'Isn't  there  something  simpler  you  can  do  , like  taking  her  
dancing .sx   There  are  one  or  two  restaurants  out  on  the  islands .sx   They  
look  very  romantic .sx '  
He  took  my  advice .sx   That  same  evening  he  and  Elaine  dressed  in  
their  best  and  went  out  to  dinner .sx   But  oddly  it  was  not  the  dinner  
which  distracted  her  from  her  troubles  but  what  came  after .sx   They  came  
back  from  the  pension  after  I  had  gone  to  bed  and  I  did  not  see  them .sx   
But  a  little  after  six  , I  woke  to  hear  a  tapping  on  my  door  and  found  
Steve  in  his  pyjamas  , his  shoulders  wrapped  in  a  blanket .sx   
'What  the  hell .sx .'  I  began  , then  noticed  that  his  face  was  
grey .sx   'Steve  , what's  wrong ?sx '  
" I  don't  know .sx   I've  been  in  the  lavatory  since  four  o'clock  and  
I  feel  as  sick  as  a  dog .sx '  
'It  must  be  something  you've  eaten .sx '  His  teeth  were  
chattering .sx   'Don't  stand  here :sx   you'll  catch  a  cold .sx   Get  back  into  
bed .sx '  
He  walked  back  meekly  to  his  room  and  got  into  bed .sx   'If  you've  
been  up  since  four,'  I  said  , 'why  the  devil  didn't  you  call  me  
sooner ?sx '  
'I  tried  to  but  you  were  sound  asleep .sx '  
'But  couldn't  you  have  tried  any  of  the  others ?sx '  
He  shrugged .sx   'I  suppose  I've  known  you  longest .sx '  
His  teeth  were  still  chattering  but  his  forehead  , when  I  felt  it  , 
was  hot  and  clammy .sx   
He  said  , 'I  must  have  a  temperature .sx   I've  been  sitting  exams  
half  the  night  that  even  Einstein  would  have  flunked .sx '  
I  went  to  the  wardrobe  , found  another  blanket  and  spread  it  on  
the  bed .sx   'Next  time  you  catch  the  pox,'  I  said  , 'do  it  in  
England .sx   It's  so  much  cheaper  on  the  National  Health .sx '  
'Next  time  that's  what  I'll  do .sx '  
I  tucked  in  the  blanket .sx   'I'll  go  downstairs  now  and  see  if  
they've  something  you  can  take .sx   If  it's  not  any  better  by  
breakfast-time  , we'll  get  a  doctor .sx '  
I  felt  pretty  useless  , standing  and  watching  but  his  face  was  
growing  paler .sx   At  any  moment  he  would  vomit  and  I  did  not  want  to  
leave  him  by  himself .sx   I  went  outside  , towards  the  stairs  , then  
tumbled  to  what  I  should  do .sx   I  stopped  at  Elaine's  door  , tapped  on  it  
and  went  on  tapping  until  it  was  opened  and  she  stood  there  , her  eyes  
half  open  , in  nightgown  and  wrap .sx   
'Peter  , what  is  it ?sx '  
'It's  Steve .sx   He's  not  very  well .sx '  
'He's  not .sx '  Her  eyes  opened .sx   She  seemed  concerned .sx   I  had  
done  right  to  wake  her  up .sx   'But  what  is  it ?sx   What's  the  matter ?sx '  
'I  don't  know .sx   I  imagine  it's  something  he  has  eaten .sx '  She  
tied  the  cord  of  her  wrap  and  stepped  into  the  corridor .sx   'It  was  my  
idea  to  wake  you .sx   He  wouldn't  have  wanted  to  disturb  you  himself .sx '  
'I'm  glad  you  did .sx   There's  nothing  worse  than  being  ill  away  
from  home .sx '  
She  led  the  way  into  his  room .sx   When  she  laid  her  hand  on  his  
forehead  he  opened  his  eyes .sx   'Hey !sx   What  are  you  doing  here ?sx '  
'You  should  have  called  me,'  she  said .sx   'It  wasn't  
friendly .sx '  
He  made  a  sudden  gesture  towards  the  wash-basin  and  understanding  
quicker  than  me  , she  dashed  across  , lifted  the  bidet  from  its  stand  
and  held  it  against  his  chest  just  in  time .sx   'It  must  have  been  the  
fish,'  she  said  , 'it's  the  one  thing  I  didn't  have .sx '  
From  her  fear  of  insects  , I  would  have  expected  her  to  be  
fastidious  but  not  a  scrap .sx   She  took  the  bidet  away  , wiped  his  face  
with  a  towel  as  if  she  were  doing  these  things  every  day  , and  then  to  
my  astonishment  , laid  her  cheek  gently  against  his  forehead .sx   And  it  
wasn't  done  for  effect  ; she  really  meant  it .sx   For  she  stayed  with  him  , 
sitting  by  the  bed  until  he  dropped  off  to  sleep  and  then  went  out  in  
his  car  to  bring  back  a  doctor  before  she  would  think  of  having  
breakfast .sx   
He  was  ill  for  three  days  and  for  the  whole  time  , she  stayed  near  
