Page 354 - tender-is-the-night

II

Dick told Nicole an expurgated version of the catastro-
phe in Rome— in his version he had gone philanthropically
to the rescue of a drunken friend. He could trust Baby War-
ren to hold her tongue, since he had painted the disastrous
effect of the truth upon Nicole. All this, however, was a low
hurdle compared to the lingering effect of the episode upon
him.
In reaction he took himself for an intensified beating in
his work, so that Franz, trying to break with him, could find
no basis on which to begin a disagreement. No friendship
worth the name was ever destroyed in an hour without some
painful flesh being torn—so Franz let himself believe with
ever-increasing conviction that Dick travelled intellectually
and emotionally at such a rate of speed that the vibrations
jarred him—this was a contrast that had previously been
considered a virtue in their relation. So, for the shoddiness
of needs, are shoes made out of last year’s hide.
Yet it was May before Franz found an opportunity to
insert the first wedge. Dick came into his office white and
tired one noon and sat down, saying:
‘Well, she’s gone.’
‘She’s dead?’
‘The heart quit.’
Dick sat exhausted in the chair nearest the door. During

354 Tender is the Night