418
PARTISAN REVIEW
worked out as he said. Not that he's such a genius, and don't think
he doesn't make mistakes. He simply has contact. That night he
even took Phil and Sam aside and tried to talk to them--one at
a time, of course-and he even said a few words to Martha, whom
he's never been able to stand. It didn't help.
"When Phil hit Martha in the face, he was the only one who
didn't run up to take sides, shushing and clucking like a hen. He
looked to see what Gloria would do. It was because I saw him do
this that I set my eyes on Gloria and saw her strip act from tl1<
beginning. A pained expression came over his face- this he hadn't
expected. He looked at her while she stood naked with the real
man's look in his eyes, as he had done before, as he does with all his
girls, but it was no use. Gloria was too far gone, and besides, she's
nearsighted. She may not even have known he was there.
"The people hadn't recovered from the first shock, and now
they were having another. He stood by. He would have tried to do
something, but they were all against him,
th~y
had rejected him.
When the giggles and wisecracks began to come, he turned away
quietly and got his hat and coat. He came back into the room in
his coat. His old girl Gloria was naked, and he had his overcoat on.
He laid the hat down on the table and turned to her once more.
"But his spirit gave out. It was all too ugly, too insane. He
couldn't stand the men ogling her impotently, the women picking
her figure to pieces. It was then that he spoke- in a loud voice, it
carried over the phonograph record, the giggling and the comments,
the children crying
in
their room. It wasn't a premeditated statement,
not even a good one. He was too provoked. When he said, 'Bodies
bore me,' that wasn't what he meant to say-it was even cruel-or
when he said, 'I ache to be a pure intelligence,' that wasn't right
either-far from it.
It
was even ridiculous- it had too much pique
in it, too much hurt pride at being overlooked, bypassed, his influence
spurned. But does it matter? What he meant came through in spite
of it
all.
It's even a credit to his integrity that he said something
foolish. He said it, that was enough.
"Then he walked to the window, on the way picking up his hat
and setting it straight on his head. The window was partly open–
it was one of those high windows, more like a glass door. He flung
it up and walked through.
