Mefisto by John Banville

Author:John Banville [Banville, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Literature, 20th Century, 21st Century, v.5, Ireland, Amazon.com, Retail, Irish Literature
ISBN: 9781567920970
Google: BkVZgFHEtj4C
Amazon: B005OYYQL6
Barnesnoble: B005OYYQL6
Goodreads: 914242
Publisher: Picador
Published: 1986-01-01T15:00:00+00:00

ON THE COOLMINE ROAD he whistled, swinging the suitcase jauntily. Smoke rose from the pit-head into a sky as pale as pipeclay. A lorry was going in at the gate with a load of broken bricks. A band of tinkers trudged along the edge of the bank of rubble, forlorn dark figures against the white sky. The gleaners were busy. Bundles of mist hung above the marsh. Felix stopped to survey the scene. He raised one arm in a sardonic salute and said:

– Farewell, happy fields!

We passed by the broken wall, the scarred telegraph pole. He pretended not to notice, and said nothing.

The streets of the town were damp, and smelled of sea-slime. There were not many people about, but all the same Felix went forward circumspectly, keeping on the inside, near the wall. At Black’s he paused.

– Time for a last look in, you think? he said. Oh yes, come on, let’s risk it, if you will so will I. I’m an old sentimentalist, I know.

We sat at Mr Kasperl’s table by the window. Felix turned his back to the street, hiding his face with his hand. I told him how I had seen D’Arcy here. He shrugged.

– Oh, him, he said, don’t worry about him. He’s only a messenger boy.

The waitress came, a raw-faced country girl. Felix rubbed his hands. He was peckish, he wanted a fry.

– Rashers, he said. Sausages. Nice bit of liver.

The girl grinned at him in fright, biting her lip.

– I’m not supposed to serve you, she said.

Felix stared indignantly.

– Eh?

– Miss Swan says …

– Miss Swan? Miss Swan? You tell Miss Swan I’ll see her myself presently.

She hurried away, still nervously grinning. Felix winked at me. I looked out at the street, past our faint reflections on the window. He touched my arm.

– I say, old chap, don’t fret, he said. Not worth it, believe me. Forget what’s gone, that’s my motto. Cancel, cancel and begin again.

I was not jealous, not really wounded, even. I felt excluded. Through that crack in the door I had glimpsed a world, subtle, intricate, unsuspected, where I could never enter. Felix lighted up a butt and smoked in silence for a while, glancing at me with a contrite air.

– It was for your good, he said. Besides, you could have had her too. The hints I dropped! Still, you’re better off out of it, with that one. I should know, it was me that found her for him. That was the kind of job I had, is it any wonder I’m getting out?

He met my eye, and tittered.

– Yes, I know, he said shamefacedly, I found you for him too, didn’t I.

I thought of the marionettes, twitching on their strings, striving to be human, their glazed grins, the way they held out their arms, stiffly, imploringly. Such eagerness, such longing. I understood them, I, poor Pinocchio, counting and capering, trying to be real.

Felix rapped the table angrily with his knuckles and stood up.

– Well! he said loudly,

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.