U.S.A_ - John Dos Passos [489]
Margo was mad, she was striding up and down the
room in her new white spangly dress with a trimming of ostrich feathers. She caught sight of herself in the big triple mirror standing between the beds. She went over and stood in front of it. She looked at the three views of herself in the white spangly dress. Her eyes were a flash-ing blue and her cheeks were flushed. Agnes came up behind her bringing her the rhinestone band she was going to wear in her hair. "Oh, Margie," she cried, "you never looked so stunning."
The maid came up to say that Mr. Margolies was wait-ing. Margo kissed Agnes and said, "You won't be scared with the detectives, wil you, dearie?" Margo pul ed the ermine wrap that they'd sent up on approval that after-noon round her shoulders and walked out to the car. Rodney Cathcart was there lol ing in the back seat in his dressclothes. A set of perfect teeth shone in his long brown face when he smiled at her. Sam had got out to help her in, "Margo darling, you take our breaths away, I knew that was the right dress," he said. His eyes were brighter than usual. "Tonight's a very important night. It is the edict of the stars. I'l tel you about it later. I've had our horoscopes cast." In the crowded throbbing vestibule Margo and Rodney Cathcart had to stop at the microphone to say a few words about their new picture and their association with Sam Margolies as they went in through the beating glare of lights and eyes to the lobby. When the master of cere-monies tried to get Margolies to speak he turned his back angrily and walked into the theater as if it was empty, not looking to the right or the left. After the show they went to a restaurant and sat at a table for a while. Rodney Cathcart ordered some kidneychops. "You mustn't eat too
-421-much, Si," said Margolies. "The pièce de résistance is at my flat." Sure enough there was a big table set out with cold salmon and lobstersalad and a Filipino butler opening champagne for just the three of them when they went back there after the restaurant had started to thin out. This time Margo tore loose and ate and drank al she could hold. Rodney Cathcart put away almost the whole salmon, muttering that it was topping and even Sam, say-ing he was sure it would kil him, ate a plate of lobstersalad. Margo was dizzygiggly drunk when she found that the Filipino and Sam Margolies had disappeared and that she and Si were sitting together on the couch that had the lionskin on it. "So you're going to marry Sam," said Si, gulping down a glass of champagne. She nodded. "Good girl." Si took off his coat and vest and hung them careful y on a chair. "Hate clothes," he said. "You must come to my ranch. . . . Hot stuff.""But you wear them so beautiful y," said Margo. "Correct," said Si. He reached over and lifted her into his knee. "But, Si, we oughtn't to, not on Sam's lionskin." Si put his mouth to hers and kissed her. "You find me exciting? You ought to see me stripped.""Don't, don't," said Margo. She couldn't help it, he was too strong, his hands were al over her under her dress.
"Oh, hel , I don't give a damn," she said. He went over and got her another glass of champagne. For him-self he fil ed a bowl that had held cracked ice earlier in the evening.
"As for that lion it's bloody rot. Sam shot it but the blighter shot it in a zoo. They were sel in' off some old ones at one of the bloody lionfarms and they had a shoot. Couldn't miss 'em. It was a bloody crime." He drank down the champagne and suddenly jumped at
her. She fel on the couch with his arms crushing her. She was dizzy. She walked up and down the room
-422-trying to catch her breath. "Goodnight, hot sketch," Si said and careful y put on his coat and vest again and was gone out the door. She was dizzy.
Sam was back and was showing her a lot of calculations on a piece of paper. His eyes bulged shiny into her face as she tried to read. His hands were shaking."It's tonight," he kept saying, "it's tonight that our lifelines cross. . . . We are married whether we wish it or not. I don't believe in freewil . Do you, darling Margo?"