ss.iftomorrowcomes-第34部分

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iasm　for　archaeology。　〃You　can　read　the　whole　future　of　mankind　in　the　past；〃　the　professor　would　say。　〃Think　of　it；　son。　Thousands　of　years　ago　there　were　people　just　like　you　and　me　dreaming　dreams；　spinning　tales；　living　out　their　lives；　giving　birth　to　our　ancestors。〃　His　eyes　had　taken　on　a　faraway　look。　〃Carthage…　that's　where　I'd　like　to　go　on　a　dig。　Long　before　Christ　was　born；　it　was　a　great　city；　the　Paris　of　ancient　Africa。　The　people　had　their　games；　and　baths；　and　chariot　racing。　The　Circus　Maximus　was　as　large　as　five　football　fields。〃　He　had　noted　the　interest　in　the　boy's　eyes。　〃Do　you　know　how　Cato　the　Elder　used　to　end　his　speeches　in　the　Roman　Senate？　He'd　say；　'Delenda　est　cartaga'；　'Carthage　must　be　destroyed。'　His　wish　finally　came　true。　The　Romans　reduced　the　place　to　rubble　and　came　back　twenty…five　years　later　to　build　a　great　city　on　its　ashes。　I　wish　I　could　take　you　there　on　a　dig　one　day；　my　boy。〃
　
　A　year　later　the　professor　had　died　of　alcoholism；　but　Jeff　had　promised　himself　that　one　day　he　would　go　on　a　dig。　Carthage；　first；　for　the　professor。
　
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　On　the　last　night　before　the　schooner　was　to　dock　in　Tahiti；　Jeff　was　summoned　to　Louise　Hollander's　stateroom。　She　was　wearing　a　sheer　silk　robe。
　
　〃You　wanted　to　see　me；　ma'am？〃
　
　〃Are　you　a　homosexual；　Jeff？〃
　
　〃I　don't　believe　it's　any　of　your　business；　Miss　Hollander；　but　the　answer　is　no。　What　I　am　is　choosy。〃
　
　Louise　Hollander's　mouth　tightened。　〃What　kind　of　women　do　you　like？　Whores；　I　suppose。〃
　
　〃Sometimes；〃　Jeff　said　agreeably。　〃Was　there　anything　else；　Miss　Hollander？〃
　
　〃Yes。　I'm　giving　a　dinner　party　tomorrow　night。　Would　you　like　to　e？〃
　
　Jeff　looked　at　the　woman　for　a　long　moment　before　he　answered。　〃Why　not？〃
　
　And　that　was　the　way　it　began。
　
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　Louise　Hollander　had　had　two　husbands　before　she　was　twenty…one；　and　her　lawyer　had　just　made　a　settlement　with　her　third　husband　when　she　met　Jeff。　The　second　night　they　were　moored　at　the　harbor　in　Papeete；　and　as　the　passengers　and　crew　were　going　ashore；　Jeff　received　another　summons　to　Louise　Hollander's　quarters。　When　Jeff　arrived；　she　was　dressed　in　a　colorful　silk　pareu　slit　all　the　way　up　to　the　thigh。
　
　〃I'm　trying　to　get　this　off；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　having　a　problem　with　the　zipper。〃
　
　Jeff　walked　over　and　examined　the　costume。　〃It　doesn't　have　a　Zipper。〃
　
　She　turned　to　face　him；　and　smiled。　〃I　know。　That's　my　problem。〃
　
　They　made　love　on　the　deck；　where　the　soft　tropical　air　caressed　their　bodies　like　a　blessing。　Afterward；　they　lay　on　their　sides；　facing　each　other。　Jeff　propped　himself　up　on　an　elbow　and　looked　down　at　Louise。　〃Your　daddy's　not　the　sheriff；　is　he？〃　Jeff　asked。
　
　She　sat　up　in　surprise。　〃What？〃
　
　〃You're　the　first　townie　I　ever　made　love　to。　Uncle　Willie　used　to　warn　me　that　their　daddies　always　turned　out　to　be　the　sheriff。〃
　
　They　were　together　every　night　after　that。　At　first　Louise's　friends　were　amused。　He's　another　one　of　Louise's　playthings；　they　thought。　But　when　she　informed　them　that　she　intended　to　marry　Jeff；　they　were　frantic。
　
　〃For　Christ's　sake；　Louise；　he's　a　nothing。　He　worked　in　a　carnival。　My　God；　you　might　as　well　be　marrying　a　stable　hand。　He's　handsome…　granted。　And　he　has　a　fab　bod。　But　outside　of　sex；　you　have　absolutely　nothing　in　mon；　darling。〃
