While Noelle was getting dressed, Armand Gautier went into his book-lined study
and scanned the familiar-looking worn volumes on the shelves. Finally, with a wry smile,
he selected Euripides’ Andromache. It was one of the most difficult classics to act. He
went back into the bedroom and handed the play to Noelle.
“Here you are, my dear,” he said. “When you have memorized the part, we shall go
over it together.”
“Thank you, Armand. You will not be sorry.”
The more he thought about it, the more pleased Gautier was with his ploy. It would
take Noelle a week or two to memorize the part, or what was even more likely, she would
come to him and confess that she was unable to memorize it. He would sympathize with
her, explain how difficult the art of acting was, and they could assume a relationship
untainted by her ambition. Gautier made a date to have dinner with Noelle that evening,
and she left.
When Noelle returned to the apartment she shared with Philippe Sorel, she found him
waiting for her. He was very drunk.
“You bitch,” he yelled. “Where have you been all night?”
It would not matter what she said. Sorel knew that he was going to listen to her
apologies, beat her up, then take her to bed and forgive her.
But instead of apologizing Noelle merely said, “With another man, Philippe. I’ve
come to pick up my things.”
And as Sorel watched her in stunned disbelief, Noelle walked into the bedroom and
began to pack.
“For Christ’s sake, Noelle,” he pleaded. “Don’t do this! We love each other. We’re
going to get married.” He talked to her for the next half hour, arguing, threatening,
cajoling, and by that time Noelle had finished packing and had left the apartment and
Sorel had no idea why he had lost her, for he did not know that he had never possessed
her.
Armand Gautier was in the middle of directing a new play that was to open in two
weeks and he spent all day at the theater in rehearsals. As a rule when Gautier was in
production, he thought of nothing else. Part of his genius was the intense concentration he
was able to bring to his work. Nothing existed for him but the four walls of the theater and
the actors he was working with. This day however was different. Gautier found his mind
constantly wandering to Noelle and the incredible night they had had together. The actors
would go through a scene and then stop and wait for his comments, and Gautier would
suddenly realize that he had been paying no attention. Furious with himself he tried to
focus his attention on what he was doing, but thoughts of Noelle’s naked body and the
amazing things it had done to him would keep coming back. In the middle of one dramatic
scene he found that he was walking around the stage with an erection, and he had to
excuse himself.