第2章

By that time， though， he had other things to worry about. He had been taken in hand by a lady who hoped to rise with the magazine. She was very forceful， and Cohn never had a chance of not being taken in hand. Also he was sure that he loved her. When this lady saw that the magazine was not going to rise， she became a little disgusted with Cohn and decided that she might as well get what there was to get while there was still something available， so she urged that they go to Europe， where Cohn could write. They came to Europe， where the lady had been educated， and stayed three years. During these three years， the first spent in travel， the last two in Paris， Robert Cohn had two friends， Braddocks and myself. Braddocks was his literary friend. I was his tennis friend.

The lady who had him， her name was Frances， found toward the end of the second year that her looks were going， and her attitude toward Robert changed from one of careless possession and exploitation to the absolute determination that he should marry her. During this time Robert's mother had settled an allowance on him， about three hundred dollars a month. During two years and a half I do not believe that Robert Cohn looked at another woman. He was fairly happy， except that， like many people living in Europe， he would rather have been in America， and he had discovered writing. He wrote a novel， and it was not really such a bad novel as the critics later called it， although it was a very poor novel. He read many books， played bridge， played tennis， and boxed at a local gymnasium.

I first became aware of his lady's attitude toward him one night after the three of us had dined together. We had dined at l'Avenue's and afterward went to the Café de Versailles for coffee. We had several fines after the coffee， and I said I must be going. Cohn had been talking about the two of us going off somewhere on a weekend trip. He wanted to get out of town and get in a good walk. I suggested we fly to Strasbourg and walk up to Saint Odile， or somewhere or other in Alsace. "I know a girl in Strasbourg who can show us the town，" I said.

Somebody kicked me under the table. I thought it was accidental and went on： "She's been there two years and knows everything there is to know about the town. She's a swell girl."

I was kicked again under the table and， looking， saw Frances， Robert's lady， her chin lifting and her face hardening.

"Hell，" I said， "why go to Strasbourg？ We could go up to Bruges， or to the Ardennes."

Cohn looked relieved. I was not kicked again. I said good-night and went out. Cohn said he wanted to buy a paper and would walk to the corner with me. "For God's sake，" he said， "why did you say that about that girl in Strasbourg for？ Didn't you see Frances？"

"No， why should I？ If I know an American girl that lives in Strasbourg what the hell is it to Frances？"

"It doesn't make any difference. Any girl. I couldn't go， that would be all."

"Don't be silly."

"You don't know Frances. Any girl at all. Didn't you see the way she looked？"

"Oh， well，" I said， "let's go to Senlis."

"Don't get sore."

"I'm not sore. Senlis is a good place and we can stay at the Grand Cerf and take a hike in the woods and come home."

"Good， that will be fine."

"Well， I'll see you to-morrow at the courts，" I said.

"Good-night， Jake，" he said， and started back to the café.

"You forgot to get your paper，" I said.

"That's so." He walked with me up to the kiosque at the corner. "You are not sore， are you， Jake？" He turned with the paper in his hand.

"No， why should I be？"

"See you at tennis，" he said. I watched him walk back to the café holding his paper. I rather liked him and evidently she led him quite a life.