Unknown - Isherwood, Christopher (The Berlin Stories - The Last of Mr Norris - Goodbye to Berlin) (TXT)

“And he’s really prepared to give you such a lot simply for arranging this meeting?”

“Remember, William, it seems a mere bagatelle to him. If this transaction is successful, he’ll probably make millions.”

“Well, all I can say is, I congratulate you. It ought to be easy enough to earn.”

“I’m glad you think so, my dear boy.” Arthur’s tone was guarded and doubtful.

“Why, where’s the difficulty? All you have to do is to go to Kuno and explain the whole situation.”

“William!” Arthur seemed positively horror-s(tricken. “That would be fatal!”

“I don’t see why.”

“You don’t see why? Really, dear boy, I must own I credited you with more finesse. No, that’s entirely out of the question. You don’t know Pregnitz as I do. He’s extraordinarily sensitive in these matters, as I’ve discovered to my cost. He’d regard it as an unwarrantable intrusion into his affairs. He’d withdraw at once. He has the true aristocratic outlook, which one so seldom finds in these money-grubbing days. I admit I admire him for it.”

I grinned.

“He seems to be a very peculiar sort of business man, if he’s offended when you offer him a fortune.”

But Arthur was quite heated.

“William, please, this is no time to be frivolous. Surely you must see my point. Pregnitz refuses, and I, for one, entirely

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agree with him, to mix personal with business relationships. Coming from you or from me, any suggestion that he should enter into negotiations with Margot, or with anybody else, would be an impertinence. And he’d resent it as such. Therefore, I do beg of you, don’t breathe one word about this to him, on any account.”

“No, of course I won’t. Don’t get excited. But look here, Arthur, do I understand you to mean that Kuno is to go to Switzerland without knowing that he’s there to meet Mar-got?”

“You put it in a nutshell.”

“H’m … That certainly complicates things, rather. All the same, I don’t see why you should have any special difficulty. Kuno probably goes to the winter sports, anyhow. It’s quite in his line. What I don’t altogether follow is, where do I come in? Am I to be brought along simply to swell the crowd, or to provide comic relief, or what?”

Arthur chose and divided another toothpick.

“I was just coming to that point, William.” His tone was carefully impersonal. “I’m afraid, you see, you’d have to go alone.”

“Alone with Kuno?”

“Yes.” Arthur began speaking with nervous rapidity. “There are a number of reasons which make it quite impossible for me to come with you, or to deal with this matter myself. In the first place, it would be exceedingly awkward, having once left this country, to return to it, as I should be obliged to do, even if only for a few days. Secondly, this suggestion, that we should go together to the winter sports, coming from me, would sound very odd. Pregnitz knows perfectly well that I haven’t the constitution or the taste for such things. Coming from you, on the other hand, what could be more natural? He’d probably be only too delighted to travel with such a young and lively companion.”

“Yes, I quite see all that … but how should I get into touch with Margot? I don’t even know him by sight.”

Arthur dismissed these difficulties with a wave of the hand.

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“Leave that to me, dear boy, and to him. Set your mind at rest, forget everything I’ve told you this evening, and enjoy yourself.”

“Nothing but that?”

“Nothing. Once you’ve got Pregnitz across the frontier your duties are at an end.”

“It sounds delightful.”

Arthur’s face lit up at once.

“Then you’ll go?”

“I must think it over.” )

Disappointed, he squeezed his chin. The toothpicks were divided into eighths. At the end of a long minute he said hesitantly: i

“Quite apart from your expenses, which, as I think 1 told you, will be paid in advance, I should ask you to accept a little something, you know, for your trouble.” ,

“No, thank you, Arthur.”

“I beg your pardon, William.” He sounded much relieved. “I might have known you wouldn’t.”

I grinned.

“I won’t deprive you of your honest earnings.”

Watching my face carefully, he smiled. He was uncertain how to take me. His manner changed.

“Of course, dear boy, you must do as you think best. I * don’t want to influence you in any way. If you decide against this scheme, I shan’t allude to it again. At the same time, you know what it means to me. It’s my only chance. I hate begging for favours. Perhaps I’m asking too much of you. I can only say that if you do this for me I shall be eternally grateful. And if it’s ever in my power to repay you …”

“Stop, Arthur. Stop! You’ll make me cry.” I laughed. “Very well. I’ll do my best with Kuno. But, for Heaven’s sake, don’t build your hopes on it. I don’t suppose for a minute he’ll come. Probably he’s engaged already.”

On this understanding, the subject was closed for the evening.

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Next day, when I returned from the tea-party at Kuno’s flat, I found Arthur waiting for me in his bedroom in a state of the most extreme anxiety. He could hardly wait to shut the door before hearing my news.

“Quick, William, please. Tell me the worst. I can bear it. He won’t come? No?”

“Yes,” I said. “He’ll come.”

For a moment, joy seemed to have made Arthur quite speechless, incapable of motion. Then a spasm passed over all his limbs; he executed a kind of caper in the air.

“My dear boy! I must, I really must embrace you!” And he Kterally threw his arms round my neck and kissed me, like a French general, on both cheeks. “Tell me all about it. Did you have much difficulty? What did he say?”

“Oh, he more or less suggested the whole thing himself before I had opened my mouth. He wanted to go to the Riesengebirge, but I pointed out that the snow would be much better in the Alps.”

“You did? That was brilliant of you, William! Positively inspired… .”

I sat down in a chair. Arthur fluttered round me, admiring and delighted.

“You’re quite sure he hasn’t the least suspicion?”

“Perfectly sure.”

“And how soon shall you be able to start?”

“On Christmas Eve, I think.”

Arthur regarded me solicitously.

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic, dear boy. I’d hoped this would be a pleasure to you, too. You’re not feeling ill, by any chance, I trust?”

“Not in the least, thank you.” I stood up. “Arthur, I’m going to ask you something.”

His eyelids fluttered nervously at my tone.

“Why—er—of course. Ask away, dear boy. Ask away.”

“I want you to speak the truth. Are you and Margot going to swindle Kuno? Yes or no?”

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“My dear William—er—really … I think you presume …”

“I want an answer, please, Arthur. You see, it’s important for me to know. I’m mixed up in this now. Are you or aren’t your

“Well, I must say … No. Of course not. As I’ve already explained at some length, I …”

“Do you swear that?”

“Really, William, this isn’t a court of law. Don’t look at me like that, please. All right, if it gives you any satisfaction, I swear it.”

“Thank you. That’s all I wanted. I’m sorry if I sounded rude. You know that, as a rule, I don’t meddle in your affairs. Only this is my affair too, you see.”

Arthur smiled weakly, rather shaken.

“I quite understand your anxiety, dear boy, of course. But in this case, I do assure you, it’s entirely unfounded. I’ve every reason to believe that Pregnitz will reap great benefits from this transaction, if he’s wise enough to accept it.”