По цей бік раю
Experiments in Convalescence
TheyselectedtheatreticketsatTyson’sforaplaythathadafour-drinkprogramme—aplaywithtwomonotonousvoices,withturbid,gloomyscenes,andlightingeffectsthatwerehardtofollowwhenhiseyesbehavedsoamazingly.Heimaginedafterwardthatitmusthavebeen"TheJest."...
...ThentheCocoanutGrove,whereAmorysleptagainonalittlebalconyoutside.OutinShanley’s,Yonkers,hebecamealmostlogical,andbyacarefulcontrolofthenumberofhigh-ballshedrank,grewquitelucidandgarrulous.Hefoundthatthepartyconsistedoffivemen,twoofwhomheknewslightly;hebecamerighteousaboutpayinghisshareoftheexpenseandinsistedinaloudvoiceonarrangingeverythingthenandtheretotheamusementofthetablesaroundhim....
Someonementionedthatafamouscabaretstarwasatthenexttable,soAmoryroseand,approachinggallantly,introducedhimself...thisinvolvedhiminanargument,firstwithherescortandthenwiththeheadwaiter—Amory’sattitudebeingaloftyandexaggeratedcourtesy...heconsented,afterbeingconfrontedwithirrefutablelogic,tobeingledbacktohisowntable.
"Decidedtocommitsuicide,"heannouncedsuddenly.
"When?Nextyear?"
"Now.To-morrowmorning.GoingtotakearoomattheCommodore,getintoahotbathandopenavein."
"He’sgettingmorbid!"
"Youneedanotherrye,oldboy!"
"We’llalltalkitoverto-morrow."
ButAmorywasnottobedissuaded,fromargumentatleast.
"Didyouevergetthatway?"hedemandedconfidentiallyfortaccio.
