in that stupid or are you just hung over from yesterday？ You didn't work at all really。
And you better soon because everything's going too fast and you're going with it and you'll be through before ever you know it。 Maybe you're through now。 All right。 Don't start。 At least you remember that much。 And he walked on through the town； his vision sharpened by spleen and tempered by the ash beauty of the day。
The breeze from the sea was blowing through the room and he was reading with his shoulders and the small of his back against two pillows and another folded behind his head。 He was sleepy after lunch but he felt hollow with waiting for her and he read and waited。 Then he heard the door open and she came in and for an instant he did not know her。 She stood there with her hands below her breasts on the cashmere sweater and breathing as though she had been running。
〃Oh； no；〃 she said。 〃No。〃
Then she was on the bed pushing her head against him saying； 〃No。 No。 Please David。 Don't you at all？〃
He held her head close against his chest and felt it smooth close clipped and coarsely silky and she pushed it hard against him again and again。
'What did you do； Devil？〃
She raised her head and looked at him and her lips pressed against his and she moved them from side to side and moved on the bed so her body was pressed against his。
〃Now I can tell；〃 she said。 〃I'm so glad。 It was such a big chance。 I'm your new girl now so we'd better find out。〃
〃Let me see。
〃I'll show you but let me go a minute。〃
She came back and stood by the bed with the sun on her through the window。 She had dropped the skirt and was bare foot wearing only the sweater and the pearls。
〃Take a good look；〃 she said。 〃Because this is how I am。〃
He took a good look at the long dark legs the straight standing body the dark face and the sculptured tawny head and she looked at him and said； 〃Thank you。
〃How did you do it？〃
〃Can I tell you in bed？〃
〃If you tell me in a hurry。〃
〃No。 Not in a hurry。 Let me tell。 First I had the idea on the road somewhere after Aix en Provence。 At Nimes when we were walking in the garden I think。 But I didn't know how it would work or how to tell them how to do it。 Then I thought it out and yesterday I decided。〃
David stroked his hand over her head from her neck over the top of her head to her forehead。
〃Let me tell；〃 she said。 〃I knew they must have good coiffeurs in Biarritz because of the English。 So when I got there I went to the best place and I told the coiffeur that I wanted it all brushed forward and he brushed it and it came down to my nose and I could hardly see through it and I said I wanted it cut like a boy when he would first go to public school。 He asked me what school so I said Eton or Winchester because they were the only schools I could remember except Rugby and I didn't want Rugby certainly。 He said which。 So I said Eton but forward all the way。 So after he was finished and I looked like the most attractive girl who ever went to Eton I just had him keep on shortening it until Eton was all gone and then I had him keep on shortening it。 Then he said very severely that is not an Eton crop； Mademoiselle。 And I said I didn't want an Eton crop； Monsieur。 That was the only way I knew how to explain what I wanted and it is Madame not Mademoiselle。 So then I had him shorten it some more and then I kept him shortening it and it is either wonderful or terrible。 You don't mind it on my forehead？ When it was Eton it fell in my eye。
〃It's wonderful。〃
〃It's awfully classic；〃 she said。 〃But it feels like an animal。 Feel it。〃
He felt it。
〃Don't worry about it being too classic；〃 she said。 〃My mouth balances it。 Now can we make love？〃
She bent her head forward and he pulled the sweater over her head and down off her arms and bent over her neck to unhook the safety clasp。
〃No leave them。〃
She lay back on the bed her brown legs tight together and her head against the flat sheet the pearls slanted away from the dark rise of her breasts。 Her eyes were shut and her arms were by her sides。 She was a new girl and he saw her mouth was changed too。 She was breathing very carefully and she said； 〃You do everything。 From the beginning。 From the very beginning。〃
〃Is this the beginning？〃
〃Oh yes。 And don't wait too long。 No don't wait&mdash；〃
In the night she lay curled around him with her head below his chest and stroked it softly across him from one flank to another and then came up to put her lips on his and put her arms around him and said； 〃You're so lovely and loyal when you are asleep and you didn't wake and didn't wake。 I thought you wouldn't and it was lovely。 You were so loyal to me。 Did you think it was a dream？ Don't wake。 I'm going to sleep but if I don't I'll be a wild girl。 She stays awake and takes care of you。 You sleep and know I'm here。 Please sleep。〃
In the morning when he woke there was the lovely body that he knew close against him and he looked and saw the waxed…wood dark shoulders and neck and the fair tawny head close and smooth lying as a small animal and he shifted down in the bed and turned toward her and kissed her forehead with her hair under his lips and then her eyes and then gently； her mouth。
