"A Camus - The Stranger" - читать интересную книгу автора (Camus Albert)

When I rose, Raymond shook hands very warmly, remarking that men always understood each other. After closing the door behind me I lingered for some moments on the landing. The whole building was as quiet as the grave, a dank, dark smell rising from the well hole of the stairs. I could hear nothing but the blood throbbing in my ears, and for a while I stood still, listening to it. Then the dog began to moan in old SalamanoТs room, and through the sleep-bound house the little plaintive sound rose slowly, like a flower growing out of the silence and the darkness.

IV
I HAD a busy time in the office throughout the week. Raymond dropped in once to tell me heТd sent off the letter. I went to the pictures twice with Emmanuel, who doesnТt always understand whatТs happening on the screen and asks me to explain it. Yesterday was Saturday, and Marie came as weТd arranged. She had a very pretty dress, with red and white stripes, and leather sandals, and I couldnТt take my eyes off her. One could see the outline of her firm little breasts, and her sun-tanned face was like a velvety brown flower. We took the bus and went to a beach I know, some miles out of Algiers. ItТs just a strip of sand between two rocky spurs, with a line of rushes at the back, along the tide line. At four oТclock the sun wasnТt too hot, but the water was pleasantly tepid, and small, languid ripples were creeping up the sand.
Marie taught me a new game. The idea was, while one swam, to suck in the spray off the waves and, when oneТs mouth was full of foam, to lie on oneТs back and spout it out against the sky. It made a sort of frothy haze that melted into the air or fell back in a warm shower on oneТs cheeks. But very soon my mouth was smarting with all the salt IТd drawn in; then Marie came up and hugged me in the water, and pressed her mouth to mine. Her tongue cooled my lips, and we let the waves roll us about for a minute or two before swimming back to the beach.
When we had finished dressing, Marie looked hard at me. Her eyes were sparkling. I kissed her; after that neither of us spoke for quite a while. I pressed her to my side as we scrambled up the foreshore. Both of us were in a hurry to catch the bus, get back to my place, and tumble on to the bed. IТd left my window open, and it was pleasant to feel the cool night air flowing over our sunburned bodies.
Marie said she was free next morning, so I proposed she should have luncheon with me. She agreed, and I went down to buy some meat. On my way back I heard a womanТs voice in RaymondТs room. A little later old Salamano started grumbling at his dog and presently there was a sound of boots and paws on the wooden stairs; then, УFilthy brute! Get on, you cur!Ф and the two of them went out into the street. I told Marie about the old manТs habits, and it made her laugh. She was wearing one of my pajama suits, and had the sleeves rolled up. When she laughed I wanted her again. A moment later she asked me if I loved her. I said that sort of question had no meaning, really; but I supposed I didnТt. She looked sad for a bit, but when we were getting our lunch ready she brightened up and started laughing, and when she laughs I always want to kiss her. It was just then that the row started in RaymondТs room.
First we heard a woman saying something in a high-pitched voice; then Raymond bawling at her, УYou let me down, you bitch! IТll learn you to let me down!Ф There came some thuds, then a piercing screamЧit made oneТs blood run coldЧand in a moment there was a crowd of people on the landing. Marie and I went out to see. The woman was still screaming and Raymond still knocking her about. Marie said, wasnТt it horrible! I didnТt answer anything. Then she asked me to go and fetch a policeman, but I told her I didnТt like policemen. However, one turned up presently; the lodger on the second floor, a plumber, came up, with him. When he banged on the door the noise stopped inside the room. He knocked again, and, after a moment, the woman started crying, and Raymond opened the door. He had a cigarette dangling from his underlip and a rather sickly smile.
УYour name?Ф Raymond gave his name. УTake that cigarette out of your mouth when youТre talking to me,Ф the policeman said gruffly. Raymond hesitated, glanced at me, and kept the cigarette in his mouth. The policeman promptly swung his arm and gave him a good hard smack on the left cheek. The cigarette shot from his lips and dropped a yard away. Raymond made a wry face, but said nothing for a moment. Then in a humble tone he asked if he mightnТt pick up his cigarette.
The officer said, УYes,Ф and added: УBut donТt you forget next time that we donТt stand for any nonsense, not from guys like you.Ф
Meanwhile the girl went on sobbing and repeating: УHe hit me, the coward. HeТs a pimp.Ф
УExcuse me, officer,Ф Raymond put in, Уbut is that in order, calling a man a pimp in the presence of witnesses?Ф
The policeman told him to shut his trap.
Raymond then turned to the girl. УDonТt you worry, my pet. WeТll meet again.Ф
УThatТs enough,Ф the policeman said, and told the girl to go away. Raymond was to stay in his room till summoned to the police station. УYou ought to be ashamed of yourself,Ф the policeman added, Уgetting so tight you canТt stand steady. Why, youТre shaking all over!Ф
УIТm not tight,Ф Raymond explained. УOnly when I see you standing there and looking at me, I canТt help trembling. ThatТs only natural.Ф
Then he closed his door, and we all went away. Marie and I finished getting our lunch ready. But she hadnТt any appetite, and I ate nearly all. She left at one, and then I had a nap.
Toward three there was a knock at my door and Raymond came in. He sat down on the edge of my bed and for a minute or two said nothing. I asked him how it had gone off. He said it had all gone quite smoothly at first, as per program; only then sheТd slapped his face and heТd seen red, and started thrashing her. As for what happened after that, he neednТt tell me, as I was there.
УWell,Ф I said, Уyou taught her a lesson, all right, and thatТs what you wanted, isnТt it?Ф
He agreed, and pointed out that whatever the police did, that wouldnТt change the fact sheТd had her punishment. As for the police, he knew exactly how to handle them. But heТd like to know if IТd expected him to return the blow when the policeman hit him.
I told him I hadnТt expected anything whatsoever and, anyhow, I had no use for the police. Raymond seemed pleased and asked if IТd like to come out for a stroll with him. I got up from the bed and started brushing my hair. Then Raymond said that what he really wanted was for me to act as his witness. I told him I had no objection; only I didnТt know what he expected me to say.
УItТs quite simple,Ф he replied. УYouТve only got to tell them that the girl had let me down.Ф
So I agreed to be his witness.
We went out together, and Raymond stood me a brandy in a cafщ. Then we had a game of billiards; it was a close game and I lost by only a few points. After that he proposed going to a brothel, but I refused; I didnТt feel like it. As we were walking slowly back he told me how pleased he was at having paid out his mistress so satisfactorily. He made himself extremely amiable to me, and I quite enjoyed our walk.
When we were nearly home I saw old Salamano on the doorstep; he seemed very excited. I noticed that his dog wasnТt with him. He was turning like a teetotum, looking in all directions, and sometimes peering into the darkness of the hall with his little bloodshot eyes. Then heТd mutter something to himself and start gazing up and down the street again.
Raymond asked him what was wrong, but he didnТt answer at once. Then I heard him grunt, УThe bastard! The filthy cur!Ф When I asked him where his dog was, he scowled at me and snapped out, УGone!Ф A moment later, all of a sudden, he launched out into it.
УIТd taken him to the Parade Ground as usual. There was a fair on, and you could hardly move for the crowd. I stopped at one of the booths to look at the Handcuff King. When I turned to go, the dog was gone. IТd been meaning to get a smaller collar, but I never thought the brute could slip it and get away like that.Ф
Raymond assured him the dog would find its way home, and told him stories of dogs that had traveled miles and miles to get back to their masters. But this seemed to make the old fellow even more worried than before.
УDonТt you understand, theyТll do away with him; the police, I mean. ItТs not likely anyone will take him in and look after him; with all those scabs he puts everybody off.Ф
I told him that there was a pound at the police station, where stray dogs are taken. His dog was certain to be there and he could get it back on payment of a small charge. He asked me how much the charge was, but there I couldnТt help him. Then he flew into a rage again.
УIs it likely IТd give money for a mutt like that? No damned fear! They can kill him, for all I care.Ф And he went on calling his dog the usual names.
Raymond gave a laugh and turned into the hall. I followed him upstairs, and we parted on the landing. A minute or two later I heard SalamanoТs footsteps and a knock on my door.
When I opened it, he halted for a moment in the doorway.
УExcuse me ... I hope IТm not disturbing you.Ф
I asked him in, but he shook his head. He was staring at his toe caps, and the gnarled old hands were trembling. Without meeting my eyes, he started talking.
УThey wonТt really take him from me, will they, Monsieur Meursault? Surely they wouldnТt do a thing like that. If they doЧI donТt know what will become of me.Ф
I told him that, so far as I knew, they kept stray dogs in the pound for three days, waiting for their owners to call for them. After that they disposed of the dogs as they thought fit.
He stared at me in silence for a moment, then said, УGood evening.Ф After that I heard him pacing up and down his room for quite a while. Then his bed creaked. Through the wall there came to me a little wheezing sound, and I guessed that he was weeping. For some reason, I donТt know what, I began thinking of Mother. But I had to get up early next day; so, as I wasnТt feeling hungry, I did without supper, and went straight to bed.

