The Last Gentleman

But this time Mr. Vaught took out his buckeye wallet arid counted out five $100 bills, like crisp suede, freshly pollinated from the mint, into the other’s hand. “One month’s salary in advance. Do we understand each other now?”
    â€œYes sir.”
    â€œI’ll tell you what we’re going to do.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œRita will drive us in the Cadillac. You and Jamie take that thing.” He nodded toward the camper.
    â€œAll right, sir.”
    â€œNow you and Jamie get on down the road. We’ll see you at home.” He counted out two more bills. “Expenses.”
    â€œDo you mean you want us to leave now and—”
    But before he could finish, the rest of the family came swarming out half a dozen doors and bore down upon him. His natural shyness was almost made up for by the pleasant sensation of reunion. Perhaps he belonged here after all!
    â€œLook who’s here!”—“What in the woerrld—!”—“Well I’ll be damned—!” they cried.
    The side of his face was also being looked at by a pair of roguish eyes.
    â€œLook at him blush,” cried Mrs. Vaught
    For some reason his being there, hands in pockets and eyes rolled up to the eyebrows, began to be funny. They were all laughing at him. All but Kitty. She came close and touched him but at the same time it was as if she couldn’t stand the sight of him. She turned him roughly by the shoulder as if she was another boy.
    â€œWhat happened to your nose? ” she asked angrily. It was somehow shameful to her that a misfortune should have befallen his nose.
    He waved a hand vaguely toward the north. “A white lady up in New Jersey—” he began.
    â€œWhat,” Kitty cried incredulously, curling her lip and calling the others to witness. “What happened?”
    â€œA lady from Haddon Heights hit me on the nose.”
    The others laughed and the engineer too. Only Kitty went on curling her lip in the most sensual and angry way. Rita laughed but her eyes were wary. She was handsome!
    Jamie stood a little above them, on the motel walk, grinning and shaking his head. He looked brown and fit but a bit sooty-eyed.
    â€œWait a minute, Kitty,” said the engineer as the girl turned away.
    â€œWhat now?”
    â€œHold on! Don’t leave.”
    â€œAll right, what?”
    â€œIt seems I have not been able to make myself understood,” he told them all, “or at least to prevent misunderstandings. I want to be very certain that everybody understands me now.”
    â€œI told you he wanted to come with us,” said Mrs. Vaught to her husband, her pince-nez flashing.
    â€œIn any case,” said the engineer, “let me state my intentions once and for all, particularly with regard to Jamie and, ah, Kitty.” He almost said Miss Kitty.
    â€œMy God,” said Kitty, turning red as a beet. “What is the man talking about?” She besought Rita, who in turn was watching the engineer like a hawk, her eyes wary and fine.
    â€œI want to make clear what apparently I failed to make clear in New York, that from the beginning I accepted Mr. Vaught’s offer with great pleasure and that I shall be happy to go to school with Jamie or anywhere else he wants to go.”
    Kitty seemed both relieved and irritated. “That’s why he was fixing to take off for Colorado,” she said loudly to Rita, and hollowed out her cheek with her tongue.
    â€œWhat’s that?” asked the engineer quickly.
    â€œHe wants to know whose idea Colorado was,” she said, still addressing Rita. She actually jerked a thumb at him, angry as an umpire. What had happened to his love?
    Rita shrugged.
    â€œHave you already forgotten what you told Rita?” asked the girl, meeting his eye.
    â€œThat’s possible,” said the engineer slowly. The worst of it was that he could have forgotten. “Since it was Rita I told, maybe she could refresh my memory.”
    â€œGlad to, Lance Corporal,” she said, shrugging and smiling. “Though it is nothing we all don’t already know. What you told me, if you recall, was that what you really wanted to do was attend the Colorado School of Mines.”
    â€œWithout Kitty,” said Kitty.
    â€œNo,” said the engineer.
    â€œYes,” said Rita. “Don’t you remember the day I returned the telescope?”
    â€œWhy yes,” said