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

Arthur was back already. He looked out of his bedroom as I opened the front door of the flat.

“Come in, dear boy! Come in! This is indeed a pleasant surprise! When Frl. Schroeder told me you’d returned, I could hardly believe it. What was it made you come back so soon? Were you homesick for Berlin; or did you pine for my society? Please say you did! We’ve all missed you very much here. Our Christmas dinner was tasteless indeed without you. Yes … I must say, you’re not looking as well as I’d expected; perhaps you’re tired after the journey? Sit down here. Have you had tea? Let me give you a glass of something to refresh you?”

“No,- thank you, Arthur.”

“You won’t? Well, well … perhaps you’ll change your mind later. How did you leave our friend Pregnitz? Flourishing, I hope?”

“Yes. He’s all right.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Very glad. And now, William, I really must congratulate you on the admirable skill and tact with which you fulfilled your little mission. Margot was more

159

than satisfied. And he’s very particular, you know; very difficult to please… .”

“You’ve heard from him, then?”

“Oh, yes. I got a long telegram this morning. The money will arrive tomorrow. I’m bound to say this for Margot: he’s most punctual and correct in these matters. One can always rely on him.”

“Do you mean to say that Kuno’s agreed?”

“No, not that, alas. Not yet. These things aren’t settled in a day. But Margot’s distinctly hopeful. It seems that Pregnitz was a little difficult to persuade at first. He didn’t quite see how this transaction would be of advantage to his firm. But now he’s become definitely interested. He wants time to think it over, of course. Meanwhile, I get half my share as we arranged. I’m thankful to say that it’s more than sufficient to cover my travelling expenses; so that’s one weight lifted from my mind. As for the rest, I’m convinced, personally, that Pregnitz will agree in the end.”

“Yes … I suppose they all do.”

“Nearly all, yes …” Arthur agreed absently; became aware, the next moment, of something strange in my tone. “I don’t think, William, I quite understand what you mean.”

“Don’t you? I’ll put it more plainly then: I suppose van Hoorn usually succeeds in getting people to sell him whatever he wants to buy?”

“Well—er—I don’t know that, in this case, one could describe it as a sale. As I think I told you …”

“Arthur,” I interrupted wearily, “you can stop lying now. I know all about it.”

“Oh,” he began, and was silent. The shock seemed to have taken away his breath. Sinking heavily into a chair, he regarded his finger-nails with unconcealed dismay.

“This is all my own fault, really, I suppose. I was a fool ever to have trusted you. To do you justice, you more or less warned me against it, often enough.”

Arthur looked up at me quickly, like a spaniel which is going to be whipped. His lips moved, but he didn’t speak.

160

The deep-cleft dimple appeared for a moment in his collapsed chin. Furtively, he scratched his jowl, withdrawing his hand again immediately, as though he were afraid this gesture might annoy me.

“I ought to have known that you’d find a use for me, sooner or later; even if it was only as a decoy duck. You always find a use for everybody, don’t you? If I’d landed up in prison it’d have damn’ well served me right.”

“William, I give you my word of honour, I never …”

“I won’t pretend,” I continued, “that I care a damn what happens to Kuno. If he’s fool enough to let himself in for this, he does it with his eyes open… . But I must say this, Arthur: if anybody but Bayer had told me you’d ever do the dirty on the Party, I’d have called him a bloody liar. You think that’s very sentimental of me, I suppose?”

Arthur started visibly at the name.

“So Bayer knows, does he?”

“Of course.”

“Oh dear, oh dear… .”

He seemed to have collapsed into himself, like a scarecrow in the rain. His loose, stubbly cheeks were blotched and pallid, his lips parted in a vacant snarl of misery.

“I never really told van Hoorn anything of importance, William. I swear to you I didn’t.”

“I know. You never got the chance. It doesn’t seem to me that you’re much good, even as a crook.”

“Don’t be angry with me, dear boy. I can’t bear it.”

“I’m not angry with you; I’m angry with myself for being such an idiot. I thought you were my friend, you see.”

“I • don’t ask you to forgive me,” said Arthur, humbly. “You’ll never do that, of course. But don’t judge me too harshly. You’re young. Your standards are so severe. When you get to my age, youll see things differently, perhaps. It’s very easy to condemn when one isn’t tempted. Remember that.”

“I don’t condemn you. As for my standards, if I ever had any, you’ve muddled them up completely. I expect you’re

161

right. In your place, I’d probably have done just the same.”

“You see?” Arthur eagerly followed up his advantage. “I knew you’d come to look at it in that light.”

“I don’t want to look at it in any light. I’m too utterly sick of the whole filthy business… . My God, I wish you’d go away somewhere where I’ll never see you again!”

Arthur sighed.

“How hard you are, William. I should never have expected it. You always seemed to me to have such a sympathetic nature.”

“That was what you counted on, I suppose? Well, I think you’ll find that the soft ones object to being cheated even more than the others. They mind it more because they feel that they’ve only themselves to blame.”

“You’re perfectly justified, of course. I deserve all the unkind things you say. Don’t spare me. But I promise you most solemnly, the thought that I was implicating you in any sort of crime never once entered my head. You see, everything has gone off exactly as we planned. After all, where was the risk?”

“There was more risk than you think. The police knew all about our little expedition before we’d even started.”

“The police? William, you’re not in earnest!”

“You don’t think I’m trying to be funny, do you? Bayer told me to warn you. They’ve been round to see him and make inquiries.”

“My God… .”

The last traces of stiffness had gone out of Arthur. He sat there like a crumpled paper bag, his blue eyes vivid with terror.

“But they can’t possibly …”

I went to the window.

“Come and look, if you don’t believe me. He’s still there.”

“Who’s still there?”

“The detective who’s watching this house.”

Without a word, Arthur hurried to my side at the window and took a peep at the man in the buttoned-up overcoat.

162

Then he went slowly back to his chair. He seemed suddenly to have become much calmer.

“What am I to do?” He appeared to be thinking aloud rather than addressing me.

“You must clear out, of course; the moment you’ve got this money.”

“They’ll arrest me, William.”

“Oh no, they won’t. They’d have done it before this, if they were going to. Bayer says they’ve been reading all your letters… . Besides, they don’t know everything for certain yet, he thinks.”

Arthur pondered for some minutes in silence. He looked up at me in nervous appeal.

“Then you’re not going to …” He stopped.

“Not going to what?”

“To tell them, well—er—everything?”

“My God, Arthur!” I literally gasped. “What, exactly, do you take me for?”

“No, of course, dear boy … Forgive me. I might have known… .” Arthur coughed apologetically. “Only, just for the moment, I was afraid. There might be quite a large reward, you see… .”