〃I'm asleep。〃
〃So was I。〃
〃I know。 Feel how strange。 All night it was wonderful how strange。
〃Not strange。
〃Say so if you want。 Oh we fit so wonderfully。 Can we both go to sleep？〃
〃Do you want to be asleep？〃
〃Us both asleep。〃 〃I'll try。〃
〃Are you asleep？〃 〃No。〃
〃Please try。〃
〃I'm trying。〃
〃Shut your eyes then。 How can you sleep if you won't shut your eyes？〃
〃I like to see you in the morning all new and strange。〃
〃Was I good to invent it？〃
〃Don't talk。〃
〃It's the only way to slow things。 I have already。 Couldn't you tell？ Of course you could。 Couldn't you tell now and now and now like our hearts beating together it is the same I know it's only that that counts but we don't count it's so lovely and so good so good and lovely&mdash；〃
She came back to the big room and went to the mirror and sat and brushed her hair looking at herself critically。
〃Let's have breakfast in bed；〃 she said。 〃And can we have champagne if it's not wicked？ In the brut they have Lanson and Perrier…Jouet of the good。 May I ring？〃
〃Yes；〃 he said and went under the shower。 Before he put it on full force he could hear her voice on the telephone。
When he came out she was sitting back very formally against two pillows with all the pillows neatly shaken out and placed two and two at the head of the bed。
〃Do I look all right with my head wet？〃
〃It's just damp。 You dried it with the towel。〃
〃I can cut it shorter on the forehead。 I can do that myself。 Or you can。
〃I'd like it if it came over your eyes。
〃Maybe it will；〃 she said。 〃Who knows？ Maybe we'll get tired of being classical。 And today we'll stay on the beach all through noon。 We'll go way far down it and we can tan really when the people all come in for lunch and then we'll ride to St。 Jean to eat when we're hungry at the Bar Basque。 But first you'll make us go to the beach because we need to。〃
〃Good。〃
David moved a chair over and put his hand close on hers and she looked at him and said； 〃Two days ago I understood every thing and then the absinthe made me turn on it。〃
〃I know；〃 David told her。 〃You couldn't help it。〃
〃But I hurt you about the clippings。〃
〃No；〃 he said。 〃You tried。 You didn't make it。〃
〃I'm so sorry； David。 Please believe me。〃
〃Everybody has strange things that mean things to them。 You couldn't help it。〃
〃No；〃 the girl said and shook her head。
〃It's all right then；〃 David said。 〃Don't cry。 It's all right。〃
〃I never cry；〃 she said。 〃But I can't help it。〃
〃I know it and you're beautiful when you cry。
〃No。 Don't say it。 But I never cried before did I？〃
〃Never。〃
〃But will it be bad for you if we stay here just two days on
48 49
the beach？ We haven't had any chance to swim and it would be silly to have been here and not to swim。 Where are we going to go when we leave here？ Oh。 We haven't decided yet。 We'll probably decide tonight or in the morning。 Where would you suggest？〃
〃I think anywhere would be fine；〃 David said。
〃Well maybe that's where we will go。〃 〃It's a big place。〃
〃It's nice to be alone though and I'll pack us nicely。〃
〃There's nothing much to do except put in toilet things and close two bags。〃
〃We can leave in the morning if you want。 Truly I don't want to do anything to you or have any bad effect on you。
The waiter knocked on the door。
〃There was no more Perrier…Jouet； Madame； so I brought the Lanson。〃
She had stopped crying and David's hand was still close on hers and he said； 〃I know。
Chapter Six
THEY had SPENT the morning at the Prado and now were sitting at a place in a building with thick stone walls。 It was cool and very old。 There were wine casks around the walls。 The tables were old and thick and the chairs were worn。 The light came from the door。 The waiter brought them glasses of manzanilla from the lowland near Cadiz called the Marismas with thin slices of jam6n serrano； a smoky； hard cured ham from pigs that fed on acorns； and bright red spicy salchich6n； another even spicier dark sausage from a town called Vich and anchovies and garlic olives。 They ate these and drank more of the manzanilla； which was light and nutty tasting。
Catherine had a Spanish…English Method book with a green cover on the table close to her hand and David had a stack of the morning papers。 It was a hot day but cool in the old building and the waiter asked； 〃Do you want gazpacho？〃 He was an old man and he filled their glasses again。
〃Do you think the sefiorita would like it？〃
〃Try her；〃 the waiter said gravely as though he were speaking of a mare。
It came in a large bowl with ice floating with the slices of crisp cucumber； tomato； garlic bread； green and red peppers； and the coarsely peppered liquid that tasted lightly of oil and vinegar。
〃It's a salad soup；〃 Catherine said。 〃It's delicious。〃
〃Es gazpacho；〃 the waiter said。
They drank Valdepefias now from a big pitcher and it started to build with the foundation of the marismeiio only held back temporarily by the d