gs.earthabides-第26节

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e　had　been　silent　for　what　might　have　been　a　full　minute。　She　was　looking　across　at　him　with　level　calm　eyes；　and　he　knew　that　she　read　his　thoughts。　
　　In　his　embarrassment　he　rose　suddenly　to　his　feet；　upsetting　the　chair　as　he　got　up。　Then　the　table　between　them　had　ceased　to　be　a　symbol　joining　them　together　and　now　held　them　apart。　He　stepped　from　behind　it；　and　across　toward　her　as　she　rose　up　too。　And　then　there　was　the　softness　of　her　body　against　his。　
　　O　Song　of　Songs！　Thine　eyes；　my　love；　are　gentle；　and　the　fullness　of　thy　lips　is　soft　andfirm。　Thy　neck　is　ivory；　and　the　smoothness　of　thy　shoulders　like　warm　ivory。　The　softness　of　thy　breasts　against　me　is　like　fine　wool。　Thy　thighs　are　firm　and　strong　like　the　cedars。　O　Song　of　Songs！　
　　She　had　gone　now；　into　the　inner　room。　He　sat；　still　with　breath　and　heart　quick；　tense　and　waiting。　He　had　only　one　fear　now。　In　a　world　where　there　were　no　doctors　and　even　no　other　women；　how　could　anyone　risk　the　chance？　But　she　had　gone。　He　realized　that　she；　too；　in　her　great　affirmation；　would　consider　this　also　and　care　for　it。　
　　O　Song　of　Songs。　My　love；　thy　bed　is　fragrant　as　boughs　of　the　pine　tree；　and　thy　body　is　warm。　Thou　art　Ashtoreth。　Thou　art　Aphrodite；　that　keepest　the　gate　of　Love。　Now　my　strength　is　upon　me。　Now　the　rivers　are　pent　up。　Now　is　my　hour。　Oh　receive　me　in　thine　infinitude。　
　　
　　Chapter　7
　　He　lay　quietly　awake　after　she　slept　beside　him；　and　his　thoughts　rushed　by　him　so　fast　that　he　could　not　stop　them　long　enough　to　get　to　sleep。　That　was　what　she　had　said　before；　earlier　in　the　evening…no　matter　what　happened　to　the　world；　it　did　not　change　the　person；　and　he　remained　what　he　had　been。　Yes；　that　was　the　way！　lbough　so　much　had　happened；　and　even　though　he　might　be　deeply　moved　by　that　great　experience；　yet　still　he　was　the　observer…the　man　who　sat　by　the　side；　watching　what　happened；　never　quite　losing　himself　in　the　experience。　The　strangeness！　In　the　old　world　it　might　well　never　have　happened。　Out　of　destruction　had　e；　for　him；　love。　
　　He　slept。　When　he　woke；　it　was　daylight；　and　she　was　gone。　He　looked　around　the　room　fearfully。　Yes；　it　was　really　a　shabby　little　room；　and　he　suddenly　had　a　fear　that　perhaps　all　this　seemingly　great　experience　of　love　was；　after　all；　only　something　which　in　the　old　days　would　have　been　no　more　than　a　pick…up　of　a　restless　waitress　and　a　grimy　room　in　a　cheap　hotel。　And　she…she　was　no　goddess；　no　hamadryad　glimpsed　whitely　in　the　dusk！　Except　at　the　moment　of　desire；　she　would　never　be　Ashtoreth　or　Aphrodite。　He　trembled　a　little　to　think　of　how　she　might　look　in　the　morning　light。　She　was　older　than　he；　perhaps　he　was　merely　mixing　her　in　some　vague　kind　of　mother…image。　〃Oh；　don't　worry；〃　he　thought；　putting　it　into　words；　〃there　never　has　been　perfection　yet；　and　it　certainly　isn't　going　to　start　now　for　me。〃　Then　he　remembered　how　she　had　first　spoken；　not　in　question　or　mand；　but　merely　in　affirmation。　Yes；　that　was　the　way　it　ought　to　be。　Take　what　was　good　in　a　situation；　not　worrying　about　what　might　not　be　there。　
