isworldhadthegiftofvision，perhapshumanbeings，too，wouldhavedevelopedthebat’sabilitytofindtheirdireunerringlybyechoesgeedbythemselves．Butthen,theoverdevelopmentofonesensewouldprobablyweakenanother．Iftheyhadthebat’ssenseofdire,theywouldperhapslosetheenjoymentofsight．Dimitrifeltsaddehefactthathe，unfortunately，wasonewhowasdestiolosethatpreciousenjoyment．Thestitutionofmanwasnotasperfectasthatofbirds，atleastforhimthatwastrue．

    Megginnclimbedoutofthepool,withwaterdrippingfromherbody1ikestringsofpearls，saying，

    "Shameonyou,Dimitri!Youonlyswamtwops．That’stoolittle!"

    13

    "I’moutofpracticeMegginn．Iusedtobeabletoswimacrossagoonquiteeasily,butgivemetimeandI’llgetbackmypace.”Megginntookoffhercap，lettinghergoldenhair，brightasthesun，cascadedownhershoulders．Shebeganwipingfirstherhair，thenherbodywithargebathtowel，whileDimitri’seyesfollowedhereverymovement．Checkeredbluebikinibathingsuitmatchedthedeepblueofhereyesandthebackgroundofblueskiesasseenthroughthetransparentgssroof，embelishedherskin,whichalerandsmootherthanever．ButwhatattractedhisattentionwereherfirmbreastsanddeepcleavageahoughtifonlythatkyMr.Fingerwerehere,hewouldbesuretofindawaytograsptightlyandsuckthosepinknipples．Megginnnoticedhispreoccupationandturnedaboutself-sciouslyinembarrassment．TheappearanceofhermaidLouisasavedtheday．Louisapushedacartwithsilverteasetandperkingcoffeeandasked，

    "Wouldyoulikeafewdropsofbrandy,sir?"

    "Thankyou.”

    "I’dlikefivedropsplease”saidMegginn.

    "Samehere”saidDimitri.LouisaputaspoonfulofcreamintoeachofthecupstomakeIrishcoffeeandturningtoMegginn，said，

    "Thevice-presidentofpublicretionsoftheWorldBankcalledtoletyouknowthat1，000，000hadbeenpyouratandisnowavaible．HealsowaotellyouthatpresidentKaffeewoendingtheballtonight.”

    "Really?Hesaidthat?Whynot?He’stheanizer!"

    "Thevicepresidentdidn’tsay，miss．‘Forpersonalreasons’wasallhetoldme.”Sayingso,shepushedhercartahenameofpresidentKaffeeatoDimitrionhisguard．Hadheescapedfromofallonlytofallintoanother?ButMegginnwassayingtoherself，

    "It’sjustaswellhedoesn’tshowup．Savesmethetroubleofhavingtodealwiththatslipperyoldfox!TonightI’llgiveallofthatonemilliondolrstocharity.”

    "Giveawayonemilliondolrsaltonce?Doesn’tyourheartpangatlosingsomuey?"

    140页

    "Notatall．Themoneywasnevermine，andanywayit’sfoodcause．Forcharity．"

    "Whatdoyoumean?It’sinyourat，underyourhemoneyisallyours．"

    "Well,it’salongstory．Ifyou’reied，I’lltellyouaboutit.”

    OnedayMegginn’scarbrokedownagainatthedoorofahalfburntluxuryhouse，whereafat，rownboywithrotundbodyandchubbycheekssatpyingwithpaperairpnes．Hisexpression，naiveandiasachild’s，insihathewasmentallyretarded．Anopen，wornoutsuitcasewasbesidehim，fromwhichhetookpiecesofpapertofoldintopnesandthrowintheair．Meggiuptohimandaskedforhelpinstartingthecar．Heobliginglyagreed,stiputingonlythatshepyairphhim．Megginn，whowasstilchildatheart,gleefullyagreed,butwhilefoldingthepaper,hereyesactallyfellonthesignatureofthemysterioustrillionaire,DimitriJa．Gngquicklythroughthesuitcase，she

isworldhadthegiftofvision，perhapshumanbeings，too，wouldhavedevelopedthebat’sabilitytofindtheirdireunerringlybyechoesgeedbythemselves．Butthen,theoverdevelopmentofonesensewouldprobablyweakenanother．Iftheyhadthebat’ssenseofdire,theywouldperhapslosetheenjoymentofsight．Dimitrifeltsaddehefactthathe，unfortunately，wasonewhowasdestiolosethatpreciousenjoyment．Thestitutionofmanwasnotasperfectasthatofbirds，atleastforhimthatwastrue．

