age of twenty-six. Even so, when I got married I felt like a scared rabbit. As if I was going out into the world. Mr. Quill was like a family to me, though, and it wasn't until he died that I really got out into the world. I was in my thirties then, and more of a scared rabbit than ever. Pacifica's really been out in the world much longer than I have. You know, she is like an old sea captain. Sometimes I feel very silly when she tells me of some of her experiences. My eyes almost pop right out of my head. It isn't so much a question of age as it is a question of experience. The Lord has spared me more than he has spared Pacifica. She hasn't been spared a single thing. Still, she's not as nervous as I am."
"Well, she certainly don't know how to look out for herself for someone who's had so much experience," said Toby. "She don't know a good thing when she sees it."
"Yes, I expect you're right," said Mrs. Quill, warming up to Toby.
"Sure I'm right. But she's got lots of friends here in Panama, ain't she?"
"I dare say Pacifica has a great many friends," said Mrs. Quill.
"Come on, you know she's got lots of friends, don't you?"
As Mrs. Quill looked as though she had been somewhat startled by the pressing tone in his voice, Toby decided he was hurrying things too much.
"Who the hell cares, anyway?" he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. This seemed to have the right effect on Mrs. Quill, and Toby breathed a sigh of relief.
Mrs. Copperfield went over to a bench in the corner and lay down. She shut her eyes and smiled.
"That's the best thing for her," said Mrs. Quill to Toby. "She's a nice woman, a dear sweet woman, and she'd had a little too much to drink. Pacifica, she can really take care of herself like she says, I've seen her drink as much as a man, but with her it's different. As I said, she's had all the experience in the world. Now, Mrs. Copperfield and me, we have to watch ourselves more carefully or else have some nice man watching out for us."
"Yeah," said Toby, twisting around on his stool. "Bartender, another gin. You want one, don't you?" he asked Mrs. Quill.
"Yes, if you'll watch out for me."
"Sure I will. I'll even take you home in my arms if you fall down."
"Oh, no." Mrs. Quill giggled and flushed. "You wouldn't try that, young man. I'm heavy, you know."
"Yeah. . . . Say—"
"Yes?"
"Would you mind telling me something?"
"I'd be delighted to tell you anything you'd like to hear."
"How is it you ain't never bothered to fix this place up?"
"Oh, dear, isn't it awful? I've always promised myself I would and I never get around to it."
"No dough?" asked Toby. Mrs. Quill looked vague. "Haven't you got no money to fix it up with?" he repeated.
"Oh yes, certainly I have." Mrs. Quill looked around at the bar. "I even have some things upstairs that I always promised myself to hang up on the walls here. Everything is so dirty, isn't it? I feel ashamed."
"No, no," said Toby impatiently. He was now very animated. "That ain't what I mean at all."
Mrs. Quill smiled at him sweetly.
"Listen," said Toby, "I been handling restaurants and bars and clubs all my life, and I can make them go."
"I'm certain that you can."
"I'm tellin' you that I can. Listen, let's get out of here; let's go some place else where we can really talk. Any place in town you name I'll take you to. It's worth it to me and it'll be worth it to you even more. You'll see. We can have more to drink or maybe a little bite to eat. Listen"—he grabbed hold of Mrs. Quill's upper arm—"would you like to go to the Hotel Washington?"
At first Mrs. Quill did not react, but when she realized what he had said, she answered that she would enjoy it very much, in a voice trembling with emotion. Toby jumped off the stool, pulled his hat down over his face, and started walking out of the bar, saying: "Come on, then," over his shoulder to Mrs. Quill. He looked annoyed but resolute.
Mrs. Quill took Pacifica's hand in her own and told her that
"Well, she certainly don't know how to look out for herself for someone who's had so much experience," said Toby. "She don't know a good thing when she sees it."
"Yes, I expect you're right," said Mrs. Quill, warming up to Toby.
"Sure I'm right. But she's got lots of friends here in Panama, ain't she?"
"I dare say Pacifica has a great many friends," said Mrs. Quill.
"Come on, you know she's got lots of friends, don't you?"
As Mrs. Quill looked as though she had been somewhat startled by the pressing tone in his voice, Toby decided he was hurrying things too much.
"Who the hell cares, anyway?" he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. This seemed to have the right effect on Mrs. Quill, and Toby breathed a sigh of relief.
Mrs. Copperfield went over to a bench in the corner and lay down. She shut her eyes and smiled.
"That's the best thing for her," said Mrs. Quill to Toby. "She's a nice woman, a dear sweet woman, and she'd had a little too much to drink. Pacifica, she can really take care of herself like she says, I've seen her drink as much as a man, but with her it's different. As I said, she's had all the experience in the world. Now, Mrs. Copperfield and me, we have to watch ourselves more carefully or else have some nice man watching out for us."
"Yeah," said Toby, twisting around on his stool. "Bartender, another gin. You want one, don't you?" he asked Mrs. Quill.
"Yes, if you'll watch out for me."
"Sure I will. I'll even take you home in my arms if you fall down."
"Oh, no." Mrs. Quill giggled and flushed. "You wouldn't try that, young man. I'm heavy, you know."
"Yeah. . . . Say—"
"Yes?"
"Would you mind telling me something?"
"I'd be delighted to tell you anything you'd like to hear."
"How is it you ain't never bothered to fix this place up?"
"Oh, dear, isn't it awful? I've always promised myself I would and I never get around to it."
"No dough?" asked Toby. Mrs. Quill looked vague. "Haven't you got no money to fix it up with?" he repeated.
"Oh yes, certainly I have." Mrs. Quill looked around at the bar. "I even have some things upstairs that I always promised myself to hang up on the walls here. Everything is so dirty, isn't it? I feel ashamed."
"No, no," said Toby impatiently. He was now very animated. "That ain't what I mean at all."
Mrs. Quill smiled at him sweetly.
"Listen," said Toby, "I been handling restaurants and bars and clubs all my life, and I can make them go."
"I'm certain that you can."
"I'm tellin' you that I can. Listen, let's get out of here; let's go some place else where we can really talk. Any place in town you name I'll take you to. It's worth it to me and it'll be worth it to you even more. You'll see. We can have more to drink or maybe a little bite to eat. Listen"—he grabbed hold of Mrs. Quill's upper arm—"would you like to go to the Hotel Washington?"
At first Mrs. Quill did not react, but when she realized what he had said, she answered that she would enjoy it very much, in a voice trembling with emotion. Toby jumped off the stool, pulled his hat down over his face, and started walking out of the bar, saying: "Come on, then," over his shoulder to Mrs. Quill. He looked annoyed but resolute.
Mrs. Quill took Pacifica's hand in her own and told her that
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