Page 121 - tender-is-the-night

cubs with a paw.
When she saw Abe, the mood passed out of her face;
the glow of the morning skylight was sad, and Abe made
a gloomy figure with dark circles that showed through the
crimson tan under his eyes. They sat down on a bench.
‘I came because you asked me,’ said Nicole defensively.
Abe seemed to have forgotten why he asked her and Nicole
was quite content to look at the travellers passing by.
‘That’s going to be the belle of your boat—that one with
all the men to say good-by—you see why she bought that
dress?’ Nicole talked faster and faster. ‘You see why nobody
else would buy it except the belle of the world cruise? See?
No? Wake up! That’s a story dress—that extra material tells
a story and somebody on world cruise would be lonesome
enough to want to hear it.’
She bit close her last words; she had talked too much for
her; and Abe found it difficult to gather from her serious set
face that she had spoken at all. With an effort he drew him-
self up to a posture that looked as if he were standing up
while he was sitting down.
‘The afternoon you took me to that funny ball—you
know, St. Genevieve’s—‘ he began.
‘I remember. It was fun, wasn’t it?’
‘No fun for me. I haven’t had fun seeing you this time.
I’m tired of you both, but it doesn’t show because you’re
even more tired of me—you know what I mean. If I had any
enthusiasm, I’d go on to new people.’
There was a rough nap on Nicole’s velvet gloves as she
slapped him back:

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