Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Page A

stiffened. He rubbed his smooth wrist on his white stubble whiskers. "I di'n't know you was here,"
    he said to Curley's wife.

    When she didn't answer, he stepped nearer. "You oughten to sleep out here," he said disapprovingly; and then he was beside her and-
    "Oh, Jesus Christ!" He looked about helplessly, and he rubbed his beard. And then he jumped up and went quickly out of the barn.

    But the barn was alive now. The horses stamped and snorted, and they chewed the straw of their bedding and they clashed the chains of their halters. In a moment Candy came back, and George was with him.

    George said, "What was it you wanted to see me about?"

    Candy pointed at Curley's wife. George stared. "What's the matter with her?" he asked. He stepped closer, and then he echoed Candy's words. "Oh, Jesus Christ!" He was down on his knees beside her.He put his hand over her heart. And finally, when he stood up, slowly and stify, his face was as hard and tight as wood, and his eyes were hard.

    Candy said, "What done it?"

    George looked coldly at him. "Ain't you got any idear?" he asked.
    And Candy was silent. "I should of knew," George said hopelessly.
    "I guess maybe way back in my head I did."

    Candy asked, "What we gonna do now, George? What we gonna do now?"

    George was a long time in answering. "Guess . . . . we gotta tell the . . . . guys. I guess we gotta get 'im an' lock 'im up. We can't let
    'im get away. Why, the poor bastard'd starve." And he tried to reassure himself. "Maybe they'll lock 'im up an' be nice to In."

    But Candy said excitedly, "We oughtta let'im get away. You don't know that Curley. Curley gon'ta wanta get 'im lynched. Curley'll get 'im killed."

    George watched Candy's lips. "Yeah," he said at last, "that's right, Curley will. An' the other guys will." And he looked back at Curley's wife.

    Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. "You an' me can get that little place, can't we, George? You an' me can go there an' live nice, can't we, George? Can't we?"

    Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew.

    George said softly, "-I think I knowed from the very first I think I knowed we'd never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would."

    "Then-it's all off?" Candy said sulkily.

    George didn't answer his question. George said, "I'll work my month an' I'll take my fifty bucks an' I'll stay all night in some lousy cat house. Or I'll set in some poolroom till ever'body goes home. An' then I'll come back an' work another month an! I'll have fifty bucks more."

    Candy said, "He's such a nice fella. I didn' think he'd do nothing like this."

    George still stared at Curley's wife. "Lennie never done it in meanness," he said "All the time he done bad things, but he never done one of 'em mean." He straightened up and looked back at Candy. "Now listen. We gotta tell the guys. They got to bring him in, I guess. They ain't no way out. Maybe they won't hurt'im." He said sharply, "I ain't gonna let 'em hurt Lennie. Now you listen.
    The guys might think I was in on it. I'm gonna go in the bunk house. Then in a minute you come out and tell the guys about her, and I'll come along and make like I never seen her. Will you do that? So the guys won't think I was in on it?"

    Candy said, "Sure, George. Sure I'll do that."

    "O.K. Give me a couple minutes then, and you come runnin' out an' tell like you jus' found her. I'm going now." George turned and went quickly out of the barn.

    Old Candy watched him go. He looked helplessly back at Curley's wife, and gradually his sorrow and his anger grew into words.
    "You God damn tramp," be said viciously. "You done it, di'n't you?
    I s'pose you're glad. Ever'body knowed you'd mess things up. You wasn't no good. You ain't no good now, you lousy tart." He sniveled, and his voice shook. "I could of hoed in the garden and washed dishes for them guys." He paused, and then went on in a singsong. And he repeated the old words: "If