Beth reached out with one bare foot and stroked the side of his head. She had put on a dark blue dress with several stiff lace petticoats and whenever he tried to touch her she made crackling sounds.

"You're really a nice fellow," Beth said, finding his ear with her toe.

"So are you," he said, finishing his drink.

"Maybe we should go ahead and get married."

Ben agreed and poured fresh drinks.

"Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry." She was crying.

"What is it?"

"It was me this afternoon. I have been doing those things. I never went to any highly recommended man at all."

Pendleton felt tolerant. "So what? Things will work out somehow."

Beth sat up. "I can't stop it, Ben."

Pendleton thought he heard an odd quaver in her voice. "You're not onstage now, kid. Save the phony touches."

Her leg swung round, just missing his head, and she stood up. "That's your trouble. You're totally incapable of comprehending."

"I comprehend you. You're loony and a liar."

Beth slapped him. "It'll be simpler if I stop being me!"

Pendleton had somehow gotten his arm stuck under the sofa. "Take it easy."

He was aware of a rustling sound and when he got loose and came up he saw Beth naked by the window for an instant. As he looked she changed. Then there were two tan sofa chairs in the room.

Pendleton called Beth's name over and over, but she wouldn't come back. It got cold in the apartment after a time and he threw all the wood he could find in the fire. He crawled over to the martini pitcher and drank from it. He 

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