Pierre was set aside by Clothilda, she began to be engaged with Adam one.
– Well-well, we will look what will be made by you yours «the improving women’s influence» – the offended Pierre said with irony.
However he had to admit soon that Adam considerably changed for the better.
Clothilda often walked with Adam on foot, and business did without any adventures. Adam behaved well.
What sometimes confused Clothilda, so it is Adam’s questions, absolutely simple, but which, however, she was difficult to answer.
That he asked whether to consider «neighbor» of a bear and whether it is necessary to substitute it if strikes, «other cheek». That, having seen on the street of the hungry beggar near the delivery boy of pies, Adam samochinno fed the beggar and started disputes about «others» and «own», obviously without perceiving «bases of the economy» and insisting that hungry it is more, than police officers.
Such talk awoke in Clothilda some disturbing feeling. And once, seeing that Adam goes, having bent the head, obviously reflecting over some new question, Clothilda solved: he should be entertained. With it it is already possible to go to theater fearlessly. It will be necessary to show it some good classical play.
VII. THE SAVED DESDEMONA
Adam sat with Clotilda de Troyes in a bed of the first tier, near a scene.
When the curtain rose, Adam quietly screamed from surprise:
– The wall left…
– You sit quietly – Clothilda tutorially told – you do not rustle.
– I will be – as usual, Adam answered. There was Shakespeare’s tragedy «Othello».
Adam looked at the auditorium shipped in a gloom on bright festoon lightings, on the top boxes.
– You look there – Clothilda by a fan pointed to the stage.
Adam looked and «there», but it was visible that the theatrical performance does not take its attention. Clothilda overestimated Adam’s development. The poetic speech of the tragedy, with conditional arrangement of words, melodious diction of the French drama school complicated understanding. Adam perceived only outer side of a performance: paints and gestures…
Recovered only its collision of groups of Brabantio and Othello in the second stage a little. And in the third scene of the first act he already impatiently pottered on the place and sighed: to it bothered to sit in theater.
But there was Desdemona whose role was played by the actress with a world name. Her charming appearance, her suit and, the main thing, its concerning voice made a miracle: Adam suddenly addressed all in sight and hearing. He and stared hard at the stage, without taking eyes with Desdemona. When it left, Adam sighed and with alarm asked Clothilda:
– Where it left? It still will come?
Clothilda smiled:
– Will come. Only you sit quietly.
– What is her name?
– Desdemona.
And Adam began to repeat quietly:
– Dezhdemon… Dezhdemon… Dezhdemon…
The performance suddenly gained extraordinary interest. Adam lived Desdemona’s appearance, suffered from impatience when she left a scene. He still understood hardly more than one tenth of what was told on the stage, but some intuition, new to it, he quite truly estimated people depending on their attitude towards Desdemona. Othello, up to awakening in it of jealousy, excited Adam’s sympathies as well as Cassio. Rodrigo was not pleasant, he began to hate Iago.
When Othello for the first time roughly shouted on Desdemona: «Away from my eyes!» – Adam deafly grumbled. From this point he hated already and Othello.
The tragic outcome came nearer. Desdemona at herself in a bedroom sings a sad song:
The poor thing sat under the shade sikomor, sighing.
Oh, sing a green willow…
When Othello entered to Desdemona, ready to suffocate her, Adam suddenly all pricked up the ears, as at the most dangerous moments of hunting. His eyes with dry gloss monitored each movement of Othello, muscles strained, the head went to shoulders. Fingers stuck into a velvet upholstery of a barrier of a box.
Desdemona’s entreaties, Othello’s anger – all this was clear to it without words. At last while Othello began to smother Desdemona, the inhuman roar was distributed in theater – a roar which was expected by neither Shakespeare, nor the director, nor public.
The figure of the huge person grew from the dark depth of a box. One jump it flew through orchestra on the stage, ran to the actor playing Othello tore off it from Desdemona, pushed to the floor and began to smother, smother in the most real way.
From the scenes to the aid of Othello firefighters, workers, actors rushed. Among this dump Adam did not release from Desdemona’s type. Suddenly he noticed that Desdemona rose and leaves.
Adam instantly left almost lifeless Othello, scattered the firefighters who pressed him, Iago, the worker and Cassio, ran for Desdemona, picked up her as a plumelet, to hands and in the same way, through orchestra, came back to a box.
Here he seated Desdemona and began to iron her on the head as child, and it is tender, the interrupted voice spoke:
– Sidi with me, Dezhdemon. Nobody will offend you. Sidi, we will watch together there, what will be farther.
And Adam in full confidence that he watches continuation of a performance, monitored the turmoil which rose on the stage and in the auditorium.
Clothilda, pale, rose and in exhaustion fell to a chair again.
– Adam – she exclaimed – release Desdemona now, and we go home!
But Adam looked at it so that to it it became terrible.
– No – he firmly answered. – No. She will be killed. I will give nobody it…
Desdemona trembled with fear in strong hands of Adam… Clothilda lost the head. Really new scandal will burst? But it was and this time.
– Do not worry, I ask you – she addressed the actress, speaking so quickly that Adam did not understand – we go to me, and there I will manage to exempt you from the unexpected savior. We go, Adam.
Adam obediently followed Clothilda, carrying Desdemona on hands. They passed through a scene, in a side exit, called the car and soon were at home.
Adam for a minute did not leave the burden. Having come to the room, he carefully lowered Desdemona on a floor and told:
– Here nobody will touch. I will guard.
Having left the room, it closed a door and settled as a dog, on a floor, having blocked a door the body.
Adam did not get used to go so to bed late. The healthy sleep held down a mighty body at once. When he fell asleep, Clothilda, quietly going soft shoes, entered the room of the neighboring room concluded through a door, brought the actress, threw it with the coat and a shawl and, having apologized to it, sent on the car home.
VIII. THE LEOPARD IN THE HOUSE
Just dawned when Adam rose from the firm bed and slightly opened a door to the room.
– Dezhdemon! – quietly he called. The answer was not.
– Dezhdemon! – already with concern Adam repeated and entered the room.
The room was empty.
Deaf shout escaped from Adam’s breast. But he did not trust yet: quickly