon afraid of pulling her mad atten tiom in his dveeon, Countless ties she had faked hercules snd cancer fand_ announced. her_ownimuninent death. A telephone eal from 3 hospital had once declared her leet in car crash. “Isa new life a new Be” her Inishind had babbled, coming “away from the phone, Jack save his father then as beautiful, Women are beaut when they fallin love, said Jacks some= fines the glow wil last a few hours, Sometimes even day or two, "You know,” si ack, as if Netea knew, “the Jk of amazement om itsface...” Well, shat sume incandescence had suffused Jack’s father when he thought fis wife had died, and ie continued 0 shine unt a wai epasted dotty Vern ‘with her cheerful announcement tht she had certainly brought off = succes ful April Fool. After Jack’ father ded she became violent. "Getting. aseay from her was form of violence in sey" Jack sid. “But did.” That was why he was scretives that was why he was independent. He had never Wanted any Woman to get her hands onbisie. [Net heard his out calmly, Where his own feelings: were concerned she thought he was making them wp ashe went along. The garden smelled coal Jy af jasmine and mimoss. She won dered who his new git! as, and if he ws likely to Bre out « name, But all he had been working up twas ‘hat his mother —mady spied, deve ish, whatever she was--would need to Tive with Jack and Nets, unless Nets agreed to giving her an income, An Income would let her remain where she was at the moment, in» Rodel Steiner community in Switzerland de= voted 10 medicval gardening and to getting the best out of Goethe, Newt's fauhee's wrining prevented even the thoughe of spending the money in sich “You won't regret all you've told me, will you?” she asked She saw that the’ nev situation would be her bute den, Der cainy her mean litle joke somtimes. Jack scarcely hesitated be= fore sying the where Nets mattered the could never regret anything. Bet what really interested im now wae bis mother “Lite give her claustrophobia.” he ssid. "She musen’t be higher than the second flor.” He sounded like a man Bringing. 2 legal concubine ints his household, srupulosly annus to give all his women equal rights “And T hope she_ wil make frends" he si, ‘Te won be easy, at her age. One can’t live without them” He probably rmeane that he Bad none, Net had been raised not to expect to ave fiends you could noe run a hott and have scores of personal ts, She exe pected people tobe polite snd punetval and to mean what they sid, snd that tas the end of it Jack gave his fiend ship easly, but he expected consider- able diversion in ote Neus sid dryly, “If she_ plays bridge, she can play with Mrs, Black= Tey.” This was the wife of the doce tr who had ise sid “Meslem wife.” He had come down here to the Rivera for his wife's health; the two belonged toa subcolny of Gat-dwelling ex atrintes. His medial practice was lim ted to hypochondriacs and. theumatie pavents He lad ime on hi ban ete often saw him ia the hoe read- ing reom, standing, leafinghe took pleasure in handing books, Nets, no reader, did not Hike touching a. hook tunes ie as new, The doctor had a ‘wick of speech Jack loved to inate Ihe would break’ up his words with an cat slabs, some words ony, and at that not everytime, “Tee all ¢ mate ter of stushyle,” he said, for “aye,” fn, Jack's favorite, “Ob, sell i the fend ie all comes’ down to sichex.” “Unshebb and flecho. of hormones” was the way he ance deserted the bee Ivior of sinte—Nett ad lnked force at him ovee that. He was 3 frm agnostic and_the fine peron from whom Nett heard here exited a ‘magical Dr. Freud. When Net's f- they bad died of reunite doc {204 "Dn ewcoctgy Net had been so ears he could ot fave whe ieadamotier oy Hig wie, Georgi, could lower her Hed preree p her ene ese nny a wie Nets sometines seondered thy Dre Bley had ought er ta soft climes eather than othe ohn’ at Venn he oa sired. Georgina wot well enough bly ce big, with Jack and ny fe gd enrugh, Her hasan sl Iyeame wo fetch hers the end ofthe aemoon. wien the ply sepped fort Ont beau be wes ced te tenia once to x pont whe nei sh i, SC oe Competent shout anying?” Nets though she under the, hit ‘Seed eset of Igy al hex” "Bh, don alan, You bore ee? sss wit ung hr ack Tega biboeed at ohio. She wore a Tne alta hd bec eee elie tere ‘he tnd to ld lack She wy “Why Aon’ yo il ber?™ "1 om not degree pron,” he eee a Nas in tng (isthe Secs chs i'n bck op 1 neeyeeryone exp, che, nde wid, "De wondered why we ee “Avie eid Neva, “You, and Gee nee tras not offend, sh jo gave the a's brag tg and iy Now a hope. Never th ges” though of (Ste that was atte reson. vee rales tal gene were a maha" Fey to make i TavlenAo elt 8 por of he courey they eet.” Wve done get thie ede.” wit eerie eee ier ing the doctor. She pied him, rather, Stans vol he ey ami bees he want Jack and could nt have New “Tto love you" sid the doctor, decting Slyck down in nc eeetrreeest tetra tan diesem Hae lve in, aed pate etegea eer Coelho ent any of i eee SHAT very spring, peshaps be- cause of the doctor's wor, the hotel did get some maharaj rade three Hue sites with chony curs, men’s eyebrows large heads and dei- cate hands and feet. They had fur rooms, one for their govemes. A. chauffeur on. permanent call lcged lbewhene, ‘The governess, who. was Durehy had perfect tangle of 2“Phere is absolutely nothing to do dozn here, so we've learned 40 bring our fun sith us.” nose and ssid “whom” for “who,” pronosncing it “whim.” ‘The gils were to learn French, tennis, and swimming. The chauffeur arived with shaicdreser, who cut thee long hair; itlay on the governess carpet, enough to fils lage pillo, ‘Ther toe- and fingernails were fled to. points and Tooked lke a kiten’s eth, They came smiling down the marie staircase, cat= Fring new tennis racquet sexing Blue nen skirts and navy bszers. Mrs Blackley glanced up from the bridge game as they went by the cardzoom, She had been one of those opposed to aide having lessons at che English Lawn Tennis Club, for reasons that were, to her perfectly evident. ‘She sid, loudly, “They have to be in whe” ee eer er eed ieee res pointing her erangle nose. “They can’ go on the courts except in white, Te a private club, Entirely white “Wh do they ll hin eey a2” the governess asked, prepared to stalk fon, But the gil, with their newly cropped. heads, and their vulnerable necks showing, caught the die and ve- Fused ogo, “Whom indeed” ssid Geonpina Blackley, ing with her bridge hand and looking happy. “My wifes Seamstress could run up white focks for them ina minut," Sid. Jack, Perhaps be did not dike caldzen all hat sch, "Wham could,” mutered Georgina, But it tured Que that de governess was not allowed to choose thei clothes, and so Jack gave the childeen lessons atthe hotel, For si weeks chey trotted round the courts looking angelic ix Be, of hopelessly foreign, depending ‘pon