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'We'd have to wear suits。〃
〃It wouldn't matter with this wind。 It's no day to be on the sand to tan。〃
〃I hate to wear suits with you。〃
〃Me too。 But maybe tomorrow the wind will be over。〃
Then on the Esterel road with David driving the big old Isotta； feeling and condemning the too sudden brakes and finding how badly the motor needed to be worked over； the three of them sat
together and Catherine said； 〃There are two or three different coves where we swim without suits when we're alone。 That's the only way to get really dark。〃
〃It's not a good day to tan；〃 David said。 〃It's too windy。〃
〃We can swim though without suits if you like；〃 Catherine said to the girl。 〃If David doesn't mind。 It might be fun。〃
〃I'd love to；〃 the girl said。 〃Do you mind？〃 she asked David。
In the evening David made martinis and the girl said； 〃Is everything always as wonderful as it has been today？〃
〃It's been a pleasant day；〃 David said。 Catherine had not yet come out from their room and he and the girl were sitting in front of the small bar M。 Aurol had installed the previous winter in the corner of the big Provencal room。
'When I drink I want to say things I should never say；〃 the girl said。
〃Then don't say them。〃 〃Then what's the use of drinking？〃 〃It isn't these。 You've only had one。〃 〃Were you embarrassed when we swam？〃
〃No。 Should I have been？〃 〃No；〃 she said。 〃I loved to see you。
〃That's good；〃 he said。 〃How's the martini？〃
〃It's very strong but I like it。 Did you and Catherine never swim before like that with anyone？〃
〃No。 Why should we？〃
〃I'll get really brown。〃
〃I'm sure you will。〃
'Would you rather I was not so deeply brown？〃
〃You're a nice color。 Get that color all over if you like。〃
〃I thought perhaps you'd like one of your girls lighter than the other。〃
〃You're not my girl。〃
〃I am；〃 she said。 〃I told you before。〃
〃You don't blush anymore。
〃I got over it when we went bathing。 I hope I won't now for a long time。 That's why I said everything&mdash；to get over it。 That's why I told you。〃
〃You look nice in that cashmere sweater；〃 David said。 〃Catherine said we'd both wear them。 You don't dislike me because I told you？〃
〃I forget what you told me。
〃That I love you。
〃Don't talk rot。〃
〃Don't you believe it happens to people like that？ The way it happened to me about you two？〃
〃You don't fall in love with two people at once。
〃You don't know；〃 she said。
〃It's rot；〃 he said。 〃It's just a way of talking。〃
〃It isn't at all。 It's true。〃
〃You just think it is。 It's nonsense。〃
〃All right；〃 she said。 〃It's nonsense。 But I'm here。〃
〃Yes。 You're here；〃 he said。 He was watching Catherine as she crossed the room； smiling and happy。
〃1…lello swimmers；〃 she said。 〃Oh what a shame。 I didn't get to see Marita have her first martini。〃
〃This is still it；〃 the girl said。
〃How did it affect her； David？〃
〃Made her talk rot。〃
〃We'll start with a fresh one。 Weren't you good to resuscitate this bar。 It's such a sort of tentative bar。 We'll get a mirror for it。 A bar's no good without a mirror。〃
〃We can get one tomorrow；〃 the girl said。 〃I'd like to get it。
〃Don't be rich；〃 Catherine said。 〃We'll both get it and then
we can all see each other when we talk rot and know how rotty it is。 You can't fool a bar mirror。〃
〃It's when I start looking quizzical in one that I know I've lost；〃 David said。
〃You never lose。 How can you lose with two girls？〃 Catherine said。
〃I tried to tell him；〃 the girl said and blushed for the first time that evening。
〃She's your girl and I'm your girl；〃 Catherine said。 〃Now stop being stuffy and be nice to your girls。 Don't you like the way they look？ I'm the very fair one you married。〃
〃You're darker and fairer than the one I married。〃
〃So are you and I brought you a dark girl for a present。 Don't you like your present？〃
〃I like my present very much。〃
〃How do you like your future？〃
〃I don't know about my future。
〃It isn't a dark future is it？〃 the girl asked。
〃Very good；〃 Catherine said。 〃She's not only beautiful and rich and healthy and affectionate。 She can make jokes。 Aren't you pleased with what I brought you？〃
〃I'd rather be a dark present than a dark future；〃 the girl said。 〃She did it again；〃 Catherine said。 〃Give her a kiss David and make her a fair present。〃
David put his arm around the girl and kissed her and she started to kiss him and turned her head away。 Then she was crying with her head down and both hands holding the bar。
〃Make a good joke now；〃 David said to Catherine。 〃I'm all right；〃 the girl said。 〃Don't look at me。 I'm all right。〃 Catherine put her arm around her and kissed her and stroked her head。
〃I'll be all right；〃 the girl said。 〃Please； I know I'll be all right。〃
〃I'm so sorry；〃 Catherine said。
〃Let me go please；〃 the girl said。 〃I have to go。 〃Well；〃 David said when the girl was gone and Catherine had come back to the bar。
〃You don't need to say it；〃 Catherine said。 〃I'm sorry David。〃
〃She'll be back。〃
〃You don't think it's all a fake now do you？〃
〃They were real tears if that's what you mean。
〃Don't be stupid。 You aren't stupid。〃
〃I kissed her very carefully。〃
〃Yes。 On the mouth。〃
〃Where did you expect me to kiss her？〃
〃You were all right。 I haven't criticized you。〃
〃I'm glad you didn't ask me to kiss her when we were at the beach。〃
〃I thought of it；〃 Catherine said。 She laughed and it was like the old days before anyone had mixed in their life。 〃Did you think I was going to？〃
〃I thought you were so I dove in。〃
〃Good thing you did。〃
They laughed again。
〃Well； we've cheered up；〃 Catherine said。
〃Thank God；〃 David said。 〃I love you； Devil； and really I didn't kiss her to make all that。〃
〃You don't have to tell me；〃 Catherine said。 〃I saw you。 It was a miserable effort。〃
〃I wish she'd go away。〃
〃Don't be heartless；〃 Catherine said。 〃And I did encourage her。〃
〃I tried not
〃I egged her on about you。 I'll go out and find her。〃
〃No。 Wait a little while。 She's too sure of herself。〃
〃How can you say that； David？ You just broke her all up。
〃I did not。〃
'Well something did。 I'm going to go and get her。〃
But it wasn't necessary because the girl came back to the bar where they were standing and blushed and said； 〃I'm sorry。〃 Her face was washed and she had brushed her hair and she came up to David and kissed him on the mouth very quickly and said； 〃I like my present。 Did someone take my drink？〃
〃I threw it out；〃 Catherine said。 〃David will make a new one。
〃I hope you still like having two girls；〃 she said。 〃Because I am yours and I'm going to be Catherine's too。〃
〃I don't go in for girls；〃 Catherine said。 It was very quiet and her voice did not sound right either to herself or to David。
〃Don't you ever？〃
〃I never have。〃
〃I can be your girl； if you ever want one； and David's too。〃
〃Don't you think that's sort of a vast undertaking？〃 Catherine asked。
〃That's why I came here；〃 the girl said。 〃I thought that was what you wanted。〃
〃I've never had a girl；〃 Catherine said。
〃I'm so stupid；〃 the girl said。 〃I didn't know。 Is it true？ You're not making fun of me？〃
〃I'm not making fun of you。〃
〃I don't know how I could be so stupid；〃 the girl said。 She means mistaken David thought and Catherine thought