The Ginger Man - J. P. Donleavy [68]
"Certainly, Mr. Dangerfield, I'd be glad to, here,"
"I really am very grateful—very grateful indeed."
"I don't know how to say this, Mr. Dangerfield, but Mrs. Dangerfield told me to tell you that she's not coming back.
"Can you tell me where she has gone?"
"She was very upset and she left without saying exactly, although I understood that she was taking the Liverpool boat and she had a ticket on the train to Edinburgh"
"Rash"
"She was disturbed"
"Couldn't have gotten my gram"
"I don't think she got a telegram"
"No. More's the pity. Avoid this misunderstanding. Rash."
"I'll clean up a little here, Mr. Dangerfield."
"O don't bother, Miss Frost. Leave it to me. I'll take care of it. Desk was a little stuck."
"O no, Mr. Dangerfield, you look so tired. I'll do it. It will only take a minute. I bought some bread and sausages. 1 think there are a few tomatoes in the cupboard. Would you like to share them with me, Mr. Dangerfield? You must be very hungry."
"I couldn't, Miss Frost, it's not fair"
"Please do, Mr. Dangerfield"
"Well, it's extremely kind of you, Miss Frost"
"O it's nothing at all, really."
"God damn, arse hole, bitch."
"Is something the matter, Mr. Dangerfield?"
"O no, Miss Frost—my leg a little itchy. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll change for dinner."
"Certainly, Mr. Dangerfield."
Swathed in blanket, Sebastian crept from the room. I'm an Iroquois for sure.
He put on his corduroy trousers, kept hidden and damp in a drawer. And difficulty buttoning the fly. Don't want any pink penis showing or Miss Frost will think I'm being suggestive for sure. And I could never bear another night- mare due to exposure of part or parts. Must be careful of my approach to Miss Frost Rather nice. Fine. And there weren't many of them these days. All after foul wampum. O where is the dignity? Old families and estates? Carriages and footmen? The vulgarity that has come to pass. Put them back down. Back down. And Marion with them. Sneak off, go ahead. Get out, stay out. Wouldn't give me a chance. Some day you'll show up when I'm back where I belong in this world. When I have what I ought to have. My due. And when you do. My gamekeepers will drive you out and away for good. Out. Away. Out
He was yelling.
"Is there anything wrong in there, Mr.Dangerfield?"
"Quite all right. Everything's all right"
"Whenever you're ready, Mr. Dangerfield."
"Thank you, Miss Frost"
Finish joining this piece of copper wire around my waist. And a bit of this curtain for the scarf that's in it. Just cut it off. Cut Cut. Cut Fold. Like that Hide a few of the ragged edges. Little comb of the hair. See how my teeth are. Spread the lips. Look rusty. But I have fine flared nostrils on a fine straight nose. An aristocrat wherever I flee. And my eyes are curious, big ones. They all say I have very fine eyes.
Sebastian entering the morning room. Guilty look at the destroyed desk. Miss Frost putting a great platter of sausages on the table encircled with mahogany. There was a tablecloth, back rashers. Bowl of milk and pile of neatly cut bread. Sugar. Plates clean and sparkling, a knife on one side, fork on the other.
Miss Frost sat down, her hand reaching and pulling at the end of her skirt in modesty and lurking sensuality. Danger-field hesitant Must let the boarder always make the first move towards the food.
"This is certainly very good of you, although I don't think it's really fair to let you do it, Miss Frost"
"It's nothing, really, Mr. Dangerfield. I enjoy having something to do like cooking."
"But after a hard day. I think it's asking too much"
"O no."
Miss Frost smiled with rather large, well shaped teeth. Something like my own. And no lipstick. Pleasant to look at her mouth. Sitting sedately across, passing me everything going. That platter there.
Sebastian took four sausages. leaving five. Meant only to take three but some uncontrollable instinct made me take four. And pass the bread to Miss Frost. Must show that I'm not all absorbed by the sausages. Marion perhaps was at her, telling a lot of lies about me. Miss Frost will find out for herself that I'm all right. If there were more people like Miss Frost, people with kindness and consideration. Her gray hair is most becoming.