〃Good；〃 he said。 〃I'll go get my espadrilles。〃
They lay on the sand where David had spread the beach robes and the towels in the shade of a red rock and the girl said； 〃You go in and swim and then I will。〃
He lifted very slowly and gently up out and away from her and then waded out from the beach and dove under where the water was cold and swam deep。 When he came up he swam out against the chop of the breeze and then swam in to where the girl was waiting for him standing up to her waist in the water her black head sleek and wet； her light brown body dripping。 He held her tight and the waves washed against them。
They kissed and she said； 〃Everything of ours washed into the ocean。
〃We have to get back。〃
〃Let's go under once together holding tight。〃
Back at the hotel Catherine had not arrived and after they had taken showers and changed David and Marita sat at the bar with two martinis。 They looked at each other in the mirror。 They watched each other very carefully and then David passed his finger under his nose while he looked at her and she blushed。
〃I want to have more things like that；〃 she said。 〃Things that only we have so I won't be jealous。〃
〃I wouldn't put out too many anchors；〃 he said。 〃You might foul the cables。〃
〃No。 I'll find things to do that will hold you。〃
〃That's a good practical Heiress；〃 he said。
〃I wish I could change that name。 Don't you？〃
〃Names go to the bone；〃 he said。
〃Then let's really change mine；〃 she said。 〃Would you mind terribly？〃
〃No。。 。 。 Haya。〃
〃Say it again please。〃
〃Haya。〃
〃Is it good？〃
〃Very good。 It's a small name between us。 For nobody else ever。
〃What does Haya mean？〃
〃The one who blushes。 The modest one。
He held her close and tight and she settled against him and her head was on his shoulder。
〃Kiss me just once；〃 she said。
Catherine came into the big room dishevelled； excited and full of accomplishment and gaiety。
〃You did take him swimming；〃 she said。 〃You both do look handsome enough； though still wet from the shower。 Let me look at you。
〃Let me look at you；〃 the girl said。 〃What did you do to your hair？〃
〃It's cendre；〃 Catherine said。 〃Do you like it？ It's a rinse that Jean's experimenting with。〃
〃It's beautiful；〃 the girl said。
Catherine's hair was strange and exalting against her dark face。 She picked up Marita's drink and sipping it watched her self in the mirror and said； 〃Did you have fun swimming？〃
〃We both had a good swim；〃 the girl said。 〃But not as long as yesterday。〃
〃This is such a good drink； David；〃 Catherine said。 〃What makes your martinis better than anyone else's？〃
〃Gin；〃 David said。
〃Will you make me one please？〃
〃You don't want one now； Devil。 We're going to have lunch。〃
〃Yes I do；〃 she said。 〃I'm going to sleep after lunch。 You
didn't have to go through all the bleaching and re…bleaching and all of it。 It's exhausting。〃
〃What color is your hair really now？〃 David asked。
〃It's almost like white；〃 she said。 〃You'd like it。 But I want to keep this so we see how it lasts。〃
〃How white is it？〃 David asked。
〃About like the soap suds；〃 she said。 〃Do you remember？〃
That evening Catherine was completely different from the way she had been at mid…day。 She was sitting at the bar when they drove up from swimming。 The girl had stopped off at her room and when David came into the big main room he said； 〃What have you done to yourself now； Devil？〃
〃I shampooed all that nonsense out；〃 she said。 〃It made gray stains on the pillow。〃
She looked very striking； her hair a very light almost toneless silver that made her face darker than it had ever looked。
〃You're too damned beautiful；〃 he said。 〃But I wish they'd never touched your hair。〃
〃It's too late for that now。 Can I tell you something else？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Tomorrow I'm not going to have drinks and I'm going to study Spanish and read again and stop thinking only about myself。〃
〃My God；〃 David said。 〃You had a big day。 Here； let me get a drink and go in and change。〃
〃I'll be here；〃 Catherine said。 〃Put on your dark blue shirt will you？ The one I got you like the one of mine？〃
David took his time in the shower and changing and when he came back the two girls were together at the bar and he wished he could have a painting of them。
〃I told Heiress everything about my new leaf；〃 Catherine said。 〃The one I just turned over and how I want you to love her too and you can marry her too if she'll have you。〃
〃We could in Africa if I was registered Mohammedan。 You're allowed three wives。〃
〃I think it would be much nicer if we were all married；〃 Catherine said。 〃Then no one could criticize us。 Will you really marry him； Heiress？〃
〃Yes；〃 the girl said。
〃I'm so pleased；〃 Catherine said。 〃Everything I worried about is so simple now。〃
〃Would you really？〃 David asked the dark girl。
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃Ask me。〃
David looked at her。 She was very serious and excited。 He thought of her face with her eyes closed against the sun and her black head against the whiteness of the towel robe on the yellow sand as it had been when they had made love at last。 〃I'll ask you；〃 he said。 〃But not in any damned bar。
