Tarr was sitting stretched on one of Kreisler’s two chairs looking up
frowningly. He was annoyed at having let himself in for this interview.
Kreisler stood in front of him without any expression in particular,
his voice rather less guttural than usual. Tarr felt ill at ease at this
sudden breath of storm and kept still with difficulty.
“You have reasons? You have reasons! Heavens! Outside! Quick! Out!”
There was no doubt this time that it was in earnest. He was intended
rapidly to depart. Kreisler was pointing to the door. His cold grin was
slightly on his face again, and an appearance of his hair having receded
on his forehead and his ears gone close against his head warned Tarr
definitely where he was. He got up. The absurdity in the situation he had
got himself into chiefly worried him. He stood a moment in a discouraged
way, as though trying to remember something. His desire for a row had
vanished with the arrival of it. It had come at such an angle that it was
difficult to say anything, and he had a superstition of the vanity about
the marks left by hands, or rather his hands.
“Will you tell me what on earth’s the matter with you to-night?” he asked.
“Yes! I don’t want to be followed about by an underhand swine like you
any longer! By what devil’s impudence did you come here to-night? For a
week I’ve had you in the café. What did you want with me? If you wanted
your girl back, why hadn’t you the courage to say so? I saw you with
another lady to-night. I’m not going to have you hovering and slavering
around me. Be careful I don’t come and pull your nose when I see you with
that other lady! You’re welcome, besides, to your girl⸺”
“I recommend you to hold your mouth! Don’t talk about _my girl_. I’ve had
enough of it. Where her sense was when she alighted on a specimen like
you—” Tarr’s German hesitated and suddenly struck, as though for the rest
of the night. He had stepped forward with a suggestion of readiness for
drama:
“Heraus, schwein!” shouted Kreisler, in a sort of incredulous drawling
crescendo, shooting his hand towards the door and urging his body like
the cox of a boat. Like a sheep-dog he appeared to be collecting Tarr
together and urging him out.
Tarr stood staring doubtfully at him.
“What⸺”
“Heraus! Out! Quicker! Quicker!! Quick!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account