SUNNY H O NEYMOON
651
"Don't worry," Livio answered gaily. "I'm a very abstemious
sort of fellow."
Simona seemed extremely happy as she sat with crossed legs,
dividing the lunch. She gave a sandwich to each one of them, bit
into her own and asked Livio:
"Where did you get your tan?"
"On the Tiber," he replied.
"Your whole group is very river-minded, isn't it, Livio?" she
asked between one bite and another.
"All except Regina. She scorns the river completely; says it
isn't aristocratic enough for her."
The things they talked about were trivial and childish enough.
Giacomo reflected. And yet there was a greater intimacy between
them than between husband and wife.
"No matter how hard she tries, Regina will never be able to
put her background behind her," Simona observed.
"Who is Regina?" asked Giacomo.
"Someone in our outfit ... the daughter of a wealthy land–
owner ... a very fine girl, really," Livio told him. "But wiping out
an old trademark is no easy matter."
"And in this case, what trademark do you mean?"
"The bourgeois trademark."
"If
you people ever get into power," Giacomo said impulsively,
"you'll have to wipe that trademark out of millions of people."
"That's exactly what we'll do," Livio said with complete
aplomb. "That's our job, isn't it, Simona?"
Simona's mouth was full, but she nodded assent.
"The Italian bourgeoisie will
be
a tough nut to crack," Livio
went on, "but we'll crack it, even if we have to kiII off a large pro–
portion in the process."
"There's a chance you may be killed off yourselves," said
Giacomo.
"That's the risk we have to run in our profession," Livio
retorted.
Giacomo noticed that Simona did not seem to go along with
Livio's ruthlessness; at this last remark she frowned and uttered no
word of approval. Livio must have been aware of this, for he
brusquely changed the subject.
