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It was not him； of course； who had stood there that morning； nor had he even worn the patched corduroy jacket faded almost white now； the armpits rotted through by sweat； that he took off
then and handed to his Kamba servant and brother who shared with him the guilt and knowledge of the delay； watching him smell the sour； vinegary smell and shake his head in disgust and then grin as he swung the jacket over his black shoulder holding it by the sleeves as they started off across the dry…baked gray； the gun muzzles in their right hands； the barrels balanced on their shoulders； the heavy stocks pointing back toward the line of porters。
It was not him； but as he wrote it was and when someone read it； finally； it would be whoever read it and what they found when they should reach the escarpment； if they reached it； and he would make them reach its base by noon of that day； then whoever read it would find what there was there and have it always。
All your father found he found for you too； he thought； the good； the wonderful； the bad； the very bad； the really very bad； the truly bad and then the much worse。 It was a shame a man with such a talent for disaster and for delight should have gone the way he went； he thought。 It always made him happy to remember his father and he knew his father would have liked this story。
It was nearly noon when he came out of the room and walked barefoot on the stones of the patio to the entrance of the hotel。 In the big room workmen were putting up a mirror on the wall behind the bar。 Monsieur Aurol and the young waiter were with them and he spoke to them and went out in the kitchen where he found Madame。
〃Have you any beer； Madame？〃 he asked her。
〃Mais certainement； Monsieur J3ourne；〃 she said and brought a cold bottle from the ice chest。
〃I'll drink it from the bottle；〃 he said。
〃As Monsieur wishes；〃 she said。 〃The ladies drove to Nice I believe。 Monsieur worked well？〃
〃Very well。〃
〃Monsieur works too hard。 It's not good not to take breakfast。〃
〃Is there any of that caviar left in the tin？〃
〃I'm sure there is。
〃I'll take a couple of spoonsful。〃
〃Monsieur is odd；〃 Madame said。 〃Yesterday you ate it with champagne。 Today with beer。〃
〃I'm alone today；〃 David said。 〃Do you know if my bicyclette is still in the remise？〃
〃It should be；〃 Madame said。
David took a spoonful of the caviar and offered the tin to Madame。 〃Have some； Madame。 It's very good。〃
〃I shouldn't；〃 she said。
〃Don't be silly；〃 he told her。 〃Take some。 There's some toast。 Take a glass of champagne。 There's some in the ice box。〃
Madame took a spoonful of caviar and put it on a piece of toast left from breakfast and poured herself a glass of rose。
〃It is excellent；〃 she said。 〃Now we must put it away。
〃Do you feel any good effect？〃 David asked。 〃I'm going to have one more spoon。
〃Ah； Monsieur。 You mustn't joke like that。〃
〃Why not？〃 David said。 〃My joking partners are away。 If those two beautiful women come back tell them I went for a swim will you？〃
〃Certainly。 The little one is a beauty。 Not as beautiful as Madame of course。〃
〃I find her not too ugly；〃 David said。
〃She's a beauty； Monsieur； and very charming。〃
〃She'll do until something else comes along；〃 David said。 〃If you think she's pretty。〃
〃Monsieur；〃 she said in deepest reproof。
〃What are all the architectural reforms？〃 David asked。
〃The new miroir for the bar？ It's such a charming gift to the maison。〃
〃Everyone's full of charm；〃 David said。 〃Charm and sturgeon eggs。 Ask the boy to look at my tires while I put something on my feet and find a cap； will you please？〃
〃Monsieur likes to go barefoot。 Me too in summer。〃
〃We'll go barefoot together sometime。〃
〃Monsieur；〃 she said giving it everything。
〃Is Aurol jealous？〃
〃Sans bla gue ；〃 she said。 〃I'll tell the two beautiful ladies you've gone swimming。〃
〃Keep the caviar away from Aurol；〃 David said。 〃A bient6t； chere Madame。〃
〃A tout l'heure； Monsieur。〃
On the shiny black road that mounted through the pines as he left the hotel he felt the pull in his arms and his shoulders and the rounding thrust of his feet against the pedals as he climbed in the hot sun with the smell of the pines and the light breeze that came from the sea。 He bent his back forward and pulled lightly against his hands and felt the cadence that had been ragged as he first mounted begin to smooth out as he passed the hundred…meter stones and then the first red…topped kilometer marker and then the second。 At the headland the road dipped to border the sea and he braked and dismounted and put the bicycle over his shoulder and walked down with it along the trail to the beach。 He propped it against a pine tree that gave off the resin smell of the hot day and he dropped down to the rocks； stripped and put his espadrilles on his shorts； shirt and cap and he dove from the rocks into the deep clear cold sea。 He came up through the varying light and when his head came out he shook it to clear his ears and then swam out to sea。 He lay on his back and floated and watched the sky and the first white clouds that were coming with the breeze。