who saw them, OF coure they fell in Tove with Jack, offering him a passionate lyalty they had nowhere ‘ee to place, Net watched the wansfer of this gontc, smous gift, After chey departed, Jack was bad-empered for several evenings and chen never spoke fof them agsing theyy needless ts), Jaa een dragged Fam him weeping, ‘When thi happened the Rosss had eon married neatly ve yeas. Being clades bu sll very loving, they had trouble. deciding which of the to would be the child. Netta overheaed “Hes a darling, but she’s 2 sergeant ‘major and no mistake, And $0 mean” She sho heard “He's » lazy bastard He balls her, She's a fool” She searched her heart again about chil- dren. Wat it Jack or had it been Netz who had first sid no? The only eld the ad ever admired was Jack, and not nea cid but asa fighter, defying he. She and Jack were not the sore to have animal children, and Jack's doty mother would prety doon be child snough for any’ couple wo handle. Jack sal seemed to adopt, in a ei sense SF hig half the worn who fll n Tove wih him, The only woman who = Sted adoption was Netts—stil burned fut ill arden, in a manner of speak ing’ sll fourteen, His mother had fumed up meanwhile, geting dove from a train wearing 2 ale of enjoy jing her own jokes, just as she mist Ihave looked on the day of the Apel Fool, Ae firs she was no great eeu bie, though she did complain about fan ulcerated Jeg. After years of pre- tending, she 2t lst had something Fea. Net's policy of silence made Joos# smother confident. She hogan to make 2 cay oF i mg: A at mares efor nothing!” Or the Enmunt we waued on schools! The outs hes thrown agen his nose ins book, Al hat reading—i atest, it had gor him somewhere.” ‘Neto sie that he pent more me playing Widge and. chetng to rons athe ar now She though hard, and de- (ied otto make het bine, Hb other ha ence oem prety, perhaps ell aw her that way She came of ‘ramsboce amy witha wale pss ‘Se ke of the Acre and the Roses rif ake bad Known thom when they sree tinker Enelh dens who ad 2 Tow bot sili Baie with Jack and Nett were fencer down with Ht mad mother: thoy eemed tke her at Ie nem word when Hews shout hers She began then ap behave lke» superior sort 1 gsi large partis tober tbl for mens oder Ing special wince and dis Biincanvenent hour, standing ends ‘ound of drinkin he bar "Net al here Jack wants his wage Tt his ome to. She Began to lve a fe apart, leaving” Jock tis mother, She et wearing ber own mothers shawl hunched ower new, ‘noderm adding machine, panching out counts "Funny couple" she heard tows She frowned, sviing in ber Irn none of these people knew what sind them, of how ted hey were She had the habit of dodging oe of et hers pare ng “Pre got mich an awfa on do” made Sern laugh, bras they dg this wae Net's tom for davedeing the servants, They tog the a did the work, and tht Nets counted the profits and was too busy wth hooks feeping to keep an eye on Jack—who fever Woald ‘A woman mained Ie Conde was ane of Jacks mother new fren ‘Tatty in enter duly pale she reminded. Neca of Mond penguin. Her voise moved beeween 4 aque anda mooy and wats mark of the disingusbed era family to which fer father belonged. Her sabes, 9 Frenchwoman, had heen in atid out of suring homes for years, The Cordirs Bont the Riis, with Iris okng ser her parents sed. watching thet ties, Now shelved ina fa some= srbere in Roguebrine withthe survive Gf the pairvahe: mother, New ee Teved, Ir paused and glanced in the fainess room where Mr Asher fad Speed. the hundedeyear lene, She was om her way to Tanch—Jack’s mother’s gues of course “ay, ante you Mis Asher?” “1 was” Iris, lke Dr. Blackley, ‘was probly younger than she looked, (Ou of her own childhood Nets r= called desperate sdolecent Iris with fiddle-aged parents clamped Tike handcuffs on her life, “How is your other?” Nett had heen about 0 3 “How is Mrs, Cordier?” bu it sound deri “1 did’ know you knew her.” “T remember her well, Your fax ther to, He wae «mie person.” “And sll" sid Try sharply, “He lives with me, and he always” wil ‘French daughter don't ahan= don ther parents” No-one haa ever seunded more Enge Tih to Nett, “And your fa ther and mother?” “Both dead now, Pm marred to Jack Ress” > "Nobody tok me,” sid et Unis ina way that made Net think, Good Lord, eis too? Jack could not posbly seem like 2 ptrinechal figure where” she was concerned; perhaps this time the tgme was reversed and Iris paved at fing eeital and maternal. ‘The ides of Jack, oF of any man, Binging his self on tha iron bosom made News Smile. Asif starded, Ins covered hee ‘mouth, She sumed to be frightened of soning ack, ‘Oh, well, and what of Ii too, ssid Nets to herself suddenly wen ing tack to her accounts, As i hap pened, Net as mitcken (a8 she never would have been with a hl) day Jk was meeting I for te "The upshot of these errors and ene ‘counters wae an invitation to Roque bine to vist Ir’ father. Jack's moth= er was ruthlealy excluded, eventhough Iie probably owed her a return eh- agement because of the lunch. Net Supposed that Tes had decided ome had forget past Netta to reach Jack—an inertness i ever there was one, Or perhaps it ag Nets Leg wanted. In that case the erot became s farce. Net tu had almost no knowledge of private houses, She looked around at something thar did not much inert her for she baed to Teave her own homey and Saw rk’ father, apparendy 0 ald land shay co get out of his artnehe He smiled and be nodded, meanwhile seroking an aged cat. He said go Net ta, “Vou resemble. your mother. A sect woman, Obliging and quct. I ted eo tll her that {Tonged to lve in her hotel and be looked after” "Nor by me thought Nets, AUGUST 23,1976 Ieit's amber braceless rated 36 she shed and pulled everyone through Introductions. Jak and Netta had been asked to meet young American Nett: had often seen in ber own bar, and couple named Sandy and. Sends Beaunsweg, who umed out to be Anglo-Swis and tins. Tris long arms were around them asshe cried to Nets, Don'e you know these labs?” They were, lke the Roses, simewhere in their twenties, Jack Hooked on, Hue~ eyed interested, smiling at everything nee. Netty spposed that she was nov secing some of the rather hae {ip anobbish—snobbish what? Intli= {gomshen-sn” she imagined Dr. Black Tey supplying, Having arrived at a sword, New wis ready to go home} Thue they bad only just areved. ‘The “American turned. to Nett. He inked tored, and astonished by it, He needs the word for “bored?” she decided Then he can go home, too. The Rivie~ ra vas no place for Americans. They could not st all day Waiing for mail land the daly papers and for the lock to show a respectable drinking time. They made the best of things when they ‘were caughe wth = howe they'd heen rash enough to rent unseen, Nett of tena them then en fomion fr me {hotel dining roorn was one way of meeting people. They pi = foc to use the tennis