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When the man had turned his face towards them, Bond noticed that he had a black patch over one eye It was not tied with a tape across the eye, but screwed in like a ed ht back, and, as Bond had seen while he was talking to the patron, particularly large, white teeth

He turned back to Vesper 'Really, darling He looks very innocent Are you sure he's the same man? We can't expect to have this place entirely to ourselves'

Vesper's face was still a white e of the table with both hands He thought she was going to faint and alesture to stop hiht The glass rattled on her teeth and she brought up her other hand to help Then she put the glass down

She looked at him with dull eyes

'I know it's the same'

He tried to reason with her, but she paid no attention After glancing once or twice over his shoulder with eyes that held a curious submissiveness, she said that her headache was still bad and that she would spend the afternoon in her roolance

Bond was deterht to the table and then he rose and walked swiftly to the courtyard The black Peugeot which stood there ht equally have been one of a lance inside, but the interior was empty and when he tried the boot, it was locked He made a note of the Paris nu the dining-room, pulled the chain and walked out on to the terrace

Theand didn't look up

Bond sat down in Vesper's chair so that he could watch the other table

A few minutes later the eot start up and soon the noise of its exhaust had disappeared in the direction of the road to Royale

When the patron came back to his table, Bond explained that Madaht touch of sunstroke After the patron had expressed his regret and enlarged on the dangers of going out of doors in almost any weather, Bond casually asked about the other customer 'He reminds me of a friend who also lost an eye They wear similar black patches'

The patron answered that the er He had been pleased with his lunch and had said that he would be passing that way again in a day or two and would take another e Apparently he iss, which could also be seen fro to have only one eye The strain of keeping that patch in place all day long He supposed one got used to it

'It is indeed very sad,' said Bond 'You also have been unlucky,' he gestured to the proprietor's empty sleeve 'I myself was very fortunate'

For a time they talked about the war Then Bond rose

'By the way,' he said, 'Madame had an early telephone call which I must remember to pay for Paris An Elys,e nu that that was Mathis's exchange

'Thank you,to Royale this uests had put through a call to Paris and that there had been no answer They wanted to know if Madame would like the call kept in I'm afraid the matter escaped my mind Perhaps Monsieur would mention it to Madae referred to'

CHAPTER 26 - 'SLEEP WELL, MY DARLING'

The next two days were much the same

On the fourth day of their stay Vesper went off early to Royale A taxi caht her back She said she needed soht she ay She drank a lot and when they went upstairs, she led him into her bedroom and made passionate love to him Bond's body responded, but afterwards she cried bitterly into her pillow and Bond went to his roorim despair

He could hardly sleep and in the early hours he heard her door open softly Some small sounds came from downstairs He was sure she was in the telephone booth Very soon he beard her door softly close and he guessed that again there had been no reply from Paris

This was Saturday

On Sunday the ain Bond knew it directly he looked up from his lunch and saw her face He had told her all that the patron had told hiht be back He had thought it would worry her

He had also telephoned Mathis in Paris and checked on the Peugeot It had been hired from a respectable firm teeks before The customer had had a Swiss triptyque His naiven a bank in Zurich as his address

Mathis had got on to the Swiss police Yes, the bank had an account in this name It was little used Herr Gettler was understood to be connected with the watch industry Inquiries could be pursued if there was a charge against hied her shoulders at the information This time when the ht up to her room

Bond made up his mind When he had finished, he followed her Both her doors were locked and when hein the shadows by the atching, he presumed

Her face was of cold stone He led her to the bed and drew her down beside hie

'Vesper,' he said, holding her cold hands in his, 'we can't go on like this Weeach other and there is only one way of stopping it Either you must tell me what all this is about or weand her hands were lifeless in his

'My darling,' he said 'Won't you tellback to ask you to ain? What is this dreadful night us?'

At first she said nothing, then a tear rolled slowly down her cheek

'You mean you would have married me?'

Bond nodded

'Oh my God,' she said 'My God' She turned and clutched hiainst his chest

He held her closely to hi you'

Her sobs became quieter