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¨Then let it blow。 Do you think making love is wicked？〃
¨I donˇt think Tom would disapprove。〃
¨No。 Surely no。〃
¨Do you remember skiing with him on your shoulders and how weˇd sing coming down through the orchard behind the inn in the dusk？〃
¨I remember everything。〃
¨So do I；〃 she said。 ¨And why were we so stupid？〃
¨We were rivals as well as lovers。〃
¨I know it and we shouldnˇt have been。 But you donˇt love anyone else； do you？ Now that thatˇs all we have？〃
¨No。 Truly。〃
¨I donˇt either really。 Do you think we could take each other back？〃
¨I donˇt know whether it would work。 We could try it。〃
¨How long will the war be？〃
¨Ask the man who owns one。〃
¨Will it be years？〃
¨A couple； anyway。〃
¨Are you liable to be killed too？〃
¨Very。〃
¨Thatˇs not good。〃
¨And if Iˇm not？〃
¨I donˇt know。 Now Tomˇs gone we wouldnˇt start being bitter and bad again？〃
¨I could try not to。 Iˇm not bitter and Iˇve learned how to handle the bad。 Really。〃
¨What？ With whores？〃
¨I guess so。 But I wouldnˇt need them if we were together。〃
¨You always did put things so prettily。〃
¨See？ Letˇs not start it。〃
¨No。 Not in the house of the dead。〃
¨You said that once。〃
¨I know；〃 she said。 ¨Iˇm sorry。 But I donˇt know how to put it any other way and mean the same thing。 Itˇs started to get numb already。〃
¨It will get number；〃 he said。 ¨Numb is as bad as at the start。 But it will get number。〃
¨Will you tell me every bad thing you know about it so mine will get numb quicker？〃
¨Sure；〃 he said。 ¨Christ； I love you。〃
¨You always did；〃 she said。 ¨Now tell me。〃
He was sitting at her feet and he did not look at her。 He looked at Boise the cat； who was lying in a patch of sunlight on the matting。 ¨He was shot down by a flak ship in a routine sweep off Abbeville。〃
¨Did he bail out？〃
¨No。 The kite burned。 He must have been hit。〃
¨I hope he was；〃 she said。 ¨I hope so much he was。〃
¨Itˇs almost sure he was。 He had time to bail out。〃
¨Youˇre telling me the truth？ His chute didnˇt burn？〃
¨No；〃 he lied； thinking that was enough for today。
¨Who did you hear it from？〃
He told her the name of the man。 ¨Then itˇs true；〃 she said。 ¨I donˇt have a son any more and neither do you。 I suppose we can learn about that。 Do you know anything else？〃
¨No；〃 he told her； as truly as possible。
¨And we just go on？〃
¨Thatˇs it。〃
¨With what？〃
¨With nothing；〃 he said。
¨Couldnˇt I stay here and be with you？〃
¨I donˇt think it would be any good because I have to go out as soon as the weather is possible。 You never talk and you bury anything I tell you。 So bury that。〃
¨But I could be with you until then and I could wait until youˇre back。〃
¨Thatˇs no good；〃 he said。 ¨I never know when weˇll be back and it would be worse for you not working。 Stay if you want until we go。〃
¨Good；〃 she said。 ¨Iˇll stay until you go and weˇll think of Tom all we want。 And weˇll make love as soon as you think itˇs right。〃
¨Tommy never had anything to do with that room。〃
¨No。 And Iˇll exorcise anyone who ever did。〃
¨Now we really should eat something and drink a glass of wine。〃
¨A bottle；〃 she said。 ¨Wasnˇt Tom a lovely boy？ And so funny and good。〃
¨What are you made of？〃
¨What you love；〃 she said。 ¨And steel added。〃
¨I donˇt know whatˇs become of the house boys；〃 Thomas Hudson told her。 ¨They didnˇt expect me back today。 But one boy is supposed to be on the telephone。 Iˇll get the wine。 Itˇs cold now。〃
He opened the bottle and poured two glasses。 It was the good wine he saved for coming…homes； after he had cooled out； and it bubbled small and neat and faithfully。
¨Hereˇs to us and all our mistakes and all our losses and the gains weˇll make。〃
¨Made；〃 he said。
¨Made；〃 she said。 Then she said； ¨The one thing you were always faithful to was good wine。〃
¨Admirable of me； wasnˇt it？〃
¨Iˇm sorry I said it about the drinking this morning。〃
¨Those things are good for me。 Itˇs funny； but they are。〃
¨You mean what you were drinking？ Or the criticism？〃
¨What I was drinking。 The tall frozen ones。〃
¨Maybe they are。 And I donˇt make any criticism now except that it is awfully hard to get something to eat in this house。〃
¨Be patient。 Youˇve told me that enough times。〃
¨Iˇm patient；〃 she said。 ¨Iˇm just hungry。 I know now why people eat at wakes and before funerals。〃
¨Be as rough with it as is good for you。〃
¨Donˇt worry。 Iˇll be。 Are we going to go on saying weˇre sorry for everything？ I said it once。〃
¨Listen； you；〃 he said。 ¨Iˇve had this thing three weeks longer than you and maybe Iˇm in a different phase。〃
¨Youˇd have a different and more interesting phase；〃 she said。 ¨I know you。 Why donˇt you just get back to your whores？〃
¨Wouldnˇt you like to stop it？〃
¨No。 It makes me feel better。〃
¨Who was it said； ˉMary； pity womenˇ？〃
¨Some man；〃 she said。 ¨Some bastard of a man。〃
¨Do you want to hear the whole poem？〃
¨No。 And Iˇm tired of you already and you knowing it three weeks earlier and all that。 Just because Iˇm a non…combatant and youˇre in something so secret you have to sleep with a cat so you wonˇt talk〃
¨And you still donˇt see why we broke up？〃
¨We broke up because I got tired of you。 Youˇve always loved me and you couldnˇt help it and you canˇt help it now。〃
¨Thatˇs true。〃
The house boy was standing in the dining room。 He had unavoidably seen and heard quarrels in the living room before and they made his brown face perspire with unhappiness。 He loved his master and the cats and dogs and he admired the beautiful women respectfully and it made him feel terrible when there were quarrels。 He thought that he had never seen such a beautiful woman and the caballero was quarreling with her and she was saying angry things to the caballero。
¨Se？or；〃 he said。 ¨Pardon me。 May I speak to you in the kitchen？〃
¨Excuse me please； darling。〃
¨I suppose itˇs something mysterious；〃 she said and poured her glass full of wine。
¨Se？or；〃 the boy said。 ¨The Lieutenant spoke in castellano and he said for to come in immediately repeat immediately。 He said you would know where and that it was a business matter。 I did not wish to call on our phone and I called from the village。 Then they told me you were here。〃
¨Good；〃 said Thomas Hudson。 ¨Thank you very much。 Please fry some eggs for the se？orita and me and tell the chauffeur to have the car ready。〃
¨Yes sir；〃 the boy said。
¨What was it； Tom？〃 she asked。 ¨Is it bad？〃
¨I have to go to work。〃
¨But you said you wouldnˇt have to with this wind。〃
¨I know it。 But itˇs out of my hands。〃
¨Do you want me to stay here？〃
¨You can stay and read Tomˇs letters if you like and the chauffeur will take you to your plane。〃
¨All right。〃
¨You can take the letters with you； too； if you want and any pictures or anything you see。 Go through my desk。〃
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