cours, and they liked he Ine. Nets would nosce then bow Jack Picked up any accen within hearing. ‘Jack was now being attentive tothe cold man, Tri’s father. ‘Though this was none of Mr. Cordie’s bsines, Teck id, “My wie and T sve frst “cousins a well a6 second cousins ewice “You don lok it” Everyone began to sgeak at once, and it wis a minute or 190. before Netta head Jack again. ‘This time he said, “We are from a family of great..." Te was Ire, Whae now? Caines ee nae fins? Whatever it was, old Mr. Cor Adee kept nodding to” show “he ap- proved. “We don’t sce nearly enough of young en ke you” he id “Truel™ sid rs loudly. “We live ina dreary world of ill women doses hote2” Neta thought this hard on the American, on Mr. Cordier and on the male Braunsweg twin, but none of them lked offended, “Pye got no time for women,” said ris She lapped down a glass of whiskey so dat it splashed, and rapped on a tale with her Knuckles, “Shall T tell you why? Because women don’ ck over. They just simply don't ck over” No-one puted thi. Ins went on: Women‘THE NEW YORKER ‘were underinformed. One could have isle “conversatons only with men Women were attached” t0 che past through fear, whereas men had a feat= Tess sense of history. “Men tek,” she said, pling a Jack, “Lam noe stached to 8 past” sid Nets, slowly. “The past holds no at~ tracton®.” She was not used to general conversion. She thought that every word called for consleraton and for an answer. “Nothing could he worse than the way we children were dressed. ‘And our mothers—the hard waves of their hain, the white fps T tink of those pale profile and T wonder if those ‘women were ever young.” Poor Net, who saw herself a8 profoundly English, spread constemas ton by Being suddenly foreign and gy. ‘She ttked the English of ex Tatrinte children, as if reading aloud. "The twins looked shocked. But she had appealed tothe American, He sat be= Se her on scuffed velvet sofa. He tras so large that she sd an iach or so in his dicetion when he sat down, He swas Sandra Braunswep' spec friend: they had been in London together, He waa tying to wt. “Wit do you mean?” ssi Nets, “Wie what?” “Wella nove, to sary,” be sil His father had staked him tone yeas, then another. He mentioned all shat Sandra had borne with, how she had actually Kecked and punched him to ‘Keep him from being too American, He had embarrassed hero death in London by asking a waitres, “Mis, where’ the wet” Netta sid, "Didn't you mind being corrected” “Ob, no Ke was just fiend.” Jack means vas Fstening Suidrs wing about her English fore= hears and her English eduestion, “I ad many years of undeniably excellent scholiag,” she si. “Mitten Tod.” (Wha that?” ad Jack, ‘Its near Bristol. I met excellent irk fom Tealy, Spin. I took ine there to ii” she sid, generously ine doing the American, “sid, “Get 2 yellow necks” He went straight out find bought one. T wote a Title Sehiae patell, Bought in Geneva but sil E real...A yellow jacket over a fray.» Well he arsved at my excel= Tene old schoo, and even though the day was drizzly sai ‘Put the top of the car back. He did’ s0 at once, and then he undstood, The interior ofthe ar harmonized perfectly withthe yle Tow and. gray.” The twins sere oF- phaned, Irs was Hike a mother. “When Mummy died we. did now where to put all the Chippen- dale” sid Sond. “Tris tok a Tot of eter thought, She i so sly. Howe can he respond? ‘The gis dimples and freckles and sft ile hands were noth= ing Netta could have ever deseribedsshe had never in her fe tought a word Te “prety.” People were beautiful or they were not, Her happiness had al svaysbeen grt enough toalow for de- ‘pair She knew tharsome people ought ‘Teck was happy and she was not. “and what made yon marry your yond coca?” ie old a been Neva, Peshajs hi background allowed him to ask impertinent questions; he ruse have been doing s0 nearly for lever. He stroked is eas he_ was con ident. He was spokesman for room ful of wondering people “Jack was 2 moody ehild and T pronibed his mother T would Ina after “Ff you ask m 35 him,” sid Nett. In her hopelessly un- English way she believed she had sid something funny. ANT chi sek he hotel a ested to fetch the Roses was rowhere. They trudged home by ‘moonlight. For the lst hour of the vening Jack had heen skewered on ine comersnions, firs with Try then wth Sanden to whom Nett had ale ready given “Chippendale” asa priate name. Tt proved that Irie was right About concentrating on men and dir ticking—Jack even thought Sandra rather prot. “Pretier than med” ssid Net, withove the finest dca what she meant, bat aware she had sid some ‘hing spi “Noe so auractiv” sid Jack. His slight Timp returned straight out of 4's time once again for a litle explosion.”36 lildhocd. She had caused his accident “Buc she’s not always clear,” sid Neda, “Mitten Tod, for example “Whore you talking about?” “Who are you” Tri of course” As il they had suddenly quarrel they fell sent In sence they entered their room and prepered for bed, Jack poured a whikey, walked on’ the lothes head dropped carried his {ink to the batheoam. "Through the Ialfshut door he called suddenly “Why did you say dat asinine thing shout promising to lok after me?” “Ty eccmed. so unlicly T though they'd Inugh.” She Ind = glimpse of hherelf inthe mirrors picking up his shed cots He ani, “Well eruc?™ ‘She wis quiet for sich a lng dime that he came to sc if she wis sin the room. Sie sid, “No, your mer nev= raid tae or anything Hee” “We should have gone to Rogue rune,” sid Jack. “T. think thse ods people are going tobe a nuisance Tris wants her father to stay here, sith the eat wile she goes to England for month, How do te get ut of tht?” “By eying m0.” “Pm rotten atmo." “ted you motto be eo ply with women," she si, 26 joke again, but jokes were her way of lating Hoods of Before this lad a chance to heal, Tris father moved in bringing his ext ing backet, He Iooked at is wom and ssid “Medium lege” He looked this ed! and said, “Reasonably long.” He wes, in short, daft ahout measure mens, When he tok books ot of he fending roim, he was ape to return them "with “This volume contains fut 70,000 words” writen inside the back cover, ‘Netta ad not wanted Tri’ father, tut Jack had sd yes cot She had not waited the sick et, but Jack had said yes t0 that too. The old man, sho was Tose sidout Irs ved for his teak He ould appear ot the shut dors of the dining room an hour too arly, seiting forthe ment to be typed. and. posted, Tn a voice that matched Iei's for carving power, he fead aloud, alone: “Consommé. Good Lordy agaln? Ts there a. choice be- twecen the fab and the cle? T cant phy cae all of that, A hit of salad nd a boiled ogg, That's all T could posihly wane” That was rubbish he fuse Mr. Corder ate the ment ind tore, and if there were ewo puddings, for a padding and ice-cream, he ate “For heaven's sake! Joo Harrison! I did