translated into literal fact, were probably for the most part only images the cruel and subtle minds of the old, wise, patient Jews had evoked and played with in their complex fantasy; and as he looked at the swarm of dark insistent faces round him at the table, an overwhelming sensation of defeat and desolation drowned his spirit—their dark looks read, and ate, and mocked at him, and yet were full of affection and tenderness as if they loved the food they fed upon: it seemed to him that he alone must die; that he must break his heart and smash his bones, lie beaten, drunken, mashed and senseless in the dives, must wreck his reason, lose his sanity, destroy his talent, and die a mad-dog howling in the wilderness while they—they alone—these old, wise, weary, patient, pain-devouring subtle-minded Jews—endured.
LIV
Robert’s mistress had come to town, and Robert asked Eugene to dine with them. In spite of the fact that Robert had talked constantly of his love for Martha, they snapped and snarled at each other throughout the evening. They went to a restaurant on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village for dinner. During the course of the meal several people came in whom Robert knew; the moment he saw them he would call sharply to them or jump up nervously and go to greet them. Then he would bring them back to the table and, in a tone of dogged and sullen intensity, introduce them to Martha, saying: “I want you to meet my wife.” Martha’s face would flush with anger and sullen rage, but she would acknowledge the introduction and mutter a few uncordial words of greeting. As for the people to whom he introduced her, they at first received the news that Martha was his wife with a look of blank stupefaction, managing, at length, to stammer: “B-b-but we didn’t know you were married, Robert! Why didn’t you let someone know about it? When did it happen?”
“About two weeks ago,” he said brusquely, obviously getting a fierce and sullen satisfaction from this absurd lie.
“Where are you living?”
“At the Leopold.”
“Will you be staying there?”
“No, we’re moving out soon.”
“Are you going to live in New York?”
“Yes,” he said doggedly, “we’ve taken an apartment…. Going to move in Monday.”
