Читать книгу Dodsworth - Sinclair Lewis - Страница 32
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ОглавлениеIt was toward evening; he must make her first night in London exciting; and, like most American husbands, he assumed that the best way to do it was to invite some one, if possible some one a little younger and livelier than himself, to join them.
Major Lockert?
Oh, damn Major Lockert!
They’d seen too much of him on the ship—and the patronizing way in which he’d ambled into their compartment on the boat train and thrust a Graphic and a Tatler on them——And the way he’d explained that you mustn’t confuse a florin and a half-crown——
Still, Lockert was younger than himself—perhaps half a dozen years—and he could gabble about baccarat and Paris-Plage and other things that Fran seemed to find important——
“Let’s get hold of somebody for dinner, honey,” he said, “and then maybe we’ll take in a show. How about it? Shall I try to get hold of Lockert?”
“Oh no!”
He was pleased; considerably less pleased when she went on, “He’s been so kind to us, and so helpful, and we mustn’t bother him on his first evening home. What about this young Starling, Tub’s nevvy, at the American Embassy?”
“We’ll try him.”
The Embassy was closed, and at his bachelor apartment, Dunger, the porter, explained that Mr. Starling had gone to the Riviera for a fortnight.
“Do you remember any of the people you met here when you came abroad as a kid?” Sam asked.
“No, not really. And I haven’t any relatives here—all in Germany. Hang it, I do think that after all these centuries my family might have provided me with one respectable English earl as kinsman!”
“What about Hurd, the Revelation agent? I think he came to our house once when he was in Zenith.”
“Oh, he—he’s a terrible person—absolute roughneck—how you ever happened to send an American like Hurd over here when you might have had a nice Englishman as London agent and——Why, don’t you remember I asked you not to write him we were coming? I won’t be the ‘president’s little lady’ to that awful bunch of back-slapping salesmen!”
“Now Hurd’s a mighty good fellow! He’s cocky, and I don’t suppose he’s read a book since he used to look at the lingerie ads. in the Sears-Roebuck catalogue as a kid, but he’s a whirlwind at selling, and he tells mighty good stories, and he would know the best restaurants in London.”
Softened, a bit motherly—or at least a bit sisterly—she comforted him, “You really would like to see him, wouldn’t you? Well then, let’s get him, by all means.”
“No, this is your party. I want somebody that you’d like. Plenty of time to see Hurd; go call on him tomorrow, maybe.”
“No, really, I think it would be lovely to have your Mr. Hurd. He wasn’t so bad. I was exaggerating. Yes, do call him up—please do! I’d feel terrible if I felt that I’d kept you from seeing——And perhaps you do owe it to the business. He may have some cables from the U.A.C.”
“Well, all right. And if I don’t get him, how about trying Colonel Enderley and his wife—I thought they were about the nicest people on the boat, and they may not have a date for tonight. Or that aviator, Ristad?”
“Splendid.”
Hurd’s office was closed.
Hurd’s home address not in the telephone book.
Colonel and Mrs. Enderley not at the Savoy, after all.
Max Ristad not in.
Who else?