Page 414 - tender-is-the-night

To Nicole he looked white-around-the-gills, and she cau-
tioned him:
‘Don’t you think that’s enough for now?’
He didn’t answer. The first partner had had plenty and
was hauled over the side, the Mexican driving the motor
boat obligingly took his place.
He was heavier than the first man. As the boat gath-
ered motion, Dick rested for a moment, belly-down on the
board. Then he got beneath the man and took the rope, and
his muscles flexed as he tried to rise.
He could not rise. Nicole saw him shift his position and
strain upward again but at the instant when the weight of
his partner was full upon his shoulders he became immov-
able. He tried again— lifting an inch, two inches—Nicole
felt the sweat glands of her forehead open as she strained
with him—then he was simply holding his ground, then he
collapsed back down on his knees with a smack, and they
went over, Dick’s head barely missing a kick of the board.
‘Hurry back!’ Nicole called to the driver; even as she
spoke she saw him slide under water and she gave a little
cry; but he came up again and turned on his back, and
‘Château’ swam near to help. It seemed forever till the boat
reached them but when they came alongside at last and Ni-
cole saw Dick floating exhausted and expressionless, alone
with the water and the sky, her panic changed suddenly to
contempt.
‘We’ll help you up, Doctor... . Get his foot ... all right ...
now altogether... .’
Dick sat panting and looking at nothing.

414 Tender is the Night