Mr. Norris Changes Trains by Isherwood Christopher

Author:Isherwood, Christopher [Isherwood, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Drama
Publisher: epubqüest
Published: 1932-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Arthur looked up at me with eyes which were a little too innocent.

—By the way, William —his tone was carefully casual—, do you happen to be doing anything next Thursday evening?

—Nothing that I know of.

—Excellent. Then may I invite you to a little dinner-party?

—That sounds very nice. Who else is coming?

—Oh, it’s to be a very small affair. Just ourselves and Baron von Pregnitz.

Arthur had brought out the name in the most offhand manner possible.

—Kuno! —I exclaimed.

—You seem very surprised, William, not to say displeased. —He was the picture of innocence—. I always thought you and he were such good friends?

—So did I, until the last time we met. He practically cut me dead.

—Oh, my dear boy, if you don’t mind my saying so, I think that must have been partly your imagination. I’m sure he’d never do a thing like that; it doesn’t sound like him at all.

—You don’t suggest I dreamed it, do you?

—I’m not doubting your word for an instant, of course. If he was, as you say, a little brusque, I expect he was worried by his many duties. As you probably know, he has a post under the new administration.

—I think I did read about it in the newspapers, yes.

—And anyhow, even if he did behave a little strangely on the occasion you mention, I can assure you that he was acting under a misapprehension which has since been removed.

I smiled.

—You needn’t make such a mystery out of it, Arthur. I know half the story already, so you may as well tell me the other half. Your secretary had something to do with it, I think?

Arthur wrinkled up his nose with a ridiculously fastidious expression.

—Don’t call him that, William, please. Just say Schmidt. I don’t care to be reminded of the association. Those who are foolish enough to keep snakes as pets usually have cause to regret it, sooner or later.

—All right, then. Schmidt… Go on.

—I see that, as usual, you’re better informed than I’d supposed —Arthur sighed—. Well, well, if you want to hear the whole melancholy truth, you must, painful as it is for me to dwell on. As you know, my last weeks at the Courbierestrasse were spent in a state of excruciating financial anxiety.

—I do indeed.

—Well, without going into a lot of sordid details which are neither here nor there, I was compelled to try and raise money. I cast about in all sorts of likely and unlikely directions. And, as a last desperate resort, when the wolf was literally scratching at the door, I put my pride in my pocket…

—And asked Kuno to lend you some?

—Thank you, dear boy. With your customary consideration for my feelings, you help me over the most painful part of the story… Yes, I sank so low. I violated one of my most sacred principles…, never to borrow from a friend. (For I may say I did regard him as a friend, a dear friend). Yes…

—And he refused? The stingy brute!

—No, William. There you go too fast.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.