droveitbackagain．ButitgotstuckatthecurbandIwasatalosswhattodo,whenyoucamealongjustinthenieandgavemeahand.”

    "Thepleasureisallmine．Areyoualwayssosoft-heartedaboutold,usedthings?"

    "Notalways,”sheanswered，"butyetattachedtothingsyou’vebeeoforalongtime.”Thecarstoppedataredlight．

    "WhereareyougoingMegginn?"Shelookedatthedelicateptinumanddiamondwatherleftwristandsawitwasfouro’clock．

    "Ialwaysgoswimmingatthistimeoftheday．Wouldyouliketohaveadipatmypoothome?"Dimitrihesitatedforamomentandthensaid，

    13

    "Sure.”Hewasgdtohavemetsuchagenerous,beautifulyoungwoman，passiooinanimatemaery．Sudhearted，sealpeoplewererarenowadays．Hewascurioustoseehowshewouldlookihingsuit,curvaceousfigurefullyexposed．Hewasonlyapoor,dirty,oldhomelessperson,butsheaskedhimhomeforaswim,whichshowedshewasfreeofprejudice．

    "Aftertheswim,wouldyouliketogotoadinnerandballwithme?It’sarare,grandoccasionandthegreatprincesoffinanceareexpectedtobepresent．Howaboutit?"

    "No，thankyou,”saidDimitri，"IamnotproperlydressedandIdon’tthinkI’llfitintothesehighsocietyfuns．RememberI’monlyavagabondroamingaroureets.”

    "It’sok．You’reaboutmyfather’sheightandsize．Hepassedaway．butI’vekepthisexpensivewardrobe．Youchoosewhatyouwanttowear.”

    "No．I’mnotusedtosocializingandwillbeadisgracetoyou.”

    "eon，Dimitri，"coaxedthegirl．"Ifyoudon’tgowithme．What’llhappehecarstallsagain?Wouldyouletmedrivealomidnight?"Thatwasagoodexcuse．Dimitricouldn’tfier．

    Inthequietautumnafternoon，drytwigsandleavessnappedandcrackledasthewheelsofthecarrolledoverthem，makingitsthewindingtrail．Sunshine，peepingthroughthedenseeucalyptustreescasttticedshadowsontheground，givingadizzy，nht，now-darkimpression．Oopofthehillwasanexquisitehouse，builtintheshapeofaminiaturecastle，extremelywellkeptupandperfeeverydetail．Theroomyinteriorwasajewelininteriordecoration．TwohundredyearoldVictorianstyleantiquefurniturewerepolishedtilltheyshoneandgleamed．othegrandlivingroom，wasasmallden，whoseFrendowsopeothebackyardwithquiteargeswimmingpool．Thepoolwasamasterpieceofiy，equippedwithahugecolpsible，transparent，gssshieldtokeepoutthecoldwindandraininwinter．Airditionedandwelllit，itwasguaraogivemaximumfortinallweather．Whennotneededinsummet，itcouldbefoldedandstored．

    Dimitrisatbythegss，lookingatthepaleblue，shadowySierraMountainsianuchlikeanimpressionistwatercolor,whichcouldgiveoneageneralpictureirokes．Soonthemountaintopswouldbecoveredwithseveralfeetofsnow，andthefollowingsummerthesnowwouldmeltintothewaterflowingintotherivers，invigoratingthefisheswithafresh,coolcurrent．DimitriwatchedasMegginnswamfreestylebadforthacrossthepool，slowlyalmostily,perfectlyrexed．Hemarveledattheclevernessofhumanswhoimicthefish’smotionsinwater．HethoughtofthebluegooninhisKingdom，whereDeanna，themermaid，wasalsoanexcellentswimmer．Ifthesetwocouldswimtogether，itwouldmakeageouspicture．Justthen，wildpidginsflewbyoverheadinaflurryofwings．Dimitrieheirinnatesenseofdire，whichalwaysledthemhomeontherighttrackwithoutevergettinglost．Inthisrespect，theyweresuperiortohumanbeings．Ifh

droveitbackagain．ButitgotstuckatthecurbandIwasatalosswhattodo,whenyoucamealongjustinthenieandgavemeahand.”

