"injured innocence, by God."
"Not you. Was I talking in my sleep last night. What did I say? Lucy, please tell me what I said."
His manner changed, she at length sat up in the bed. Her mouth was still open, and she continued to stare at him.
"For God's sake," he said, "can't you wake up, at least you would not look so ugly. Lucy, please tell me, tell me now, what did I say?"
"Tell you what?" She yawned, stretched up her arms. "What bloody right have you in here, you haven't even paid."
He caught her arms and pulled them down, he leaned over her.
"I beg you to tell me this one thing, Lucy, what did I say, you must have heard me, we weren't both snoring like pigs, I'm sure, I know I parroted in my sleep, but what was it I said. Please, Lucy."
He added, without meaning too, "that Labiche was here, too, that fish—."
"How do I know what you said, let go of my arms, I don't know who you are. Anyhow I hate your suit, get off my bed."
She pushed vigorously and he did not resist. He turned, saw the two girls.
"Please," Marius, said.
They went out without a word, he was alone with Lucy.
"Madame will be here any moment, I have to go shopping with her. It is my morning."
She went and sat down at the dressing-table, and he sat watching her.
"This flesh-house stinks of the cheapest perfume," Marius said, "what kind do you use, Lucy, I could find you better smelling stuff than that."
She washed in the basin, combed her hair, smiled at herself in the glass, she could see him sitting there.
"You do not even take off your horrible cap," she said.
He removed this and flung it to the floor.
"Is that snake still crawling about your upper arm?" she asked.
"What did I say last night. Christ blast you, can't you answer?"
"You certainly do not look like a captain, Mr. Marius. There! Now that is Madame, you had better scoot," but the door opened and Madame Lustigne was standing there.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, she had not recognised him. "We have our hours of business like everybody else."
"It is that nice man in a peasant's suit," Lucy said, she turned and added, "I am quite ready, Madame Lustigne."
"Go and get your breakfast," Madame Lustigne said, and was so determined that she should not miss it that she took the girl by the arm and pushed her out through the door. She came back and faced Marius.
"This sort of thing does not help anybody, I heard you come in, you might try not to be so clumsy another time. What do you require now that you may not have at the proper time, Captain Marius? It is half-past ten o'clock. Are the gangways everywhere pulled up and the ships gone?"
She was standing very close to him, and he watched her high bosoms, they seemed to prance at him.
"I came to talk to Lucy," Marius said.
"You are yet miserable, you are now here four months and a day. And yet no ship."
She watched him swinging his cap as he sat there.
"Not yet," he said.
"Shame. Shame. So unfair. My poor captain, tell me, did you in fact kill the creature?"
When he did not answer she went on, "you are unhappy, yes, well of course I can see that. Many people are, my Captain, very many. Outside in the world everything is well—you, will come with me, Mr. Marius, we will have breakfast together, in some way I like you, yet I do not know why. Come along."
She caught him by the arm, he followed her out.
"I see that you have washed yourself and even changed," she said.
"Poor creature," she thought, "he has lost what he calls his ticket, how he talks when he has had a drop. A captain, a sailor, a bum."
In the narrow corridor she paused and smiled up at him.
"At half past ten in the morning, sailor, I should not do this for anybody else, but then you are a sailor, and they are our best customers and I am honest enough to value their patronage."
The small poorly lighted room gave Marius a feeling of claustrophobia.
"Sit down, Captain. Now I will bring in the breakfast," and she left him.
There was a uniformity about
"Not you. Was I talking in my sleep last night. What did I say? Lucy, please tell me what I said."
His manner changed, she at length sat up in the bed. Her mouth was still open, and she continued to stare at him.
"For God's sake," he said, "can't you wake up, at least you would not look so ugly. Lucy, please tell me, tell me now, what did I say?"
"Tell you what?" She yawned, stretched up her arms. "What bloody right have you in here, you haven't even paid."
He caught her arms and pulled them down, he leaned over her.
"I beg you to tell me this one thing, Lucy, what did I say, you must have heard me, we weren't both snoring like pigs, I'm sure, I know I parroted in my sleep, but what was it I said. Please, Lucy."
He added, without meaning too, "that Labiche was here, too, that fish—."
"How do I know what you said, let go of my arms, I don't know who you are. Anyhow I hate your suit, get off my bed."
She pushed vigorously and he did not resist. He turned, saw the two girls.
"Please," Marius, said.
They went out without a word, he was alone with Lucy.
"Madame will be here any moment, I have to go shopping with her. It is my morning."
She went and sat down at the dressing-table, and he sat watching her.
"This flesh-house stinks of the cheapest perfume," Marius said, "what kind do you use, Lucy, I could find you better smelling stuff than that."
She washed in the basin, combed her hair, smiled at herself in the glass, she could see him sitting there.
"You do not even take off your horrible cap," she said.
He removed this and flung it to the floor.
"Is that snake still crawling about your upper arm?" she asked.
"What did I say last night. Christ blast you, can't you answer?"
"You certainly do not look like a captain, Mr. Marius. There! Now that is Madame, you had better scoot," but the door opened and Madame Lustigne was standing there.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, she had not recognised him. "We have our hours of business like everybody else."
"It is that nice man in a peasant's suit," Lucy said, she turned and added, "I am quite ready, Madame Lustigne."
"Go and get your breakfast," Madame Lustigne said, and was so determined that she should not miss it that she took the girl by the arm and pushed her out through the door. She came back and faced Marius.
"This sort of thing does not help anybody, I heard you come in, you might try not to be so clumsy another time. What do you require now that you may not have at the proper time, Captain Marius? It is half-past ten o'clock. Are the gangways everywhere pulled up and the ships gone?"
She was standing very close to him, and he watched her high bosoms, they seemed to prance at him.
"I came to talk to Lucy," Marius said.
"You are yet miserable, you are now here four months and a day. And yet no ship."
She watched him swinging his cap as he sat there.
"Not yet," he said.
"Shame. Shame. So unfair. My poor captain, tell me, did you in fact kill the creature?"
When he did not answer she went on, "you are unhappy, yes, well of course I can see that. Many people are, my Captain, very many. Outside in the world everything is well—you, will come with me, Mr. Marius, we will have breakfast together, in some way I like you, yet I do not know why. Come along."
She caught him by the arm, he followed her out.
"I see that you have washed yourself and even changed," she said.
"Poor creature," she thought, "he has lost what he calls his ticket, how he talks when he has had a drop. A captain, a sailor, a bum."
In the narrow corridor she paused and smiled up at him.
"At half past ten in the morning, sailor, I should not do this for anybody else, but then you are a sailor, and they are our best customers and I am honest enough to value their patronage."
The small poorly lighted room gave Marius a feeling of claustrophobia.
"Sit down, Captain. Now I will bring in the breakfast," and she left him.
There was a uniformity about
Similar Books
