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our lousy restaurant you think you have the right to insult me with your filthy propositions〃 … the girl's voice had got louder。 Now she had snatched up her handbag and had got to her feet。 She stood beside the table directly in the line of Bond's approach on his way to the exit。
Enrico Colombo's face was black with rage。 Now he； too； was on his feet。 〃You goddam Austrian beech 〃
〃Don't dare insult my country； you Italian toad。〃 She reached for a half…full glass of wine and hurled it accurately in the man's face。 When he came at her it was easy for her to back the few steps into Bond who was standing with Kristatos politely waiting to get by。 Enrico Colombo stood panting； wiping the wine off his face with a napkin。 He said furiously to the girl： 〃Don't ever show your face inside my restaurant again。〃 He made the gesture of spitting on the floor between them； turned and strode off through the door marked UFFICIO。
The ma？tre d'h？tel had hurried up。 Everyone in the restaurant had stopped eating。 Bond took the girl by the elbow。 〃May I help you find a taxi？〃
She jerked herself free。 She said； still angry： 〃All men are pigs。〃 She remembered her manners。 She said stiffly： 〃You are very kind。〃 She moved haughtily towards the door with the men in her wake。
There was a buzz in the restaurant and a renewed clatter of knives and forks。 Everyone was delighted with the scene。 The ma？tre d'h？tel； looking solemn； held open the door。 He said to Bond： 〃I apologize； Monsieur。 And you are very kind to be of assistance。〃 A cruising taxi slowed。 He beckoned it to the pavement and held open the door。
The girl got in。 Bond firmly followed and closed the door。 He said to Kristatos through the window： 〃I'll telephone you in the morning。 All right？〃 Without waiting for the man's reply he sat back in the seat。 The girl had drawn herself away into the farthest corner。 Bond said： 〃Where shall I tell him？〃
〃Hotel Ambassadori。〃
They drove a short way in silence。 Bond said： 〃Would you like to go somewhere first for a drink？〃
〃No thank you。〃 She hesitated。 〃You are very kind but tonight I am tired。〃
〃Perhaps another night。〃
〃Perhaps； but I go to Venice tomorrow。〃
〃I shall also be there。 Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night？〃
The girl smiled。 She said： 〃I thought Englishmen were supposed to be shy。 You are English； aren't you？ What is your name？ What do you do？〃
〃Yes； I'm English … My name's Bond … James Bond。 I write books … adventure stories。 I'm writing one now about drug smuggling。 It's set in Rome and Venice。 The trouble is that I don't know enough about the trade。 I am going round picking up stories about it。 Do you know any？〃
〃So that is why you were having dinner with that Kristatos。 I know of him。 He has a bad reputation。 No。 I don't know any stories。 I only know what everybody knows。〃
Bond said enthusiastically： 〃But that's exactly what I want。 When I said 'stories' I didn't mean fiction。 I meant the sort of high…level gossip that's probably pretty near the truth。 That sort of thing's worth diamonds to a writer。〃
She laughed。 〃You mean that 。 。 。 diamonds？〃
Bond said： 〃Well； I don't earn all that as a writer； but I've already sold an option on this story for a film； and if I can make it authentic enough I dare say they'll actually buy the film。〃 He reached out and put his hand over hers in her lap。 She did not take her hand away。 〃Yes； diamonds。 A diamond clip from Van Cleef。 Is it a deal？〃
Now she took her hand away。 They were arriving at the Ambassadori。 She picked up her bag from the seat beside her。 She turned on the seat so that she faced him。 The missionaire opened the door and the light from the street turned her eyes into stars。 She examined his face with a certain seriousness。 She said： 〃All men are pigs； but some are lesser pigs than others。 All right。 I will meet you。 But not for dinner。 What I may tell you is not for public places。 I bathe every afternoon at the Lido。 But not at the fashionable plage。 I bathe at the Bagni Alberoni； where the English poet Byron used to ride his horse。 It is at the tip of the peninsula。 The Vaporetto will take you there。 You will find me there the day after tomorrow … at three in the afternoon。 I shall be getting my last sunburn before the winter。 Among the sand…dunes。 You will see a pale yellow umbrella。 Underneath it will be me。〃 She smiled。 〃Knock on the umbrella and ask for Fraulein Lisl Baum。〃
She got out of the taxi。 Bond followed。 She held out her hand。 〃Thank you for ing to my rescue。 Goodnight。〃
Bond said： 〃Three o'clock then。 I shall be there。 Goodnight。〃
She turned and walked up the curved steps of the hotel。 Bond looked after her thoughtfully； and then turned and got back into the taxi and told the man to take him to the Nazionale。 He sat back and watched the neon signs ribbon past the window。 Things； including the taxi； were going almost too fast for fort。 The only one over which he had any control was the taxi。 He leant forward and told the man to drive more slowly。
The best train from Rome to Venice is the Laguna express that leaves every day at midday。 Bond； after a morning that was chiefly occupied with difficult talks with his London Headquarters on Station I's scrambler caught it by the skin of his teeth。 The Laguna is a smart； streamlined affair that looks and sounds more luxurious than it is。 The seats are made for small Italians and the restaurant car staff suffer from the disease that afflicts their brethren in the great trains all over the world … a genuine loathing for the modern traveller and particularly for the foreigner。 Bond had a gangway seat over the axle in the rear aluminium coach。 If the seven heavens had been flowing by outside the window he would not have cared。 He kept his eyes inside the train； read a jerking book； spilled Chianti over the tablecloth and shifted his long； aching legs and cursed the Ferrovie Italiane dello Stato。
But at last there was Mestre and the dead straight finger of rail across the eighteenth century aquatint into Venice。 Then came the unfailing shock of the beauty that never betrays and the soft swaying progress down the Grand Canal into a blood…red sunset； and the extreme pleasure … so it seemed … of the Gritti Palace that Bond should have ordered the best double room on the first floor。
That evening； scattering thousand…lira notes like leaves in Vallombrosa； James Bond sought； at Harry's Bar； at Florian's； and finally upstairs in the admirable Quadri； to establish to anyone who might be interested that he was what he had wished to appear to the girl … a prosperous writer who lived high and well。 Then； in the temporary state of euphoria that a first night in Venice engenders； however high and serious the purpose of the visitor； James Bond walked back to the Gritti and had eight hours dreamless sleep。
May and October are the best months in Venice。 The sun is soft and the nights are cool。 The glittering scene is kinder to the eyes and there is a freshness in the air that helps one to hammer out those long miles of stone and terrazza and marble that are intolerable to the feet in summer。 And there are fewer people。 Although Venice is the one town in the world tha