　　He　got　up　and　dressed。　As　he　dressed；　he　sniffed　the　aroma　of　coffee。　Coffee！　That　was　a　kind　of　modern　symbol；　too。　
　　She　had　the　table　set　in　the　breakfast…nook　when　he　came　out；　as　any　muter's　wife　might　have　done。　He　looked　at　her　almost　bashfully。　He　saw　again；　more　clearly　by　morning　light；　the　wide…set　black　eyes　in　the　dark　face；　the　full　ripe　lips；　the　swelling　curve　of　the　breasts　beneath　a　light…green　smock。　
　　He　did　not　offer　to　kiss　her；　and　she　did　not　seem　to　expect　it。　But　they　smiled　back　and　forth；　one　at　the　other。　〃Where's　Princess？〃　he　said。　〃I　put　her　out　for　her　run。〃　
　　〃Good…And　it's　going　to　be　a　good　day；　too；　I　think。〃　
　　〃Yes；　looks　like　it。　Sorry　there　are　no　eggs。〃　
　　〃No　matter。　What　is　it？　Bacon；　I　see。〃　
　　〃Yes。　
　　They　were　little　words；　meaning　nothing；　yet　there　was　a　great　joy　to　say　them。　A　greater　joy；　perhaps；　saying　the　little　things　than　saying　something　much　greater。　A　whole　contentment　came　over　him。　This　was　no　affair　of　the　rented　room。　His　luck　was　in！　He　looked　across　into　her　level　eyes；　and　felt　new　security　and　courage　rise　up　within　him！　This　would　endure！　
　　They　moved　back；　later　that　day；　to　the　house　on　San　Lupo　Drive；　chiefly　because　he　seemed　to　have　more　possessionsbooks；　especially…than　she　did。　It　was　less　trouble　to　move　to　the　books　than　to　move　the　books　to　them。　
　　The　days　went　more　swiftly　and　more　fortably　after　that。　There　were　many　ways　of　sharing。　〃What　was　it？〃　he　thought。　〃'A　friend　doubles　joys　and　cuts　griefs　in　half'？〃　
　　She　never　talked　about　herself。　Once　or　twice　he　tried　to　draw　her　out　with　questions；　thinking　that　she　might　need　to　tell　things。　But　she　did　not　respond　easily；　and　he　decided　that　she　had　already　made　her　adjustment　in　her　own　way。　She　had　drawn　the　veil　across　the　view　toward　the　past；　now　she　looked　forward　only　
　　Yet　she　made　no　apparent　attempt　at　secrecy。　He　learned　from　casual　remarks　that　she　had　been　married　（happily；　he　was　sure）；　and　had　had　two　small　children。　She　had　gone　to　high　school　but　not　to　college；　her　grammar　lapsed　occasionally。　Her　soft　accent；　which　he　had　noticed　when　she　first　spoke；　had　perhaps　the　touch　of　Kentucky　or　Tennessee　in　it。　
　　But　she　never　mentioned　having　lived　anywhere　except　in　California。　
　　Her　social　status　must　have　been；　Ish　judged；　somewhat　lower　than　his。　But　there　was　nothing　more　ridiculous　to　contemplate；　now；　than　all　that　business　of　social　classes。　
　　〃Amazing；　how　little　everything　Re　that　matters　now！〃　And　the　days　slid　by　easily。　
　　One　morning；　finding　that　they　needed　some　supplies；　he　went　down　to　start　the　car。　He　put　his　thumb　on　the　smrter　button。　There　was　a　sudden　click；　nothing　more。　He　pressed　it　again；　and　it　clicked。　That　was　all。　
　　He　heard　no　sudden　forting　whir　as　the　motor　took　over；　no　reassuring　little　bangs　as　the　cold　cylinders　began　to　fire。　Panic　fell　upon　him　again。　He　pressed　the　button　once　more；　and　still　once　more；　and　every　time　came　only　the　little　click。　〃Battery　gone！〃　he　thought。　
