given previously had gone. In its place I felt only a vague sense of unease.
It had lifted a little by the time I sat down to breakfast, but stil not disappeared completely. I put it down to having a lot on my mind, and tried to ignore it. I had enough to think about in the real world without worrying about any dream. Dismissing it, I set off for the gal ery, and more immediate concerns. Namely, that Anna was due to telephone sometime that morning.
Her first auction was at ten o'clock.
She rang shortly after eleven.
"Donald, I've got it!" Her excitement cut through the bad connection. "You've got it?" For a moment I had no idea what she meant.
"The Hopper! I've just come straight out to tel you! God, it was great! And I got it for five hundred less than you said!" I put al the enthusiasm I could muster into my voice. "That's fantastic! How on earth did you manage it?"
"I just kept bidding. I thought one man was going to keep on going. He kept up with me right up to the end, but then he dropped out! Oh, I can't believe it!" Neither could I. I had selected a painting from both auctions, and authorised Anna to stop bidding at a figure wel below what I imagined each would go for. Clearly, I had miscalculated. Now I was several thousand pounds poorer, and the proud owner of a painting I did not want. "You've done marvel ously wel !" I said.
She laughed. "Wel , al I did was keep sticking my hand in the air like you said."
"You outbluffed another bidder, and got it for five hundred pounds less than your limit. That's no mean feat. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks. God, I'm stil out of breath! I think the adrenalin must stil be pumping."
"In that case I recommend you buy a bottle of champagne to calm your nerves. Put it on expenses."
"I can't drink a ful bottle by myself!"
"Nonsense. And if not, you can always save some for after the
next auction." At which I sincerely hoped she would be less successful.
"I'm tempted, I must admit. Oh, I can't wait to tel Marty!" I felt a hard knot of bitterness. Marty again. Always Marty, "Are you going to cal him now?" I asked.
"No, I can't. He'l be at the university, and I don't want to disturb him. I'l have to wait until tonight."
"No doubt he'l be waiting by the telephone." Anna laughed again. "He better be. I'm bursting to tel him. Oh, I'm going to be cut off," she said, suddenly.
"I'l talk to you the day after tomorrow. Wel done, again."
"Okay, I'l phone after the' The line went dead. I held the receiver to my ear for a moment longer, reluctant to relinquish the link between myself and Anna, before setting it back in its cradle. In spite of the news of my unwanted acquisition, it had been good to hear from her. If this was what it was like when she was away for a matter of days, I dared not imagine how I would feel if she went to America.
A mood of restlessness settled on me. In the past I had never lacked for anything to do. But now, with two days to go before Anna returned, and a day and night before I learned how successful Zeppo had been with Marty, the hours stretched endlessly in front of me.
Boredom made me eat an il -advised lunch, after which my stomach steadily deteriorated. Acid seared my chest, and by early evening my fears of an ulcer had given way to something more sinister. I contemplated cal ing for a doctor, half convinced I was having a heart attack. For a while I al owed the thought to occupy me, losing myself in fantasies of hospitals and death-beds, and as my thoughts became more morbid, so they were taken from the subject that had prompted them. Either that or the indigestion tablets final y did the trick: it was almost with surprise that I realised the pain had final y eased.
I felt better stil when I realised my maudlin self-indulgence had occupied a considerable portion of the evening. Suddenly, the morning no longer seemed a lifetime away. Almost cheerful now, I made a light, bland snack and considered how to pass the rest of the time. The anodyne of
It had lifted a little by the time I sat down to breakfast, but stil not disappeared completely. I put it down to having a lot on my mind, and tried to ignore it. I had enough to think about in the real world without worrying about any dream. Dismissing it, I set off for the gal ery, and more immediate concerns. Namely, that Anna was due to telephone sometime that morning.
Her first auction was at ten o'clock.
She rang shortly after eleven.
"Donald, I've got it!" Her excitement cut through the bad connection. "You've got it?" For a moment I had no idea what she meant.
"The Hopper! I've just come straight out to tel you! God, it was great! And I got it for five hundred less than you said!" I put al the enthusiasm I could muster into my voice. "That's fantastic! How on earth did you manage it?"
"I just kept bidding. I thought one man was going to keep on going. He kept up with me right up to the end, but then he dropped out! Oh, I can't believe it!" Neither could I. I had selected a painting from both auctions, and authorised Anna to stop bidding at a figure wel below what I imagined each would go for. Clearly, I had miscalculated. Now I was several thousand pounds poorer, and the proud owner of a painting I did not want. "You've done marvel ously wel !" I said.
She laughed. "Wel , al I did was keep sticking my hand in the air like you said."
"You outbluffed another bidder, and got it for five hundred pounds less than your limit. That's no mean feat. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks. God, I'm stil out of breath! I think the adrenalin must stil be pumping."
"In that case I recommend you buy a bottle of champagne to calm your nerves. Put it on expenses."
"I can't drink a ful bottle by myself!"
"Nonsense. And if not, you can always save some for after the
next auction." At which I sincerely hoped she would be less successful.
"I'm tempted, I must admit. Oh, I can't wait to tel Marty!" I felt a hard knot of bitterness. Marty again. Always Marty, "Are you going to cal him now?" I asked.
"No, I can't. He'l be at the university, and I don't want to disturb him. I'l have to wait until tonight."
"No doubt he'l be waiting by the telephone." Anna laughed again. "He better be. I'm bursting to tel him. Oh, I'm going to be cut off," she said, suddenly.
"I'l talk to you the day after tomorrow. Wel done, again."
"Okay, I'l phone after the' The line went dead. I held the receiver to my ear for a moment longer, reluctant to relinquish the link between myself and Anna, before setting it back in its cradle. In spite of the news of my unwanted acquisition, it had been good to hear from her. If this was what it was like when she was away for a matter of days, I dared not imagine how I would feel if she went to America.
A mood of restlessness settled on me. In the past I had never lacked for anything to do. But now, with two days to go before Anna returned, and a day and night before I learned how successful Zeppo had been with Marty, the hours stretched endlessly in front of me.
Boredom made me eat an il -advised lunch, after which my stomach steadily deteriorated. Acid seared my chest, and by early evening my fears of an ulcer had given way to something more sinister. I contemplated cal ing for a doctor, half convinced I was having a heart attack. For a while I al owed the thought to occupy me, losing myself in fantasies of hospitals and death-beds, and as my thoughts became more morbid, so they were taken from the subject that had prompted them. Either that or the indigestion tablets final y did the trick: it was almost with surprise that I realised the pain had final y eased.
I felt better stil when I realised my maudlin self-indulgence had occupied a considerable portion of the evening. Suddenly, the morning no longer seemed a lifetime away. Almost cheerful now, I made a light, bland snack and considered how to pass the rest of the time. The anodyne of
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