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PARTISAN REVIEW
head (another doll head ) bo bbing among the specta tors, he moved on,
to the fores t. The doll s there were na tives and almos t na ked . Instead of
hair, some grew plants with tiny leaves on their dark heads, vines that
trailed down their backs; they had fl owers or stripes on their dark skins,
like cannibals . Others were painted a ll over with bri ght human eyes.
He took an immediate liking to a negress, who looked normal, except
for a coupl e of little black faces with button lips painted o n her breasts.
He went on touring the show until he ran into Frank and as ked him :
" Whi ch of the dolls in the fores t are Daisies?"
"Why, in that secti on they' re all Da isies."
" I want you to send me the negress - o ut to the ho use by the park ."
" It 'll ta ke at least a week, old boy . . ."
But, in fact, twenty days went by before he had her in the house.
She was in bed, waiting for him, with the covers drawn up to her chin.
Now he didn 't find her so interes ting any more; and when he
pulled back the covers she let out a wild cackl e in hi s face.
It
was Mary,
laughing at him, in bitter spite, expl aining how she' d lea rned o f hi s
new deceit.
It
turned out hi s cl eaning woman also worked for " Milk–
sops." He listened absentl y, as if distracted. She no ticed hi s stra nge
calm and stopped for a moment. But then, hiding her amazement, she
went on :
" So now wha t do you have to say for yourself?"
He went on staring blankl y, as a man sunk into a stupor, after an
exhaustion of years. Then he sta rted to turn on hi s hee ls, with a little
shuffl e. Mary said : "Wait," and got up to was h off the bl ack pa int in
the bathroom. She was fri ghtened and had sta rted to cry and sneeze a t
the same time. When she got back, he was gone. But she found him a t
home, locked in a guest room, refusing to talk to anyone.
x
Mary kept as king Horace to forgive her for her las t surp rise. But he
stuck to his wooden silence. Mos t of the time he was shuttered in the
gues t room, almost motionl ess, it seemed (except for the empty bo ttl es
of French wine that kept turning up ). Sometimes he went out for a
whil e in the evening . When he got back, he a te a bite and then
coll apsed on the bed again, with open eyes. Ma ry often went in to look
a t him, la te at night, and found him stiff as a doll , always wi th the
same glassy stare. One night she was startl ed to see the ca t curl ed up
next to him. She decided to call the doctor, who started to give him
inj ecti ons. He was terrified, but seemed to take more of an interes t in
life. So she call ed in the boys to set up a new show for him .