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33
He was silent for a moment. The tears were still falling down her
pale little face. He thought how much he loved her, then said: "Now I
must go, Espinel wants to see me."
"What about?"
"I don't know. I'll tell him you can't give the show more than
once a night and see what he says. Will you wait here?"
"No, I'll go to the dressing-room."
Ten minutes later he found her there. He looked very happy.
"I've got great news for you, dear. They're keeping us on next month at
twice the money".
He came up to kiss her, but she pushed him away. "Must I do it
again tonight?"
"I'm afraid you must. They pay twice the money."
Again she began to cry.
"I can't, Syd, I can't. I shall kill myself." His own eyes were
filled with tears too. For he loved her.
"You know what it means," he said. "The old life and all."
"Anything is better than this," said she.
The old life. They both remembered it. Syd had been a dancing
gigolo, since he was eighteen. He was very good-looking and old
women and women of middle age were glad to pay to dance with him
and he was never out of work. It wasn't a bad life. There were usually
two or three men living in a room in a cheap hotel. They got up late
and went to the casino at twelve o'clock to dance with fat women who
wanted to get thin.
Then they were free till five, when they went to the casino again.
At night they went to the restaurant and got there quite a good meal.
And again they danced. It was good money. They usually got fifty or a
hundred francs from anyone they danced with. Those were the good
days when everybody had money. Then the crisis came. The hotels
were empty, and the clients did not want to pay money for dancing
with a good-looking man. Often and often Syd passed the whole day
without getting any money.
It was then he met Stella in France. She was a swimming instruc-
tress. She was Australian and a beautiful diver. He saw her every morn-
ing on the seaside. At night she danced at the hotel. They fell in love
with one another, and at the end of the season got married.
34
They had gone through hard times. It was not easy to get hotel
jobs for the two of them. All their things were sold. At last they went to
Nice to enter for a dancing competition at one of the casinos. Twenty-
four hours a day they danced, resting every hour for fifteen minutes. It
was terrible. On the eleventh day Stella fainted and had to give up. Syd
went on by himself without a partner.
But it was then that Syd had his bright idea. Stella always said
that she could dive in very little water. It was a trick. And then he once
saw burning petrol that was on the road, and his idea was formed. A
dive into flames, that trick the public would like.
He talked it over with Stella and she liked this idea. He wrote to
a friend of his who also liked it and he agreed to give money for the
apparatus. The friend got them an engagement at a circus in Paris and
the show was a success. They were happy. Engagements followed and
one was from a casino on the seaside. They got good money and could
save a little for the rainy day.
And now suddenly at the top of their success Stella wanted to
stop it.
"You know what it means, dear. We shall starve after we spend
our little bit of money. There are no jobs here."
She stopped crying and looked at Syd.
"What is it, dear?"
She stood up and went over to the dressing-table.
"I expect it's time for me to get ready. I mustn't disappoint my
public," she said quietly.
Exercises
1. Find answers to the following questions:
1. Where was Stella born?
2. What was her profession?
3. What was Cotman's profession?
4. Where did they meet?
5. Where did Cotman and Stella work after they were married?
6. What happened at the Dancing Marathon?
7. What bright idea came to Cotman?
8. Who gave money for the apparatus?
He was silent for a moment. The tears were still falling down her They had gone through hard times. It was not easy to get hotel
pale little face. He thought how much he loved her, then said: "Now I jobs for the two of them. All their things were sold. At last they went to
must go, Espinel wants to see me." Nice to enter for a dancing competition at one of the casinos. Twenty-
"What about?" four hours a day they danced, resting every hour for fifteen minutes. It
"I don't know. I'll tell him you can't give the show more than was terrible. On the eleventh day Stella fainted and had to give up. Syd
once a night and see what he says. Will you wait here?" went on by himself without a partner.
"No, I'll go to the dressing-room." But it was then that Syd had his bright idea. Stella always said
Ten minutes later he found her there. He looked very happy. that she could dive in very little water. It was a trick. And then he once
"I've got great news for you, dear. They're keeping us on next month at saw burning petrol that was on the road, and his idea was formed. A
twice the money". dive into flames, that trick the public would like.
He came up to kiss her, but she pushed him away. "Must I do it He talked it over with Stella and she liked this idea. He wrote to
again tonight?" a friend of his who also liked it and he agreed to give money for the
"I'm afraid you must. They pay twice the money." apparatus. The friend got them an engagement at a circus in Paris and
Again she began to cry. the show was a success. They were happy. Engagements followed and
"I can't, Syd, I can't. I shall kill myself." His own eyes were one was from a casino on the seaside. They got good money and could
filled with tears too. For he loved her. save a little for the rainy day.
"You know what it means," he said. "The old life and all." And now suddenly at the top of their success Stella wanted to
"Anything is better than this," said she. stop it.
The old life. They both remembered it. Syd had been a dancing "You know what it means, dear. We shall starve after we spend
gigolo, since he was eighteen. He was very good-looking and old our little bit of money. There are no jobs here."
women and women of middle age were glad to pay to dance with him She stopped crying and looked at Syd.
and he was never out of work. It wasn't a bad life. There were usually "What is it, dear?"
two or three men living in a room in a cheap hotel. They got up late She stood up and went over to the dressing-table.
and went to the casino at twelve o'clock to dance with fat women who "I expect it's time for me to get ready. I mustn't disappoint my
wanted to get thin. public," she said quietly.
Then they were free till five, when they went to the casino again.
At night they went to the restaurant and got there quite a good meal. Exercises
And again they danced. It was good money. They usually got fifty or a
hundred francs from anyone they danced with. Those were the good 1. Find answers to the following questions:
days when everybody had money. Then the crisis came. The hotels 1. Where was Stella born?
were empty, and the clients did not want to pay money for dancing 2. What was her profession?
with a good-looking man. Often and often Syd passed the whole day 3. What was Cotman's profession?
without getting any money. 4. Where did they meet?
It was then he met Stella in France. She was a swimming instruc- 5. Where did Cotman and Stella work after they were married?
tress. She was Australian and a beautiful diver. He saw her every morn- 6. What happened at the Dancing Marathon?
ing on the seaside. At night she danced at the hotel. They fell in love 7. What bright idea came to Cotman?
with one another, and at the end of the season got married. 8. Who gave money for the apparatus?
33 34
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