122
PARTISAN REVIEW
the door, but Abbott was too quick. He had Lutz's knee again and this
time he put full pressure
to
it, even adding some tugs and jerks.
When he let up, Lutz was half off the sofa onto the floor. "My
God," Lutz gasped. With. trembling hands he rolled up his trouser leg.
The knee wasn't bleeding, but the teeth marks were deep and purple.
"No more you-know-what? " Abbott said.
"Right. Sincerest apologies."
"Apologies accepted. Now. Tell me, why did you act like such a
perfect fool?"
"You mean ... here in the parlor. Well, you see I thought it was,
ah .. . expected of me. I thought it would be just right. In the mood of
things. Larky, so to speak."
And it had been quite larky. The new Lutz at his best. He had led
" Ida O 'Shey" into the parlor, parked her at a sofa, got a drink for her
and one for himself, lit one of her lumpy cigarettes, and launched into
a scene which as he recalled it delighted him and made him blush
furiously. Tilting Ida O'Shey on the sofa and springing on her, Lutz
had scuffled and grunted and dished out feverish epithets of ardor. Ida
O 'Shey resisted with dignity, not dropping the conversation. She was
telling about the endless train ride north and her fellow passengers,
cowboys and Indians and two or three women whose photos she
vaguely recalled having seen on the dust jackets of books-while she
pushed away Lutz's numerous hands, abruptly turning her head as his
kisses worked their way up her arm and over her shoulder, and all the
while wheezing very authentically and barking rapid coughs that only
once or twice came out squawky and unconvincing.
They paused to catch their breath. "When's your next book
coming out? " Lutz asked.
"February," she wheezed.
"Who's doing it? "
"Fondoy and Epperson."
"Another drink?"
"Please."
He lit another fat cigarette for her, let her take a puff, then leaped
on her.
Throughout all this there remained that glint in the "lady's" eye
which Lutz had earlier taken for cunning. I was wondering if he had
misinterpreterl it, for now it seemed less glint than gleam. Lutz hardly
noticed it, so completely was he into his role. But it bothered me. Was
that gleam Abbott's version of "Ida O 'Shey's" fever? No.
