Men Without Women

We’ll wait and see. Come on back in the shade, he said. You mustn’t feel that way.

I don’t feel any way, the girl said. I just know things.

I don’t want you to do anything that you don’t want to do——

Nor that isn’t good for me, she said. I know. Could we have another beer?

All right. But you’ve got to realize——

I realize, the girl said. Can’t we maybe stop talking?

They sat down at the table and the girl looked across at the hills on the dry side of the valley and the man looked at her and at the table.

You’ve got to realize, he said, that I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to.

I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you.

Doesn’t it mean anything to you? We could get along.

Of course it does. But I don’t want anybody but you. I don’t want any one else. And I know it’s perfectly simple.

Yes, you know it’s perfectly simple.

It’s all right for you to say that, but I do know it.

Would you do something for me now?

I’d do anything for you.

Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?

Four times he swung with the bull, lifting the cape so it billowed full, and each time bringing the bull around to charge again. Then, at the end of the fifth swing, he held the cape against his hip and pivoted, so the cape swung out like a ballet dancer’s skirt and wound the bull around himself like a belt, to step clear, leaving the bull facing Zurito on the white horse, come up and planted firm, the horse facing the bull, its ears forward, its lips nervous, Zurito, his hat over his eyes, leaning forward, the long pole sticking out before and behind in a sharp angle under his right arm, held half-way down, the triangular iron point facing the bull.

The boys at first were very polite about my medals and asked me what I had done to get them. I showed them the papers, which were written in very beautiful language and full of fratellanza and abnegazione, but which really said, with the adjectives removed, that I had been given the medals because I was an American. After that their manner changed a little toward me, although I was their friend against outsiders.

In the morning there was a big wind blowing and the waves were running high up on the beach and he was awake a long time before he remembered that his heart was broken.