o girls on the seat with him and was sitting back in the corner and smoking。
〃Barto； Barto；〃 I said。 He laughed。
〃Talk to them； Tenente；〃 he said。 〃I can't understand them。 Hey！〃 He put his hand on the girl's thigh and squeezed it in a friendly way。 The girl drew her shawl tight around her and pushed his hand away。 〃Hey！〃 he said。 〃Tell the Tenente your name and what you're doing here。〃
The girl looked at me fiercely。 The other girl kept her eyes down。 The girl who looked at me said something in a dialect I could not understand a word of。 She was plump and dark and looked about sixteen。
〃Sorella？〃 I asked and pointed at the other girl。
She nodded her head and smiled。
〃All right；〃 I said and patted her knee。 I felt her stiffen away when I touched her。 The sister never looked up。 She looked perhaps a year younger。 Aymo put his hand on the elder girl's thigh and she pushed it away。 He laughed at her。
〃Good man；〃 he pointed at himself。 〃Good man；〃 he pointed at me。 〃Don't you worry。〃 The girl looked at him fiercely。 The pair of them were like two wild birds。
〃What does she ride with me for if she doesn't like me？〃 Aymo asked。 〃They got right up in the car the minute I motioned to them。〃 He turned to the girl。 〃Don't worry；〃 he said。 〃No danger of ……；〃 using the vulgar word。 〃No place for ……。〃 I could see she understood the word and that was all。 Her eyes looked at him very scared。 She pulled the shawl tight。 〃Car all full；〃 Aymo said。 〃No danger of 。 No place for ……。〃 Every time he said the word the girl stiffened a little。 Then sitting stiffly and looking at him she began to cry。 I saw her lips working and then tears came down her plump cheeks。 Her sister； not looking up； took her hand and they sat there together。 Th