"Ивлин Во. Экскурсия в жизнь (engl) " - читать интересную книгу автора

'Oh, that was Miss Dawkins, my stenographer.'
'Simon, what can you mean?'
'You see, I've joined the film industry.'
'Darling. Do give me a job.'
'Well, I'm not paying much attention to casting at the moment-but I'll
bear you in mind.'
'Goodness. How you've changed in two days!'
'Yes!' said Simon, with great complacency. 'Yes, I think I have. You
see, for the first time in my life I have come into contact with Real Life.
I'm going to give up writing novels. It was a mug's game* anyway. The
written word is dead-first the papyrus, then the printed book, now the film.
The artist must no longer work alone. He is part of the age in which he
lives; he must share (only of course, my dear Sylvia, in very different
proportions) the weekly wage envelope of the proletarian. Vital art implies
a corresponding set of social relationships. Co-operation ... co-ordination
... the hive endeavour of the community directed to a single end ...'
Simon continued in this strain at some length, eating meantime a
luncheon of Dickensian dimensions,* until, in a small miserable voice,
Sylvia said: 'It seems to me that you've fallen for some ghastly film star.'
'O God,' said Simon, 'only a virgin could be as vulgar as that.'
They were about to start one of their old, interminable quarrels when
the telephone boy brought a message that Miss Grits wished to resume work
instantly.
'So that's her name,' said Sylvia.
'If you only knew how funny that was,' said Simon scribbling his
initials on the bill and leaving the table while Sylvia was still groping
with gloves and bag.


* * *


As things turned out, however, he became Miss Grits' lover before the
week was out. The idea was hers. She suggested it to him one evening at his
flat as they corrected the typescript of the final version of their first
treatment.
'No, really,' Simon said aghast. 'No, really. It would be quite
impossible. I'm sorry, but...'
'Why? Don't you like women?'
'Yes, but...'
'Oh, come along,' Miss Grits said briskly. 'We don't get much time for
amusement ...' And later, as she packed their manuscripts into her attache
case she said, 'We must do it again if we have time. Besides I find it's so
much easier to work with a man if you're having an affaire with him.'


3


For three weeks Simon and Miss Grits (he always thought of her by this