GARDEN OF EDEN by Ernest Hemingway

When Catherine came out she was wearing the dark blue linen shirt that David liked and slacks and she said, “Darling I hope you’re not cross. It wasn’t really our fault. I saw Jean and I asked him to have a drink with us and he did and was so nice.

“The coiffeur?”

“Jean. Of course. What other Jean would I know in Cannes?

He was so nice and he asked about you. Can I have a martini, darling? I’ve only had one.”

“Lunch must be ready by now.”

“Just one, darling. They only have us for lunch.”

David made two martinis taking his time and the girl came in. She was wearing a white sharkskin dress and she looked fresh and cool. “May I have one too, David? It was a very hot day. how was it here?”

“You should have stayed home and looked after him,” Catherine said.

“I got along all right,” David said. “The sea was very good.”

“You use such interesting adjectives,” Catherine said. “They make everything so vivid.”

“Sorry,” David said.

“That’s another dandy word,” Catherine said. “Explain what dandy means to your new girl. It’s an Americanism.”

“I think I know it,” the girl said. “It’s the third word in ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy.’ Don’t please be cross Catherine.”

“I’m not cross,” Catherine said. “But two days ago when you made passes at me it was simply dandy but today if I felt that way the slightest bit you had to act as though I was an I don’t know what.”

“I’m sorry, Catherine,” the girl said.

“Another sorry sorry,” Catherine said. “As though you hadn’t taught me what little I know.”

“Should we have lunch?” David said. “It’s been a hot day Devil, and you’re tired.”

“I’m tired of everybody,” Catherine said. “Please forgive me. “There’s nothing to forgive,” the girl said. “I’m sorry I was stuffy. I didn’t come here to be that way.” She walked over to Catherine and kissed her very gently and lightly. “Now be a good girl,” she said. “Should we go to the table?”

“Didn’t we have lunch?” Catherine asked.

“No, Devil,” David said. “We’re going to have lunch now.”

At the end of lunch Catherine who had made sense through nearly all of it except for some absentmindedness said, “Please excuse me but I think I ought to sleep.”

“Let me come with you and see you get to sleep,” the girl said.

“Actually I think I drank too much,” Catherine said.

“I’ll come in and take a nap too,” David said.

“No please David. Come in when I’m asleep if you want,” Catherine said.

In about half an hour the girl came out of the room “She’s all right,” she said. “But we must be careful and good with her and only think about her.”

In the room Catherine was awake when David came in and he went over and sat on the bed.

“I’m not a damned invalid,” she said. “I just drank too much. I know. I’m sorry I lied to you about it. How could I do that, David?”

“You didn’t remember.”

“No. I did it on purpose. Will you take me back? I’m over all the bitchiness.”

“You never were away.

“If you take me back is all I want. I’ll be your really true girl and really truly be. Would you like that?”

He kissed her.

“Really kiss me.”

“Oh,” she said. “Please be slow.”

They swam at the cove where they had gone the first day. David had planned to send the two girls to swim and then to take the old Isotta down to Cannes to have the brakes fixed and the ignition overhauled. But Catherine had asked him to please swim with them and to do the car the next day and she seemed

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so happy and sound and cheerful again after her nap and Marita had said very seriously, “Will you please come?” So he had driven them to the turnout for the cove and shown them both on the way how dangerously the brakes were working.

“You’d kill yourself with this car,” he told Marita. “It’s a crime to drive it the way it is.”

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