　
　〃Louise；　Jeff's　for　breakfast；　not　dinner。〃
　
　〃You　have　a　social　position　to　uphold。〃
　
　〃Frankly；　angel；　he　just　won't　fit　in；　will　he？〃
　
　But　nothing　her　friends　said　could　dissuade　Louise。　Jeff　was　the　most　fascinating　man　she　had　ever　met。　She　had　found　that　men　who　were　outstandingly　handsome　were　either　monumentally　stupid　or　unbearably　dull。　Jeff　was　intelligent　and　amusing；　and　the　bination　was　irresistible。
　
　When　Louise　mentioned　the　subject　of　marriage　to　Jeff；　he　was　as　surprised　as　her　friends　had　been。
　
　〃Why　marriage？　You've　already　got　my　body。　I　can't　give　you　anything　you　don't　have。〃
　
　〃It's　very　simple；　Jeff。　I　love　you。　I　want　to　share　the　rest　of　my　life　with　you。〃
　
　Marriage　had　been　an　alien　idea；　and　suddenly　it　no　longer　was。　Beneath　Louise　Hollander's　worldly；　sophisticated　veneer；　there　was　a　vulnerable；　lost　little　girl。　She　needs　me；　Jeff　thought。　The　idea　of　a　stable　homelife　and　children　was　suddenly　immensely　appealing。　It　seemed　to　him　that　ever　since　he　could　remember；　he　had　been　running。　It　was　time　to　stop。
　
　They　were　married　in　the　town　hall　in　Tahiti　three　days　later。。
　
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　When　they　returned　to　New　York；　Jeff　was　summoned　to　the　office　of　Scott　Fogarty；　Louise　Hollander's　attorney；　a　small；　frigid　man；　tight…lipped　and　probably；　Jeff　thought；　tight…assed。
　
　〃I　have　a　paper　here　for　you　to　sign；〃　the　attorney　announced。
　
　〃What　kind　of　paper？〃
　
　〃It's　a　release。　It　simply　states　that　in　the　event　of　the　dissolution　of　your　marriage　to　Louise　Hollander…〃
　
　〃Louise　Stevens。〃
　
　〃…Louise　Stevens；　that　you　will　not　participate　financially　in　any　of　her…〃
　
　Jeff　felt　the　muscles　of　his　jaw　tightening。　〃Where　do　I　sign？〃
　
　〃Don't　you　want　me　to　finish　reading？〃
　
　〃No。　I　don't　think　you　get　the　point。　I　didn't　marry　her　for　her　fucking　money。〃
　
　〃Really；　Mr。　Stevens！　I　just〃
　
　〃Do　you　want　me　to　sign　it　or　don't　you？〃
　
　The　lawyer　placed　the　paper　in　front　of　Jeff。　He　scrawled　his　signature　and　stormed　out　of　the　office。　Louise's　limousine　and　driver　were　waiting　for　him　downstairs。　As　Jeff　climbed　in；　he　had　to　laugh　to　himself。　What　the　hell　am　I　so　pissed　off　about？　I've　been　a　con　artist　all　my　life；　and　when　I　go　straight　for　the　first　time　and　someone　thinks　I'm　out　to　take　them；　I　behave　like　a　fucking　Sunday　school　teacher。
　
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　Louise　took　Jeff　to　the　best　tailor　in　Manhattan。　〃You'll　look　fantastic　in　a　dinner　jacket；〃　she　coaxed。　And　he　did。　Before　the　second　month　of　the　marriage；　five　of　Louise's　best　friends　had　tried　to　seduce　the　attractive　newer　in　their　circle；　but　Jeff　ignored　them。　He　was　determined　to　make　his　marriage　work。
　
　Budge　Hollander；　Louise's　brother；　put　Jeff　up　for　membership　in　the　exclusive　New　York　Pilgrim　Club；　and　Jeff　was　accepted。　Budge　was　a　beefy；　middle…aged　man　who　had　gotten　his　sobriquet　playing　right　tackle　on　the　Harvard　football　team；　where　he　got　the　reputation　of　being　a　player　his　opponents　could　not　budge。　He　owned　a　shipping　line；　a　banana　plantation；　cattle　ranches；　a　meat…packing　pany；　and　more　corporations　than　Jeff　could　count。　Budge　Hollander　was　not　subtle　in　concealing　his　contempt　for　Jeff　Stevens。
　
　〃You're　really　out　of　our　class；　aren't　you；　old　boy？　But　as　long　as　you　amuse　Louise　in　bed；　that　will　do　nicely。　I'm　very　fond　of　my　sister。〃
　
