closet and walked down the stairs to the lobby of the hotel。 He looked into the hotel bar which was gloomy and pleasant in the rain and already had some customers and left his key at the desk。 The assistant concierge reached into the mailbox as he hung up the key and said； 〃Madame left this for Monsieur。〃
He opened the note which said； David； didn't want to disturb you am at the cafe love Catherine。 He put on the old trench coat； found a boina in the pocket and walked out of the hotel into the rain。
She was at a corner table in the small cafe and before her was a clouded yellow…tinged drink and a plate with one small dark red freshwater crayfish and the debris of others。 She was very far ahead of him。 〃Where have you been； stranger？〃
〃Just down the road a piece。〃 He noticed that her face was rain…washed and he concentrated on what rain did to heavily tanned skin。 She looked very nice too in spite of it and he was happy to see her this way。
'Did you get going？〃 the girl asked。
〃Good enough。〃
〃You worked then。 That's fine。〃
The waiter had been serving three Spaniards who were sitting at a table next to the door。 He came over now holding a glass and an ordinary Pernod bottle and a small narrow…lipped pitcher of water。 There were lumps of ice in the water。 〃Pour Monsieur aussi？〃 he asked。
〃Yes；〃 the young man said。 〃Please。〃
The waiter poured their high glasses half full of the off…yellow liquid and started to pour the water slowly into the girl's glass。 But the young man said； 〃I'll do it；〃 and the waiter took the bottle away。 He seemed relieved to be taking it away and the young man poured the water in a very thin stream and the girl watched the absinthe cloud opalescently。 It felt warm as her fingers held the glass and then as it lost the yellow cast and
began to look milky it cooled sharply and the young man let the water fall in a drop at a time。
〃'Why does it have to go in so slowly？〃 the girl asked。
〃It breaks up and goes to pieces if the water pours in too fast；〃 he explained。 〃Then it's flat and worthless。 There ought to be a glass on top with ice and just a little hole for the water to drip。 But everybody would know what it was then。〃
〃I had to drink up fast before because two G。N。 's were in； the girl said。
〃Whatyoumacallits nationals。 In khaki with bicycles and black leather pistol holsters。 I had to engulp the evidence。〃
〃Engulp？〃
〃Sorry。 Once I engulped it I can't say it。〃
〃You want to be careful about absinthe。〃
〃It only makes me feel easier about things。〃
〃And nothing else does？〃
He finished making the absinthe for her； holding it well short of mildness。 〃Go ahead；〃 he told her。 〃Don't wait for me。〃 She took a long sip and then he took her glass from her and drank and said； 〃Thank you； Ma'am。 That puts heart in a man。
〃So make your own； you clipping reader；〃 she said。
〃What was that？〃 the young man said to her。
〃I didn't say it。〃
But she had said it and he said to her； 〃Why don't you just shut up about the clippings。〃
〃Why？〃 she said； leaning toward him and speaking too loudly。 〃Why should I shut up？ Just because you wrote this morning？ Do you think I married you because you re a writer？ You and your clippings。〃
〃All right；〃 the young man said。 〃Can you tell me the rest of it when we're by ourselves？〃
〃Don't ever think for a moment I won't；〃 she said。
〃I guess not；〃 he said。
〃Don't guess；〃 she said。 〃You can be certain。
David Bourne stood up and went over to the hanger and lifted his raincoat and went out the door without looking back。
At the table Catherine raised her glass and tasted the absinthe very carefully and went on tasting it in little sips。
The door opened and David came back in and walked up to the table。 He was wearing his trench coat and had his boina pulled low on his forehead。 〃Do you have the keys to the car？〃
〃Yes；〃 she said。
〃May I have them？〃
She gave them to him but said； 〃Don't be stupid； David。 It was the rain and you being the only one who had worked。 Sit down。〃
〃Do you want me to？〃
〃Please；〃 she said。
He sat down。 That didn't make much sense； he thought。 You got up to go out and take the damned car and stay out and the hell with her and then you come back in and have to ask for the key and then sit down like a slob。 He picked up his glass and took a drink。 The drink was good anyway。
〃What are you going to do about lunch？〃 he asked。
〃You say where and I'll eat it with you。 You do still love me； don't you？〃
〃Don't be silly。〃
〃That was a sordid quarrel；〃 Catherine said。
〃The first one
〃It was my fault about the clippings。〃
〃Let's not mention the god damned clippings。〃
〃That's what it was all about。〃
〃It was you thinking about them when you were drinking。 Bringing them up because you were drinking。〃
〃It sounds like regurgitating；〃 she said。 〃Awful。 Actually my tongue just slipped making a joke。〃
〃You had to have them in your head to bnng them out that way。
〃All right；〃 she said。 〃I thought maybe it was all over。
〃It is。〃
〃Well why do you keep on insisting and insisting about it for then？〃
〃We shouldn't have taken this drink。〃
