Don and List-


<flushboth>Another thought about<italic> Spring in Fialta</italic>;
has it been commented on previously?


</flushboth><bold><fontfamily><param>Courier</param>the smoke of an
indiscernible train undulated along its rounded base — and suddenly
disappeared; [p429 Vintage]

</fontfamily></bold><fontfamily><param>Courier</param><smaller>

</smaller></fontfamily>-- presumably into the tunnel at the base of
Mount St. George depicted by the ink-well souvenir.  Reminded of the
coital train tunnel at the conclusion of Hitchcock's <italic>North by
Northwest [1949]; </italic>and believing that VN never created
decorative details, I had found the passage puzzling.  However, if the
allusion is correct, then the operative word is SUDDENLY; the train
disappears as unexpectedly as the violets appear in Nina's hand.  VN
may be preparing the reader for Victor's moment when he must resolve
his situation - fish or cut bait as one might say politely.

	Not wishing the N x NW reference to be missed, VN has further
prepared the reader, on p248: 

<flushboth><fontfamily><param>Courier</param><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param><smaller>

</smaller><bold>...Meanwhile the big Englishman suddenly made up his
mind, got up on a chair, stepped from there on to the window-sill, and
stretched up till he reached that coveted corner of the frame where
rested a compact furry moth, which he deftly slipped into a pill-box.


'…rather like Wouwerman's white horse,' said Ferdinand, in regard to
something he was discussing with Segur.

</bold></color><color><param>0000,807E,403E</param>

</color></fontfamily>I have thought of the reference to Wouwerman's
repetitive insertion of white horses in his paintings as Ferdinand's
comment on Victor's repetitive but futile approaches to Nina.  But 
additionally or otherwise: The fat English lepidopterist is one of
VN's alter egos that he often inserts in his texts; as does fat,
English Hitchcock appear in his films; as does Wouwerman paints his
signature white horses. [As film productions take a year or two, the
dates for the film's premier and the first publication of
<italic>Spring in Fialta</italic> suggest that VN and Hitchcock spoke
together about their work.]


-Sandy Drescher  1.24.05 

</flushboth>