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“Sit,” said Constance

Lopez glanced nervously around at the e of the wine, and nodded

“Afflicted, would be e Sad Wounded? Yes, wounded people who could not laugh He made them It was as if to cure his silent, terrible life he must cheer others into soine! To prove such a thing And then the laughter and hiht with his woined they knew joy— to get in taxis one night, li paid for in cash, no credits, no identification, and off they would drive to silence I never heard anything that they said If he looked out and saithin fifteen feet of the screen: disaster! My tip? A single silver dime! The next time, I would stand thirty feet away Tip? Two hundred dollars Ah, well, here’s to the sad one”

A sudden gust of wind shook the outer doors of the restaurant We froze The doors gaped wide, fluttered back, settled

Ricardo’s spine stiffened He glanced from the door to me, as if I were responsible for the eht wind

“Oh, daround”

“The Beast?”

Ricardo stared at me “Is that what you call hied and pouredin here to ruin my life? Until this week, I was rich”

Constance instantly probed the purse in her lap Her hand, ht side and left so there Ricardo sensed it and shook his head

“Ah, no, not from you, dear Constance Yes, he o, you made me the happiest man in the world”

Constance’s hand patted his and her eyes glistened Lopez got up and walked back to the kitchen for about twothe front door gape ind and whisper shut on the night When Lopez came back he looked around at the eht criticize his bad raph in front of us While we looked at it, he finished his wine

“That was taken with a Land camera last year One of our stupid kitchen help wanted to amuse his friends, eh? Two pictures taken in three seconds They fell on the floor The Beast, as you call hi there was only one, and struck our waiter, whom I fired instantly We offered no bill and the last bottle of our greatest wine All was rebalanced Later I found the second picture under a table, where it had been kicked when the reat pity?”

Constance was in tears

“Is that what he looks like?”

“Oh, God,” I said “Yes”