Argosy, September 1955 — page 44: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

H. E. BATES =e As he prepared to serve soup she suddenly waved her hands — with impatience at herself and said: ‘‘ My bag. Would you think I could be such a dim-wit? I leave it everywhere—”’ ““ T will get it, madame,’’ Manuel said. He hurried out of the room with dignified jerky steps. “I could have got it. for you,’ Manson said. . ‘““T know you could.” ‘The large flashing blue eyes disarmed him. “ But he likes doing things. He would be hurt if we didn’t let him. That’s what he’s here for.” ; Manuel came and put Miss Vane’s bag on the lunch-table. “Thank you, Manuel,” she said. Manuel served soup from a wicker trolley. ‘“* By the way,” she said, ‘‘ we would like to do the climb to the top. How long will it take us? ”’ ~ “ Tt isn’t a climb, madame,’ Manuel said. “ It’s just a walk. It takes half an hour.”’ “You and your inaccessible places,” she said to Manson. ““ Everything is too easy for words.”’ “* What about the Serra?’’ Manson said. ‘‘ That isn’t easy, is it?” “TI do not know about the Serra, sir.”’ “What is the Serra? ”’ she said. “It’s the high plateau,’ Manson said. ‘“‘ The really high one. The really lonely one. Isn’t that so, Manuel ?—it’s lonely. People don’t like it, do they? ”’ *“ No, sir,’’ Manuel said. ‘‘ People don’t like it.” ao “Why not? ”’ she said. £s ““T can’t say, madame,” he said. ‘“‘I think it’s because there’s __ nothing there. People like to have company. They don’t like | places where there is nothing.” “I think that’s where we should go,’ Manson said. ‘* That would be something worth while.” ‘1 don’t think so, sir.” : > “Oh, I most certainly think a Manson said. “ After all, that’s what we came up here for—the high places and the view and that sort of thing.” “If the view is no better,’’ Miss Vane said, “ there’s hardly any point in going, is there? Is the view any better? ” ‘““T don’t think you can see so far, madame,’’ Manuel said. “‘ Well, there you are,”’ she said. With irritation Manson said, ‘I thought you were the adven- turous one. I thought you liked it the difficult way.” “Oh, I do,” she said. ‘* But if there’s no point—I mean if Manuel doesn’t think the thing worth while...” Manson waited for Manuel to clear the soup dishes and take . them away through the gauze doors that separated the dining-room from his cage at the back. “‘ I fail to see what Manuel has to do with it. Wecan go alone. Manuel isn’t obliged to come.’ ** What is there about this place? ”’ she said. . ** He’s afraid of it. They’re all afraid of it. They’re superstitious — about it.” : : CoMmicOOKs: CO mi aden