Something Special by Iris Murdoch

Author:Iris Murdoch [Murdoch, Iris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vintage Digital
Published: 2011-05-31T00:00:00+00:00

Yvonne sprang away. The woman turned quick as a flash and slapped the young man in the face. But quicker still the woman’s escort, a brown man with an arm like an ape, had snatched the flower back from where it hung at Yvonne’s breast and given her a push which sent her flying back against the wall. There was a momentary delighted silence. People by now had climbed on chairs to get a better view, and tiers of grinning unshaven faces peered down through the haze. Yvonne was crimson. For a moment she leaned there rigid, as if pinned to the tiles. Then Sam had taken her by the hand and was leading her quickly out of the bar.

Before the heavy doors were shut again they heard the yell which followed them up into the street. “It’s safer upstairs, mister!” screamed a woman’s voice.

When Yvonne got out onto the pavement she wrenched her hand away from Sam and began to run. She ran like a hare down the dark and ill-smelling street toward the open lamplight of the quays, and here Sam caught her up, leaning against the parapet of the river and drooping her head down and panting.

“Oh my dear darling, didn’t I —” Sam began to say; but he was interrupted. Out of the hazy darkness beyond the street lamps a third figure had emerged. It was the thin young man, also at a run. He gripped Sam by the arm.

“No offence, mister,” said the young man, “no offence! It was a tribute, a sincere tribute, from one of Ireland’s poets — a true poet, mister —” He stood there, still holding onto Sam with one hand, and staring wide-eyed at Yvonne, while the other hand fumbled in his coat pocket.

“That’s all right,” said Sam. “It wasn’t your fault surely. We’ve just got to go now.” He began gently but vigorously to detach the clutching fingers from his arm.

The young man held on tight. “If I could only find me bloody poem,” he said, “a sincere tribute, a humble and sincere tribute, to one of the wonders of Nature, a beautiful woman is one of the wonders of Nature, a flower —”

“Yes, yes, all right,” said Sam. “We don’t mind, we’ve just got to go now to get our tram.”

“— fitting homage,” said the young man. “Sweets to the sweet!” He let go abruptly of Sam and struck a graceful attitude. The pose proving too difficult to maintain, he heeled over slowly against the edge of the quay and came into violent contact with one of the metal flower baskets.

“Did I mention flowers?” he cried. “And here they are! Flowers for her, for a gift, for a tribute —” He plunged his fingers into the basket and brought out a handful of geraniums together with a great quantity of earth, all of which fell to the ground in a heap, partly engulfing Yvonne’s shoes.

“Come on!” said Sam. But Yvonne had already turned and was walking away very fast, swinging her arms, and shaking her feet as she walked in order to get some of the earth out.

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