THE HUMAN VOICE
I want ring 7. 04-7, Auteuil.
(She waits.)
Hello! Auteuil 04-7? Ah,
yes! Is that you, Joseph? ....
This
is Madame .... Monsieur and I got
cut off .... He's not there? .... yes .... yes .... not coming
back this evening .... of course, how stupid of me! He called me
from some restaurant, and we got cut off, and I called him back
at his number .... Excuse me, Joseph .... Thanks .... Thanks
so much .... Good night, Joseph ....
(She rings off on the verge
of fainting. Bell rings.)
Hello! Oh darling, darling! It's you? .... They cut us off ....
No, no. I was waiting. Somebody rang, and I answered, but there
was no one on the line .... I suppose so .... Of course ....
You're sleepy . . . . It was good of you to telephone .... so good
....
(She is crying.)
....
(Silence.)
....
No, I'm here ....
What? .... Forgive me .... It's too silly .... Nothing, nothing
.... Nothing's wrong with me .... I swear nothing's wrong ....
It's just the same .... Nothing at all. You're mistaken .... The
same as just a little while ago .... Only, you know, there's all this
talking, talking, and you never think that you'll have to stop, ring
off, fall back into the emptiness, the dark .... well ....
(She is
crying.)
....
Listen, my dear love. I've never lied to you ....
Yes, I know, I know, I believe you, I'm sure of it .... no, it isn't
that . . . . it's because I just
did
lie to you . . . . just now . . . .
here . . . . on the telephone, fifteen minutes ago, I lied to you. I
know my luck has run out, but lying doesn't bring luck, and anyhow
I don't like to lie to you, I can't, I don't want to lie to you even
when it's for your own happiness . . . . Oh, nothing so serious,
darling, don't be frightened .... Only, I was lying when I told you
about my gown and how I had dinner at Martha's .... I haven't
had dinner at all, and I'm not wearing my rose gown. I'm wearing
a cape over my slip, because what with waiting for your call, and
staring at the phone, and sitting down, and standing up again, and
walking back and forth, I was going crazy, simply crazy! So I put on
my cape, and I was going to go out and take a taxi and have him
drive back and forth in front of your house, to wait for . . . . Oh
dear, to wait for, for-I don't know what! .... Yes, you're right
. . . . Yes . . . . Yes, I can hear you . . . . I'll be good . . . . I can
hear you . . . . I'll take care of everything, really I will . . . . Here
I haven't eaten anything . . . . I couldn't . . . . I've been so
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