第21部分(第4/7 页)

ide　it　was　getting　dark。　I　lay　on　the　bed　and　thought　about　Catherine　and　waited　for　Rinaldi。　I　was　going　to　try　not　to　think　about　Catherine　except　at　night　before　I　went　to　sleep。　But　now　I　was　tired　and　there　was　nothing　to　do；　so　I　lay　and　thought　about　her。　I　was　thinking　about　her　when　Rinaldi　came　in。　He　looked　just　the　same。　Perhaps　he　was　a　little　thinner。

〃Well；　baby；〃　he　said。　I　sat　up　on　the　bed。　He　came　over；　sat　down　and　put　his　arm　around　me。　〃Good　old　baby。〃　He　whacked　me　on　the　back　and　I　held　both　his　arms。

〃Old　baby；〃　he　said。　〃Let　me　see　your　knee。〃

〃I'll　have　to　take　off　my　pants。〃

〃Take　off　your　pants；　baby。　We're　all　friends　here。　I　want　to　see　what　kind　of　a　job　they　did。〃　I　stood　up；　took　off　the　breeches　and　pulled　off　the　knee…brace。　Rinaldi　sat　on　the　floor　and　bent　the　knee　gently　back　and　forth。　He　ran　his　finger　along　the　scar；　put　his　thumbs　together　over　the　kneecap　and　rocked　the　knee　gently　with　his　fingers。

〃Is　that　all　the　articulation　you　have？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃It's　a　crime　to　send　you　back。　They　ought　to　get　plete　articulation。〃

〃It's　a　lot　better　than　it　was。　It　was　stiff　as　a　board。〃

Rinaldi　bent　it　more。　I　watched　his　hands。　He　had　fine　surgeon's　hands。　I　looked　at　the　top　of　his　head；　his　hair　shiny　and　parted　smoothly。　He　bent　the　knee　too　far。

〃Ouch！〃　I　said。

〃You　ought　to　have　more　treatment　on　it　with　the　machines；〃　Rinaldi　said。

〃It's　better　than　it　was。〃

〃I　see　that；　baby。　This　is　something　I　know　more　about　than　you。〃　He　stood　up　and　sat　down　on　the　bed。　〃The　knee　itself　is　a　good　job。〃　He　was　through　with　the　knee。　〃Tell　me　all　about　everything。〃

〃There's　nothing　to　tell；〃　I　said。　〃I've　led　a　quiet　life。〃

〃You　act　like　a　mar