him  in  the  hotel  , either  in  his  room  or  sitting  on  the  terrace  , where  
she  could  hear  him  when  he  called .sx   With  dark  hair  and  haggard  face  , 
he  made  an  appealing  patient .sx   But  because  I  thought  of  her  as  hard  
and  egotistical  , I  could  not  believe  that  she  stayed  with  him  simply  
from  affection .sx   It  is  something  I  can't  be  sure  of  , but  I  think  
perhaps  after  her  disappointment  she  felt  unwanted  and  to  have  someone  
dependent  on  her  must  have  consoled  her  a  lot .sx   
On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day  , I  went  into  his  room  as  I  
usually  did  , soon  after  I  had  woken  , to  see  how  he  was  , and  found  
Elaine  lying  next  to  him  in  the  bed .sx   I  don't  believe  they  had  been  
making  love-  that  , I  imagine  , did  not  happen  until  a  day  or  so  later .sx   
But  the  fact  that  I  stood  there  , wishing  them  good  morning  without  
the  slightest  embarrassment  showed  how  closely  in  those  few  days  they  
had  come  together .sx   
[4]   .sx   
It  was  the  same  , too  , for  Alison  and  me .sx   We  were  English  and  , 
without  discussing  it  , had  taken  separate  rooms  ; and  we  kept  our  
promise  never  to  snog  in  front  of  the  others .sx   But  that  , instead  of  
keeping  us  apart  , made  us  all  the  more  passionate  once  we  were  alone .sx   
We  spent  our  time  , sometimes  with  Max  and  Jill  but  more  often  
alone  , swimming  , or  on  the  steamers  , or  wandering  in  Steve's  car  into  
the  hills .sx   In  the  heat  of  the  day  we  would  come  back  for  lunch  and  
afterwards  I  would  go  upstairs  , sleep  it  off  in  a  quick  half-hour  , 
then  creep  along  the  corridor  and  tap  at  Alison's  door  ; and  asleep  or  
awake  , she  would  hear  the  first  tap  and  come  to  the  door  to  let  me  in .sx   
We  made  love  in  those  few  days  many  times .sx   The  heat  , the  wine  , 
Stresa  itself-  the  beauty  of  it-  made  us  both  unbelievably  amorous .sx   
Perhaps  because  we  knew  each  other  that  much  better  , or  simply  
because  we  had  privacy  and  a  spring  mattress  , we  enjoyed  each  other  
very  much  more .sx   With  regular  oats  and  mounds  of  spaghetti  , I  put  on  
weight .sx   I  became  bronzed  , almost  handsome .sx   And  the  same  process  
turned  Alison  into  a  raving  beauty  , so  that  sometimes  when  we  were  
making  love  , I  had  to  close  my  eyes  and  keep  from  looking  at  her  , in  
case  I  became  too  roused  and  satisfied  myself  before  her .sx   Afterwards  , 
while  she  dozed  , I  would  lie  back  against  the  head  of  the  bed  , staring  
into  the  twilight  and  feeling  wonderfully  calm  , wonderfully  rested .sx   I  
would  sit  there  , my  body  cool  and  naked  , the  sheet  for  comfort  tucked  
into  my  crutch  , stroking  her  cheek  or  her  hair  and  listening  to  the  
sounds  , the  clatter  of  a  train  , the  spluttering  of  a  scooter  , that  
drifted  in  through  the  closed  shutters .sx   And  I'd  think  how  right  it  
was  , how  much  more  moral  , to  live  like  this  than  like  a  hermit .sx   
I  was  calm  , contented  and  then  for  three  days  making  love  was  not  
possible  and  I  found  out  what  had  happened .sx   I  still  spent  the  siesta  
in  Alison's  room  but  instead  of  making  love  , we  would  lie  side  by  side  
and  talk .sx   We  talked  a  great  deal  in  those  days  at  Stresa  , and  the  
more  we  talked  , the  more  I  liked  her .sx   She  was  slow  sometimes  to  sense  
the  comic-  her  life  perhaps  had  been  too  easy-  but  she  never  
pretended  , she  never  talked  for  effect .sx   I  never  felt  with  her  as  I  
had  felt  with  others  , that  I  was  talking  to  myself  in  a  padded  room .sx   
In  everything  she  said  , was  enthusiasm  and  a  sort  of  passion .sx   
For  three  days  I  went  without  my  oats .sx   Then  , on  the  last  night  
we  spent  in  Stresa  , I  went  up  to  bed  a  little  early  while  Alison  went  
for  a  shower .sx   Because  it  was  the  last  night  I  opened  the  shutters  and  
looked  out  through  the  trees .sx   A  faint  scent  came  from  the  flowers  on  
