The Adventures of Augie March - Saul Bellow [177]
he take chances? "What's the matter with this woman? What are you, the husband? She doesn't wear a wedding band. Are you related, or just friends?" "Mimi? Has she passed out?" "No, she's just not answering. She moves her eyes." Padilla returned, the doctor hurrying before him. "Just bring her here and we'll see what gives," said the doctor. Manny gave me a great look of success. We got rid of the whole ugly sniff-nosed crowd wanting to be in on trouble and went with the doctor. As we followed Manny gave him a story. "She did it to herself. She's a working girl and couldn't have a kid." "How did she do it?" "With something, I guess. Don't women make a study of these things all their life long?" 'I've seen some dandies. But also I've heard pretty stinking stories made up. Well, if the women live we don't look for the abortionist, because what good does it do the profession?", __How does she look offhand?" "A lot of blood lost is all I can tell until I look it over. Who's this second fellow who's so worried?" "Her friend." "All he had to do was really smack that orderly and he'd have had New Year's fun in the calaboose with the drunks. Why is he in the monkey suit?" "Hey, what about your date?" said Padilla as he put his hand to his long face with shock. It was after eight by the smooth-pulled electric/c clock in the brilliant room we entered. "When I find out what's up with Mimi." "Go on. You better. I'll be here. I have no date toni'ght and was staying in anyway. The doctor doesn't think it's so bad. What do you have on?" "A ball at the Edgewater." I stood waiting until the doctor returned. "It's mostly blood loss and infection from the belly surgery, I think," he said. "Where did she get that done?" "She'll answer your questions herself if she wants to," I told him. "I don't know." "What do you know? Do you know, for instance, who can be billed?" " Padilla said, "There's money. Can't you see how good her clothes are?" And he said to me, for it worried him deeply, "Are you blowing or not? This guy's engaged to a millionaire's daughter and on New Year's Eve he keeps her waiting," "Write me a pass so I can get back tonight to see Mimi," I said to the doctor. He made a perplexed face to Padilla about me and I said further, "For Chrissake, Doc, don't fiddle around with me, but write the thing out. What's it to you if I come back? I'd tell you my whole hard luck story but don't have the time." "Ah, go on, it's no skin off your nose," said Padilla to him. "A pass from me wouldn't do you any good in front. I'm on now till morning, so just come and ask for me, Castleman." "I may be back before long," I said. For I was sure that Kelly Weintraub, since he was talking, had already gotten to Uncle Charlie Magnus. But I reckoned also that he and his wife had not told Lucy, not on New Year's Eve, when she was going to a dance. Later they'd throw me out on my prat. But why had she asked me to come an hour sooner? The dance didn't really begin until ten o'clock. I phoned her once more and asked, "Are you waiting?" "Of course I'm waiting. Where are you?" "Not far." "What are you-doing?" "I had to stop at a place. I'll hurry now." "Please!" About that last word of hers I thought as I drove that it was not like lovers' impatience, but neither soft nor hard. Turning too wide at the driveway, with a last-minute twist I put my wheels through mud and bushes and scraped back under the portico. Inside, on the turned-over heels of the yard shoes I hadn't remembered to change, I walked to the mirror to knot my black tie and saw backward, by the drape in the living room, the tense belly of Uncle Charlie, his sharp feet prepared, and sitting waiting in the oriental mix-up of brass, silk, wool, and all that gave the place so much power, Lucy, her mother, and Sam, observing roe. I felt there was a big machine set against me. But I had come in order not to disappoint Lucy, toward whom, given their chance, my feelings could have shone and warmed again. I expected poisoned looks, against which I was coated and immune; at least, my greater trouble made such