The Big Broadcast of 1938
The Big Broadcast of 1938 (第2/3页)
regardedhim,afteratimetherewasaconversation.
"Yourelookingatme!"shesaid.
"Oh,yes,"hesaid."Right.Icertainlyam."
"Why?"
"ItssomethingIdo,"hesaid."Itsmyyoumightsaymétier."
"Milieu,"shesaid.
"Métier,"Bloomsburysaid."Ifyoudontmind."
"Idontoftengetlookedatasamatteroffact."
"Becauseyourenotverygood-looking,"Bloomsburysaid.
"OhIsay."
"Glassesarediscouraging,"hesaid.
"Evenharlequinglasses?"
"Especiallyharlequinglasses."
"Oh,"shesaid.
"Butyouhaveagrandbehind,"hesaid.
"Alsoalivelysenseofhumor,"shesaid.
"Lively,"hesaid."Whateverpossessedyoutousethatword?"
"Ithoughtyoumightlikeit,"shesaid.
"No,"hesaid."Definitelynot."
"Doyouthinkyououghttostandaroundandlookatgirls?"sheasked.
"Oh,yes,"Bloomsburysaid."Ithinkitsindicated."
"Indicated,"shecried."Whatdoyoumean,indicated?"
"Tellmeaboutyourearlylife,"Bloomsburysaid.
"TobeginwithIwaspresidentoftheConradVeidtfanclub,"shebegan."Thatwasin,oh,Idontremembertheyear.Hismaismandpersonalitygotme.Hisvoiceandgesturesfascinatedme.Ihatedhim,fearedhim,lovedhim.Whenhedieditseemedtomeavitalpartofmyimaginationdiedtoo."
"Ididntmeannecessarilyinsuchdetail,"hesaid.
"Myworldofdreamswasbare!"
"Fanclubprexiesareinvariablyhomely,"Bloomsburysaid.
"Plain,"shesuggested."Ipreferthewordplain.DoyouwanttoseeapictureofConradVeidt?"
"Iwouldbegreatlyinterested,"Bloomsburysaid(althoughthiswasnotthetruth).
Thegirlorwomanthenretrievedfromherpurse,whereithadapparentlyremainedforsometime,perhapsevenyears,apagefromamagazine.ItboreaphotographofConradVeidtwholookedatoneandthesameinstanthandsomeandsinister.Therewasmoreoverprintingonthephotographwhichsaid:IfCONRADVEIDTofferedyouacigarette,itwouldbeaDEREZKE——ofcourse!
"Veryaffecting,"Bloomsburysaid.
"IneveractuallymetMr.Veidt,"thegirl(orwoman)said."Itwasntthatsortofclub.Imeanwewerentinactualcommunicationwiththestar.TherewasaJoanCrawfordfanclub,andthosepeoplenow,theywereinactualcommunication.Whentheywantedaremembrance"
"Aremembrance?"
"SuchasKleenexthathadbeenusedbythestar,forinstance,withlipstickonit,orfingernailclippings,orastocking,orahairfromthestarshorsestailormane"
"Tailormane?"
"Thestarnaturally,noblesseoblige,forwardedthatobjecttothem."
"Isee,"Bloomsburysaid.
"Doyoulookatalotofgirls?"
"Notalot,"hesaid,"butquiteanumber."
"Isitfun?"
"Notfun,"hesaid,"butbetterthannothing."
"Doyouhaveaffairs?"
"Notaffairs,"hesaid,"butsometimesalittleflutter."
"Well,"shesaid,"Ihavefeelingstoo."
"Ithinkitsverypossible,"hesaid."Agreatbiggirllikeyou."
Thisremarkhoweverseemedtooffendher,sheturnedonherheelandlefttheroom.Bloomsburyhimselffeltmovedbythismeeting,whichwasinfactthefirstcontacthehadenjoyedwithahumanbeing,ofanydescription,sincethebeginningoftheperiodofhisproprietorshipoftheradio,andevenbefore.Heimmediatelyreturnedtothecontrolroomandintroducedanewcommercialannouncement.
"Iremember"(heenunciated),"thequarrelabouttheicecubes,thatwasabeauty!Thatwasoneworthremembering.YouhadpostedonthenoticeboardthesubjectRefrigeration,andIworriedaboutitalldaylong,andwondered.Cleverminx!IrecalledatlengththatIhadcomplained,once,becausetheicecubeswerenotfrozen.Butwereinfactunfrozen!watery!useless!Ihadsaidthattherewerentenoughicecubes,whereasyouhadsaidthereweremorethanenough.
