PARTISAN REVIEW
359
'the archway and resumed his reflections, if not at the point where they
had been interrupted, at least at one near by.
Mercier's reflections were peculiar in this, that the same swell and
surge swept through them all and cast the mind away, no matter where
it embarked, on the same rocks invariably. They were perhaps not so
mUGh reflections as a dark torrent of brooding where past and future
merged in a single flood and closed, over a present for ever absent. Ah
well.
Here, said Camier, I hope you haven 't been fretting.
Mercier extracted the cake from its paper wrapping and placed it
on the palm of his hand. He bent forward and down till his nose was
almost touching it and the eyes not far behind. He darted towards Ca–
mier, while still in this position, a sidelong look full of mistrust.
A cream horn , said Camier, the best I could find.
Mercier, still bent double, moved forward to the verge of the
archway, where the light was better, and examined the cake again.
It's full of cream, said Camier.
Mercier slowly clenched his fist and the cake gushed between his
fingers. The staring eyes filled with tears. Camier advanced to get a
better view. The tears flowed, overflowed, all down the furrowed cheeks
and vanished in the beard . The face remained unmoved. The eyes, still
streaming and no doubt blinded, seemed intent on some object stirring
on the ground .
If
you didn't want it, said Camier, you had better given it to a dog,
or to a child.
I'm in tears, said Mercier, don 't intrude.
When the flow stopped Camier said:
Let me offer you our handkerchief.
There are days, said Mercier, one is born every minute. Then the
world is full of shitty little Merciers. It's hell. Oh but to cease!
Enough, said Camier. You look like a capital S. Ninety if a day.
Would I were, said Mercier. He wiped his hand on the seat of his
trousers . He said, I'll start crawling any minute.
I 'm off, said Camier.
Leav ing me
to
my fate, said Mercier. I knew it.
You know my little ways, said Camier.
No, said Mercier, but I was counting on your affection to help me
serve my time.
I can help you, said Camier, I can't resurrect you .
