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¨We must remember the circumstances of the founding of the party and write out the manifesto。 Whatˇs the date anyway？〃
¨The twentieth。 More or less。〃
¨The twentieth of what？〃
¨The twentieth more or less of February。 El grito de La Floridita。〃
¨Itˇs a solemn moment；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Can you write； Honest Lil？ Can you perpetuate all this？〃
¨I can write。 But I canˇt write right now。〃
¨There are a few more problems we have to take a stand on；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨Listen； Colossus of the North； why donˇt you buy this round？ Youˇve seen how valiant my credit is and how he stands up to the attack。 But thereˇs no need to kill the poor bird when we know heˇs losing。 Come on； Colossus。〃
¨Donˇt call me Colossus。 Weˇre against the damn Colossus。〃
¨All right； governor。 What do you do； anyway？〃
¨Iˇm a scientist。〃
¨Sobre todo en la cama；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨He made extensive studies in China。〃
¨Well； whatever you are； buy this one；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨And letˇs get on with the platform。〃
¨What about the Home？〃
¨A sacred subject。 The Home enjoys equal dignity with religion。 We must be careful and subtle。 What about this： Abajo los padres de familias？〃
¨It has dignity。 But why not just： Down with the Home？〃
¨Abajo el Home。 Itˇs a beautiful sentiment but many might confuse it with b？isbol。〃
¨What about Little Children？〃
¨Suffer them to come unto me once they are of electoral age；〃 said the Alcalde Peor。
¨What about divorce？〃 Thomas Hudson asked。
¨Another touchy problem；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨Bastante espinoso。 How do you feel about divorce？〃
¨Perhaps we shouldnˇt take up divorce。 It conflicts with our campaign in favor of the Home。〃
¨All right； letˇs drop it。 Now let me see〃
¨You canˇt；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Youˇre cockeyed。〃
¨Donˇt criticize me； woman；〃 the Alcalde Peor told her。 ¨One thing we must do。〃
¨What？〃
¨Orinar。〃
¨I agree；〃 Thomas Hudson heard himself saying。 ¨It is basic。〃
¨As basic as the lack of the aqueduct。 It is founded on water。〃
¨Itˇs founded on alcohol。〃
¨Only a small percentage in comparison with the water。 Water is the basic thing。 You are a scientist。 What percentage of water are we composed of？〃
¨Eighty…seven and three…tenths；〃 said Thomas Hudson； taking a chance and knowing he was wrong。
¨Exactly；〃 said the Alcalde Peor； ¨Should we go while we can still move？〃
In the menˇs room a calm and noble Negro was reading a Rosicrucian pamphlet。 He was working on the weekly lesson of the course he was taking。 Thomas Hudson greeted him with dignity and his greeting was returned in kind。
¨Quite a chilly day； sir；〃 the attendant with the religious literature observed。
¨It is indeed chilly；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨How are your studies progressing？〃
¨Very well； sir。 As well as can be expected。〃
¨Iˇm delighted；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 Then to the Alcalde Peor； who was having certain difficulties； ¨I belonged to a club in London once where half the members were trying to urinate and the other half were trying to stop。〃
¨Very good；〃 said the Alcalde Peor； completing his chore； ¨What did they call it； El Club Mundial？〃
¨No。 As a matter of fact； Iˇve forgotten the name of it。〃
¨Youˇve forgotten the name of your club？〃
¨Yes。 Why not？〃
¨I think we better go get another one。 How much does this urination cost？〃
¨Whatever you wish； sir。〃
¨Let me get them；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I love to buy them。 Itˇs like flowers。〃
¨Could it have been the Royal Automobile Club？〃 the Negro asked； standing proffering a towel。
¨It could not have been。〃
¨Iˇm sorry； sir；〃 the student of Rusicrucian said。 ¨I know thatˇs one of the biggest clubs in London。〃
¨Thatˇs right；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨One of the biggest。 Now buy yourself something very handsome with this。〃 He gave him a dollar。
¨Why did you give him a peso？〃 the Alcalde Peor asked him as they were outside the door and back to the noise of the bar； the restaurant； and the traffic on the street outside。
¨I have no real use for it。〃
¨Hombre；〃 the Alcalde Peor said。 ¨Are you feeling all right？ Do you feel OK？〃
¨Quite；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Iˇm quite OK； thank you very much。〃
¨How was the trip？〃 Honest Lil asked from her stool at the bar。 Thomas Hudson looked at her and saw her again for the first time。 She looked considerably darker and much wider。
¨It was a nice trip；〃 he said。 ¨You always meet interesting people when you travel。〃
Honest Lil put her hand on his thigh and squeezed it and he was looking down the bar； away from Honest Lil； past the Panama hats； the Cuban faces； and the moving dice cups of the drinkers and out the open door into the bright light of the square； when he saw the car pull up and the doorman opened the rear door； his cap in his hand； and she got out。
It was her。 No one else got out of a car that way； practically and easily and beautifully and at the same time as though she were doing the street a great favor when she stepped on it： Everyone had tried to look like her for many years and some came quite close。 But when you saw her； all the people that looked like her were only imitations。 She was in uniform now and she smiled at the doorman and asked him a question and he answered happily and nodded his head and she started across the sidewalk and into the bar。 There was another woman in uniform behind her。
Thomas Hudson stood up and he felt as though his chest was being constricted so that he could not breathe。 She had seen him and she was walking down the gap between the people at the bar and the tables toward him。 The other woman was following behind her。
¨Excuse me；〃 he said to Honest Lil and to the Alcalde Peor。 ¨I have to see a friend。〃
They met halfway down the free corridor between the bar and the tables and he was holding her in his arms。 They were both holding hard and tight as people can hold and he was kissing her hard and well and she was kissing him and feeling both his arms with her hands。
¨Oh you。 You。 You；〃 she said。
¨You devil；〃 he said。 ¨How did you get here？〃
¨From Camag？ey； of course。〃
People were looking at them and he picked her off her feet and held her tight against him and kissed her once more then put her down and took her hand and started for a table in the corner。
¨We canˇt do that here；〃 he said。 ¨Weˇll get arrested。〃
¨Letˇs get arrested；〃 she said。 ¨This is Ginny。 Sheˇs my secretary。〃
¨Hi； Ginny；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Letˇs get this mad woman behind that table。〃
Ginny was a nice； ugly girl。 They were both wearing the same uniform； officersˇ blouses without insignia； shirts and ties； skirts； stockings； and brogues。 They had overseas caps and a patch on their left shoulders he had not seen before。
¨Take your cap off； devil。〃
¨Iˇm not supposed to。〃
¨Take it off。〃
¨All right。〃
She took it off and lifted her face and shook her hair loose and moved her head back and looked at him and he saw the high forehead； the magic rolling line of the hair tha