Page 246 - tender-is-the-night

in inns and restaurants, wagon-lits, buffets, and aeroplanes
were a mighty collation to have taken together. The famil-
iar hurry of the train waiters, the little bottles of wine and
mineral water, the excellent food of the Paris-Lyons-Médi-
terranee gave them the illusion that everything was the
same as before, but it was almost the first trip he had ever
taken with Nicole that was a going away rather than a going
toward. He drank a whole bottle of wine save for Nicole’s
single glass; they talked about the house and the children.
But once back in the compartment a silence fell over them
like the silence in the restaurant across from the Luxem-
bourg. Receding from a grief, it seems necessary to retrace
the same steps that brought us there. An unfamiliar impa-
tience settled on Dick; suddenly Nicole said:
‘It seemed too bad to leave Rosemary like that—do you
suppose she’ll be all right?’
‘Of course. She could take care of herself anywhere—‘
Lest this belittle Nicole’s ability to do likewise, he added,
‘After all, she’s an actress, and even though her mother’s in
the background she HAS to look out for herself.’
‘She’s very attractive.’
‘She’s an infant.’
‘She’s attractive though.’
They talked aimlessly back and forth, each speaking for
the other.
‘She’s not as intelligent as I thought,’ Dick offered.
‘She’s quite smart.’
‘Not very, though—there’s a persistent aroma of the
nursery.’

246 Tender is the Night