V
RAYMOND rang me up at the office. He said that a friend of hisЧto whom heТd spoken about meЧinvited me to spend next Sunday at his little seaside bungalow just outside Algiers. I told him IТd have been delighted; only I had promised to spend Sunday with a girl. Raymond promptly replied that she could come, too. In fact, his friendТs wife would be very pleased not to be the only woman in a party of men.
IТd have liked to hang up at once, as my employer doesnТt approve of my using the office phone for private calls. But Raymond asked me to hold on; he had something else to tell me, and that was why heТd rung me up, though he could have waited till the evening to pass on the invitation.
УItТs like this,Ф he said. УIТve been shadowed all the morning by some Arabs. One of themТs the brother of that girl I had the row with. If you see him hanging round the house when you come back, pass me the word.Ф
I promised to do so.
Just then my employer sent for me. For a moment I felt uneasy, as I expected he was going to tell me to stick to my work and not waste time chattering with friends over the phone. However, it was nothing of the kind. He wanted to discuss a project he had in view, though so far heТd come to no decision. It was to open a branch at Paris, so as to be able to deal with the big companies on the spot, without postal delays, and he wanted to know if IТd like a post there.
УYouТre a young man,Ф he said, Уand IТm pretty sure youТd enjoy living in Paris. And, of course, you could travel about France for some months in the year.Ф
I told him I was quite prepared to go; but really I didnТt care much one way or the other.
He then asked if a Уchange of life,Ф as he called it, didnТt appeal to me, and I answered that one never changed his way of life; one life was as good as another, and my present one suited me quite well.
At this he looked rather hurt, and told me that I always shilly-shallied, and that I lacked ambitionЧa grave defect, to his mind, when one was in business.
I returned to my work. IТd have preferred not to vex him, but I saw no reason for Уchanging my life.Ф By and large it wasnТt an unpleasant one. As a student IТd had plenty of ambition of the kind he meant. But, when I had to drop my studies, I very soon realized all that was pretty futile.