Appointment in Samarra - John O'Hara [49]
No, there s no one else important right now.
Well?
Yes, she said. You don t want to announce it now, or anything like that, do you?
No. I suppose we d better be sensible and let you have your trip and two months away from me and see if you still love me.
Do you love me? she said. You haven t actually said so.
I love you, he said. And you’re the first girl I ve told that to in nineteen twenty-five eight years. Do you believe me?
It s possible, she said. Eight years. You mean since 1917. The war?
Yes.
What happened? she said. She was married, he said. Do you still see her?
Not for two years. She s in the Philippines. Her husband s in the Army and now they have three children. It s all over.
Would you marry me if I weren t a virgin?
I don t know. I honestly don t know: That wasn’t the reason I asked you if you were. I wanted to know because do you want me to tell you the truth?
Of course.
Well, I was going to ask you to spend the night with me if you weren t.
In which case you probably wouldn’t have asked me to marry you.
Maybe. I don t know. But I do want you to marry me. You will, won’t you? Don t get a yen for some Frenchman.
I won t. I almost wish I weren t going, but I guess it s a good thing I am. Her voice was low and dramatic. What makes you say it like that?
The obvious reason. I have a theory, Joe. I ve always told myself that when I loved a man enough to want to marry him, I d have an affair with him before we announced the engagement, and then have a short engagement and get married practically right away.
Oh. That means you haven t really been in love all your life.
No. It doesn’t mean that. Not quite. But I haven t been in love since I made that decision. Since I ve found out more about sex. God! Is that clock right?
A few minutes fast.
How many minutes fast?
Oh. I don t know.
No, honestly. Even if it s a half hour fast look what time that means. We ve got to go back. I hate to, but please, darling?
All right, he said. Half way back to town she remembered something that made her want to let out a cry, to melt away, to die. The worst of it was she would have to tell him now. Joe, darling, she said. Yes, ma am.
I just remembered something, the worst thing I can think of. Oh, damn it all. I wish people ...
What is it?
I m not going to be able to see you tomorrow night.
Why not? Can t you break it?
No. I should have told you before, but I didn’t know we were I was going to. All this tonight, about us. Some people are coming over from Gibbsville to see me off.
Who? Who is the guy?
Well, it s not just one person. There is a man
Who? Do I know him?
I don t know. Julian English. He s coming, and some people named Ogden. I think you know them.
Froggy? Sure. I ve met English a couple of times, too. He s a college boy, isn’t he?
No. He s out.
Are you in love with him? I hope not. He isn’t so hot. He cheats at cards. He takes dope.
He does not! she exclaimed. He doesn’t do any such thing. He drinks too much, maybe.
Oh, darling, don t you know when I m fooling? I don t know anything about him. I m not even sure I d know him if I saw him. Yes, I would. But you’re not in love with him, are you?
I m in love with you. Oh, I do love you. And that s what makes it worse. I wish you could come along tomorrow night, my last night before I sail. But I don t think that d be so good.
Oh, no. Mr. English wouldn’t like it.
It isn’t that. I m not only thinking of him. But Jean and Froggy are coming all the way from Gibbsville just to see me off and we planned a big bender in New York tomorrow night. I m not a bit pleased about it now, but there s nothing I can do at this late date.
No, I guess you’re right, damn it. You certainly are the will o the wisp if I ever saw it.
Are you going to write to me, a lot?
Fourteen Place Vend?e, every day.
How did you know?
Oh, you’re a Morgan, Harjes girl, as distinguished