recognize you, Becaure of your lowe-recognition factor” AUGUST 23,1976 both and asked for pastry, fruity and cheese to folloe, One day, after Dr Blakley had tended hin for faint ness, Nett pseed» mssge onto Tr, ‘who ad heen tack from gland for 2 fortnight now but seemed inne he ry to take her fathers: “Keith Blackley, thinks your father should goon a diet” “He can’t” ssid Tris “Our other Aoctr ays dctng enue ener” You eae have heard tha proper= Iv, New si 1c & ike hose ily people who semoke to keep their Bgures” sid is "Dicting.” “Bhckky boen’t sid he should smoky just eat he should ea Less of everything.” “My father bas never smoked in his Wiley” Tre ered, "As for his dit, T ‘weighed his food out for years He's not here forever, Tl take him back 33 soon she's had enough of hotel.” He styed fer aang dine, and the cat did too, and @ risance they both were to the servants, When the cat tras too ailing to walk, che old man carvid ic to path behind the tennis ‘ours and pot it dwn on te gravel tic, Nett came out with dhe od ra’ tea on a tray (not done for everyone, tut having hi aut of the way os 2 relief) and she saw the eating omits Aide, eyes wide, af profoundly think ing! She sw licked dir on its cot and ants exploring its paws. The old san sit ins garden chai, wearing nam katy his hands clasped on a Stick. He ealled, “Oh, New, tke ber say, Tam too old to watch anything die T know what she'll doy” he si indiferenl, his voice fling as_she fame near. “Oly T know that. Turn fm her ack and give = shriek, D've ear i often” NNetta dsburdencd her tray onto a garden table and pulled the tay cloth Ander the cat She sine angered at the haste and indecency of the anes. “Te would be polite to leave hers” she si “She doesn want Be watched.” “T always st here,” sud the old Jick, making for the courts sith Chippendale, leoked 36 it ube sight ff theo" conversing mised him. ‘Then he undersnd snd scooped up the cat and tray hth and went say with the eat over his shoulder. He lid Fein the shade of 2 Judas te, and within an hour twas dead. Tri’ father fil, “Te got no one to tlk to here ‘Thats my trouble. That shroud was too small for my poor Poly. Ask sy Abaughter eo fetch me Jackes mother sid hat aight, “Tm sore you wich thar T had = devotedTHE NEW YORKER Alaughter to take me aay too" Because of the ater tion given the cat_ she scermed to feel she had nt been naience enough, She ad taken to saying, “My Jeg is dying before T am,” and imploring Jack to pre= serve her egy should it be ampuated, and make cr tain ews bared with her. She wanted Jack to be cose by at nearly any hour now, fo that she could Tean ot bi, After siting for ours at bridge she had rouble Climbing two ight of Sears; nothing would. ine ace her to use the fit, “Nothing ever came of your muse," she would sy, Teaning on him. “Of ‘purse, jou have a wife en Aiseact you now. T needed fs daughter, Every wom fn does" Nett managed to tap her alone, and forced her 10 sit while she stood, over hers Netta ‘38d, “Look, Aunt Vers, 1 fortid you, T absolutely forbid. you, do you hear, to make a sure of Jack, and T sal strangle you ‘with my own hands i you go on saying pothing came of his muse, You are pot to sy it in my hearing oF out of ie eh plain?” Jock’s mother got op to her room withoue assieane, Aout an hour ltr the gardence found her on = sofe bed fof wallfowers. "An inch eo the left fand shed have Tnnded on rake,” he ideo Nets. She wa stil alive when Nees knele down, In her fll she hd crushed the plants, the yellow sinted giroféerde Nice. Nett thought at she was now, at lest fr the fist Sine inhaling one of the smells of death, Her aunts arms and Tegs were turned and twisted; "her skirt w3s pulled so that her sell Teg shovted Tescemed that she had jumped exr7y= ing her walking ticki lay aeror the path She often dpe in am armchair, ernoons, with one cje sghly open She opened that eye now and, sexing the had Nett, sid, “My son.” Net ‘was thinking fave never known er ‘And I knew her, hen i was Tack ot nyse could noe understand, Nests twos afraid of giving orders and of tele ‘ng people no to touch her aunt before Di. Blackley could be summoned, box cause she Knew that she had alrays tren mistaken. Now Jack was there, propring his mother “up, Drishing Teaver and earth out of hee Bair. Her head dropped on his shoulder, Netex 37 “Dann ity git saying ‘Cheers? ” thowghe fom the sudden heaviness chat her aunt had died, but she sighed and pened hat onc eye again, saying this tine, “Doctor?” Net left everyone dling the wrong hing ter dying— ry her murdered tint. She sid quite Cail into a telephone, “Tamm afraid that my aunt mst have jumped oF fallen fom the second Bor” Jack found 2 Teter on his mother’s night table tha begen, “Why Blame Netea? T forgive.” At dawn he and Neten sit at 2 card ble seth yester= day's aeets ail noe cleaned out of the ashtray, and he didnot ask what Neve ha ssid oF dene tha called for forgivenes, They hope poshing the lee ter tack and forth, He would read it and then Neta would, Ie seemed nat- tral for them to be lent, Jack had Iraide his mother for miueh of the night. Esch of them then went co sleep for an hour apart in one ofthe empey oom, jst se they ad de inthe old days when thse pens were juggling ede and guess and double and single quarters, By the sine the doctor re- fumed for hie scond vist Jock wes neatly drewed and seemed wide wake, He satin the Bar drinking Hack eof fc and reading trael bok of Evelyn Waugh's called “Labels” News, who Tooke far-more ontdy and under slope, wondered if Jack wished he ‘nighe leave now, and sl from Monte Carloon the Sele Polaris Dr. Blackley sud, “Wel, you area dim pair, She ie not in puchain, you know" Net supposed this was the roundabout way doetnrs have of ane ouncing death, very ie “Her sffer- ings have ended.” But Jack, looking ard atthe doctor, had ard another meaning. “Jumped or fell” aiid Dr, Blackley, “She neither fll nr jumped She i up there enjesing «damned ‘god thirhing?” ‘Netta seent out and. through she lounge and up the marble steps, She sat-down inthe shaded room en the chair where Jack had spent mos of he night, Her se dit not Took ike any= fone Neve kneor, not even Tike Jak She stared ar the alien fe and sid, “Aunt Vera, Keith Bliley oy there fs nething realy Pie mater. You must Tnve made» mistake. Perhaps you fainted on the poth,evercome by the scent of wallfenters Wit would you ke me go tell Jock?” ‘Jack's mother tured on her side and Sowiy, tenderly, raked herself on fan clove, “Well, Neve” she sl, T dresay the foo is right, But ae Ue cn given quite lot of sleeping stuf Pidassoon stay here for now.” "Nett if Are you hogs?” SD should very much like 2 ham sandwich on English bread and about thar emoch gin wih= hap of GPE fez coming dn for meas ‘few days Inter, They knew she had ceepe dawn the seis and Bung38 her walking stick over dhe path and