    "Thepleasureisallmine．Areyoualwayssosoft-heartedaboutold,usedthings?"

    "Notalways,”sheanswered，"butyetattachedtothingsyou’vebeeoforalongtime.”Thecarstoppedataredlight．

    "WhereareyougoingMegginn?"Shelookedatthedelicateptinumanddiamondwatherleftwristandsawitwasfouro’clock．

    "Ialwaysgoswimmingatthistimeoftheday．Wouldyouliketohaveadipatmypoothome?"Dimitrihesitatedforamomentandthensaid，

    13

    "Sure.”Hewasgdtohavemetsuchagenerous,beautifulyoungwoman，passiooinanimatemaery．Sudhearted，sealpeoplewererarenowadays．Hewascurioustoseehowshewouldlookihingsuit,curvaceousfigurefullyexposed．Hewasonlyapoor,dirty,oldhomelessperson,butsheaskedhimhomeforaswim,whichshowedshewasfreeofprejudice．

    "Aftertheswim,wouldyouliketogotoadinnerandballwithme?It’sarare,grandoccasionandthegreatprincesoffinanceareexpectedtobepresent．Howaboutit?"

    "No，thankyou,”saidDimitri，"IamnotproperlydressedandIdon’tthinkI’llfitintothesehighsocietyfuns．RememberI’monlyavagabondroamingaroureets.”

    "It’sok．You’reaboutmyfather’sheightandsize．Hepassedaway．butI’vekepthisexpensivewardrobe．Youchoosewhatyouwanttowear.”

    "No．I’mnotusedtosocializingandwillbeadisgracetoyou.”

    "eon，Dimitri，"coaxedthegirl．"Ifyoudon’tgowithme．What’llhappehecarstallsagain?Wouldyouletmedrivealomidnight?"Thatwasagoodexcuse．Dimitricouldn’tfier．

    Inthequietautumnafternoon，drytwigsandleavessnappedandcrackledasthewheelsofthecarrolledoverthem，makingitsthewindingtrail．Sunshine，peepingthroughthedenseeucalyptustreescasttticedshadowsontheground，givingadizzy，nht，now-darkimpression．Oopofthehillwasanexquisitehouse，builtintheshapeofaminiaturecastle，extremelywellkeptupandperfeeverydetail．Theroomyinteriorwasajewelininteriordecoration．TwohundredyearoldVictorianstyleantiquefurniturewerepolishedtilltheyshoneandgleamed．othegrandlivingroom，wasasmallden，whoseFrendowsopeothebackyardwithquiteargeswimmingpool．Thepoolwasamasterpieceofiy，equippedwithahugecolpsible，transparent，gssshieldtokeepoutthecoldwindandraininwinter．Airditionedandwelllit，itwasguaraogivemaximumfortinallweather．Whennotneededinsummet，itcouldbefoldedandstored．

    Dimitrisatbythegss，lookingatthepaleblue，shadowySierraMountainsianuchlikeanimpressionistwatercolor,whichcouldgiveoneageneralpictureirokes．Soonthemountaintopswouldbecoveredwithseveralfeetofsnow，andthefollowingsummerthesnowwouldmeltintothewaterflowingintotherivers，invigoratingthefisheswithafresh,coolcurrent．DimitriwatchedasMegginnswamfreestylebadforthacrossthepool，slowlyalmostily,perfectlyrexed．Hemarveledattheclevernessofhumanswhoimicthefish’smotionsinwater．HethoughtofthebluegooninhisKingdom，whereDeanna，themermaid，wasalsoanexcellentswimmer．Ifthesetwocouldswimtogether，itwouldmakeageouspicture．Justthen，wildpidginsflewbyoverheadinaflurryofwings．Dimitrieheirinnatesenseofdire，whichalwaysledthemhomeontherighttrackwithoutevergettinglost．Inthisrespect，theyweresuperiortohumanbeings．Ifh