and you can go in when he's at the office and just get those few things, it will be quite easy and it will make such a difference to my mind, and then I'll do anything you like, oh it will make such a difference-The front doorbell rang at this point. I got up. I felt stupidly upset. I made a sort of caressing gesture to Priscilla and left the room, closing the door. I went to the front door of the flat and opened it.
Arnold Baffin was outside. We moved into the sitting-room, smoothly, like dancers.
Arnold's face, with any emotion, tended to become uniformly pink, as if a pink light had been switched onto it. He was flushed so now, his pale eyes behind his glasses expressing a sort of nervous solicitude. He patted my shoulder, or dabbed at it with the quick gesture of one playing «tig.»
«How is she?»
«Much better. You and Rachel were so kind.»
«Rachel was. Bradley, you're not angry with me, are you?»
«What is there to be angry about?»
«You know-they did tell you-that I went off with Christian?»
«I don't want to hear about Mrs. Evandale,» I said.
«You are angry. Oh Christ.»
«I am NOT angry! I just don't-want to-know-«I didn't intend this, it just happened.»
«All right! So that's that!»
«But I can't pretend it didn't happen, can I? Bradley, I've got to talk to you about it-just to make you stop blaming me-I'm not a fool-after all I'm a novelist, damn it!-I know how complicated-«I don't see what being a novelist has to do with it or why you have to drag that in-«I only mean I understand how you feel-«I don't think you do. I can see you're excited. It must have amused you very much to be the reception committee for my ex– wife. Naturally you want to talk about it. I am telling you not to.»
«But Bradley, she's a phenomenon.»
«I am not interested in phenomena.»
«My dear Bradley, you must be curious, you must be. If I were you I'd be dying with curiosity. There's hurt pride, I suppose, and-«There's no question of hurt pride. / left her.»
«Well, resentment or something, I know time doesn't heal. That's the silliest idea of all. But God, I'd be so curious. I'd want to see what she'd become, what she was like. Of course she sounds like an American now-«I don't want to know!»
«You never gave me any idea of her. To listen to you talk-«Arnold, since you're such a clever novelist and so full of human psychology, please understand that this is dangerous ground. If you want to imperil our friendship go ahead. I can't forbid you to be acquainted with Mrs. Evandale. But you must never mention her name to me. This could be the end of our friendship, and I mean it.»
«Our friendship is a tough plant, Bradley. Look, I just refuse to pretend that this thing hasn't happened, and I don't think you ought to either. I know people can be awful dooms for each other-«Precisely.»
«But sometimes if you face a thing it becomes tolerable. You ought to face this, and anyway, you've got to, she's here and she's determined to see you, she's absolutely mad with interest, you can't avoid her. And you know, she is a most enormously nice person-«I think that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard you say.»
«All right, I know what you mean. But since you still feel so emotional about her-«I don't!»
«Bradley, be sincere.»
