pbien.jaws-第3节

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　　　　　　　〃Yeah；　I　know；　Leonard。　You　were　right　to　call。　As　long　as　I'm　awake；　I　might　as　well　get　up。　I'll　shave　and　shower　and　grab　some　coffee；　and　on　my　way　in　I'll　take　a　look　along　the　beach　in　front　of　Old　Mill　and　Scotch；　just　to　make　sure　your　'floater'　isn't　cluttering　up　somebody's　beach。　Then　when　the　day　boys　e　on；　I'll　go　out　and　talk　to　Foote　and　the　girl's　date。　I'll　see　you　later。〃
　　　　　　　Brody　hung　up　the　phone　and　stretched。　He　looked　at　his　wife；　lying　next　to　him　in　the　double　bed。　She　had　stirred　when　the　phone　rang；　but　as　soon　as　she　determined　that　there　was　no　emergency；　she　lapsed　back　into　sleep。
　　　　　　　Ellen　Brody　was　thirty…six；　five　years　younger　than　her　husband；　and　the　fact　that　she　looked　barely　thirty　was　a　source　of　both　pride　and　annoyance　to　Brody：　pride　because；　since　she　looked　handsome　and　young　and　was　married　to　him；　she　made　him　seem　a　man　of　excellent　taste　and　substantial　attraction；　annoyance　because　she　had　been　able　to　keep　her　good　looks　despite　the　strains　of　bearing　three　children；　whereas　Brody　…　though　hardly　fat　at　six…foot…one　and　two　hundred　pounds　…　was　beginning　to　be　concerned　about　his　blood　pressure　and　his　thickening　middle。　Sometimes　during　the　summer；　Brody　would　catch　himself　gazing　with　idle　lust　at　one　of　the　young；　longlegged　girls　who　pranced　around　town　…　their　untethered　breasts　bouncing　beneath　the　thinnest　of　cotton　jerseys。　But　he　never　enjoyed　the　sensation；　for　it　always　made　him　wonder　whether　Ellen　felt　the　same　stirring　when　she　looked　at　the　tanned；　slim　young　men　who　so　perfectly　plemented　the　long…legged　girls。　And　as　soon　as　that　thought　occurred　to　him；　he　felt　still　worse；　for　he　recognized　it　as　a　sign　that　he　was　on　the　unfortunate　side　of　forty　and　had　already　lived　more　than　half　his　life。
　　　　　　　Summers　were　bad　times　for　Ellen　Brody；　for　in　summer　she　was　tortured　by　thoughts　she　didn't　want　to　think　…　thoughts　of　chances　missed　and　lives　that　could　have　been。　She　saw　people　she　had　grown　up　with：　prep　school　classmates　now　married　to　bankers　and　brokers；　summering　in　Amity　and　wintering　in　New　York；　graceful　women　who　stroked　tennis　balls　and　enlivened　conversations　with　equal　ease；　women　who　（Ellen　was　convinced）　joked　among　themselves　about　Ellen　Shepherd　marrying　that　policeman　because　he　got　her　pregnant　in　the　back　seat　of　his　1948　Ford；　which　had　not　been　the　case。
　　　　　　　Ellen　was　twenty…one　when　she　met　Brody。　She　had　just　finished　her　junior　year　at　Wellesley　and　was　spending　the　summer　in　Amity　with　her　parents　…　as　she　had　done　for　the　previous　eleven　summers；　ever　since　her　father's　advertising　agency　transferred　him　from　Los　Angeles　to　New　York。　Although；　unlike　several　of　her　friends；　Ellen　Shepherd　was　hardly　obsessed　by　marriage；　she　assumed　that　within　a　year　or　two　after　finishing　college　she　would　wed　someone　from　approximately　her　own　social　and　financial　station。　The　thought　neither　distressed　nor　delighted　her。　She　enjoyed　the　modest　wealth　her　father　had　earned；　and　she　knew　her　mother　did　too。　But　she　was　not　eager　to　live　a　life　that　was　a　repetition　of　her　parents'。　She　was　familiar　with　the　petty　social　problems；　and　they　bored　her。　She　considered　herself　a　simple　girl；　proud　of　the　fact　that　in　the　yearbook　for　the　class　of　1953　at　Miss　Porter's　School　she　was　voted　Most　Sincere。
