Chapter 27 Chapter Twenty Seven

A week passed, and another week passed.The weather has been fine, flowers are blooming and foreign tourists come and go.It takes an hour's drive to reach a beautiful seaside beach, the deep blue sea sets off the dark red reefs, and the pine-covered mountains surround the hotel where they stayed.It was a rather gaudy Moorish building, which was considered very elegant for a building of its kind.If he hadn't been in good spirits, Albinas would have been sick to see such a house.Margo was happy, and Rex was satisfied. Many people courted her: a silk merchant from Lyon; an Englishman who collected beetle specimens; several young people who played tennis with her.But Albinus was not jealous of anyone who stared at her or danced with her.Recalling the scene with Sophie, he was also surprised. How could he be so jealous at that time, but now he is completely at ease with her?One little thing he hadn't noticed—she didn't have to try to win anyone else; she needed only one—Rex, and Rex and Albinus were inseparable.

One day, the three of them went hiking in the mountains, lost their way, and finally went down a rough gravel path and went in the wrong direction again.Margot was not used to walking long distances, her feet were blistered, and the two men took turns carrying her on her back.Neither of them were strong and strong men. With such a heavy burden on their backs, they stumbled all the way and almost rolled down the mountain.At around two o'clock in the afternoon, they came to a small village bathed in sunshine. On the cobbled square, there was a bus bound for Rugina town.Several people are playing boules in the square.Margot and Rex got into the car.Obinas was climbing onto the car when he suddenly saw that the driver was not seated yet, and was helping an old farmer to load two large wicker boxes into the car.It will take some time, and Albinus knocked on the half-open window next to Margo's seat and said he was going to run to get a drink.He ran into a tavern on the side of the square and bumped into a small man while getting a beer.The man, in white flannel, was hastily paying.They looked at each other.

"It's you, Udo?" Albinas called. "I didn't expect to meet you here." "Wonderful," Udo Conrad said. "You're a little bald again, man. Is your whole family here?" "Well, no... You see, I'm staying at the hotel in Roukina..." "Excellent," said Conrad. "I live in Rugina too. My God, it's driving, fast!" "I'll come," said Albinus, gulping down his beer. Conrad trotted to board the bus.The horn beeped several times.Aubinas fumbled in his pocket for French coins. "Well, don't worry," said the liquor-seller.He was a sad-looking man with a beard. "The car has to go around the village, stop at the side of the square, and then start."

"Oh, that's good," said Albinus. "Then I'll have another drink." Looking out from the hotel gate illuminated by the sun, he saw the long, short yellow bus gradually going away through the shade of the plane trees.The car blends into that dappled shadow, becomes one with it. "Interesting, met Udo," Albinas thought. "He has a yellow beard, as if to make up for my loss of hair. When was the last time we met? Six years ago. Was I happy to see him? Not at all. Thought he lived in San Remo. He's eccentric, weak, timid, not very cheerful, a celibate, loves hay fever, hates cats, and fears hearing the clock ticking. Udo's a good writer, a pretty good one. Interesting, he Little did I know that my life had changed and that I was coming to this hot, remote village. I had never been to this place before, and I'm afraid I'll never come again. What was Elizabeth doing? She must be in black Just sit there. Better not think about her."

"How long does it take the car to drive around the village?" he said slowly in his broken French. "Two or three minutes," said the sombre liquor-seller. "How do they play with those wooden balls? Is it made of wood? Maybe some kind of metal ball? Hold it in the palm of your hand, then throw it forward...the ball rolls on the ground for a while, then stops. If he is on the road Talking to a girl, she would probably tell him everything before I could speak, and that would be embarrassing. Would she? But it's unlikely they'd talk. Poor girl, she's not happy , must have been sitting in the car without saying a word."

"This village seems to be quite big, and the car took so long to go around," he said. "Cars don't circle the village," said an old man sitting at a table behind with a clay pipe. "Go round," said the melancholy liquor-seller. "Since last Sunday," said the old man, "the car has been driving directly out of the village." "Oh," said the liquor-seller, "then it's not my fault." "Then what should I do?" Obinas said anxiously. "Take the next bus," said the old man wisely. Obinas finally returned home.He saw Margo sitting on a deck chair on the terrace eating cherries and Rex sitting on the white railing in his swimming trunks, his shaggy brown back facing the sun.A very peaceful and comfortable scene.

"I missed the damn car," Albinas said. "I knew you'd miss the train," Margo said. "Tell me, did you see a little man in white with a blond beard?" "I saw it," Rex said. "Just behind us. What's the matter with him?" "Nothing—just a former acquaintance of mine."