Page 330 - tender-is-the-night

Dick had made them both wretched by this time, but
simultaneously they had become vague with drink and in
a moment they forgot; Collis left, and they shook hands
warmly.
‘Think it over,’ said Dick sagely.
‘Think what over?’
‘You know.’ It had been something about Collis going
into his father’s business—good sound advice.
Clay walked off into space. Dick finished his bottle and
then danced with the English girl again, conquering his un-
willing body with bold revolutions and stern determined
marches down the floor. The most remarkable thing sud-
denly happened. He was dancing with the girl, the music
stopped—and she had disappeared.
‘Have you seen her?’
‘Seen who?’
‘The girl I was dancing with. Su’nly disappeared. Must be
in the building.’
‘No! No! That’s the ladies’ room.’
He stood up by the bar. There were two other men there,
but he could think of no way of starting a conversation. He
could have told them all about Rome and the violent origins
of the Colonna and Gaetani families but he realized that
as a beginning that would be somewhat abrupt. A row of
Yenci dolls on the cigar counter fell suddenly to the floor;
there was a subsequent confusion and he had a sense of hav-
ing been the cause of it, so he went back to the cabaret and
drank a cup of black coffee. Collis was gone and the English
girl was gone and there seemed nothing to do but go back

330 Tender is the Night