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¨Are you less sad now？〃 Honest Lil asked
¨Yes。〃
¨Tell me； Tom。 What are you sad about？〃
¨El mundo entero。〃
¨Who isnˇt sad about the whole world？ It goes worse all the time。 But you canˇt spend your time being sad about that。〃
¨There isnˇt any law against it。〃
¨There doesnˇt have to be a law against things for them to be wrong。〃
Ethical discussions with Honest Lil are not what I need； Thomas Hudson thought。 What do you need； you bastard？ You needed to get drunk which you are probably doing even though it does not seem so to you。 There is no way for you to get what you need and you will never have what you want again。 But there are various palliative measures you should take。 Go ahead。 Take one。
¨Voy a tomar otro de estos grandes sin az？car；〃 he said to Seraf？n。
¨En seguida； Don Tom？s；〃 Seraf？n said。 ¨Are you going to try to beat the record？〃
¨No。 Iˇm just drinking with calmness。〃
¨You were drinking with calmness when you set the record；〃 Seraf？n said。 ¨With calmness and fortitude from morning until night。 And you walked out on your own feet。〃
¨The hell with the record。〃
¨Youˇve got a chance to break it；〃 Seraf？n told him。 ¨Drinking as you are now and eating a little as you go along； you have an excellent chance。〃
¨Tom； try to break the record；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Iˇm here as a witness。〃
¨He doesnˇt need any witness；〃 Seraf？n said。 ¨Iˇm the witness。 When I go off Iˇll give the count to Constante。 Youˇre further along right now than you were the day you set the record。〃
¨The hell with the record。〃
¨Youˇre in good form。 Youˇre drinking well and steady and theyˇre not having any effect on you。〃
¨Fuck the record。〃
¨All right。 Como usted quiere。 Iˇm keeping count just in case you change your mind。〃
¨Heˇll keep count all right；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨He has the duplicate tickets。〃
¨What do you want； woman？ Do you want a real record or a phony record？〃
¨Neither。 I want a highbalito with agua mineral。〃
¨Como siempre；〃 Seraf？n said。
¨I drink brandy； too。〃
¨I donˇt want to be here when you drink brandy。〃
¨Tom； did you know I fell down trying to get onto a streetcar and was nearly killed？〃
¨Poor Honest Lil；〃 Seraf？n said。 ¨A dangerous and adventurous life。〃
¨Better than yours standing all day in wooden shoes behind a bar and serving rummies。〃
¨Thatˇs my trade；〃 Seraf？n said。 ¨Itˇs a privilege to serve such distinguished rummies as you。〃
Henry Wood came over。 He stood； tall and sweating and newly excited by a change of plans。 There was nothing that pleased him； Thomas Hudson thought； like a sudden change of plans。
¨Weˇre going over to Alfredˇs Sin House；〃 he said。 ¨Do you want to come； Tom？〃
¨Willieˇs waiting for you at the Bar Basque。〃
¨I donˇt believe we really want Willie on this one。〃
¨You ought to tell him； then。〃
¨Iˇll call him up。 Donˇt you want to come？ This is going to be very good。〃
¨You ought to eat something。〃
¨Iˇll eat a good big dinner。 How are you doing？〃
¨Iˇm doing fine；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Really fine。〃
¨Are you going to try for the record？〃
¨No。〃
¨Will I see you tonight？〃
¨I donˇt think so。〃
¨Iˇll come out and sleep at the house if you like。〃
¨No。 Have fun。 But eat something。〃
¨Iˇll eat an excellent dinner。 Word of honor。〃
¨Be sure and call Willie。〃
¨Iˇll call Willie。 You can be quite sure。〃
¨Whereˇs Alfredˇs Sin House？〃
¨Itˇs an absolutely beautiful place。 It overlooks the harbor and itˇs well furnished and really delightful。〃
¨I mean what is the address。〃
¨I donˇt know but Iˇll tell Willie。〃
¨You donˇt think Willie will be hurt？〃
¨I canˇt help it if he is； Tom。 I really canˇt ask Willie on this。 You know how fond I am of Willie。 But there are things I simply canˇt ask him on。 You know that as well as I do。〃
¨All right。 But call him up。〃
¨Word of honor Iˇll call him。 And word of honor Iˇll eat a first…rate dinner。〃
He smiled； patted Honest Lil on the shoulder； and was gone。 He moved very beautifully for such a big man。
¨What about the girls at his place？〃 Thomas Hudson asked Honest Lil。
¨Theyˇre gone by now；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Thereˇs nothing to eat there。 And I donˇt think there is much to drink。 Do you want to go around there or would you rather come to my place？〃
¨Your place；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨But later on。〃
¨Tell me another happy story。〃
¨All right。 What about？〃
¨Seraf？n；〃 Lil said。 ¨Give Tom？s another double frozen without sugar。 Tengo todav？a mi highbalito。〃 Then to Thomas Hudson； ¨About the happiest time you remember。 And not with smells。〃
¨It has to have smells；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He watched Henry Wood across the square getting into the sport car of the very rich sugar planter named Alfred。 Henry Wood was too big for the car。 He was too big for almost anything； he thought。 But he knew three or four things he was not too big for。 No； he said to himself。 This is your day off。 Take your day off。
¨What do you want the story to be about？〃
¨What I asked you。〃
He watched Seraf？n pour the drink from the shaker into the tall glass and saw the top of it curl over the edge and onto the bar。 Seraf？n pushed the base of the glass into the slit in a cardboard protector and Thomas Hudson lifted it； heavy and cold above the thin stem he held in his ringers； and took a long sip and held it in his mouth； cold against his tongue and teeth； before he swallowed it。
¨All right；〃 he said。 ¨The happiest day I ever had was any day when I woke in the morning when I was a boy and I did not have to go to school or to work。 In the morning I was always hungry when I woke and I could smell the dew in the grass and hear the wind in the high branches of the hemlock trees； if there was a wind； and if there was no wind I could hear the quietness of the forest and the calmness of the lake and I would listen for the first noises of morning。 Sometimes the first noise would be a kingfisher flying over the water that was so calm it mirrored his reflection and he made a clattering cry as he flew。 Sometimes it would be a squirrel chittering in one of the trees outside the house； his tail jerking each time he made a noise。 Often it would be the plover calling on the hillside。 But whenever I woke and heard the first morning noises and felt hungry and knew I would not have to go to school nor have to work； I was happier than I have ever been。〃
¨Even than with women？〃
¨Iˇve been very happy with women。 Desperately happy。 Unbearably happy。 So happy that I could not believe it； that it was like being drunk or crazy。 But never as happy as with my children when we were all happy together or the way I was early in the morning。〃
¨But how could you be as happy by yourself as with someone？〃
¨This is all silly。 You asked me to tell you whatever came in my mind。〃
¨No； I didnˇt。 I said to tell me a happy story about the happiest time you remember。 That wasnˇt a story。 You just woke up and were happy。 Tell me a real story。〃
¨What about？〃
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