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¨A rickshaw？〃
¨Yes。 A goddam rickshaw if you want it straight to your face。 Youˇre a rickshaw。 And youˇve had enough。〃
¨Mr。 Bobby？〃 Andy asked very politely。 ¨Do you think Iˇve had enough？〃
¨No； my dear boy。 Of course not。 Serve yourself。〃
¨Thank you； Mr。 Bobby；〃 Andy said。 ¨This is four。〃
¨I wish it was a hundred；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Youˇre the pride of my heart。〃
¨What do you say we get out of here； Hal；〃 one of the men said to the man who wanted to buy the picture。
¨Iˇd like to pick up that canvas；〃 the other told him。 ¨If I can get it for a decent price。〃
¨Iˇd like to get out of here；〃 the first man insisted。 ¨Funˇs fun and all that。 But watching children drink is a little too much。〃
¨Are you really serving that little boy gin？〃 the nice…looking blonde girl at the end of the bar toward the door asked Bobby。 She was a tall girl with very fair hair and pleasant freckles。 They were not redhead freckles but were the sort blondes get when they have skins that tan instead of burn。
¨Yes maˇam。〃
¨I think itˇs shameful；〃 the girl said。 ¨Itˇs disgusting and itˇs shameful and itˇs criminal。〃
Roger avoided looking at the girl and Thomas Hudson kept his eyes down。
¨What would you like him to drink； maˇam？〃 Bobby asked。
¨Nothing。 He shouldnˇt have anything to drink。〃
¨Hardly seems fair；〃 Bobby said。
¨What do you mean fair？ Do you think itˇs fair to poison a child with alcohol？〃
¨See； papa？〃 young Tom said。 ¨I thought it was wrong for Andy to drink。〃
¨Heˇs the only one of the three who drinks； maˇam。 Since Sport here stopped it；〃 Bobby tried to reason with her。 ¨Do you think itˇs fair to deprive the only one in a family of three boys of what little pleasure he gets？〃
¨Fair！〃 the girl said。 ¨I think youˇre a monster。 And youˇre another monster；〃 she said to Roger。 ¨And youˇre another monster； too；〃 she said to Thomas Hudson。 ¨Youˇre all horrible and I hate you。〃
There were tears in her eyes and she turned her back on the boys and Mr。 Bobby and said to the men with her； ¨Wonˇt any of you do anything about it？〃
¨I think itˇs a joke；〃 one of the men said to her。 ¨Like that rude waiter they hire at a party。 Or like double talk。〃
¨No； itˇs not a joke。 That dreadful man gives him gin。 Itˇs horrible and itˇs tragic。〃
¨Mr。 Bobby？〃 Tom asked。 ¨Is five my limit？〃
¨For today；〃 Bobby said。 ¨I wouldnˇt want you to do anything to shock the lady。〃
¨Oh get me out of here；〃 the girl said。 ¨I wonˇt watch it。〃
She started to cry and two of the men went out with her and Thomas Hudson and Roger and the boys all felt quite bad。
The other girl； the really lovely…looking one； came over。 She had a beautiful face and clear brown skin and tawny hair。 She wore slacks but she was built wonderfully as far as Thomas Hudson could see and her hair was silky and it swung when she walked。 He knew he had seen her before。
¨It isnˇt really gin； is it？〃 she said to Roger。
¨No。 Of course not。〃
¨Iˇll go out and tell her；〃 she said。 ¨She really feels awfully badly。〃
She went out the door and she smiled at them as she went out。 She was a wonderful…looking girl。
¨Now itˇs over； papa；〃 Andy said。 ¨Can we have Cokes？〃
¨Iˇd like a beer； papa。 If it wouldnˇt make that lady feel bad；〃 young Tom said。
¨I donˇt think sheˇd feel badly about a beer；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Can I buy you a drink？〃 he asked the man who wanted to buy the picture。 ¨Iˇm sorry if we were too stupid。〃
¨No。 No；〃 the man said。 ¨Very interesting。 The whole thing was very interesting to me。 Fascinating。 Iˇve always been interested in writers and artists。 Were you all improvising？〃
¨Yes；〃 said Thomas Hudson。
¨Now about that canvas〃
¨It belongs to Mr。 Saunders；〃 Thomas Hudson explained to him。 ¨I painted it for him as a present。 I donˇt think he wants to sell it。 But itˇs his and he can do whatever he likes with it。〃
¨I want to keep her；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Donˇt offer me a lot of money for her because it would just make me feel bad。〃
¨I would really like to have it。〃
¨So would I； goddam it；〃 said Bobby。 ¨And Iˇve got it。〃
¨But Mr。 Saunders。 That is a valuable canvas to have in a place like this。〃
Bobby was getting angry。
¨Leave me alone； will you？〃 he said to the man。 ¨We were having a wonderful time。 As good a time as I ever had and women have to cry and ball up everything。 I know she meant right。 But what the hell。 Meant right gets you quicker than anything else。 My old woman means right and does right and it beats the hell out of me every day。 The hell with means right。 Now youˇre here and you think you can take my picture just because you want it。〃
¨But Mr。 Saunders； you said yourself you wanted the picture out of here and that it was for sale。〃
¨That was all balls；〃 Bobby said。 ¨That was when we were having fun。〃
¨Then the picture is not for sale。〃
¨No。 The picture is not for sale； rent； nor charter。〃
¨Well；〃 said the man。 ¨Here is my card in case it ever is for sale。〃
¨Thatˇs fine；〃 said Bobby。 ¨Tom may have some up at his place he wants to sell。 What about it； Tom？〃
¨I donˇt think so；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Iˇd like to come up and see them；〃 the man told him。
¨Iˇm not showing anything now；〃 Thomas Hudson answered。 ¨Iˇll give you the address of the gallery in New York if youˇd like it。〃
¨Thank you。 Will you write it here？〃
The man had a fountain pen with him and he wrote the address on the back of one of his cards and gave another card to Thomas Hudson。 Then the man thanked Thomas Hudson again and asked if he might offer him a drink。
¨Can you give me any idea about the prices of the larger canvases？〃
¨No；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But the dealer will be able to。〃
¨Iˇll see him as soon as Iˇm back in town。 This canvas is extremely interesting。〃
¨Thank you；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Youˇre quite sure it canˇt be sold。〃
¨Jesus；〃 Bobby said。 ¨Stop it； will you？ Thatˇs my picture。 I had the idea for it and Tom painted it for me。〃
The man looked as though what he had thought of as ¨the charades〃 were beginning again so he smiled with much good fellowship。
¨I donˇt like to be insistent〃
¨Youˇre just about as insistent as a goddam loggerhead；〃 Bobby told him。 ¨Come on。 Have a drink on me and forget it。〃
The boys were talking with Roger。 ¨It was pretty good while it lasted； wasnˇt it； Mr。 Davis？〃 young Tom asked。 ¨I didnˇt overdo it too badly； did I？〃
¨It was fine；〃 Roger said。 ¨Dave didnˇt have much though。〃
¨I was just getting ready to be a monster；〃 David said。
¨Youˇd have killed her； I think；〃 young Tom said。 ¨She was hurt pretty badly already。 Were you going to come up as a monster？〃
¨I had my eyelids inside out and all ready to come up；〃 David told them。 ¨I was bent down fixing myself to come up when we stopped。〃
¨It was bad luck she was such a nice woman；〃 Andy said。 ¨I hadnˇt started to let it have any effect on me yet。 I guess now we wonˇt have any chance to do another one。