    Megginnclimbedoutofthepool,withwaterdrippingfromherbody1ikestringsofpearls，saying，

    "Shameonyou,Dimitri!Youonlyswamtwops．That’stoolittle!"

    13

    "I’moutofpracticeMegginn．Iusedtobeabletoswimacrossagoonquiteeasily,butgivemetimeandI’llgetbackmypace.”Megginntookoffhercap，lettinghergoldenhair，brightasthesun，cascadedownhershoulders．Shebeganwipingfirstherhair，thenherbodywithargebathtowel，whileDimitri’seyesfollowedhereverymovement．Checkeredbluebikinibathingsuitmatchedthedeepblueofhereyesandthebackgroundofblueskiesasseenthroughthetransparentgssroof，embelishedherskin,whichalerandsmootherthanever．ButwhatattractedhisattentionwereherfirmbreastsanddeepcleavageahoughtifonlythatkyMr.Fingerwerehere,hewouldbesuretofindawaytograsptightlyandsuckthosepinknipples．Megginnnoticedhispreoccupationandturnedaboutself-sciouslyinembarrassment．TheappearanceofhermaidLouisasavedtheday．Louisapushedacartwithsilverteasetandperkingcoffeeandasked，

    "Wouldyoulikeafewdropsofbrandy,sir?"

    "Thankyou.”

    "I’dlikefivedropsplease”saidMegginn.

    "Samehere”saidDimitri.LouisaputaspoonfulofcreamintoeachofthecupstomakeIrishcoffeeandturningtoMegginn，said，

    "Thevice-presidentofpublicretionsoftheWorldBankcalledtoletyouknowthat1，000，000hadbeenpyouratandisnowavaible．HealsowaotellyouthatpresidentKaffeewoendingtheballtonight.”

    "Really?Hesaidthat?Whynot?He’stheanizer!"

    "Thevicepresidentdidn’tsay，miss．‘Forpersonalreasons’wasallhetoldme.”Sayingso,shepushedhercartahenameofpresidentKaffeeatoDimitrionhisguard．Hadheescapedfromofallonlytofallintoanother?ButMegginnwassayingtoherself，

    "It’sjustaswellhedoesn’tshowup．Savesmethetroubleofhavingtodealwiththatslipperyoldfox!TonightI’llgiveallofthatonemilliondolrstocharity.”

    "Giveawayonemilliondolrsaltonce?Doesn’tyourheartpangatlosingsomuey?"

    140页

    "Notatall．Themoneywasnevermine，andanywayit’sfoodcause．Forcharity．"

    "Whatdoyoumean?It’sinyourat，underyourhemoneyisallyours．"

    "Well,it’salongstory．Ifyou’reied，I’lltellyouaboutit.”

    OnedayMegginn’scarbrokedownagainatthedoorofahalfburntluxuryhouse，whereafat，rownboywithrotundbodyandchubbycheekssatpyingwithpaperairpnes．Hisexpression，naiveandiasachild’s，insihathewasmentallyretarded．Anopen，wornoutsuitcasewasbesidehim，fromwhichhetookpiecesofpapertofoldintopnesandthrowintheair．Meggiuptohimandaskedforhelpinstartingthecar．Heobliginglyagreed,stiputingonlythatshepyairphhim．Megginn，whowasstilchildatheart,gleefullyagreed,butwhilefoldingthepaper,hereyesactallyfellonthesignatureofthemysterioustrillionaire,DimitriJa．Gngquicklythroughthesuitcase，she