Steve's  balcony .sx   The  sky  overhead  was  a  mass  of  stars .sx   I  could  see  
the  lights  of  a  steamer  far  away  on  the  lake  and  right  beneath  me  , in  
the  dark  beneath  the  trees  , I  could  see  a  firefly  winking  to  and  fro  
in  the  bushes .sx   Then  the  door  behind  me  was  opened  , I  turned  and  saw  
Alison .sx   She  came  over  to  me  and  kissed  me  on  the  cheek .sx   'Peter,'  
she  said  , 'I  thought  I  should  tell  you  , I'm  clean  again  and  
decent .sx '  
I  took  her  to  bed  and  we  made  love .sx   Because  I  hadn't  expected  it  
and  because  she  had  come  to  me  , I  was  taken  unawares .sx   In  the  last  
moment  I  opened  my  eyes  and  saw  her  face  and  there  it  was  , right  in  my  
throat  , the  urge  to  say  that  I  loved  her .sx   The  words  came  to  me  like  a  
pain  but  I  held  them  back .sx   I  knew  even  then  that  I'd  be  stupid  to  say  
them .sx   But  afterwards  when  I  was  lying  quiet  , with  my  head  on  her  
shoulder  , I  did  not  feel  as  I  had  felt  before .sx   I  felt  exposed  , 
unprotected  , somehow  afraid  of  what  might  happen .sx   
When  I  woke  in  the  morning  , it  was  none  too  early  and  Alison  had  
gone  already .sx   I  sat  up  and  gave  my  head  a  damned  good  scratch .sx   
Through  the  window  , from  the  terrace  underneath  , I  could  hear  Max  and  
Elaine  and  then  Alison  ; so  instead  of  lying  back  again  for  another  
five  , I  got  up  and  went  to  the  window  to  open  the  shutters .sx   I  had  
just  begun  to  open  the  first  when  I  saw  Steve  on  his  balcony .sx   He  was  
standing  quite  still  and  well  back  from  the  balustrade  so  as  not  to  be  
noticed .sx   I  could  see  only  his  profile  and  that  not  very  well  , yet  I  
knew  at  once  he  was  looking  down  at  Elaine .sx   I  left  the  shutter  as  it  
was  and  went  back  silently  into  the  room .sx   I  had  some  idea  now  of  what  
was  happening  to  me  and  I  suppose  because  of  it  , I  knew  for  certain  , 
without  even  seeing  his  face  , that  he  too  was  on  the  hook .sx   
[5]   .sx   
I  went  down  to  breakfast  that  morning  with  a  sort  of  
pre-examination  shakes .sx   The  hot  weather  , or  the  wine  at  dinner  had  
given  me  palpitations  and  I  felt  suspicious .sx   I  had  seen  the  world  the  
night  before  as  one  gigantic  romance .sx   Yet  , when  I  joined  the  others  , 
everything  , from  the  littered  table  to  the  look  on  Alison's  face  , 
seemed  horribly  normal  , horribly  mundane .sx   
Max  was  worrying  , as  he  always  did  because  he  liked  to .sx   'Venice  
will  be  crowded .sx   This  time  of  year  it  always  is .sx   We  ought  to  'phone  
Vittorio  and  ask  him  to  book  us  rooms .sx '  
'But  why  bother  him ?sx '  Steve  said .sx   'We  can  manage .sx '  
'We'll  have  a  lot  more  fun  if  we  can  meet  up  with  some  of  the  
Venetians .sx '  
'Well  , we  can  easily  'phone  him  when  we  get  there,'  Steve  
replied .sx   'There's  no  need  to  bother  him  now .sx '  
'Anyway,'  Jill  said  , 'we're  not  quite  sure  when  we'll  arrive .sx   
It  sounds  from  the  guide  book  as  if  Verona  were  worth  a  visit .sx '  
And  that  was  how  it  was  left-  that  we  didn't  'phone .sx   But  
instead  of  being  relieved  , I  felt  a  little  hurt .sx   I  should  have  liked  
it  much  better  if  Alison  had  spoken  up  , if  she  had  said  for  instance  
that  Vittorio  was  a  bore .sx   
We  left  Stresa  shortly  after  breakfast  and  were  approaching  
Verona  by  the  afternoon .sx   Verona  at  first  sight  seemed  dusty  and  
unremarkable .sx   I  asked  Max  to  stop  the  car  outside  a  greengrocer's  and  
went  in  to  buy  peaches  , luscious  and  as  big  as  melons .sx   I  took  one  of  
the  ripest  and  stood  on  the  pavement  , with  Alison  beside  me  , holding  
my  head  well  forward  and  letting  the  juice  trickle  over  my  chin .sx   I  
was  wishing  Bowling  had  been  there  to  turn  up  his  nose  , when  I  noticed  
Alison  , looking  down  at  a  poster  on  the  wall .sx   
'The  opera,'  she  said .sx   'I  forgot  all  about  it .sx '  
'Opera ?sx   What  opera ?sx '  
'They  have  it  here  in  the  open  air  , in  the  Roman  arena .sx