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

onthewaytothebarwecamefacetofacewithdr.loringandhiswife.thedoctorstoodupandsteppedforwardtofacewade.hehadalookonhisfacethatwasalmostsickwithhatred.

“nicetoseeyou,doctor,”wadesaidamiably.“hi,linda.wherehaveyoubeenkeepingyourselflately?no,iguessthatwasastupidquestion.i—”

“mr.wade,”loringsaidinavoicethathadatremortoit,“ihavesomethingtosaytoyou.somethingverysimple,andihopeveryconclusive.stayawayfrommywife.”

wadelookedathimcuriously.“doctor,you’retired.andyoudon’thaveadrink.letmegetyouone.”

“idon’tdrink,mr.wade.asyouverywellknow.iamhereforonepurposeandihaveexpressedthatpurpose.”

“well,iguessigetyourpoint,”wadesaid,stillamiable.“andsinceyouareaguestinmyhouse,ihavenothingtosayexceptthatithinkyouarealittleoffthebeam.”

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

wadedidn’tbataneye.“pistolsandcoffeeatdawn?”heaskedquietly.

ilookedatlindaloring.shewasflushedwithanger.shestoodupslowlyandfacedthedoctor.

“deargod,whatahamyouare,darling.stopactinglikeadamnfool,willyou,darling?orwouldyouratherstickarounduntilsomebodyslapsyourface?”

loringswungaroundtoherandraisedthegloves.wadesteppedinfrontofhim.“takeiteasy,doc.aroundhereweonlyhitourwivesinprivate.”

“ifyouarespeakingforyourself,iamwellawareofit,”loringsneered.“andidon’tneedlessonsinmannersfromyou.”

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

loringstaredathimwithoutmoving.“ihavewarnedyou,mr.wade,”hesaidicily.“andanumberofpeoplehaveheardme.ishallnotwarnyouagain.”

“don’t,”wadesaidcurtly.“butifyoudo,makeitonneutralterritory.givesmealittlemorefreedomofaction.sorry,linda.butyoumarriedhim.”herubbedhischeekgentlywheretheheavyendoftheglovehadhithim.lindaloringwassmilingbitterly.sheshrugged.

“weareleaving,”loringsaid.“come,linda.”

shesatdownagainandreachedforherglass.shegaveherhusbandaglanceofquietcontempt.“youare,”shesaid.“youhaveanumberofcallstomake,remember.”

“youareleavingwithme,”hesaidfuriously.

sheturnedherbackonhim.hereachedsuddenlyandtookholdofherarm.wadetookhimbytheshoulderandspunhimaround.

“takeiteasy,doc.youcan’twinthemall.”

“takeyourhandoffme!”

“sure,justrelax,”wadesaid.“ihaveagoodidea,doctor.whydon’tyouseeagooddoctor?”

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

asmallgirlwithmud-coloredhairandabandaroundherforeheadpoppedupbesidemeandputaglassonthebarandbleated.candynoddedandmadeheranotherdrink.

thesmallgirlturnedtome.“areyouinterestedincommunism?”sheaskedme.shewasglassy-eyedandshewasrunningasmallredtonguealongherlipsasiflookingforacrumbofchocolate.“ithinkeveryoneoughttobe,”shewenton.“butwhenyouaskanyofthemenheretheyjustwanttopawyou.”

inoddedandlookedovermyglassathersnubnoseandsun-coarsenedskin.

“notthatimindtoomuchifit’sdonenicely,”shetoldme,reachingforthefreshdrink.sheshowedmehermolarswhilesheinhaledhalfofit.

“don’trelyonme,”isaid.

“what’syourname?”

“marlowe.”

“withan‘e’ornot?”

“with.”

“ah,marlowe,”sheintoned.“suchasadbeautifulname.”sheputherglassdowndamnnearlyemptyandclosedhereyesandthrewherheadbackandherarmsout,almosthittingmeintheeye.hervoicethrobbedwithemotion,saying:

“wasthisthefacethatlaunch’dathousandships

andburntthetoplesstowersofilium?

sweethelen,makemeimmortalwithakiss.”

sheopenedhereyes,grabbedherglass,andwinkedatme.“youwereprettygoodinthere,chum.beenwritinganypoetrylately?”

“notverymuch.”

“youcankissmeifyoulike,”shesaidcoyly.

aguyinashantungjacketandanopenneckshirtcameupbehindherandgrinnedatmeoverthetopofherhead.hehadshortredhairandafacelikeacollapsedlung.hewasasuglyaguyasieversaw.hepattedthetopofthegirl’shead.

“comeon,kitten.timetogohome.”

sheroundedonhimfuriously.“youmeanyougottowaterthosegoddamnedtuberousbegoniasagain?”sheyelled.

“awlisten,kitten—”

“takeyourhandsoffme,yougoddamnedrapist,”shescreamed,andthrewtherestofherdrinkinhisface.therestwasn’tmorethanateaspoonfulandtwolumpsofice.

“forchrissake,baby,i’myourhusband,”heyelledback,grabbingforahandkerchiefandmoppinghisface.“getit?yourhusband.”

shesobbedviolentlyandthrewherselfintohisarms.isteppedaroundthemandgotoutofthere.everycocktailpartyisthesame,eventhedialogue.

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

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

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

lightstepssoundedbehindmeandeileenwadecameacrosstheterraceandsatdownbesidemeontheedgeofachaise.

“well,whatdidyouthink?”sheaskedquietly.

“aboutthegentlemanwiththeloosegloves?”

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

“maybehe’sareformeddrunk,”isaid.“alotofthemgrowprettypuritanical.”