gun, she stepped away.
I said desperately, “Honey, give me the gun.”
“No—you're not going to kill him,” she said fiercely. “I won't have you kill any one.”
“For Pete's sake—can't you see? It's the only thing to do. We've gotta get out of this somehow. If this rat lives we're finished —give me the gun.”
All this time, Curtis was lying on his back, with his head just appearing above the edge of the table. His eyes were bolting out of his head, and his skin was green.
Mardi said, “Nick—I wouldn't have killed her. But she wanted to smash up the only decent thing I'd ever had. Your love for me. I was mad to have done it, but I wanted you so much. I tried to forget, but it's always been with me——”
I said, “I'm going through with this—give me the gun.”
“I tried to save our love by killing someone, but it didn't work out that way. You want to do it too. We could never face each other. Let him go, Nick.”
She was right. I stepped off the table and stood away. Curtis got to his feet slowly, his face twitching.
Mardi said, “Wait here. I'll get you the cheque.”
I turned my back on Curtis. I just couldn't bring myself to look at him. Mardi touched my hand as she went past me. “It'll work out all right, Nick—if you can still love me,” she said.
I turned, but she had already run out of the room, across to her bedroom, where I knew she kept her cheque-book.
Curtis said, “By Heck! You try any more tricks——”
From Mardi's room came the sound of a revolver shot. The sharp crack of the gun made both of us start forward. Then we stopped and looked at each other.
Curtis drew his lips off his teeth. “So she's double-crossed me again,” he said.
He stood hesitating, then he walked into the bedroom. I didn't move. From where I stood I could see him looking into the room. I could see a sudden shiver run through him, and he turned away and came into the hallway. He didn't look at me. He stood, thinking. Then he walked to the front door and went down the long path. I could hear him walking on the gravel, but I didn't watch him go.
When he had gone, I went out into the garden. I went down to the sea, and stood looking at the blue rollers. I didn't want to look at Mardi now. I wanted to remember her as I had known her. I wanted to see her as she had always been. I could not weep for her, because everything had dried up inside me.
A big seagull suddenly flew over my head and circled round me. Then, as if startled by my stillness, it sped, like a departing spirit, swiftly out to sea.
the end