It herself fall hard on abe of wallow cers—fad even plcked her sit wp for a bie of accuracy; she wae alo fomemne returned. fom beyond the limits, from the other side of the wall ‘Once she sid “Te was ke ding and suldenlyreasing tere was no water in he sea” Again, "Te nok te tat your lle rushes before your eyes, You fan se the flowers eating opt yo Evens shore fll wks Tang tne” Everyone was deeply change by this inden, The effect on the vin herself wan hat she got religion hard. “We ae all hops onbelivere showed THs, drinking in the bor one afternoon. “AC least I hope we are Buc wen Tee you, Vern I fel there might be something in religion, You Teo pote temperate.” “Tam allowed to lve God, I hope?” ssi Jats mother, “Jack never sof beard his mother anymore, He leaned again the bay ‘ealing, Te was his favor place, Even Gn the sunnit of afternoons he ea by the redsthaded light. Neto, as present ony Beate she hal upc to ‘heck: Knowing she ought eo esp out ofthis, she tl sid, “Religion tore than Ive Tei supesed el you why you ene and what you are expect doabout ie” “You have no religious flings at IR” ‘This was the ony serine and Almost the only friendly” quention Tes tag ever fo ae Nees “None” sid Nets. “Pm runing hoses?” “Tove God as Jack used 0 love snus” sid hs mothers "At laste Sil he did when we wore peying for Iesons” “Adam and Eve tad God” sit Nena. “They had nobody bue God A fat lot of good that did chem.” This sess ea dese ee oc had not moved once except to torn pegs Heed aly bt ouy how, 8 if every author had design ‘mn Bim. That was. one effect of his ‘mother’ incident. The oder was chat he gave up bridge and went hack to eying the clarinet, Iris hammered ont fn acompanimene on the wprght ano in he olf muse room, meaty we for Istening wo radi brosdcast She was the only person Nets ad exer beard who could make Mozart sound Bike an Trsh ig. Presenly TB began tay that i was tine Jack gave concert Belore ts could urn into cre Ti changed her mind and sid what he went a hp, Nea eee te eed someting he seed to he entasted by Tove, finda by Ring ‘husband, someone's son, 8 ting to make a world out of reading and sens: fut of life. A vst wo England to mect some stimulating people, sail Tris. To Delp vs with her trsome father dh ing the journey. To vst art galleries and bookshops and go t0 concerts, To inet people. To talk ‘This was a hot, rouble season, and many persons were planning jour neys—not w met other people bet for fear of = war, ‘The hotel had empeed fou by the end of March, Netty whose father had keown there sould never he another catastrophe, had her worke men come iy a¢ ual She cull hear the radiator being denned and got ready for peinting as She packed Jack's clothes. They had never Been separate before. They kept ling each other that ie was only for a shore holiday for three or four weeks. She was sur- pried at how neat marrage was, at hhow many years and felings could be folded and pat andra fil, Oncey he ‘went to the window so dt he woul nor steer tears and think she was tr)= ing to Blackosail him. Looking out she noticed. the American, Chippendales lover, idly knocking” tennis all againse the garage, Jack had done in he early summers of thei lifes he nd come round to the hore! looking for a partner, bot that season there ‘were none. She suddenly kneve 10.2 certainty thae i Jack vere to die she ‘would search the crowd of mourners for a man she could live with. She would not fetur from the funeral alone. Grief and memory, yes she sti 0 Ierslf but what aout the o'clock in the morning? BY Lars est eteryone Nett Iesew had vanished, or Hike the Blackley, had) started to pack. Nets had nev tablecloths made, and ordered new white awnings, snd two dozen Tosehushes. from the nursery at Cap FFerrat, The American came over eve cry day and followed her from 100 to room, talking. He had nothing bet ter to do, The Sie ving were it England. His father, who had been bucking his writing carer until now, had suddenly changed his mind about ft—now, when he needed money to get out of Europe, He had projects for Tiving on is ovny but they r= quired 2 dese of funds, He wanted to open a resturane on the Riviera ‘where nothing but chicken pie would be served. Or elses vase and expen AUGUST 2541976 Sve café where people would pay t0 make dir own nnviches He sid that he was acing the food of the futore, bur all that Net could se eat ettomers asking for thir ancy beck He trapped her behind the har and side loved ber Net made ther women lock Ree sted dolls He could sll remember the shock of necting hes, the atereton, the bile Tmt anewer she ada. to Ine slut attachments othe past, ‘New thin rave lhe asked fora Ina, She Inghed nd wondered iPie wn forthe chicken pe resturant No—he wanted io ger an a boat sil ing fom Cannes. She wi quite chee= fully, “I cane be Venus and Barlys Bank. You have to chooe.” He sail, "Can'e Venus ever turn up with eter of eri” She shook her hen, "Not a hope.” Buc when it was July and Jack adn't come Becky be -comered her gsi. Money wns ini nove his ax {her ad not only relented. bt Bad ‘irually ordered han home, He was out twentyttn, she gucsed, He Could sil plead succelly for pe rental help and for indulgence fm swomen. Shei no more than af Fectionately, “Tm going to slow you 2 ¥ery prety room." ‘A few day later Dr. Blackley came lone to sy god, “re ou ely staying?” be ted “on respon forthe at igh ane years of this lene” sid Nein, “Tm gring to be thr. Tes « long tenure Besies, Dee go Jacks mote rand she wonte leave. Jack has 4 Chance ow go it America. Tt doa’ sound senuble to. mey ut she wets Sncouraging im, She imagines hin seetiy ry ich nd adn far her. Pve dsovered de Ht of iat yom cam fel about peoples ve die Siwered somethings” abe eid sbruply. es hae sx and ove ae teahtng in commen, Only enc dence, amet, Vou tink dhe = fncitence wil go on and an you et mares. spec that is what men sre harm knowing and women easn iy accidene” Pe schon” “Por Gas bake, don't be, Tes ie She had no fesing of git omy of smazement. Jock, 48 memory, wae intrested aren the tennis Cos the canon, the har. She se him at vidge with Mr, Blackley and pte ing drinks for worry fiends, He crowed the Founge. jan with a loner of Hide dark-hd git wear ing blue. Tn the mirored bedroom there” wis only” "Netas Her dreamsTHE NEW YORKER were cleaned of im, The looking glass sailed their ble- and-dlverwater shad ‘omy but thy ost the habit of giving back fhe moods and gestures, of Mosier wit AVOUT five peat after thi, Net ‘wrote te. Jack. The war had caught him i Ameria, during the voyage his mother Id Sawanced him to have, His limp. bad kept him fut of the Army. AS ik mother (now dead) night have pot iy all that reading had Binal Iy got inn somewhere Bev had spent the Tost years putting out a twowpager om aspects of European culate part of a scrupulous ef fore Britain was make ing forthe