tanywayinimitationofJehovahanditgrewbiggerandbiggeruntilitmiraculouslyturoIleeifugasever．

    "ThankyouSireforlettingmeliveagain.”shemurmuredkneelingathisfeet．

    1

    "Iwaswrong,Ileen．Itwasmyfaultand1willmakeupforit．Fromnowonyouarefree．Freetodowhateveryouwanttowithnofearofretribution.”Asifwantingtosaysomethingbutrefrained，Ileenkowtowedandturogo．ButjustthewoAsiahatwerealwaysbythesideofhisthroneroaredandrushedoutather，toppliheground．Dimitriimmediatelyshoutedatthemandorderedthemback,butthedamagehadbeendone．Ileenwasagainabloodymass,thoughstillive．Sheyonthegroundandlookedathimcoldly,hereyesfullofhate．

    "Youletmeliveonlytosufferoncemore.”JustasDimitritriedtoexpin,hewokeup．

    “That’sterrible”hethought，“I’vebuandmadethingsworse．NowIleenhatesmemorethanever．Imusttrytofindanopportunitytoexpinitalltoher.”

    Justthen，familiarfootstepssouhededthefigureofMariannaappeared，sailinginfromtheopendoor．WhenshesawDimitrisittingaloneagainstthewindowinthemoonlight，sheclosedthedoorandcametositbesidehim．

    "Whydon’tyouturnonthelight?"sheasked.

    "Isn’titbettertositinthemoonlight?"repliedDimitri.

    "Hm...Iguessso．It’smoresoothingandromantic.”Shesmiledandlookedaroundtheroom．Whenhereyesfellontheopeeraoonthecoffeetable,herheartskippedabeat．SheraisedhereyestoDimitri．Thepainonhisfacetoldherhekneweverything．

    "Soyouknow"shesaiddully.

    "Yes，I’msorry．Ishouldhaveknownyouweremarried．Ishouldhaveasked．"

    "Whysorry?"shegavehimherwarmhands．"Loveneedsnoapologies.”

    1

    "ButIhurttwoipeople.”

    "It’snotyourfault….”Therewassileheroom，butitwasafortableandpanionablesilenwhichtheirsoulsunicatedandtheyuoodeachotherwithoutwords．herofthemwasveryvolubleandtherewasusuallymoresilehantalkwhentheyweretogether．AfterawhileMariannasaid．"Wellgoandlookforanapartmentforyou．Youneedapcetostay．I’lltakecareofitallforyou．Ihatetoseeyoulivethelifeyoudidwithnopermashelterorfood，exposedtotheheat，thecoldandtherain．Inmyeyes，youareanobleureate.Youshouldhaveawarmwhereyoudreamandwriteyourpoems，enjoyyourwineandassociatewithwomen，notnecessarilyme.”TearsshimmeredinDimitri’seyes.Noonehadevercaredthatmubefore．

    "Whyareyousogoodtome?I’mnotworthyofyourkindness.”

    "Whymentionallthis?Youshoulduandme．Iretmeetingyouwhen1amnolongerfree."

    "Whatdoesyourhusbanddo?"

    "He’sacarpenter,anexcellerustworthyandhardwman．Mysonisaffeateandlovable．You’lllovehimtooifyoumeethim.”Thereregnantsilence．Mariannasnuggledclosertohimandleanedherheadonhisshoulder．"IpromisedtocaterasupperforMrs．Kaffeetomorrow．soI’llbebusy．OnSundaywe’lllookforanapartmentsomewherearoundhere，nottoofarawaybutnottooher.”Sheraisedherlipstohisandtheykissed．Soontheirbreathbecameshorterandtheirbodiesfusedtogetherinapassionateembrace．However，theytrolledtheirdesiresforfearthetwopeopleioonceagaihoughtheywerefarawayinItaly．

    WhenDimitriwokeupearlythem,hefoundMariannasittingquietlybyhisbed，ionfinishingaredscarfshehadbeenknittingforquiteafewdays．Reluttodisturbher，hefeastedhiseyesonthisdomestie，butsomehowshesehathewasaw

tanywayinimitationofJehovahanditgrewbiggerandbiggeruntilitmiraculouslyturoIleeifugasever．