　　　　　　　Her　first　contact　with　Brody　was　professional。　She　was　arrested　…　or；　rather；　her　date　was。　It　was　late　at　night；　and　she　was　being　driven　home　by　an　extremely　drunk　young　man　intent　on　driving　very　fast　down　very　narrow　streets。　The　car　was　intercepted　and　stopped　by　a　policeman　who　impressed　Ellen　with　his　youth；　his　looks；　and　his　civility。　After　issuing　a　summons；　he　confiscated　the　keys　to　Ellen's　date's　car　and　drove　them　both　to　their　respective　homes。　The　next　morning；　Ellen　was　shopping　when　she　found　herself　next　to　the　police　station。　As　a　lark；　she　walked　in　and　asked　the　name　of　the　young　officer　who　had　been　working　at　about　midnight　the　night　before。　Then　she　went　home　and　wrote　Brody　a　thank…you　note　for　being　so　nice；　and　she　also　wrote　a　note　to　the　chief　of　police　mending　young　Martin　Brody。　Brody　telephoned　to　thank　her　for　her　thank…you　note。
　　　　　　　When　he　asked　her　out　to　dinner　and　the　movies　on　his　night　off；　she　accepted　out　of　curiosity。　She　had　scarcely　ever　talked　to　a　policeman；　let　alone　gone　out　with　one。
　　　　　　　Brody　was　nervous；　but　Ellen　seemed　so　genuinely　interested　in　him　and　his　work　that　he　eventually　calmed　down　enough　to　have　a　good　time；　Ellen　found　him　delightful：　strong；　simple；　kind　…　sincere。　He　had　been　a　policeman　for　six　years。　He　said　his　ambition　was　to　be　chief　of　the　Amity　force；　to　have　sons　to　take　duck…shooting　in　the　fall；　to　save　enough　money　to　take　a　real　vacation　every　second　or　third　year。
　　　　　　　They　were　married　that　November。　Ellen's　parents　had　wanted　her　to　finish　college；　and　Brody　had　been　willing　to　wait　until　the　following　summer；　but　Ellen　couldn't　imagine　that　one　more　year　of　college　could　make　any　difference　in　the　life　she　had　chosen　to　lead。　There　were　some　awkward　moments　during　the　first　few　years。　Ellen's　friends　would　ask　them　to　dinner　or　lunch　or　for　a　swim；　and　they　would　go；　but　Brody　would　feel　ill　at　ease　and　patronized。　When　they　got　together　with　Brody's　friends；　Ellen's　past　seemed　to　stifle　fun。　People　behaved　as　if　they　were　fearful　of　mitting　a　faux　pas。
　　　　　　　Gradually；　as　friendships　developed；　the　awkwardness　disappeared。　But　they　never　saw　any　of　Ellen's　old　friends　any　more。　Although　the　shedding　of　the　〃summer　people〃　stigma　earned　her　the　affection　of　the　year…round　residents　of　Amity；　it　cost　her　much　that　was　pleasant　and　familiar　from　the　first　twenty…one　years　of　her　life。　It　was　as　if　she　had　moved　to　another　country。
　　　　　　　Until　about　four　years　ago；　the　estrangement　hadn't　bothered　her。　She　was　too　busy；　and　too　happy；　raising　children　to　let　her　mind　linger　on　alternatives　long　past。