〃No。 Of course not。 Especially me。 But you certainly needed it。 Do you think it will do you any good？〃
〃Do we have to do this now？〃 he asked。
〃I'm certainly going to stop it。 It bores me。〃 〃That's the one damned word in the language I can't stand。〃 〃Lucky you with only one word like that in the language。〃 〃Oh shit；〃 he said。 〃Eat lunch by yourself。〃 〃No。 I won't。 We'll eat lunch together and behave like human beings。〃
〃All right。〃
〃I'm sorry。 It really was a joke and it just misfired。 Truly David that was all。〃
Chapter Five
THE TIDE WAS FAR OUT when David Bourne woke and the sun was bright on the beach and the sea was a dark blue。 The hills showed green and new washed and the clouds had gone from the mountains。 Catherine was still sleeping and he looked at her and watched her regular breathing and the sun on her face and thought； how strange that the sun on her eyes should not wake her。
After he had taken a shower and brushed his teeth and shaved； he was hungry for breakfast but he pulled on a pair of shorts and a sweater and found his notebook and pencils and the sharpener and sat at the table by the window that looked out over the estuary of the river to Spain。 He started to write and he forgot about Catherine and what he saw from the window and the writing went by itself as it did with him when he was lucky。 He wrote it exactly and the sinister part only showed as the light feathering of a smooth swell on a calm day marking the reef beneath。
When he had worked for a time； he looked at Catherine； still sleeping； her lips smiling now and the rectangle of sunlight from the open window falling across the brown of her body and lighting her dark face and tawny head against the rumpled white of the sheet and the unused pillow。 It's too late to get breakfast now； he thought。 I'll leave a note and go down to the cafe and get a cafe creme and something。 But while he was putting his work away Catherine woke and came over to him as he was closing the suitcase and put her arms around him and kissed him on the back of his neck and said； 〃I'm your lazy naked wife。〃
〃What did you wake up for？〃
〃I don't know。 But tell me where you're going and I'll be there in five minutes。〃
〃I'm going to the cafe to get some breakfast。〃
〃Go ahead and I'll join you。 You worked didn't you？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Weren't you wonderful to after yesterday and everything。 I'm so proud。 Kiss me and look at us in the mirror on the bath room door。〃
He kissed her and they looked into the full length mirror。
〃It's so nice not to feel overdressed；〃 she said。 〃You be good and don't get in any trouble on your way to the cafe。 Order me an oeuf au jambon too。 Don't wait for me。 I'm sorry I made you wait so long for breakfast。〃
At the cafe he found the morning paper and the Paris papers of the day before and had his coffee and milk and the Bayonne ham with a big beautifully fresh egg that he ground coarse pepper over sparsely and spread a little mustard on before he broke the yolk。 When Catherine had not come and her egg was in danger of getting cold he ate it too； swabbing the flat dish clean with a piece of the fresh baked bread。
〃Here comes Madame；〃 the waiter said。 〃I'll bring another plat for her。〃
She had put on a skirt and cashmere sweater and pearls and the
toweled her head but combed it damp and straight and wet and the tawny color of her hair did not show to make the contrast with her incredibly darkened face。 〃It's such a beautiful day；〃 she said。 〃I'm sorry to be late。〃
〃Where are you dressed for？〃
〃Biarritz。 I thought I'd drive in。 Do you want to come？〃
〃You want to go alone。〃
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃But you're welcome。〃
As he stood she said； 〃I'm going to bring you back a surprise。〃
〃No； don't。〃
〃Yes。 And you'll like it。〃
〃Let me go along and keep you from doing anything crazy。
'No。 It's better if I do it alone。 I'll be back in the afternoon。 And don't wait for lunch。〃
David read the papers and then walked out through the town looking for chalets that might be for rent or for a part of town that might be good to live in and found the newly built up area pleasant but dull。 He loved the view across the bay and the estuary to the Spanish side and the old gray stone of Fuenterrabia and shining white of the houses that spread out from it and the brown mountains with the blue shadows。 He wondered why the storm had gone so quickly and thought it must have been only the northern edge of a storm that came in across the Bay of Biscay。 Biscay was Vizcaya but that was the Basque province further down the coast well beyond San Sebastian。 The moun tains that he saw beyond the roofs of the border town of Irun were in Guipuzcoa and beyond them would be Navarra and Navarra was Navarre。 And what are we doing here； he thought； and what am I doing walking through a beach resort town looking at newly planted magnolias and bloody mimosas and watching for to…rent signs on phony Basque villas？ You didn't work hard enough this morning to make your brain that stupid or are you just hung over from yesterday？ You didn't work at all really。
And you b