Поющие в терновнике

           "Honestly,Dane,sometimesyou’resoarchaicI’membarrassed!SupposeIdon’tmeetthemanImarryuntilI’mforty?Whatdoyouexpectmetodo?Sitonitallthoseyears?Isthatwhatyou’regoingtodo,saveitformarriage?"

           "Idon’tthinkI’mgoingtogetmarried."

           "Well,noramI.Inwhichcase,whytieablueribbonarounditandstickitinmynonexistenthopechest?Idon’twanttodiewondering."

           Hegrinned."Youcan’t,now."Rollingoverontohisstomach,heproppedhischinonhishandandlookedathersteadily,hisfacesoft,concerned."Wasitallright?Imean,wasitawful?Didyouhateit?"

           Herlipstwitched,remembering."Ididn’thateit,atanyrate.Itwasn’tawful,either.Ontheotherhand,I’mafraidIdon’tseewhateveryoneravesabout.PleasantisasfarasI’mpreparedtogo.Anditisn’tasifIchosejustanyone;Iselectedsomeoneveryattractiveandoldenoughtoknowwhathewasdoing."

           Hesighed."Youareaprawn,Justine.I’dhavebeenalothappiertohearyousay,‘He’snotmuchtolookat,butwemetandIcouldn’thelpmyself.’Icanacceptthatyoudon’twanttowaituntilyou’remarried,butit’sstillsomethingyou’vegottowantbecauseoftheperson.Neverbecauseoftheact,Jus.I’mnotsurprisedyouweren’tecstatic."

           Allthegleefultriumphfadedfromherface."Oh,damnyou,nowyou’vemademefeelawful!IfIdidn’tknowyoubetter,I’dsayyouweretryingtoputmedown—ormymotives,atanyrate."