THE TERRACE
659
The attorney was prying around discreetly, playing at dis-–
criminating between the insane women who revealed some symp–
toms and those who seemed completely normal. From time to
time Arner's eyes sought the noble solitary figure of Matilda.
The attorney remembered how the Arabs consider the mad–
man a supernatural being, venerating and reverencing him.
Glancing at some of the women he noticed that their expressions
became sweeter under the influence of the waltz the orchestra
was playing. Those madwomen awakened in him, even though
he was not an Arab, a strange, superstitious inclination.
Amer imagined he saw Miss Slingsby-her lovable ghost–
in the center of the dance floor, presiding over the dancing with
her silver cane.
Above the terrace hung an immense violet sky with here
and there a star. The moon was hidden behind the high wall
topped by the television antenna.
Amer was aware of an animal taciturnity in some women.
He said so and Dr. Smith agreed, adding that instinctive life
was very strong in these patients.
"Stronger than in you or in me," he observed.
"What does Dr. Smith know about my instinctive life?"
Arner mused, slightly uncomfortable. And again he wondered
what he could do with Miss Slingsby's money. It didn't seem
right to keep it immobilized in the bank.
Amer's financial ideas were sometimes very original and
he dared not mention them to his banker friends.
Years ago it had occurred to him that the manufacture of
masks of delicate and fine artificial skin, reproducing the fea–
tures of movie stars, would be a great success. All men are in
love with some movie star. The mask of that heroine on the
wife's face would be charming on occasion. Every time he
thought about it he felt slightly ashamed and said to himself:
"That's a perverse idea. Like hypocritically rationalizing adult–
ery."
He rejected it but the seed stayed in his mind.
It was now dark. Above the balustrade the vertical bars of
