to consider； then gave me the sort of smile a man could easily fall in love with； even a man as old as me。 〃That would be my honor。〃
〃You'd better wait until you read it before you talk about honor；〃 I said； and it was Delacroix's death I was thinking of。
〃I'll read it； though；〃 she said。 〃Every word。 I promise。 But you have to finish writing it； first。〃
She left me to it； but it was a long time before I wrote anything。 I sat staring out the windows for almost an hour； tapping my pen against the side of the table； watching the gray day brighten a little at a time； thinking about Brad Dolan； who calls me Paulie and never tires of jokes about chinks and slopes and spicks and micks； thinking about what Elaine Connelly had s