Page 260 - tender-is-the-night

‘Consider it, Dick,’ Franz urged excitedly. ‘When one
writes on psychiatry, one should have actual clinical con-
tacts. Jung writes, Bleuler writes, Freud writes, Forel writes,
Adler writes—also they are in constant contact with mental
disorder.’
‘Dick has me,’ laughed Nicole. ‘I should think that’d be
enough mental disorder for one man.’
‘That’s different,’ said Franz cautiously.
Baby was thinking that if Nicole lived beside a clinic she
would always feel quite safe about her.
‘We must think it over carefully,’ she said.
Though amused at her insolence, Dick did not encour-
age it.
‘The decision concerns me, Baby,’ he said gently. ‘It’s nice
of you to want to buy me a clinic.’
Realizing she had meddled, Baby withdrew hurriedly:
‘Of course, it’s entirely your affair.’
‘A thing as important as this will take weeks to decide. I
wonder how I like the picture of Nicole and me anchored to
Zurich—‘ He turned to Franz, anticipating: ‘—I know. Zu-
rich has a gashouse and running water and electric light—I
lived there three years.’
‘I will leave you to think it over,’ said Franz. ‘I am con-
fident—‘
One hundred pair of five-pound boots had begun to
clump toward the door, and they joined the press. Outside
in the crisp moonlight, Dick saw the girl tying her sled to
one of the sleighs ahead. They piled into their own sleigh
and at the crisp-cracking whips the horses strained, breast-

260 Tender is the Night