“Out of Season” by Ernest Hemingway

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A vertext by Joseph Scotese

Cross-Country Snow – due tomorrow (2/27)

“Out of Season” p 97

On the four lire Peduzzi had earned by spading the hotel garden he got quite drunk. He saw the young gentleman coming down the path and spoke to him mysteriously.

“Out of Season” p 97

At the cantina near the bridge they trusted him for three more grappas because he was so confident and mysterious about his job for the afternoon.

“Out of Season” p 97

A wonderful day for trout fishing.

“Out of Season” p 97

Should his wife come behind with the rods? "Yes," said Peduzzi, "let her follow us." 

Peduzzi didn't like her to be way back there. "Signorina," he called, winking at the young gentleman, "come up here and walk with us. Signora come up here. Let us all walk together." Peduzzi wanted them all three to walk down the street of Cortina together.  

“Out of Season” p 98

Everyone they met walking through the main street of the town Peduzzi greeted elaborately. Buon' di, Arturo! Tipping his hat.

“Out of Season” p 98

Nobody spoke or gave any sign to them except the town beggar, lean and old, with a spittle thickened beard, who lifted his hat as they passed.

“Out of Season” p 98

He [Peduzzi] gestured with the bottle. It was a wonderful day.

“Out of Season” p 98

The young gentleman appeared not to hear Peduzzi. He was thinking, what in hell makes him say marsala? That's what Max Beerbohm drinks.

“Out of Season” p 98

The young gentleman took out his pocketbook and gave him a ten-lira note. Peduzzi went up the steps to the door of the Specialty of Domestic and Foreign Wines shop. It was locked.

"It is closed until two," someone passing in the street said scornfully.

“Out of Season” p 99

She poured out the three muddy looking drinks into three glasses.

“Out of Season” p 99

The young gentleman put one of the marsalas in front of her. "You might as well drink it," he said, "maybe it'll make you feel better." She sat and looked at the glass.

“Out of Season” p 99

"I'm sorry you feel so rotten, Tiny," he said. "I'm sorry I talked the way I did at lunch. We were both getting at the same thing from different angles."

"It doesn't make any difference," she said. "None of it makes any difference."

“Out of Season” p 99

“Are you too cold? He asked. “I wish you’d worn another sweater.”

"I've got on three sweaters."

“Out of Season” p 100

"Come on," he said, "I will carry the rods. What difference does it make if anybody sees them? No one will trouble us. No one will make any trouble for me in Cortina. I know them at the municipio. I have been a soldier. Everybody in this town likes me

“Out of Season” p 100

"There," said Peduzzi, pointing to a girl in the doorway of a house they passed. "My daughter."

"His doctor," the wife said, "has he got to show us his doctor?"

"He said his daughter," said the young gentleman.

The girl went into the house as Peduzzi pointed.

“Out of Season” p 100

Part of the time he talked in d'Ampezzo dialect and sometimes in Tyroler German dialect. He could not make out which the young gentleman and his wife understood the best so he was being bilingual. But as the young gentleman said, Ja, Ja, Peduzzi decided to talk altogether in Tyroler. The young gentleman and the wife understood nothing. (emphasis mine)

“Out of Season” p 100

"Everybody in the town saw us going through with these rods. We're probably being followed by the game police now. I wish we weren't in on this damn thing. This damned old fool is so drunk, too."

"Of course you haven't got the guts to just go back," said the wife. "Of course you have to go on."

“Out of Season” p 100

They turned sharp down the bank and Peduzzi stood, his coat blowing in the wind, gesturing at the river. It was brown and muddy. Off on the right there was a dump heap.

“a man dreams of a miracle and wakes

to a loaf of bread” (All Quiet)

“Out of Season” p 101

Peduzzi was down at the river and did not notice her till she was almost out of sight over the crest. "Frau !" he shouted. "Frau ! Frau¦lein! You're not going."

"She's gone!" said Peduzzi. It shocked him.

“Out of Season” p 101

“But you said it was half an hour further.”

“Oh, yes. It is good half an hour down. It is good here, too.”

“Really?”

“Of course. It is good here and good there, too.”

“Out of Season” p 101

"You must have some lead." Peduzzi was excited. "You must have piombo. Piombo. A little piombo. Just here. Just above the hook or your bait will float on the water. You must have it. Just a little piombo."

"Have you got some?"

"No." He looked through his pockets desperately [emphasis mine]. Sifting through the cloth dirt in the linings of his inside military pockets. "I haven't any. We must have piombo."

"We can't fish then," said the young gentleman, and unjointed the rod, reeling the line back through the guides. "We'll get some piombo and fish tomorrow."

“Out of Season” p 102

The young gentleman looked at the stream discoloured by the melting snow. "I know," he said, "we'll get some piombo and fish tomorrow."

"At what hour in the morning? Tell me that."

"At seven."

The sun came out. It was warm and pleasant. The young gentleman felt relieved. He was no longer breaking the law.

“Out of Season” p 102

 After another short drink the young gentleman handed the bottle over. Peduzzi had been watching it closely. He took the bottle very hurriedly and tipped it up. The gray hairs in the folds of his neck oscillated as he drank, his eyes fixed on the end of the narrow brown bottle. He drank "Senta, caro! In the morning at seven." He had called the young gentleman caro several times and nothing had happened. It was good marsala. His eyes glistened. Days like this stretched out ahead. It would begin at seven in the morning.

“Out of Season” p 103

All for five lire. Five lire for a favor."

The young gentleman looked through his pocketbook and took out a two-lira note and two ones.

"Thank you, caro. Thank you," said Peduzzi in the tone of one member of the Carleton Club accepting the Morning Post from another. This was living. He was through with the hotel garden, breaking up frozen manure with a dung fork. Life was opening out.

“Out of Season” p 103

"Until seven o'clock then, caro," he said, slapping the young gentleman on the back. "Promptly at seven."

"I may not be going," said the young gentle¦man putting his purse back in his pocket.

"What," said Peduzzi, "I will have minnows, Signor. Salami, everything. You and I and the Signora. The three of us."

"I may not be going," said the young gentleman, "very probably not. I will leave word with the padrone at the hotel office."