328
PARTISAN REVIEW
has false teeth. They make him take them out for his shock treat–
ment! As if they were afraid he'd bite! They might just as well put a
muzzle on him, while they're about it!
(He examines the audience, shading his eyes with his hand, and picks out
a young woman.)
No, it's not true! Could it be you, my darling, my Antoinette?
You can't see a thing with these lights.
(He steps down into the house. Stops infront of a woman. Looks at her
for a long time.)
No no, of course not. That would really have been too extraor–
dinary .
(He goes back onto the stage.)
It's twenty years, do you realize? But I'm patient. I'm still wait–
ing for her. Because she's the only one who can get me out of that
hole. Every time I leave it it's as if I'd gone to look for her. The last
time she came to see me . ..
(Long silence.)
The day before, the medi–
cal director sent for me. I wondered what on earth he wanted with
me. He said, "Martin, we've known each other a long time now,
and there's one point we're agreed on, isn't there? You are perfectly
healthy." Me, "Oh yes, I do feel well, except that I may perhaps be
starting a little cold." "No, I mean mentally-you aren't ill?" "Me?
Mentally ill? Well really, doctor, if
you
say so!" "No, well, what I
mean is, we understand you, you're delicate, very highly-strung,
and then you certainly have bizarre tastes, but you aren't what is
commonly called mad."
How about that! Only I thought he was going to let me out! It
even scared me a little, at first. Because in the long run, obviously,
you get out of the habit of the wide open spaces, you can't quite
imagine yourself outside again, with responsibilities and all that! But
then the director reassured me, he even told me something that gave
me such enormous, tremendous, colossal pleasure that I nearly wept.
No, I actually did weep. He told me, "I'm talking to you like this be–
cause Madame Martin is coming to visit you tomorrow-yes, your
wife." So then I wasn't scared anymore . I said to myself, she's com–
ing to fetch me. They're letting me out, but she's going to look after
