Поющие в терновнике

           Shefeelsyoudesertedher;shedoesn’trealizeyouhaven’t.Nevermindabouther.She’llcomeroundintime."

           "Ihopeso."Helaughed."Bytheway,itisn’ttheblokesfromtheseminaryyou’regoingtomeettoday.Iwouldn’tsubjectthemoryoutosuchtemptation.It’sCardinaldeBricassart.Iknowyoudon’tlikehim,butpromiseyou’llbegood."

           Hereyeslitwithpeculiarwitchery."Ipromise!I’llevenkisseveryringthat’sofferedtome."

           "Oh,youremember!Iwassomadatyouthatday,shamingmeinfrontofhim."

           "Well,sincethenI’vekissedalotofthingslesshygienicthanaring.There’sonehorriblepimplyyouthinactingclasswithhalitosisanddecayedtonsilsandarottenstomachIhadtokissatotaloftwenty-ninetimes,andIcanassureyou,mate,thatafterhimnothing’simpossible."Shepattedherhair,turnedfromthemirror."HaveIgottimetochange?"

           "Oh,don’tworryaboutthat.Youlookfine."

           "Whoelseisgoingtobethere?"

           Thesunwastoolowtowarmtheancientsquare,andtheleprouspatchesontheplanetreetrunkslookedworn,sick.Justineshivered.

           "CardinaldiContini-Verchesewillbethere."

           Shehadheardthatname,andopenedhereyeswider."Phew!Youmoveinprettyexaltedcircles,don’tyou?"

           "Yes.Itrytodeserveit."

           "Doesitmeansomepeoplemakeithardonyouinotherareasofyourlifehere,Dane?"sheasked,shrewdly.

           "No,notreally.Whooneknowsisn’timportant.Ineverthinkofit,sonordoesanyoneelse."