A Heroin Heroine 67
whatever to me. I felt a sudden urgent desire to drink
a great deal of water. I-couldn’t trouble to pour myself
out a glass. I couldn’t trouble to call the waiter, but
I think I must have said the word “ water,”’ for Haidée
filled my goblet. A smile wriggled across her face.
It was the first sign of life she had given. Even the
shaking hands had been in the nature of a mechanical
reflex rather than of a voluntary action. There was
something sinister and disquieting in her gesture.
It was as if she had the after-taste in her mouth of
some abominable bitterness.
I looked across at Lou. I saw she had changed colour.
She looked dreadfully ill. It mattered nothing to me.
I had a little amusing cycle of thoughts on the subject.
I remembered that I loved her passionately; at the
same time she happened not to exist. My indifference
was a source of what I can only call diabolical beatitude.
It occurred to me as a sort of joke that she might
have poisoned herself. I was certainly feeling very
unwell. That didn’t disturb me either.
The waiter brought a bowl of mussels. We ate them
dreamily. It was part of the day’s work. We enjoyed
them because they were enjoyable; but nothing
mattered, not even enjoyment. It struck me as strange
that Haidée was simply pretending to eat, but |
attributed this to preoccupation.
I felt very much better. Feccles talked easily and
lightly about various matters of no importance.
Nobody took any notice. He did not appear to observe,
for his own part, any lack of politeness.
I certainly was feeling tired. I thought the Chamber-
tin would pick me up, and swallowed a couple of glasses.
Lou kept on looking up at me with a sort of anxiety
as if she wanted advice of some kind and didn’t know
how to ask for it. It was rather amusing.
We started the entreé.. Lou got suddenly up from
her seat. Feccles, with pretended alarm on his face,
followed her hastily. I saw the waiter had hold of her
other arm. It was really very amusing. That’s