　It　took　every　ounce　of　willpower　for　Jeff　to　control　himself。　I'm　not　married　to　this　prick。　I'm　married　to　Louise。
　
　The　other　members　of　the　Pilgrim　Club　were　equally　obnoxious。　They　found　Jeff　terribly　amusing。　All　of　them　dined　at　the　club　every　noontime；　and　pleaded　for　Jeff　to　tell　them　stories　about　his　〃carnie　days；〃　as　they　liked　to　call　them。　Perversely；　Jeff　made　the　stories　more　and　more　outrageous。
　
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　Jeff　and　Louise　lived　in　a　twenty…room　townhouse　filled　with　servants；　on　the　East　Side　of　Manhattan。　Louise　had　estates　in　Long　Island　and　the　Bahamas；　a　villa　in　Sardinia；　and　a　large　apartment　on　Avenue　Foch　in　Paris。　Aside　from　the　yacht；　Louise　owned　a　Maserati；　a　Rolls　Corniche；　a　Lamborghini；　and　a　Daimler。
　
　It's　fantastic；　Jeff　thought。
　
　It's　great；　Jeff　thought。
　
　It's　boring；　Jeff　thought。　And　degrading。
　
　One　morning　he　got　up　from　his　eighteenth…century　four…poster　bed；　put　on　a　Sulka　robe；　and　went　looking　for　Louise。　He　found　her　in　the　breakfast　room。
　
　〃I've　got　to　get　a　job；〃　he　told　her。
　
　〃For　heaven's　sake；　darling；　why？　We　don't　need　the　money。〃
　
　〃It　has　nothing　to　do　with　money。　You　can't　expect　me　to　sit　around　on　my　hands　and　be　spoonfed。　I　have　to　work。〃
　
　Louise　gave　it　a　moment's　thought。　〃All　right；　angel。　I'll　speak　to　Budge。　He　owns　a　stockbrokerage　firm。　Would　you　like　to　be　a　stockbroker；　darling？〃
　
　〃I　just　want　to　get　off　my　ass；〃　Jeff　muttered。
　
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　He　went　to　work　for　Budge。　He　had　never　had　a　job　with　regular　hours　before。　I'm　going　to　love　it；　Jeff　thought。
　
　He　hated　it。　He　stayed　with　it　because　he　wanted　to　bring　home　a　paycheck　to　his　wife。
　
　〃When　are　you　and　I　going　to　have　a　baby？〃　he　asked　Louise；　after　a　lazy　Sunday　brunch。
　
　〃Soon；　darling。　I'm　trying。〃
　
　〃e　to　bed。　Let's　try　again。〃
　
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　Jeff　was　seated　at　the　luncheon　table　reserved　for　his　brother…in…law　and　half　a　dozen　other　captains　of　industry　at　the　Pilgrim　Club。
　
　Budge　announced；　〃We　just　issued　our　annual　report　for　the　meat…packing　pany；　fellas。　Our　profits　are　up　forty　percent。〃
　
　〃Why　shouldn't　they　be？〃　one　of　the　men　at　the　table　laughed。　〃You've　got　the　fucking　inspectors　bribed。〃　He　turned　to　the　others　at　the　table。　〃Old　clever　Budge；　here；　buys　inferior　meat　and　has　it　stamped　prime　and　sells　it　for　a　bloody　fortune。〃
　
　Jeff　was　shocked。　〃People　eat　meat；　for　Christ's　sake。　They　feed　it　to　their　children。　He's　kidding；　isn't　he；　Budge？〃
　
　Budge　grinned　and　whooped；　〃Look　who's　being　moral！〃
　
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　Over　the　next　three　months　Jeff　became　very　well　acquainted　with　his　table　panions。　Ed　Zeller　had　paid　a　million　in　bribes　in　order　to　build　a　factory　in　Libya。　Mike　Quincy；　the　head　of　a　conglomerate；　was　a　raider　who　bought　panies　and　illegally　tipped　off　his　friends　when　to　buy　and　sell　the　stock。　Alan　Thompson；　the　richest　man　at　the　table；　boasted　of　his　pany's　policy。　〃Before　they　changed　the　damn　law；　we　used　to　fire　the　old　gray　hairs　one　year　before　their　pensions　were　due。　Saved　a　fortune。〃
　
　All　the　men　cheated　on　taxes；　had　insurance　scams；　falsified　expense　accounts；　and　put　their　current　mistresses　on　their　payrolls　as　secretaries　or　assistants。
　
　Christ；　Jeff　thought。　They're　just　dressed…up　carnies。　They　all　run　flat　stores。
　
　The　wives　were　no　better。　They　grabbed　everything　they