    "ThankyouSireforlettingmeliveagain.”shemurmuredkneelingathisfeet．

    1

    "Iwaswrong,Ileen．Itwasmyfaultand1willmakeupforit．Fromnowonyouarefree．Freetodowhateveryouwanttowithnofearofretribution.”Asifwantingtosaysomethingbutrefrained，Ileenkowtowedandturogo．ButjustthewoAsiahatwerealwaysbythesideofhisthroneroaredandrushedoutather，toppliheground．Dimitriimmediatelyshoutedatthemandorderedthemback,butthedamagehadbeendone．Ileenwasagainabloodymass,thoughstillive．Sheyonthegroundandlookedathimcoldly,hereyesfullofhate．

    "Youletmeliveonlytosufferoncemore.”JustasDimitritriedtoexpin,hewokeup．

    “That’sterrible”hethought，“I’vebuandmadethingsworse．NowIleenhatesmemorethanever．Imusttrytofindanopportunitytoexpinitalltoher.”

    Justthen，familiarfootstepssouhededthefigureofMariannaappeared，sailinginfromtheopendoor．WhenshesawDimitrisittingaloneagainstthewindowinthemoonlight，sheclosedthedoorandcametositbesidehim．

    "Whydon’tyouturnonthelight?"sheasked.

    "Isn’titbettertositinthemoonlight?"repliedDimitri.

    "Hm...Iguessso．It’smoresoothingandromantic.”Shesmiledandlookedaroundtheroom．Whenhereyesfellontheopeeraoonthecoffeetable,herheartskippedabeat．SheraisedhereyestoDimitri．Thepainonhisfacetoldherhekneweverything．

    "Soyouknow"shesaiddully.

    "Yes，I’msorry．Ishouldhaveknownyouweremarried．Ishouldhaveasked．"

    "Whysorry?"shegavehimherwarmhands．"Loveneedsnoapologies.”

    1

    "ButIhurttwoipeople.”

    "It’snotyourfault….”Therewassileheroom，butitwasafortableandpanionablesilenwhichtheirsoulsunicatedandtheyuoodeachotherwithoutwords．herofthemwasveryvolubleandtherewasusuallymoresilehantalkwhentheyweretogether．AfterawhileMariannasaid．"Wellgoandlookforanapartmentforyou．Youneedapcetostay．I’lltakecareofitallforyou．Ihatetoseeyoulivethelifeyoudidwithnopermashelterorfood，exposedtotheheat，thecoldandtherain．Inmyeyes，youareanobleureate.Youshouldhaveawarmwhereyoudreamandwriteyourpoems，enjoyyourwineandassociatewithwomen，notnecessarilyme.”TearsshimmeredinDimitri’seyes.Noonehadevercaredthatmubefore．

    "Whyareyousogoodtome?I’mnotworthyofyourkindness.”

    "Whymentionallthis?Youshoulduandme．Iretmeetingyouwhen1amnolongerfree."

    "Whatdoesyourhusbanddo?"

    "He’sacarpenter,anexcellerustworthyandhardwman．Mysonisaffeateandlovable．You’lllovehimtooifyoumeethim.”Thereregnantsilence．Mariannasnuggledclosertohimandleanedherheadonhisshoulder．"IpromisedtocaterasupperforMrs．Kaffeetomorrow．soI’llbebusy．OnSundaywe’lllookforanapartmentsomewherearoundhere，nottoofarawaybutnottooher.”Sheraisedherlipstohisandtheykissed．Soontheirbreathbecameshorterandtheirbodiesfusedtogetherinapassionateembrace．However，theytrolledtheirdesiresforfearthetwopeopleioonceagaihoughtheywerefarawayinItaly．

    WhenDimitriwokeupearlythem,hefoundMariannasittingquietlybyhisbed，ionfinishingaredscarfshehadbeenknittingforquiteafewdays．Reluttodisturbher，hefeastedhiseyesonthisdomestie，butsomehowshesehathewasaw