West. That was early all) Net te knew. A. Belgian Red Cres oficial had arrived, aparendy in Jacks name, to se if he wos stl’ alive. She ft in her fates bus hess room, wenring 3 coat and shaw) bee ‘ase there wat no Way of heating any past of te hotel now, and she teed eo get on withthe Teter she ad been vwrcng inher ead, om and off, for many peur “In Tune, 1940, we were evscuntedy” she Sarted, for dhe tenth oF leven es “Teas hack by October. Tel ian had taken over the hotel, They used. the mirror behind the bar for target practice daly" enough ie was fot smashed, Tt x cov fred ith spiderwebs, find the bullet hoe ithe apr, Thad gest trouble over Aunt Vera, who dix Snpeated and wns found Bly none ‘ofthe ate rooms, “The Talians made a pet of ber “Took her picture. She enjoyed dat Everyone who became thin had dese tobe photographed, aif knowing they ‘would tse this intimidating evlence gsinse thse loved ones who had mised bing starved. Gaile for ie. After an inal period of Baedship, ducing which she often had her pcre taken at her Fequest, the Tins brought food and looked afer her, more than anyone. She vas their mama. We were an- rnexed territory and in time. we had the same food asthe Talans. The thin plete of your mother ate here ony Os 9 “She buried her British passport and would never say where Perhaps under the Jr das tee with Mr, Cor- dier’s eat, Polly. She remind just as mad sind just spate, and that became angen when life stopped bee ing ordinary. She com= plhined about met the Ttaans. At that time a complaint wis A mater of prison and fof death if as made to the wrong person, Luckily for me, there was alo the right pe fon to take the mes ee. A couple of years afier thy the Gere mane and certain French took over a the Tnlane were shat ‘pin another hotel twthout food or water, and some people risked their wellbeing to tke ‘water t them (or nat sveryone preferred the new situation, you eam behove me). When she rae ding T asked her she had a mesoge for one Telian offcer who had made. such 4 pet of her-and she Sid, ‘No, why?” She Shed without 4 word for anyhod She was buried as” “Ress? eceuse “the Telins Inad changed people's names, She had. ssid the was French Frenchwoman named Ress and 80 sme pe- collar ciel sates was treated for ur—the two Mrs, Rossini “The records were topsy-turnys it would have meant going. t0 the Germans and ex Psining my dead ane was Brish, and. of course I thought [would not. The ‘Uach cerca and permison to bury fre fora Vera Rossin, Ihave them here fon my desk for you with her petres You are probably wondering where 1 have found all this weting’ paper. “The Germans left behind. When we were fring shelled T rok what few Ihooks were left in the reading room down fo what used toe the wane cel0 Jar and read by candlelight, You are probably wondering where the candles fame from, A long story, I even have print for the radiators, large buckets that have never been opened “T live in one room, my mother's ld sting room, The. busines room fan be uscd but the fles hare gone, When the Tealans were hare your smother was chir mothe, bat wae not fhe Meslem wife, although T sail had respect for men. One yelled ‘Luce, Ince’ Beesuse your mother was show ing a igh She si ‘Bugger you, you Tale wad.) He said ‘Granny, T si luce” not “Duce.”* “Not Tong ago we crept out of our shelled homes, Tooking like eave dwell- fers, When you sce the hotel again, i wil be funetoning. Lshall have painted the radiators, Long shoots of bramble fame in theough the cardeoom wine dows. There are drifts of leaves in the ‘old mse room and T saw scorpions Sad heard their runing Tike the rustle Gf death. Everything that could have teen Foted has gone. Sheets bedding, mattress. The neighbors dil quite = Toe of that, At che rik of their Bes, When the Taians were here we bad rice and oil. Your mother, who was crazy sed to put out goin to Fed the “When the Germans came we bad to live under Vichy law, which meant ch region lived on whit i ould pro= duce. As ours produces nothing, we got ‘quite thin again. Aunt Vera ded phim. Bo you know what it means when T sy she used to complain about me? "Send me some books. AS long 28 they are in English. Tam que sick of the three other languages in which ve heard a0 many threats, such boast. ing such alot of ying. "For a time T thovght people would ike to know how the Teaians left and the Germans came in. Tt twas Fike thts They came in with the fist cr mov ing slowly, fying the French fag: The highes- ranking French oficial in the region. Not 2 Ger- man. No, just chap get fing his" joh backs ‘The Belgian Red Crus pple were completly uninter- fsted and warned me thet, to ene would ever Want tocar “Tsuppese hat you ale ing with homesickness in the nigh. ‘The Germans were not zea, they were specially got up for the events ‘of the time, Sat in the white dining oom, eating with whatever plates ant Spoons wete not broken oF Iootdy ate Soups thot sere mostly water, were forbidden wo complain. Only in recat Aid they develop faces and T noticed then thae some were rsd and many were old, A. radio broadest from some untouched ares advised the Jocal population not to attack them 2 they retreated, ie would make wild snimalh of them, But they were at tacked by some young boys shoting out ff = window and cight hostages were taken, incuding the son of the man ‘who “cut the maharje's. daughter black hairy and hey were shoe and Jefe along the wll of café om the ‘more of leg Tealian side of the border ‘And dhe man who owned the eafé was killed too, but ler, by gviins—he hd given names to the Gestapo once, or pethaps it was wmething che. He fzoton the wrong side of the right side a the wrong time, and he was thrown ddven the deep gorge beeween the 10 frontiers “Up in one of the hill villages Ger sans sajed il no one was alive. T ‘Was at tt time in the former wine cellar reading hocks by canlliht “The Belgian Red Cross tam found the skeleton of « German deserter in a fave and took back the helmet and skull to Knokke-e-Zoute as souvenir. "My war has ended, Our family Ihld together almost. fom the Nepo- Tonic adventures. Tt shatefed nov. Sentiment docs not” keep fares LAST CHANCE See ae sll his. The fton moat be diferens oh very die fein, fom Tea AUGUST 2341976 hole —only mutual pride and mutual sony. SIS tre story sounded 30 jae ple that the decided never to send She wrote a sere ketor tsking for sugar and ce and for new Tots; noting must be elder than 194 Jock angered once: thove were no new authors (he had bun aking feople). Sugar wat wnoisinale, and there were queues for rie. Shoes had heen raoned There wore no women's stockings bot Tide, andthe fans American legs looked. ternble. You teuld not find utero ctor ned Fincaple, Tn restaurant, instead of fatter you were given miniature golf balls of eream chose. He supposed thst ail is snt sound tke small Beer