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〃Do you want me to？〃
〃Please；〃 she said。
He sat down。 That didn't make much sense； he thought。 You got up to go out and take the damned car and stay out and the hell with her and then you come back in and have to ask for the key and then sit down like a slob。 He picked up his glass and took a drink。 The drink was good anyway。
〃What are you going to do about lunch？〃 he asked。
〃You say where and I'll eat it with you。 You do still love me； don't you？〃
〃Don't be silly。〃
〃That was a sordid quarrel；〃 Catherine said。
〃The first one
〃It was my fault about the clippings。〃
〃Let's not mention the god damned clippings。〃
〃That's what it was all about。〃
〃It was you thinking about them when you were drinking。 Bringing them up because you were drinking。〃
〃It sounds like regurgitating；〃 she said。 〃Awful。 Actually my tongue just slipped making a joke。〃
〃You had to have them in your head to bnng them out that way。
〃All right；〃 she said。 〃I thought maybe it was all over。
〃It is。〃
〃Well why do you keep on insisting and insisting about it for then？〃
〃We shouldn't have taken this drink。〃
〃No。 Of course not。 Especially me。 But you certainly needed it。 Do you think it will do you any good？〃
〃Do we have to do this now？〃 he asked。
〃I'm certainly going to stop it。 It bores me。〃 〃That's the one damned word in the language I can't stand。〃 〃Lucky you with only one word like that in the language。〃 〃Oh shit；〃 he said。 〃Eat lunch by yourself。〃 〃No。 I won't。 We'll eat lunch together and behave like human beings。〃
〃All right。〃
〃I'm sorry。 It really was a joke and it just misfired。 Truly David that was all。〃
Chapter Five
THE TIDE WAS FAR OUT when David Bourne woke and the sun was bright on the beach and the sea was a dark blue。 The hills showed green and new washed and the clouds had gone from the mountains。 Catherine was still sleeping and he looked at her and watched her regular breathing and the sun on her face and thought； how strange that the sun on her eyes should not wake her。
After he had taken a shower and brushed his teeth and shaved； he was hungry for breakfast but he pulled on a pair of shorts and a sweater and found his notebook and pencils and the sharpener and sat at the table by the window that looked out over the estuary of the river to Spain。 He started to write and he forgot about Catherine and what he saw from the window and the writing went by itself as it did with him when he was lucky。 He wrote it exactly and the sinister part only showed as the light feathering of a smooth swell on a calm day marking the reef beneath。
When he had worked for a time； he looked at Catherine； still sleeping； her lips smiling now and the rectangle of sunlight from the open window falling across the brown of her body and lighting her dark face and tawny head against the rumpled white of the sheet and the unused pillow。 It's too late to get breakfast now； he thought。 I'll leave a note and go down to the cafe and get a cafe creme and something。 But while he was putting his work away Catherine woke and came over to him as he was closing the suitcase and put her arms around him and kissed him on the back of his neck and said； 〃I'm your lazy naked wife。〃
〃What did you wake up for？〃
〃I don't know。 But tell me where you're going and I'll be there in five minutes。〃
〃I'm going to the cafe to get some breakfast。〃
〃Go ahead and I'll join you。 You worked didn't you？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Weren't you wonderful to after yesterday and everything。 I'm so proud。 Kiss me and look at us in the mirror on the bath room door。〃
He kissed her and they looked into the full length mirror。
〃It's so nice not to feel overdressed；〃 she said。 〃You be good and don't get in any trouble on your way to the cafe。 Order me an oeuf au jambon too。 Don't wait for me。 I'm sorry I made you wait so long for breakfast。〃
At the cafe he found the morning paper and the Paris papers of the day before and had his coffee and milk and the Bayonne ham with a big beautifully fresh egg that he ground coarse pepper over sparsely and spread a little mustard on before he broke the yolk。 When Catherine had not come and her egg was in danger of getting cold he ate it too； swabbing the flat dish clean with a piece of the fresh baked bread。
〃Here comes Madame；〃 the waiter said。 〃I'll bring another plat for her。〃
She had put on a skirt and cashmere sweater and pearls and the
toweled her head but combed it damp and straight and wet and the tawny color of her hair did not show to make the contrast with her incredibly darkened face。 〃It's such a beautiful day；〃 she said。 〃I'm sorry to be late。〃