　　　　　　　But　when　her　last　child　started　school；　she　found　herself　adrift；　and　she　began　to　dwell　on　memories　of　how　her　mother　had　lived　her　life　once　her　children　had　begun　to　detach　from　her：　shopping　excursions　（fun　because　there　was　enough　money　to　buy　all　but　the　most　outrageously　expensive　items）；　long　lunches　with　friends；　tennis；　cocktail　parties；　weekend　trips。　What　had　once　seemed　shallow　and　tedious　now　loomed　in　memory　like　paradise。
　　　　　　　At　first　she　tried　to　re…establish　bonds　with　friends　she　hadn't　seen　in　ten　years；　but　all　monality　of　interest　and　experience　had　long　since　vanished。　Ellen　talked　gaily　about　the　munity；　about　local　polities；　about　her　job　as　a　volunteer　at　the　Southampton　Hospital　…　all　subjects　about　which　her　old　friends；　many　of　whom　had　been　ing　to　Amity　every　summer　for　more　than　thirty　years；　knew　little　and　cared　less。　They　talked　about　New　York　polities；　about　art　galleries　and　painters　and　writers　they　knew。　Most　conversations　ended　with　feeble　reminiscences　and　speculations　about　where　old　friends　were　now。　Always　there　were　pledges　about　calling　each　other　and　getting　together　again。
　　　　　　　Once　in　a　while　she　would　try　to　make　new　friends　among　the　summer　people　she　hadn't　known；　but　the　associations　were　forced　and　brief。　They　might　have　endured　if　Ellen　had　been　less　self…conscious　about　her　house；　about　her　husband's　job　and　how　poorly　it　paid。　She　made　sure　that　everyone　she　met　knew　she　had　started　her　Amity　life　on　an　entirely　different　plane。　She　was　aware　of　what　she　was　doing；　and　she　hated　herself　for　it；　because　in　fact　she　loved　her　husband　deeply；　adored　her　children；　and　…　for　most　of　the　year　…　was　quite　content　with　her　lot。
　　　　　　　By　now；　she　had　largely　given　up　active　forays　into　the　summer　munity；　but　the　resentments　and　the　longings　lingered。　She　was　unhappy；　and　she　took　out　most　of　her　unhappiness　on　her　husband；　a　fact　that　both　of　them　understood　but　only　he　could　tolerate。　She　wished　she　could　go　into　suspended　animation　for　that　quarter　of　every　year。
　　　　　　　Brody　rolled　over　toward　Ellen；　raising　himself　up　on　one　elbow　and　resting　his　head　on　his　hand。　With　his　other　hand　he　flicked　away　a　strand　of　hair　that　was　tickling　Ellen's　nose　and　making　it　twitch。　He　still　had　an　erection　from　the　remnants　of　his　last　dream；　and　he　debated　rousing　her　for　a　quick　bit　of　sex。　He　knew　she　was　a　slow　waker　and　her　early　morning　moods　were　more　cantankerous　than　romantic。　Still；　it　would　be　fun。　There　had　not　been　much　sex　in　the　Brody　household　recently。　There　seldom　was；　when　Ellen　was　in　her　summer　moods。
　　　　　　　Just　then；　Ellen's　mouth　fell　open　and　she　began　to　snore。　Brody　felt　himself　turn　off　as　quickly　as　if　someone　had　poured　ice　water　on　his　loins。　He　got　up　and　went　into　the　bathroom。　It　was　nearly　6：30　when　Brody　turned　onto　Old　Mill　Road。　The　sun　was　well　up。
　　　　　　　It　had　lost　its　daybreak　red　and　was　turning　from　orange　to　bright　yellow。　The　sky　was　cloudless。
　　　　　　　Theoretically；　there　was　a　statutory　right…of…way　between　each　house；　to　permit　public　access　to　the　beach；　which　could　be　privately　owned　only　to　the　mean…high…water　mark。　But　the　rights…of…way　between　most　houses　were　filled　with　garages　or　privet　hedges。
　　　　　　　From　the　road　there　was　no