〃This isn't any damned bar；〃 Catherine said。 〃This is our own special bar and we bought the mirror。 I wish we could marry you tonight。〃
〃Don't talk balls；〃 David said。
〃I'm not；〃 Catherine said。 〃I really mean it。 Truly。〃
〃Do you want a drink？〃 David asked。
〃No；〃 Catherine said。 〃I want to get it said right first。 Look at me and see。〃 The girl was looking down and David looked at Catherine。 〃I thought it all out this afternoon；〃 she said。 〃I really did。 Didn't I tell you； Marita？〃
〃She did；〃 the girl said。
David saw that she was serious about this and that they had reached some understanding that he did not know about。
〃I'm still your wife；〃 Catherine said。 〃We'll start with that。 I want Marita to be your wife too to help me out and then she
inherits from me。
〃Why does she have to inherit？〃
〃People make their wills；〃 she said。 〃And this is more important than a will。〃
〃What about you？〃 David asked the girl。
〃I want to do it if you want me to。〃
〃Good；〃 he said。 〃Do you mind if I have a drink？〃
〃You have one please；〃 Catherine said。 〃You see I'm not going to have you ruined if I'm crazy and I won't be able to decide。 I'm not going to be shut up either。 I decided that too。 She loves you and you love her a little。 I can tell。 You'd never find anybody else like her and I don't want you to go to some damn bitch or be lonely。〃
〃Come on and cheer up；〃 David said。 〃You're healthy as a goat。〃
〃Well； we're going to do it；〃 Catherine said。 〃We'll work out everything。〃
Chapter Seventeen
THE SUN WAS BRIGHT now in the room and it was a new day。
You better get to work； he told himself。 You can't change any of it back。 Only one person can change it back and she can't know how she will wake nor if she'll be there when she wakes。 It doesn't matter how you feel。 You better get to work。 You have to make sense there。 You don't make any in this other。 Nothing will help you。 Nor would have ever since it started。
When he finally got back into the story the sun was well up and he had forgotten the two girls。 It had been necessary to think what his father would have thought sitting that evening with his back against the green…yellow trunk of the fig tree with the enameled cup of whiskey and water in his hand。 His father had dealt so lightly with evil； giving it no chance ever and denying its importance so that it had no status and no shape nor dignity。 He treated evil like an old entrusted friend； David thought； and evil； when she poxed him； never knew she'd scored。 His father was not vulnerable he knew and； unlike most people he had known； only death could kill him。 Finally； he knew what
his father had thought and knowing it； he did not put it in the story。 He only wrote what his father did and how he felt and in all this he became his father and what his father said to Mob was what he said。 He slept well on the ground under the tree and he waked and heard the leopard cough。 Later he did not hear the leopard in the camp but he knew he was there and he went back to sleep。 The leopard was after meat and there was plenty of meat so there was no problem。 In the morning before daylight sitting by the ashes of the fire with his tea in the chipped enameled cup he asked Mob if the leopard had taken meat and Mob said； 〃Ndiyo〃 and he said； 〃There's plenty where we re going。 Get them moving so we can start the climb。〃
They were moving for the second day through the high wooded and park…like country above the escarpment when he stopped finally and he was happy with the country and the day and the distance they had made。 He had his father's ability to forget now and not dread anything that was coming。 There was another day and another night ahead in that new high country when he stopped and he had lived two days and a night today。
Now that he left that country his father was with him still as he locked the door and walked back to the big room and the bar。
He told the boy he did not want breakfast and to bring him a whiskey and Perrier and the morning paper。 It was past noon and he had intended to drive the old Isotta into Cannes and see that the repairs were made but he knew the garages were closed now and it was too late。 Instead he stood at the bar because that's where he would have found his father at that hour and； having just come down from the high country； he missed him。 The sky outside was very much the sky that he had left。 It was high blue and the clouds white cumulus and he welcomed his father's presence at the bar until he glanced in the mirror and saw he was alone。 He had intended to ask his father about two things。 His father； who ran his life more disastrously than any man that
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he had ever known； gave marvelous advice。 He distilled it out of the bitter mash of all his previous mistakes with the freshening addition of the new mistakes he was about to make and he gave it with an accuracy and precision that carried the authority of a man who had heard all the more grisly provisions of his sentence and gave it no more importance than he had given to the fine p