Page 66 - tender-is-the-night

‘Well, you’re pretty high-handed,’ Violet came back.
You know how conversations are in cars late at night,
some people murmuring and some not caring, giving up
after the party, or bored or asleep. Well, none of them knew
just what happened until the car stopped and Barban cried
in a voice that shook everybody, a voice for cavalry.
‘Do you want to step out here—we’re only a mile from
the hotel and you can walk it or I’ll drag you there. YOU’VE
GOT TO SHUT UP AND SHUT YOUR WIFE UP!’
‘You’re a bully,’ said McKisco. ‘You know you’re stronger
muscularly than I am. But I’m not afraid of you—what they
ought to have is the code duello—‘
There’s where he made his mistake because Tommy, be-
ing French, leaned over and clapped him one, and then the
chauffeur drove on. That was where you passed them. Then
the women began. That was still the state of things when the
car got to the hotel.
Tommy telephoned some man in Cannes to act as sec-
ond and McKisco said he wasn’t going to be seconded by
Campion, who wasn’t crazy for the job anyhow, so he tele-
phoned me not to say anything but to come right down.
Violet McKisco collapsed and Mrs. Abrams took her to her
room and gave her a bromide whereupon she fell comfort-
ably asleep on the bed. When I got there I tried to argue with
Tommy but the latter wouldn’t accept anything short of an
apology and McKisco rather spunkily wouldn’t give it.
When Abe had finished Rosemary asked thoughtfully:
‘Do the Divers know it was about them?’
‘No—and they’re not ever going to know they had any-

66 Tender is the Night