did you leave her alone?"
"No big deal. A little self-control, is all."
"What about the necklace story?"
Erdosain had heard this story from the Astrologer, that the Ruffian once asked a dancer for concrete proof she loved him, so with other women watching she took off a magnificent necklace given to her by a lover, an elderly yard-goods importer. It was bizarre, since the old man was sitting nearby. Haffner took the necklace and, to everyone's shock, hefted it jeweler-style, cast an appraising eye on it, then handed it back with a snide smirk.
"That necklace story is easily explained," Haffner answered. "I was a little drunk. But even so I knew my little bit of theater would really raise me in the eyes of that cabaret scum, especially the women, they're all pushovers for that dashing stuff. What's so odd is half an hour later the old guy who gave Renée the necklace came to thank me humbly for not accepting the gift. See? He'd been watching the whole thing from another table and the only reason he didn't do anything about it was he didn't want to make a scene. But the whole time he was quaking in his boots, worried sick about his necklace ... well, you see what a sordid business it all was ... but here's the train for La Plata. See you soon, pal—Ah! Be there for the meeting Wednesday at the Astrologer's house. You'll find other people even more bizarre than me."
Erdosain went over to where the trains left for Buenos Aires. It was clear in his mind that Haffner was a monster.
The Humiliated Man
He got home at eight that night.
"The dining-room light was on ... But, in point of fact," as Erdosain was to tell it later, "my wife and I were so dirt poor that our so-called dining room was an unfurnished room. The other room was the bedroom. You may wonder why, if we were so poor, we could rent a house, but my wife had this notion, since she'd known better days she couldn't bear to just 'set up camp' somewhere.
"In the dining room the only furniture was a pine-wood table. In one corner our clothes hung from a wire, and another corner was taken up by a trunk with brass fittings, so it always seemed like we were about to take off for someplace else. Later, how often I've remembered how that cheap trunk always gave us that 'bon voyage' look, and it added to my misery when I was somebody who knew he could go to jail overnight.
"As I was saying, the dining-room light was on. When I opened the door, I stopped short. My wife was waiting for me, dressed to go out, sitting at the table. Her rosy little face had a veil down to her chin. To the right of her, by her feet, was a suitcase and on the other side of the table a man stood up when I came in, or rather, when I stood in the doorway paralyzed with shock.
"We were all frozen like that a second: The Captain on his feet, one hand on the table and the other on his sword hilt, my wife looking down and me in front of them, still with one hand on the door frame. Just that second's glimpse, but I'll never forget that man. He was a big guy, a big strapping jock in a green uniform. He looked away from my wife and his eyes were so very hard. I'm not exaggerating when I say he looked at me with insolence, as an inferior being. I kept my eyes on him. His big body went oddly with his little oval face, delicate slender nose, and tight-squeezed, prim little mouth. His chest bore the insignia of an air-force pilot.
"The first thing I said was:
" 'What's all this about?'
" 'Mr ... ,' then she felt ashamed and started differently. 'Remo,' she said, calling me by my name, 'Remo, I won't be living with you anymore.' "
Erdosain did not even have time to start shaking. The Captain spoke then:
"Your wife, whom I met a while ago—"
"And where did you meet her?"
"Why are you asking about this stuff?" Elsa cut in.
"Yes," the Captain objected. "Surely you can see that there are some things you just don't ask about ... "
Erdosain turned red.
"Maybe you're right there ... sorry ... "
"And
"No big deal. A little self-control, is all."
"What about the necklace story?"
Erdosain had heard this story from the Astrologer, that the Ruffian once asked a dancer for concrete proof she loved him, so with other women watching she took off a magnificent necklace given to her by a lover, an elderly yard-goods importer. It was bizarre, since the old man was sitting nearby. Haffner took the necklace and, to everyone's shock, hefted it jeweler-style, cast an appraising eye on it, then handed it back with a snide smirk.
"That necklace story is easily explained," Haffner answered. "I was a little drunk. But even so I knew my little bit of theater would really raise me in the eyes of that cabaret scum, especially the women, they're all pushovers for that dashing stuff. What's so odd is half an hour later the old guy who gave Renée the necklace came to thank me humbly for not accepting the gift. See? He'd been watching the whole thing from another table and the only reason he didn't do anything about it was he didn't want to make a scene. But the whole time he was quaking in his boots, worried sick about his necklace ... well, you see what a sordid business it all was ... but here's the train for La Plata. See you soon, pal—Ah! Be there for the meeting Wednesday at the Astrologer's house. You'll find other people even more bizarre than me."
Erdosain went over to where the trains left for Buenos Aires. It was clear in his mind that Haffner was a monster.
The Humiliated Man
He got home at eight that night.
"The dining-room light was on ... But, in point of fact," as Erdosain was to tell it later, "my wife and I were so dirt poor that our so-called dining room was an unfurnished room. The other room was the bedroom. You may wonder why, if we were so poor, we could rent a house, but my wife had this notion, since she'd known better days she couldn't bear to just 'set up camp' somewhere.
"In the dining room the only furniture was a pine-wood table. In one corner our clothes hung from a wire, and another corner was taken up by a trunk with brass fittings, so it always seemed like we were about to take off for someplace else. Later, how often I've remembered how that cheap trunk always gave us that 'bon voyage' look, and it added to my misery when I was somebody who knew he could go to jail overnight.
"As I was saying, the dining-room light was on. When I opened the door, I stopped short. My wife was waiting for me, dressed to go out, sitting at the table. Her rosy little face had a veil down to her chin. To the right of her, by her feet, was a suitcase and on the other side of the table a man stood up when I came in, or rather, when I stood in the doorway paralyzed with shock.
"We were all frozen like that a second: The Captain on his feet, one hand on the table and the other on his sword hilt, my wife looking down and me in front of them, still with one hand on the door frame. Just that second's glimpse, but I'll never forget that man. He was a big guy, a big strapping jock in a green uniform. He looked away from my wife and his eyes were so very hard. I'm not exaggerating when I say he looked at me with insolence, as an inferior being. I kept my eyes on him. His big body went oddly with his little oval face, delicate slender nose, and tight-squeezed, prim little mouth. His chest bore the insignia of an air-force pilot.
"The first thing I said was:
" 'What's all this about?'
" 'Mr ... ,' then she felt ashamed and started differently. 'Remo,' she said, calling me by my name, 'Remo, I won't be living with you anymore.' "
Erdosain did not even have time to start shaking. The Captain spoke then:
"Your wife, whom I met a while ago—"
"And where did you meet her?"
"Why are you asking about this stuff?" Elsa cut in.
"Yes," the Captain objected. "Surely you can see that there are some things you just don't ask about ... "
Erdosain turned red.
"Maybe you're right there ... sorry ... "
"And
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