578
PARTISAN REVIEW
hands dangled there, between sofa and chair, but the discomfort
caused them to fall apart.
Sebastian said, "We should discuss finance, too. I use this place
with Olga. I should like to contribute."
"We can discuss all that," said Angela, and yawned .
"There's also the business of Connie's school fees," said Henry
to Angela. "Did you get them paid in time?" To the others he said,
"Sorry, but we have a lot of things to discuss."
"We haven't seen each other for-how long has it been Henry?"
"It's been weeks," said Henry .
They had turned to face each other again. And they began
again to talk about practical things, school fees, holidays, mutually
convenient dates. Should Connie perhaps change schools? There
must be a room for Connie in Sebastian and Angela's new flat, as
well as the room for Marion. And in Henry's and Jody's flat too .
And so on.... Again it seemed as if the two were waiting for one
set of words to be finished, to return another, in a close hard ex–
change, as if words were something tangible, an extension of the one
who used them.
Throughout this weekend Sebastian and Jody had not allowed
their eyes to meet in comment, but now Jody was looking steadily at
Sebastian, and then he - slowly, as if determined not to evade a
responsibility or an obligation - allowed his eyes to engage with
hers. It was a long, sober gaze.
Again half an hour passed. Henry and Angela could not end
this exchange of theirs, which continued animatedly, with exclama–
tions, disagreements, agreements, suggestions . .. and then, a
clock struck from the hall, and Angela leaped up, "Oh goodness, I'm
going to bed, I'm dropping with sleep, oh Sebastian darling, do
come up soon ... " She went out, waving at the three. But Henry
followed her, and the two went up the stairs, talking hard all the
way . Again the two left behind looked at each other, and went on
looking, as they listened to Henry and Angela talking animatedly at
the top of the stairs, until at last Henry went one way to the room he
shared with Jody, and Angela the other to the room where Sebastian
would shortly find her fast asleep.
A silence.
Jody said deliberately, "They talk like that ,
they have to,
because
they can't make love."
He colored, but did not evade it . "I have to say that this
weekend I've seen things . . . "
