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Authors: James Hanley
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wish." She began to climb the stairs.
IV
"W HEN I feel disgusted with myself" he said, "I always come to you."
"We can take anything," she said, "even disgust."
With a quick shake of her shoulder her hair fell loose.
"You haven't bought me a drink yet," Lucy said, making a face at him.
"I'll get one," Marius said and jumped up, but she pulled him back.
"Call Henri," she said, "that's what he's here for."
"Henri?"
"Madame's husband, he understands everything."
"He must be very clever indeed—"
"You're actually laughing, Captain, it's the first time. Call him in. He won't fail to come, he's a mongrel man and everybody's his master."
Marius went to the door, opened it and called loudly, "Henri."
They had not long to wait. There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," cried Lucy.
Henri had mousy grey hair and a cast in one eye. He stood there in vest and black trousers, carpet slippers, looking at them indifferently.
"What is it, Lucy?"
"I'd like a long, long Cinzano."
"Two long long Cinzano's," Marius said.
He seemed no sooner departed than he was back again, he did not knock this time, but walked right in and placed the drinks on the wicker table near the bed. His single good eye was focused on the couch.
"Two Cinzano's for Room 10," he stared at Marius, then at Lucy.
There was something in his eye that Marius did not like, and he shouted, "clear to hell out", and Henri, grinning, turned and went out.
"And when we've had this drink, Captain, the lights go out, they hurt my eyes."
"You're very beautiful, Lucy, did you know that?"
Lucy only laughed, she laughed at anything.
"How old are you, really?"
"Me. I'm twenty," she said.
"Ought I to envy you, I'm forty eight," and Lucy laughed again, because she always did, she couldn't help it.
"At least," he said, "you're happy—yes?"
"Of course I'm happy," she pulled his hair.
"And never sad?"
She noticed the Captain's quick change of expression, "and never sad?" he repeated.
"Why should I be sad?" she asked, she made a loud gurgling noise when she drank.
"Well consider," Marius said, he had noticed a sudden boldness in her voice.
"Well—consider," his mouth touched her ear, "consider," and then her hand was flat against his mouth.
"Please, no sermons—now you're being fatherly—are you married?"
He shook his head, "Never."
"Had she been married?"
"Twice," Lucy said, "it was no good, I'm not like that, Captain," her mouth widened to a smile and he looked admiringly at the firm white teeth.
"You're sloppy," she said.
"All the same you are beautiful," Marius said, his look was so intense that Lucy suddenly shut her eyes against it.
"Why d'you think I'm unhappy?"
She pressed her hands on his chest, obliterating the barque that sailed so triumphantly across it.
"Well—" he found himself stuttering, "you're so beautiful—so young—this life—this sort of life—"
Lucy positively shook with laughter.
"Good Lord! That's what makes me happy," Lucy said, "this is my life, silly old fool, it's what I am," she went on laughing.
She sensed a sudden stiffening of his body, Marius felt as though he had been struck.
"I'm a hard creature," he thought, "and unshockable, too, but that—" and when he looked at her he knew there was no answer to that.
"You mustn't drink any more, if you do, I'll kick you out," Lucy said, leaning heavily against him, "look," she cried, "look."
"What?"
"There," and she pointed to the tattooed snake on Marius's long, hairy right arm. "It's moving."
They both laughed.
The hand heavy on her shoulder, had moved to her hair, lost itself in the black mass, he played with it, spreading the tresses either side of her head.
"Poor Lucy," he said, "who parted her legs before she parted her lips."
She pulled at his ear again.
"And you, Captain, what about you."
"Oh, I'm still waiting for the tide, so to speak."
"For that ship?"
"For that ship."
"Is it that difficult?"
"It depends on what you can pull from your pocket on
IV
"W HEN I feel disgusted with myself" he said, "I always come to you."
"We can take anything," she said, "even disgust."
With a quick shake of her shoulder her hair fell loose.
"You haven't bought me a drink yet," Lucy said, making a face at him.
"I'll get one," Marius said and jumped up, but she pulled him back.
"Call Henri," she said, "that's what he's here for."
"Henri?"
"Madame's husband, he understands everything."
"He must be very clever indeed—"
"You're actually laughing, Captain, it's the first time. Call him in. He won't fail to come, he's a mongrel man and everybody's his master."
Marius went to the door, opened it and called loudly, "Henri."
They had not long to wait. There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," cried Lucy.
Henri had mousy grey hair and a cast in one eye. He stood there in vest and black trousers, carpet slippers, looking at them indifferently.
"What is it, Lucy?"
"I'd like a long, long Cinzano."
"Two long long Cinzano's," Marius said.
He seemed no sooner departed than he was back again, he did not knock this time, but walked right in and placed the drinks on the wicker table near the bed. His single good eye was focused on the couch.
"Two Cinzano's for Room 10," he stared at Marius, then at Lucy.
There was something in his eye that Marius did not like, and he shouted, "clear to hell out", and Henri, grinning, turned and went out.
"And when we've had this drink, Captain, the lights go out, they hurt my eyes."
"You're very beautiful, Lucy, did you know that?"
Lucy only laughed, she laughed at anything.
"How old are you, really?"
"Me. I'm twenty," she said.
"Ought I to envy you, I'm forty eight," and Lucy laughed again, because she always did, she couldn't help it.
"At least," he said, "you're happy—yes?"
"Of course I'm happy," she pulled his hair.
"And never sad?"
She noticed the Captain's quick change of expression, "and never sad?" he repeated.
"Why should I be sad?" she asked, she made a loud gurgling noise when she drank.
"Well consider," Marius said, he had noticed a sudden boldness in her voice.
"Well—consider," his mouth touched her ear, "consider," and then her hand was flat against his mouth.
"Please, no sermons—now you're being fatherly—are you married?"
He shook his head, "Never."
"Had she been married?"
"Twice," Lucy said, "it was no good, I'm not like that, Captain," her mouth widened to a smile and he looked admiringly at the firm white teeth.
"You're sloppy," she said.
"All the same you are beautiful," Marius said, his look was so intense that Lucy suddenly shut her eyes against it.
"Why d'you think I'm unhappy?"
She pressed her hands on his chest, obliterating the barque that sailed so triumphantly across it.
"Well—" he found himself stuttering, "you're so beautiful—so young—this life—this sort of life—"
Lucy positively shook with laughter.
"Good Lord! That's what makes me happy," Lucy said, "this is my life, silly old fool, it's what I am," she went on laughing.
She sensed a sudden stiffening of his body, Marius felt as though he had been struck.
"I'm a hard creature," he thought, "and unshockable, too, but that—" and when he looked at her he knew there was no answer to that.
"You mustn't drink any more, if you do, I'll kick you out," Lucy said, leaning heavily against him, "look," she cried, "look."
"What?"
"There," and she pointed to the tattooed snake on Marius's long, hairy right arm. "It's moving."
They both laughed.
The hand heavy on her shoulder, had moved to her hair, lost itself in the black mass, he played with it, spreading the tresses either side of her head.
"Poor Lucy," he said, "who parted her legs before she parted her lips."
She pulled at his ear again.
"And you, Captain, what about you."
"Oh, I'm still waiting for the tide, so to speak."
"For that ship?"
"For that ship."
"Is it that difficult?"
"It depends on what you can pull from your pocket on
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