to Net ‘A nsice seed tht a CARE pace ge aed her at the post office. Te meat hat Jack had added ig ame and is money to mang Ist. She se- fused to sgn for iy then she changed her mind and’ dcovercd ht wast ftom Jack but from the American she ad ce taken to such a prey too. Jack id send ce and sugar and d= Hous coffee hace forgot sto Book, His lester followed; somedines three served in a morning. She left them fled for days. When she st down fo answer, al she could. remember swore plas hing Tis cane back, She was the Birt She had grown poy in England—the real of ding rater alcbol she Could gether hands om and grimly ete ing her seus allowance! there would he thatch isin sand cnet for the Ger= tranh i ever they lads. She put her ow wile Sotto on comforie stchaiane ofthe few ‘hairs the frm wave of Sealine had nos” burned vith cigerettes or ily Mcked st with daggere— and said Jack had sen fing with 3 woman n Anerica and to sare the fnip had. Tee her be Fnown, at his wife, Ane ser Mes. Roa? When Nera dicovered it was dimpled Chippendale, si Inughed slow “ve sen them,” sid Ira Tancan Us chem togsther. King Charles sind» panic. Jack wed is feeton hee” Nes fecings were of lightness lic She would‘THE NEW YORKER eee ere se Bl aon Nn When oe eked pg Netn se What Be imensct™ don ow expos no kao eveing eon Ect na» od ae Siti hy fel rg, hy er cscs bee Pach ge nme ant pe eee Eired eee Spee oa Oe te, me cid in an unc cee lhl Ms Ren ow sa sie eo ant une? le ees aod or paral Aes in cite Nowa ees ects aes apm de aoe Rewtaber Tre mie wo Wor ar aid gre ee Pcie gots ae i ed ack oes The Fee ee pet re emery hing” ccc cemy oe eat aces ee agg Beste iee theta hie Riese tt i eng ae ree es eel Tong unde amenable codons Di sees Denon, Tory hd ee eal eee Doct las ot ae eee Me tl eden ca iy os oe at ie aes Netta said, “In what part of the degen "PA lS lke ae bor de Wy and eh thc more an oe ha See oe given ins Be etc iits ve Te eben "The tables were scarred with ingle, ‘There were no tablecloths. One ofthe grentuncle’s paintings sill hung on Wall Te showed the Quai Laurent a country road alongside the sea. Nets, who had no use forthe past was dee covering a past she could regret. Out “There you are, sir. om dak, gente eneo—slenes ia ese hy he impos fling a= tang akc eens the wala Whon sence fll he Ine a ing in le of renner ake Undestod th tron there would be nothing If 1 Spi, Her grestunck’y pers, hich Spice have changed oo of thee omg rembed, BAL. She repre cretting nowy evn. te thre amsow Ble gis be linen. Pyar corsets eae alo and how semed i» lecend dred from Georgie Bless hnvng the” pt Kop thee cin fn thir place Clin Butone-up es the mde ser mw pled ae cored feof and si she had ated er father fer mori ber ster and oe fl the Doth vere “Vere wake noe™ id Note “Dea U hope That sm fon scmeen rho lined emp New Sar lnning her chook on her hand Dino nee eal ci fae tears kn. Nether the vanqed inthe fight norte vice rnin {0 pek over rable memed fall erage pind ied her governess Dt Besse ae ek tne sively cheerful. Iv these days ‘en sil ed soldiztng, Ie made them “ Some nice money” feel young, if they needed eo fel it, and i got thers away fom home, Wat fade the break few men could make fon thse on, The doctor Tooked yents Younger, ewe, and very ft. His wife teas noe with him She had survived everything, and the hardships she had tundergone had completely eestored her te healeh—which lad made it easy for her husband to leave her. Actuals, he Thad never gone back, except to wind up the mater “There ane things about Georgina T respect and admire," he sid, a6 us bande wil say from a distance. His ‘war had been in Mala, He had come here, a8 soon a he could, wo the shelled gnawed tented couse (28 if he had ee seen enough at Mal) 10 ask Neta go divorce Jack and » marry Im, or live with bise—anyehing she wanted, on any terms Bur she waned nothing—at last, ot from him "Well one can't defeat» memory,” he sid. “always thoughe ie was most- Iy schox beween the oof ou.” "So it was” sail Netta, "So far as remember.” “Everyone noticed, You would van- ish at odd hours, Diehappear.” Yes we di.” “You aut live on memories” be sjeced, “Though T respect you for bing faithful, ofcourse” "Whar you are thing about isa something of which one has no spe- ie: memory.” said Newa. “Only of seasons, Place. Rooms, Tei as abract to remember as to read about, Thats "why iis boring nelle except a2 joke, and boring in books except for potty.” “You neve “1 do now. “AL gucssed that “That lack of memory is why peo- ple are unfaithful, as ie 0 curiously talled. When T see closed shutters I Know there are lovers behind. then. That is how the memory works. The rests just convention and smal lk” “Why lovers? Why act someone dispag of the wine he fad for leh? “No, Lovers” “A. middle-aged man cutting his toenails inthe bathe,” he sid wich tnexpected feeling. “Wearing. bifocal Tense s0 that he cama is ow feet.” No, lovers, Always” He sid, “Have you mised him? “Mised who? “Whe the Bloody ell are we aking shout?” “The Ttalian commander bileted here, He was not a gust He was here by force. T was not breaking a rule. Without him P have perished ia er cry Way. He may be home with his wile now, Orin that fortes near “Turin where he sent other men. Or dead.” Ske looked at the docor and sid, “Wel, whar would you ike me t do? Sithere and ery?” “Sf cane imagine you with a rate.” Tnever sid that.” “Do you ms him sa?” “The absence of Jack was like 2 cancer which Lm sure his ten root fnd of which Iam bound to die” sd “You'l buchury us all” he sid as Aoctrs tel the condemned “T haven't sid T won't.” She rose suddenly and straightened ber sir a8 she ued t do when hotel guests bese pally. "Conversation aver” eneant “Don't be too hard on Jacky” he sid, “[ am hard on mysel” she re- lied ‘After he had gone he sent her a parcel of books, printed on geaysh ager, in warped Wartime covers All “7 try like hell to be honesty Arthur, but coho ‘can be honest these days and live?” of the cides wore, to Newa, unknown. ‘There wax “Fireman Flower” and “The Hore’ Mouth” and “Four Quartets” and “The Stuff to Give the ‘Troops and, “Better Than» Kick in the, Pans” and “Pur Out More Flags” A’ note added the the next package would contin, Henry Green and Dylan ‘Thomas, She guessed he would noe want to be thanked, but she did so anyway. AC dhe end of her Teter was "Please remember, f you mind too much, chat T ssid mo to You face before.” Leaning on the bat, ‘evacly as Jack ued to, with « gas of the middle sisters drink at hand, she opened “Boner Than = Kick in the Pang” and rad, “two Fasc came in, ane of them el and thin and tough Tookings the other smaller, with nly one arm and an empey sleeve Fined up to his shoulder. Both of them were quite young and wore black sins” ‘Oh, thought Nett, 1 am the only cone sho Knows al thi, No-one wil trer realize how much I know of the truth, the