The Last Gentleman

lunch hours. So if she reads something the night before—she reads at all hours—she’ll put it in the bench for me to read during my lunch. I owe her a great deal. Now she wants me to go to Europe with her. I owe her the pleasure she will take in showing it to me. But first I have to make sure of my own motives. I wrote Sutter that. I conceal nothing from him.
    What did he say?
    Nothing. He’s entirely too selfish to write a letter. If Rita is the most unselfish person I know, Sutter is the most selfish. That was the real trouble all along, that Rita did all the giving and Sutter did all the taking. Do you know what he said to me? “Blankety-blank on unselfishness,” said he. “I agree with Val and the Christers, it’s a fornication of spirit.” But that’s not right either. That’s not what Christ said.
    Blankety-blank?
    Crap.
    Don’t talk like that.
    I’m sick. Take me home.
    13 .
    The next morning he called Kitty from Macy’s. “Today,” he told her, “I’ve got to get this business settled one way or the other.”
    â€œDon’t speak to me,” she said, her voice faint and cold.
    â€œEh?”
    â€œYou know what I’m talking about.”
    â€œNo, I don’t.” But he thought he did—though, as it turned out, he was wrong.
    â€œYou took advantage of me.”
    â€œAh, dearest—” he began. His heart sank: she was right.
    But she broke in quickly (he was not right). “I have been out of my mind with worry the last few days, about this whole business, Jamie and Europe and everything. Then on top of everything I was allergic to the paint fumes and it was too much.”
    â€œPaint fumes,” said the engineer. He looked up in time to see his old friends the Ohioans punching in at the time clock, bound for sportswear and lingerie, a lusty clear-eyed crew who had no trouble understanding each other.
    â€œWe painted Rita’s attic yesterday and I turned out to be allergic to the benzene or whatever it was. I went completely out of my head. What did I say?”
    â€œNothing much.”
    â€œBut I remember enough to know that you took advantage of me, barging in like that.”
    â€œBarging in?”
    â€œRita tells me that you didn’t call her, you just showed up.”
    â€œYes,” he said contritely, willing, anxious to be convicted of a lesser crime. What foulness had he committed? It was not enough to lie with Kitty in Central Park like a common sailor: he must also take his pleasure, or almost take his pleasure, with a nice girl rendered defenseless by paint fumes.
    â€œI really think it put me in a terrible position for you to come to Rita’s like that. You know better than that! And then to leave without so much as a fare-you-well to Rita and walking me clear to New Jersey or wherever it was.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhat do you want?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou called me, remember?”
    â€œOh yes,” said the engineer, shaking hishead to clear the cobwebs. “I’ve got to, ah, get this business settled.” But he had lost his resolution.
    â€œWhat business?” said Kitty coldly.
    â€œWhether I am working for Rita or your father. But in either case—”
    â€œWorking for Rita?” she asked sharply.
    â€œRita wants me and Jamie to take the camper while you all go to Europe.”
    â€œI see.”
    â€œThe point is,” he said, gathering strength, collecting his wits at last, “I don’t want you to go.”
    â€œOh, you don’t want me to go.”
    â€œNo, I want you to stay here and either go south with Jamie and me or—”
    â€œYou’ve got your nerve.”
    â€œKitty.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œDo you remember that I asked you to marry me last night?”
    â€œOh Lord,” said the girl nervously and hung up, not so much he thought, on him as on herself.
    Later, after shower and breakfast, he called Jamie from the Y.M.C.A. It was time to settle things one way or another.
    Jamie surprised him by answering the phone himself.
    â€œWhy didn’t you keep the telescope?” the engineer asked him.
    â€œWe’re leaving, aren’t we? Thanks, by the way.”
    â€œRita spoke to me today. Do you know what she wants us to do?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIs that what you want to do?”
    Again he heard the slight break in breathing, the little risible