　　He　got　out；　raised　the　hood　of　the　car；　and　stared　hopelessly　at　the　orderly　but　plex　array　of　wires　and　gadgets。　It　was　too　much　for　him。　He　had　a　sudden　hopeless　feeling　within　him；　he　went　back　to　the　house。　
　　〃The　car　won't　start；〃　he　said。　〃Battery　gone；　or　something！〃　He　knew　that　his　face　must　be　even　more　woebegone　than　his　voice。　That　was　why　he　could　hardly　believe　it；　when　she　laughed。　〃There's　no　place　we　have　to　go　so　badly　as　all　that；〃　she　said。　〃To　look　at　you；　you'd　think　that　things　had　gone　to　pieces！〃　
　　Then　he　laughed　too。　It　made　all　the　difference　in　the　world　whether　you　had　that　other　to　cut　the　grief　in　half；　and　the　trouble　suddenly　seemed　tiny。　A　car　was　convenient　when　you　wanted　to　go　to　the　stores　and　load　up　with　some　more　supplies。　But　you　could　live　just　as　well　without　a　car。　She　was　right…they　had　really　no　place　that　they　needed　so　badly　to　go！　
　　He　had　imagined　a　desperate　day；　tying　to　find　a　new　car　or　to　fix　up　the　old　one。　As　it　was；　they　made　it　a　sport；　even　though　it　did　take　them　most　of　the　morning　before　they　located　another　one。　Most　of　the　cars　had　no　keys　in　them；　and　while　he　might　have　shorted　a　wire　somewhere；　they　agreed　that　it　would　be　an　inconvenience　to　have　to　drive　a　car　without　a　key。　And　when　they　found　one　with　a　key　in　it；　the　battery；　unused　now　for　several　months；　would　not　work。　At　last　they　found　one　that　had　a　key　in　it；　and　was　parked　on　a　hill。　The　battery　was　too　weak　to　turn　the　engine　over；　but　it　would　burn　the　lights　faintly；　and　Ish　judged　that　it　would　send　out　enough　of　a　current　to　fire　the　spark…plugs。　
　　They　got　the　car　rolling　downhill；　and　then　after　a　minute　the　cylinders　began　to　bang　and　putter　and　backfire。　Ish　and　Em　laughed　together　happily　at　the　adventure　of　it。　At　last　the　gasoline　worked　up　through　the　feed…pipes；　and　the　engine　warmed；　and　began　to　run　smoothly。　Now　they　laughed　in　triumph；　and　went　speeding　at　sixty　miles　an　hour　down　the　empty　boulevard；　and　Em　leaned　over　and　kissed　him。　And　suddenly；　queer　as　it　seemed；　Ish　realized　that　he　had　never　felt　so　happy　in　his　life。　
　　This　car　was　not　such　a　good　one　as　the　station…wagon。　Because　of　this；　they　used　it　merely　to　make　some　exploration　through　the　warehouse　district；　checking　up　in　the　classified　telephone　book　to　locate　dealers　in　batteries。　At　last　they　forced　the　entrance　to　the　proper　room　and　found　dozens　of　batteries　with　the　acid　not　yet　in　them。　There　were　also　supplies　of　acid；　and　although　neither　of　them　was　mechanically　minded；　they　made　the　experiment　of　pouring　the　acid　into　a　battery　of　the　right　size。　They　took　it　back；　and　put　it　into　the　station…wagon。　It　worked　perfectly；　the　first　time。　
　　As　at　last　the　motor　of　the　station…wagon　hummed　tunefully；　responding　to　the　pressure　of　his　foot　on　the　throttle；　Ish　thought　that　on　that　day　he　had　met；　and　faced；　two　problems。　First；　he　had　seen　that　he　could　do　a　great　deal　toward　keeping　a　car　running　for　a　long　time。　But　of　even　greater　importance；　he　had　faced　the　possibility　that　there　would　e　a　time　when