And then, so she won’t misunderstand, they both fall on her, they come crashing down on her.. they roll over her, body to body.. she was just a slender thing.. She’d come to borrow on her "bond,” her Mexican stock. She’s still holding it in her hand. Ah! She won’t let go!. She’s clutching it. She was too scared of robbers!. and she keeps on yelping..
"Help! Help! The door please!. the door!”. But Boro didn’t want her to slip away… He was holding on to her skirt!. while squeezing Claben by the collar… He was afraid she’d yell outside.. but there’s the caliph escaping!.. flattening himself, making himself flabby-wabby under the grip. he sort of melted himself from enormous to all-shriveled-up under the force… his whole big ass, his big belly. he’s slipping.. dissolving. he gets away. just look at him! Pop!. he’s up again! All balloon! He springs up from the combat! He rushes to a big knife there on the table.. Luckily I move fast, I grab him by his skirts… his baggy pants, I tear at his silks, head over heels!..Pa-ta-ta-boom!. His ass in the air!. Ah! good thing I came!. Boro lets right go of the client… he grabs a rifle from the umbrella stand, a big-game Winchester, an awful bludgeon.. and he runs after The Horror! The fight goes on! He’s going to whack him with the butt! He’s brandishing his blunderbuss in the air! There’s a scramble in the back of the room!. It’s all closed in. muffled. I can hardly see.. just the light of a water-lamp… an oddlooking gadget on the table, there near the customer. a big globe… a drip glass for oil underneath..
I can just about see the hysteria!.. the way they’re both whacking away at each other!. I want the lady at least to be saved!. my presence of mind!. I grab hold of her again in the pile of crockery. I pull her out again by her skirt. I yank! Oh! whiss! I get all of her out! I stand her up straight! vertical! she’s wobbly!. she can’t stand up! she sits down.. she’s breathing hard..
In the back. in the darkness. the two keep at it like mad! a struggle! terrific hmphs!. The old guy’s moneybag turns inside out!. It’d been slung across his back. clink!.. clink!. clink! It all spills!. rolls out. pours. scatters. clinking everywhere! A whole wave of gold!. coins!.. coins!. They go on strangling each other. they roll over together. right in the gold!. horrible grips. They come up against the customer. They knock her off her chair again!
.. She rolls under them again. she’s caught under the wrestlers again!. she’s being crushed!..
"Mister! Mister!” she begs… "The door please!.. the door!”. she’s starting it again..
I can’t pull her out from under the lunatics this time, that’s the end of it now! they’re planted squarely on top of her.. she’s all flattened out!. I crawl toward the door. I give up!
air!. I’m all in!. I’m croaking too!. A puff!.. A breath! Have pity! I’ve made it!.. Oof! I push! The door! The cool wind! Ah! the old man’s choking! Ooh! awful!.. Right in the breadbasket, on top of the other, in the back, in the dark, arms locked!. The air got him! choking outright!
It was too cool! "Asthma! Asthma!” he gasps at me! he’s suffocating!.. puking!.. Ah! he’s going to drop dead sure thing. his eyes are rolling! And it all collapses! caftan, silks, puffed pants, the guy himself.. He’s there on the floor.. he’s drooling. groaning. We unhook his jacket, he’s having convulsions, foaming, a mess!.. he’s going to pass out!.. his eyes are rolling like crazy!. The customer spins round with fear. she flies out through the door!. she leaves everything there!.. her things, her bag!.. her stocks!..
She just about gets out when another dame breezes in.. This one was even worse!. Starts screaming right away.. clamoring! a fit of barking! she’s hardly seen the thing, the pasha like that on his back… a horrible scene right away.. Boro knows her.
"Delphine! Delphine!” he calls..
It’s the maid… He tells me it’s the maid!..
Where’s she coming from?… She immediately throws herself on her boss.. She covers him with tears, with kisses!.. She’s very fond of her Mr. Titus.. She wants him to come right to his senses… to open his eyes!.. Boro’s busy with him, too!.. He also wants him to come around!.. He’s doing all he can.. He’s squatting in contortions.. He’s breathing into him everywhere. in his ears. in his mouth. Ah! the battle’s over!. Now it’s everything to save the man!. He stretches out his arms in the form of a cross… He lifts him up.. lowers him.. artificial respiration. That does him good immediately… He starts breathing a little. they sit him down.. with his back to the wall.. they prop him up with cushions… he breaks down again. slumps again… he f alls to the right. then to the left!. He wants to inhale smelling salts. he mumbles. groans. he wants!. The salts are in the closet! on the first floor! quick! quick! quick!.. Boro can’t go up! He has to work on him. So I jump up!. I find them right away.. The bottle’s empty! Woe upon woe!..
It makes Delphine roar!. What an ordeal!
"Mr. Titus!. Please! Wake up!.. Be yourself!”
Awful clamors! she grabs him. shakes him!. He’s got to come to! got to revive! All means! use everything! She’s an extraordinary maid! blazing with affection and zeal!..You can’t deny it! she’s a fine person! Her boss isn’t a pretty sight! Her hippo’s not dainty! He’s lying there in his silks full of his filth.. his vomit.. he’s still gurgling!.. his eyes are swiveling. they get rigid. revulse. Ah! it’s horrible to watch!
.. and then poof!.. He turns crimson!.. So livid just a second ago!. He’s swelling up with big gobs… his mouth’s full… he makes an effort. Relief comes!.. She holds his head… she helps him..
"Good! Mr. Claben! Good!”
She’s quite pleased.. She’s down on her knees, holding him up.. she’s encouraging him… at every gasp a nice word.. Finally he pukes it all out!.. she’s quite happy!.. He’s still disgorging his bile. and more green stuff. all around.. even over Boro at his side. who’s looking on. it splashes around… I get a big gasp of it too.. He’s feeling much better! He wants to be put back on his bed. There behind the screen… in the shop itself… on the enormous four-poster.. I take a look… I see it… full of furs, piles of them, mattresses. in big soft heaps. We hoist him up on it, whew!. He’s heavy! We arrange his pillows. Have to put his jacket on him, his yellow and purple silks, his turban, he insists on it! He’s getting kittenish again! Ah! that means he’s feeling better!.. Got to let him have all his trinkets, all his pasha junk, his bells and moire ribbons! and now his moneybag! and his blunderbuss!.. top to toe! Fine! He wants all of it right there on his bed!. all beside him!. Right away! He’s quite demanding.. He’s got no more confidence.. and his jeweler’s glass!.. and his carved cane!.. Got to have it all right there!.. He’s had his head punched in… he’s got a shiner!.. blue and red and bleeding!.. and his left eyebrow’s split open!. Delphine’s kissing him. she grabs him around the waist, hugs him. cajoles him, adores him!. She’s an ardent servant!.. Ah! she came in the nick of time!. She’s not too young a woman… I can’t get a good look at her in that damned dive… all windows closed.. just that dirty disgusting lamp that gives light like a turd.. They haven’t opened a blind! He refuses to, won’t hear of it!.. He starts groaning a little. still a bit weak. She throws herself on him with caresses!.. He doesn’t want anyone to send for a doctor… He absolutely refuses.. Delphine’s soothing him.. fondling him… He demands music.. All his ideas are coming back..
"Boro! Boro!” he mutters, whining, unhappy. "Boro! Boro!
The Merry Widow Waltz!”. Still wants it!. He insists on it…
Boro’s sprawled out there collapsed, in a pile of furs at Claben’s side. He’s fallen asleep on the pile. The battle royal’s done him good.. His nerves were wound up.. He’s snoring now with his belly in the air. We shake him.. He’s got to obey!. It’s the sick man’s will..