U.S.A_ - John Dos Passos [307]
"I understand, Jerry, you've seen things that I haven't imagined . . . I guess it's the corrupting influence of the Red Cross."
He smiled and poured her out some more wine and said with a sigh:
"You're the most damnably attractive woman I ever met, Eveline . . . but like al women what you worship is power, when money's the main thing it's money, when
-298-it's fame it's fame, when it's art, you're a goddamned art-lover . . . I guess I'm the same, only I kid myself more." Eveline pressed her lips together and didn't say any-thing. She suddenly felt cold and frightened and lonely and couldn't think of anything to say. Jerry gulped down a glass of wine and started talking about throwing up his job and going to Spain to write a book. He said he didn't pretend to have any selfrespect, but that being a news-paper correspondent was too damn much nowadays. Eve-line said she never wanted to go back to America, she felt life would be just too tiresome there after the war. When they'd had their coffee they walked through the gardens. Near the senate chamber some old gentlemen were playing croquet in the last purplish patch of afternoon sunlight. "Oh, I think the French are wonderful," said Eveline. "Second childhood," growled Jerry. They rambled aimlessly round the streets, reading palegreen yel ow and pink theatre notices on kiosks, looking into windows of antiqueshops. "We ought both to be at our offices," said Jerry. "I'm not going back," said Eveline,
"I'l cal up and say I have a cold and have gone home to bed . . . I think I'l do that anyway." "Don't do that, let's play hookey and have a swel time." They went to the café
opposite St. Germain-des-Prés. When Eveline came back from phoning, Jerry had bought her a bunch of violets and ordered cognac and seltzer. "Eveline, let's celebrate," he said, "I think I'l cable the sonsobitches and tel 'em I've resigned.""Do you think you ought to do that, Jerry? After al it's a wonderful opportunity to see the peace conference and everything."
After a few minutes she left him and walked home.
She wouldn't let him come with her. As she passed the window where they'd been sitting she looked in; he was ordering another drink.
On the rue de Bussy the market was very jol y under the gaslights. It al smelt of fresh greens, and butter and
-299-cheese. She bought some rol s for breakfast and a'few little cakes in case somebody came in to tea. It was cosy in her little pink and white salon with the fire of brickettes going in the grate. Eveline wrapped herself up in a steamerrug and lay down on the couch.
She was asleep when her bel jingled. It was Eleanor and J.W. come to inquire how she was. J.W. was free tonight and wanted them to come to the opera with him to see Castor and Pol ux. Eveline said she was feeling terrible but she thought she'd go just the same. She put on some tea for them and ran into her bedroom to dress. She felt so happy she couldn't help humming as she sat at her dressingtable looking at herself in the glass. Her skin looked very white and her face had a quiet mysterious look she liked. She careful y put on very little lipstick and drew her hair back to a knot behind; her hair worried her, it wasn't curly and didn't have any particular color; for a moment she thought she wouldn't go. Then Eleanor
came in with a cup of tea in her hand tel ing her to hurry because they had to go down and wait while she dressed herself and that the opera started early. Eveline didn't have any real evening wrap so she had to wear an old rabbitfur coat over her eveningdress. At Eleanor's they found Robbins waiting; he wore a tuxedo that looked a little the worse for wear. J.W. was in the uniform of a Red Cross major. Eveline thought he must have been exercising, because his jowl didn't curve out from the tight high col ar as much as it had formerly.
They ate in a hurry at Poccardi's and drank a lot of badly made Martinis.