Read Online (1941) Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: W. Somerset Maugham
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down. It
might be that the recognition of the danger he had just escaped somewhat
sobered the driver, for he now drove at a snail's pace. Then someone noticed
that there were people in the darkened car and when they all saw that it was a
couple linked together in a passionate embrace a great laugh arose; one man
shouted out a ribald joke and two or three others made rude noises. Rowley held
Mary tight in his arms; you would have thought that in an ecstasy of love they
were unconscious of all else. One bright spirit conceived an idea: in a rich
baritone he broke out into Verdi's song from Rigoletto, 'La Donna è mobile',
whereupon the rest, not knowing the words apparently, but anxious to join in,
bellowed the tune after him. They passed the car very slowly; there was but an
inch to spare.
`Throw your arms round my neck,' whispered Rowley, and as
the other car came abreast of them, his lips still against Mary's, he gaily
waved his hand at the drunkards.
`Bravo! Bravo!' they shouted.
`Boon divertimento.’
And then, as they went by, the baritone began once more
to chant: 'La Donna è mobile . . . .’
They staggered dangerously down the hill, still lustily
singing, and when they were lost to view their shouting could still be heard in
the, distance. Rowley released his hold on Mary and she sank back, exhausted,
into the corner of the car.
`It's a good thing for us all the world loves a lover,'
said Rowley.
`Now we'd better get on with the job.’
`Is it safe? If he were found just here
. .
`If he's found anywhere on this road they might think our
being in the neighbourhood was fishy. But we might go a long way and not find a
better place and we haven't time to scour the country. They were drunk. There
are hundreds of Fiats like this and what is there to connect us? Anyway. it would be obvious the man
committed suicide. Get out of the car.’
`I'm not sure if I can stand.’
`Well, you'll damned well have to help me out with him.
After that you can sit around.’
He got out and pulled her after him. Suddenly, flopping
down on the running board, she burst into a passion of hysterical tears. He
swung his arm and gave her a sharp, stinging slap on the face; she was so
startled that she sprang to her feet with a gasp and stopped crying as quickly
as she had begun. She did not even cry out ` Now help
me.’
Without a word more they set about what they had to do
and together got the body out Rowley picked it up under the arms.
`Now put the legs over my other arm. He's as heavy as
hell. Try to pull those bushes aside so that I can get in without breaking them
down.’
She did as he told her and he plunged heavily into the
undergrowth. To her terrified ears the noise he made was so great that you
would have thought it could be heard for miles. It seemed an interminable time
that he was away. At last she saw him walking up the road.
`I thought I'd better not come out the same way as I went
in.’
`Is it all right?' she asked anxiously.
`I think so. By God, I'm all in. I could do with a drink.’
He gave her a look in which was the flicker of a smile.
`Now you can cry if you want to.’
She did not answer and they got back into the car. He
drove on.
`Where are you going?’ she asked.
`I can't turn here. Besides, it's just as well to drive
on a bit so that there shouldn't be any trace of a car having stopped and
turned here. Do you know if there's a road further on that will get us back on
the main road?’
`I'm sure there isn't. The road just leads up to the
village.’
`All right. We'll go on a bit
and turn where we can.’
They drove for a while in silence.
`The towel is still in the car.
`I'll take that. I'll chuck it away somewhere.’
`It's got the Leonards' initials on it’
`Don't bother about that. I'll manage. If I can do
nothing else III tie it round a stone and chuck it into the Arno on my way home.’
After they had gone another couple of miles they came
might be that the recognition of the danger he had just escaped somewhat
sobered the driver, for he now drove at a snail's pace. Then someone noticed
that there were people in the darkened car and when they all saw that it was a
couple linked together in a passionate embrace a great laugh arose; one man
shouted out a ribald joke and two or three others made rude noises. Rowley held
Mary tight in his arms; you would have thought that in an ecstasy of love they
were unconscious of all else. One bright spirit conceived an idea: in a rich
baritone he broke out into Verdi's song from Rigoletto, 'La Donna è mobile',
whereupon the rest, not knowing the words apparently, but anxious to join in,
bellowed the tune after him. They passed the car very slowly; there was but an
inch to spare.
`Throw your arms round my neck,' whispered Rowley, and as
the other car came abreast of them, his lips still against Mary's, he gaily
waved his hand at the drunkards.
`Bravo! Bravo!' they shouted.
`Boon divertimento.’
And then, as they went by, the baritone began once more
to chant: 'La Donna è mobile . . . .’
They staggered dangerously down the hill, still lustily
singing, and when they were lost to view their shouting could still be heard in
the, distance. Rowley released his hold on Mary and she sank back, exhausted,
into the corner of the car.
`It's a good thing for us all the world loves a lover,'
said Rowley.
`Now we'd better get on with the job.’
`Is it safe? If he were found just here
. .
`If he's found anywhere on this road they might think our
being in the neighbourhood was fishy. But we might go a long way and not find a
better place and we haven't time to scour the country. They were drunk. There
are hundreds of Fiats like this and what is there to connect us? Anyway. it would be obvious the man
committed suicide. Get out of the car.’
`I'm not sure if I can stand.’
`Well, you'll damned well have to help me out with him.
After that you can sit around.’
He got out and pulled her after him. Suddenly, flopping
down on the running board, she burst into a passion of hysterical tears. He
swung his arm and gave her a sharp, stinging slap on the face; she was so
startled that she sprang to her feet with a gasp and stopped crying as quickly
as she had begun. She did not even cry out ` Now help
me.’
Without a word more they set about what they had to do
and together got the body out Rowley picked it up under the arms.
`Now put the legs over my other arm. He's as heavy as
hell. Try to pull those bushes aside so that I can get in without breaking them
down.’
She did as he told her and he plunged heavily into the
undergrowth. To her terrified ears the noise he made was so great that you
would have thought it could be heard for miles. It seemed an interminable time
that he was away. At last she saw him walking up the road.
`I thought I'd better not come out the same way as I went
in.’
`Is it all right?' she asked anxiously.
`I think so. By God, I'm all in. I could do with a drink.’
He gave her a look in which was the flicker of a smile.
`Now you can cry if you want to.’
She did not answer and they got back into the car. He
drove on.
`Where are you going?’ she asked.
`I can't turn here. Besides, it's just as well to drive
on a bit so that there shouldn't be any trace of a car having stopped and
turned here. Do you know if there's a road further on that will get us back on
the main road?’
`I'm sure there isn't. The road just leads up to the
village.’
`All right. We'll go on a bit
and turn where we can.’
They drove for a while in silence.
`The towel is still in the car.
`I'll take that. I'll chuck it away somewhere.’
`It's got the Leonards' initials on it’
`Don't bother about that. I'll manage. If I can do
nothing else III tie it round a stone and chuck it into the Arno on my way home.’
After they had gone another couple of miles they came
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