"YousaidthatIwasafool,anidiot,animbecile,astupid!,thatthemachineinyourkitchenwhichyouhadprocuredandcausedtobeplacedtherewaswithoutdoubtandonimmaculateauthoritythemostaccomplishedmachineofitskindknowntothosewhoknewaboutmachinesofitskind,thatamongitsattributeswastheattributeofconceivingcontainingandatthemomentofneedwhelpingafinenumberoficecubessothatnomatterhowgravethedemand,howvasttheoccasion,howindifferentorevenhostiletheclimate,howineptoreventreacheroustheoperator,howbrieforevennonexistentthelapsebetweengenesisandparturition,betweenthewishandthefact,icecubesinmultiplesofsufficientwouldpresentthemselves.Well,Isaid,perhaps.
"Oh!howyouboggledatthatwordperhaps.Howyousweated,oldgirl,andcursed.Yourchestheaved,ifImaysayso,andyoureyes(youreyes!)flashed.Yousaidwewould,bydamn,countthebydamnicecubes.Aswe,subsequently,did.
"HowIenjoyed,althoughIconcealeditfromyou,thecounting!Youwere,astheysay,magisterial.TherewereIobservedtwelverowsofthree,orthreeoftwelve,ineachoffourtrays.Butthiswayofcountingwasnotyourwayofcounting.Youchose,andIadmiredyourchoice,theexplicitnessandimplicitnessofit,torunwateroverthetrayssothatthecubes,loosened,fellintothesaladbowl,havingpreviouslyturnedthetrays,andthusthecubes,bottomsup,sothatthelatterwouldfall,whenwaterwasrunupontheformer,intheproperdirection.ThatthesemattersweresocommendablyarrangedItooktobe,andevennowtaketobe,ademonstrationofyourfundamentaldecency,andgoodsense.
"Butyoureckonedwrong,whenitcametothat.Youwereneverareckoner.Youreckonedthattherewereinthebowlonehundredforty-fourcubes,takingeachcube,individually,fromthebowlandplacingit,individually,inthesink,bearinginmindmeanwhilethetotalthatcouldbeobtainedbysimplemultiplicationofthespacesinthetrays.Thushavingit,inthisasinothermatters,bothways!Howeveryoufailedonthisasonotheroccasionstoconsidertheimponderables,inthisinstancethefactthatI,unobservedbyyou,hadputthreeofthecubesintomydrink!WhichIthendrank!Andthatonehadmissedthebowlentirelyandfallenintothesink!Andmeltedonceandforall!Theseeventsprecludedsadlyenoughthenumberofcubesinthebowladdinguptoanumbercorrespondingtothenumberofspacesinthetrays,provingalsothatthereisnojustice!
"Whatadefeatforyou!Whatavictoryforme!Itwasmyfirstvictory,IfearIwentquiteoutofmyhead.Idraggedyoutothefloor,amongtheicecubes,whichyouhadflungthereinpiqueandchagrin,andforcedyou,withresultsthatIconsideredthen,andconsidernow,tohavebeenfirstrate.IthoughtIdetectedinyou"
Buthecouldnotcontinuethisannouncement,fromasurfeitofemotion.
Thegirlorwoman,whohadbecomeasortofcampfolloweroftheradio,madeapracticeduringthisperiodofsleepingintheformerreceptionroomunderneaththepiano,whichbeingagrandprovidedampleshelter.WhenshewishedtotrafficwithBloomsburyshewouldtapontheglassseparatingthemwithonefinger,atothertimesshewould,withherhands,makemotions.
Atypicalconversationoftheperiodwhenthegirl(orwoman)wassleepinginthefoyerwasthis:
"Tellmeaboutyourearlylife,"shesaid.
"Iwas,inasense,anAll-Americanboy,"Bloomsburyreplied.
"Inwhatsense?"
"InthesensethatImarried,"hesaid.
"Wasitlove?"
"Itwaslovebutitwasonlytemporary."
"Itdidntgoonforever?"
"Forlessthanadecade.Asamatteroffact."
"Butwhileitdidgoon"
"Itfilledmewithasomberandparadoxicaljoy."
"Coo!"shesaid."Itdoe
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