〃Where are you dressed for？〃
〃Biarritz。 I thought I'd drive in。 Do you want to come？〃
〃You want to go alone。〃
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃But you're welcome。〃
As he stood she said； 〃I'm going to bring you back a surprise。〃
〃No； don't。〃
〃Yes。 And you'll like it。〃
〃Let me go along and keep you from doing anything crazy。
'No。 It's better if I do it alone。 I'll be back in the afternoon。 And don't wait for lunch。〃
David read the papers and then walked out through the town looking for chalets that might be for rent or for a part of town that might be good to live in and found the newly built up area pleasant but dull。 He loved the view across the bay and the estuary to the Spanish side and the old gray stone of Fuenterrabia and shining white of the houses that spread out from it and the brown mountains with the blue shadows。 He wondered why the storm had gone so quickly and thought it must have been only the northern edge of a storm that came in across the Bay of Biscay。 Biscay was Vizcaya but that was the Basque province further down the coast well beyond San Sebastian。 The moun tains that he saw beyond the roofs of the border town of Irun were in Guipuzcoa and beyond them would be Navarra and Navarra was Navarre。 And what are we doing here； he thought； and what am I doing walking through a beach resort town looking at newly planted magnolias and bloody mimosas and watching for to…rent signs on phony Basque villas？ You didn't work hard enough this morning to make your brain that stupid or are you just hung over from yesterday？ You didn't work at all really。
And you better soon because everything's going too fast and you're going with it and you'll be through before ever you know it。 Maybe you're through now。 All right。 Don't start。 At least you remember that much。 And he walked on through the town； his vision sharpened by spleen and tempered by the ash beauty of the day。
The breeze from the sea was blowing through the room and he was reading with his shoulders and the small of his back against two pillows and another folded behind his head。 He was sleepy after lunch but he felt hollow with waiting for her and he read and waited。 Then he heard the door open and she came in and for an instant he did not know her。 She stood there with her hands below her breasts on the cashmere sweater and breathing as though she had been running。
〃Oh； no；〃 she said。 〃No。〃
Then she was on the bed pushing her head against him saying； 〃No。 No。 Please David。 Don't you at all？〃
He held her head close against his chest and felt it smooth close clipped and coarsely silky and she pushed it hard against him again and again。
'What did you do； Devil？〃
She raised her head and looked at him and her lips pressed against his and she moved them from side to side and moved on the bed so her body was pressed against his。
〃Now I can tell；〃 she said。 〃I'm so glad。 It was such a big chance。 I'm your new girl now so we'd better find out。〃
〃Let me see。
〃I'll show you but let me go a minute。〃
She came back and stood by the bed with the sun on her through the window。 She had dropped the skirt and was bare foot wearing only the sweater and the pearls。
〃Take a good look；〃 she said。 〃Because this is how I am。〃
He took a good look at the long dark legs the straight standing body the dark face and the sculptured tawny head and she looked at him and said； 〃Thank you。
〃How did you do it？〃
〃Can I tell you in bed？〃
〃If you tell me in a hurry。〃
〃No。 Not in a hurry。 Let me tell。 First I had the idea on the road somewhere after Aix en Provence。 At Nimes when we were walking in the garden I think。 But I didn't know how it would work or how to tell them how to do it。 Then I thought it out and yesterday I decided。〃
David stroked his hand over her head from her neck over the top of her head to her forehead。
〃Let me tell；〃 she said。 〃I knew they must have good coiffeurs in Biarritz because of the English。 So when I got there I went to the best place and I told the coiffeur that I wanted it all brushed forward and he brushed it and it came down to my nose and I could hardly see through it and I said I wanted it cut like a boy when he would first go to public school。 He asked me what school so I said Eton or Winchester because they were the only schools I could remember except Rugby and I didn't want Rugby certainly。 He said which。 So I said Eton but forward all the way。 So after he was finished and I looked like the most attractive girl who ever went to Eton I just had him keep on shortening it until Eton was all gone and then I had hi