He swam back in to the cove finally and climbed up on the dark red rocks and sat there in the sun looking down into the sea。
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He was happy to be alone and to have finished his work for the day。 Then the loneliness he always had after work started and he began to think about the girls and to miss them； not to miss the one nor the other at first； but to miss them both。 Then he thought of them； not critically； not as any problem of love or fondness； nor of obligation nor of what had happened or would happen； nor of any problem of conduct now or to come； but simply of how he missed them。 He was lonely for them both； alone and together； and he wanted them both。
Sitting in the sun on the rock looking down into the sea； he knew it was wrong to want them both but he did。 Nothing with either of those two can end well and neither can you now； he told himself。 But do not start blaming who you love nor appor tioning blame。 It will all be apportioned in due time and not by you。
He looked down into the sea and tried to think clearly what the situation was and it did not work out。 The worst was what had happened to Catherine。 The next worse was that he had begun to care for the other girl。 He did not have to examine his conscience to know that he loved Catherine nor that it was wrong to love two women and that no good could ever come of it。 He did not yet know how terrible it could be。 He only knew that it had started。 The three of you are already enmeshed like three gears that turn a wheel； he told himself and also told himself one gear had been stripped or； at least； badly damaged。 He dove deep down into the clear cold water where he missed no one and then came up and shook his head and swam out further and then turned to swim back to the beach。
He dressed； still wet from the sea and put his cap in his pocket； then climbed up to the road with his bicycle and mounted； driving the machine up the short hill feeling the lack of training in his thighs as he pressed the balls of his feet on the pedals with the steady climbing thrust that carried him up the
black road as though he and the racing bike were some wheeled animal。 Then he coasted down； his hands fingering the brakes； taking the curves fast； dropping down the shiny dark road through the pines； to the turnoff at the back court of the hotel where the sea shone summer blue beyond the trees。
The girls were not back yet and he went into the room and took a shower； changed to a fresh shirt and shorts and came out to the bar with its new and handsome mirror。 He called the boy and asked him to bring a lemon； a knife and some ice and showed him how to make a Tom Collins。 Then he sat on the bar stool and looked into the mirror as he lifted the tall drink。 I do not know if I'd have a drink with you or not if I'd met you four months ago； he thought。 The boy brought him the Eclaireur de Nice and he read it while he waited。 He had been disappointed not to find the girls returned and he missed them and began to
worry。
When they came in； finally； Catherine was very gay and excited and the girl was contrite and very quiet。
〃Hello darling；〃 Catherine said to David。 〃Oh look at the mirror。 They did get it up。 It's a very good one too。 It's awfully critical though。 I'll go in and clean up for lunch。 I'm sorry we're late。〃
〃We stopped in town and had a drink；〃 the girl said to David。 〃I'm sorry to have kept you waiting。〃
〃A drink？〃 David said。
The girl held up two fingers。 She put her face up and kissed him and was gone。 David went back to reading the paper。
When Catherine came out she was wearing the dark blue linen shirt that David liked and slacks and she said； 〃Darling I hope you're not cross。 It wasn't really our fault。 I saw Jean and I asked him to have a drink with us and he did and was so nice。
〃The coiffeur？〃
〃Jean。 Of course。 What other Jean would I know in Cannes？
He was so nice and he asked about you。 Can I have a martini； darling？ I've only had one。〃
〃Lunch must be ready by now。〃
〃Just one； darling。 They only have us for lunch。〃
David made two martinis taking his time and the girl cam