ruth, the eruth, and she put er head on her hand, her elbows fn the scarred bor, and let the fst tears of her afterswar run down bet HE last co return wag the one who should have been ist. Jack wrote that he was coming down from the north a far as Nie by bus. Te was a commun way of traveling and mck cheaper than by tetin, Neves guesed thac he was mildly hard wp and that he had saved nothing from his war job. ‘The bus came in a¢ se, atthe foot of the Place Massina. Thore was a deep Nu Tnte-afernoon sky-and pale sone Tighe, She could hear birds from the public gardens nearby, The Place Was 6 she had always seen i lke an ce gant deawing room with blue coling Te was nearly empty. Jack haked vat on this sunlighted, handsome space and ‘sid, “Well, TM ost leave my seu at the bus fice, for the moment”—per= haps noting dat Nets had not init td him anywhere. He placed his ket ‘on the counter, and she saw eat e had fot come from far aseays he mast have been moving south by stages. He car fied an aura of London pul life; he fad been in London for wetks, ‘A frowning man hurrying to wind things up 20. he could fave. his fist ‘tink of the evening said, “The ofice Beng and we dot ep Base "Boop used to be nce” Jack sid, “Bus people?™ “Jue people.” She was hit by the sharp change in“ his accent, As forthe way of speaking, which something ele again, he was Tike the heir to grentenates Back bome sftee s Grand ‘Tour, Perhaps the es tates had run down in is absence, She slinped the frowning man a thousand francs, 2 new stented fl, on Which the face of = calm giel glowed Tike an opal. She sid, “We shane be Tong. She set off over the Place, walking ingonally Jack beside her, of courte, Hr did noe ask where they were head ed, though he did make ber smile by sing, "Did you bring a car?” ex pecting onc of the hotel cas to be arked nearby, pothaps wih a drver to ‘open the door; perhaps with eel chick fen and wine ina hamper, oo. He sid, SP forgoten about having to ip for every Hite thing.” He did not queion his destination, which was no farther than 3 eafé atthe far end of the square. ‘What she fle at that instant wae in tease revulsen, She thought, T dnt Want him, and pushed away some ins ible fying thing a bat or a blown p= pet. He locked at her with suprise, He dunt have been wondering if hardship had taught Nete to talkin hee mind, This it, the freedom he was al- ways offering me, she sd to here, smiling up atthe beau ky "They moved slowly along the near= Jy empty square, pausing only when some worn-out Peugeot or an old bi ‘ye, finding no other target, made a swing in their direction. Safely fom the pavement, thy walked under the arch cs where partons had Teen hanged. Tesemed to Neta the bis had Teen taken down only a day. or $0. before. Jack, who Knew about this way of dying from hearsay, chose a cafe table nearly under a Poor fis bound, dan ding fet, “Thad x. woman rpoxt to me on the bus two kept a hedgehog All winger ina baskee= fal of shavings." he id “He can dink milk out of wincglas.” He estate. “Pra sorry about the books you asked for. Iwas ck of books by then, Tas ck of thetorc and colere and ptr= ‘ie crap.” Tasos ei theres? sid Net “Goa, yes.” He seemed to expect her to ask ‘questions #0 she sid, "What Rind of. dothes do they wear?” very diferent over “They wear gute Tot of plas ana tartans. They eat at pula ours ‘Youll ce thr cating srawbcris and cream june when youre shining of having dink” She dy “Did you vist the. sn sine where Troma ds bis pli Gal proners?| Tim mins?” sid Jack, “No.” “Remember the these Fide gi foo he mabaraja cade?” Neither could ute ear what dhe exbor had cy. They were patally deat teach oer. ‘Nets conned sly, “Now, a8 1 verte Bro brought an ‘Amen t0Landon, and en she tele an Englabman to Americ.” "He had to much the hai of wom ry he was laying to close a game, ‘wae pains ying, "Who? Whac?> “Tera over a fst ai star” he sid! "But then the war came and sre were stick. She Became 2 fy” he sid, "an quite fond of hee? sich Nett ranted a Tea be teranean ver that may yet come to Tighe” "Vou woulda’ know he” he SM. “Shey very diferent now. T tld so mch about the sth deven ery she fall found some Ind go ing drt cheap at Bandel, The mayor sranged for er t0 have an orchard Text het propery so she wont have eighbors. Le hardy cost he anything Healt he, "Voave very prety “No one evr ad tergain in property bee se of prety face,” ssid Nesta “Wasne ie ack,” ssid Jock. He cold Tenge hear hist, ee sme Nea. “The var tes unacting, engin ‘America. She minded tot eng ates Actor fy ae was sing he Sis pp, sich sade‘ wort, Her Brother war Kled over Bremen, She needs = curr now. In way teas ore and ape prece. eiween nd she suddenly grew up Shel he beter of th tof over He head, She wees 4d now. ler had challenged it quay. “ls shea Bande now, writing “Wel, no2” He laughed suddenly. “There fst a roof yet. Andy you ous, people don’ st writing that way ‘Thy just eink dey going ee.” “Who fas eeplaced you?” sid Net ta. “Another sorcerer?” AUGUST 2341976 Ob, fee lok ike George TL in arog it. Or Tike Queen Anne. ‘Queen Ane and Lady Mary, some Sed elle tem Trisha ms ave teen, Queen Anne and Lady Mary vat ted than King Charles tnd his span She wae egining enjoy hit ory. He saw iy and id Fghdy was topes. wih You eo manage anaher ie. 1 cudnt Fe np ga on and en ay fon you | didee wane o grow mide ed ato with nye Te he ha Ton hey abe waa ne oping» revere neat Jock nom ea ing ote of the purple sunburs po- ple aoe at gel She ex hi driving Sn agen cat nth loge tft free Be purple ll. he sw ie fret dog onthe fone set and the decor yng Hk pean The e= tun she fle dd ot Tend distance at Brought 2 dreamy relly clr fl, Heist be thirty or now, she fail ee hens Aerrle age for atman tha hae never inagnedtiny-oure “Welly perhpe pou fave made 8 snes of ae ey guoting em “What mea? Pn fe dle “Queen Anne?” “Yeu welh mcrnly Gerald is i same; be wens notog but brown, Brown si, brown te, brown shes. si, "He ca go to Mien Todd, He wrote match “Harmonize” she si. “That Harmonize withthe" “Whee about Geri’ wife) Tm sure he ht oe.” “Lnereta” “Noy ely?” “On any tenor, When T lst the they wee all coger, aking” ‘Netta vas remembering. What the mille cr bd sdb hr tn the balony. She colds Inca fim, The mere crowing of glances tmade hee sar Lughing ster wildly io ber hands, The hysteria quay her own laughter caught erin id Sis Wine wee they elling sou? He hitched hi at earer and dared to tie her wri “Ta me, now.” he si 2 if hey wre to be owe sk confidence men Eeting thin socks stright: “What Soy Wiese oe? The me af loge had ot in ae ea rnd a fer hi snes if sheet hi Plling beck he felt another dag, trough# wala fog She prope fe hs ter, invite and, bu fe disled, Te was 2 To inferen handy to longer fecoghzed ter ‘warmth, She under Sot Heide Jack, coed t fe, dak els ves, was spared ths He would be spared everyting,