GARDEN OF EDEN by Ernest Hemingway

“Wouldn’t you like coffee and some fruit, David?” the girl asked. “You ought to eat something.”

“I’ll have some black coffee,” David said.

“I’ll bring you something,” the girl said and went off into the hotel.

David sat by Catherine at the table and she put the chessmen and the board on a chair. She mussed his hair and said, “Have you forgotten you have a silver head like mine?”

“Yes,” he said.

“It’s going to be lighter and lighter and I’ll be fairer and fairer and darker in the body too.”

“That will be wonderful.”

“Yes and I’m all over everything.”

The pretty dark girl was bringing a tray with a small bowl rounded with caviar, a half lemon, a spoon and two pieces of toast and the young waiter had a bucket with a bottle of the B6llinger and a tray with three glasses.

“This will be good for David,” the girl said. “Then we can go swimming before lunch.”

After the swimming and lying in the sun on the beach and a big long lunch with more of the Bdllinger, Catherine said, “I’m really tired and sleepy.”

“You swam a long way,” David said. “We’ll make a siesta.”

“I want to really sleep,” Catherine said.

“Do you feel well, Catherine?” the girl asked.

“Yes. just deadly sleepy.”

“We’ll put you to bed,” David said. “Do you have a ther mometer?” he asked the girl.

“I’m sure I haven’t any fever,” Catherine said. “I just want to sleep for a long time.”

When she was in bed the girl brought in the thermometer and David took Catherine’s temperature and her pulse. The temperature was normal and the pulse was one hundred and five.

“The pulse is a little high,” he said. “But I don’t know your normal pulse.”

“I don’t either but it’s probably too fast.”

“I don’t think the pulse means much with the temperature normal,” David said. “But if you have a fever I’ll bring a doctor up from Cannes.”

“I don’t want a doctor,” Catherine said. “I just want to sleep. Can I sleep now?”

“Yes, my beauty. You call if you want me.

They stood and watched her go to sleep and then went out very quietly and David walked along the stones and looked through the window. Catherine was sleeping quietly and her breathing was regular. He brought two chairs up and a table and they sat in the shade near Catherine’s window and looked out through the pines to the blue sea. “What do you think?” David asked.

“I don’t know. She was happy this morning. just as you saw her when you finished writing.”

‘What about now?”

“Maybe just a reaction from yesterday. She’s a very natural girl, David, and this is natural.”

“Yesterday was like loving someone when someone s died,” he said. “It wasn’t right.” He stood up and walked to the window

and looked in. Catherine was sleeping in the same position and breathing lightly. “She’s sleeping well,” he told the girl. “Wouldn’t you like to take a nap?”

“I think so.”

“I’m going down to my room where I work,” he said. “There’s a door to yours that bolts on each side.” He walked down along the stones and unlocked the door of his room and then unbolted the door between the two rooms. He stood and waited and then heard the bolt turn on the other side of the door and then the door opened. They sat side by side on the bed and he put his arm around her. “Kiss me,” David said.

“I love to kiss you,” she said. “I love it so very much. But I can’t do the other.”

“No?”

“No, I can’t.”

Then she said, “Isn’t there anything I can do for you now? I’m so ashamed about the other but you know how it could. make trouble.”

“Just lie here by me.”

“I’d love that.”

“Do what you like.”

“I will,” she said. “You too please. Do what we can.

Catherine slept all through the afternoon and early evening. David and the girl were sitting at the bar having a drink together and the girl said, “They never did bring the mirror.”

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