THE FOX AND THE GRAPE
659
just what had happened in her shabby little room. Even Mary's face,
which he tried to fix in his mind, had become blurred, and he won–
dered whether he would recognize her if he saw her somewhere. For
a moment, he imagined himself back in her room, boldly putting his
arm around her, but the queasiness and nausea came back, and she
faded out again.
Suddenly,
J. J.
remembered he had another meeting at nine in
the morning, and he began to walk faster as he became worried about
getting enough sleep, for he knew that if he were not alert he might
make some political slip that could be used against him, maybe years
later, when he, himself, had long forgotten what he had said.
The crowds had thinned out, but there were still some people
wandering through the streets, as though they refused to admit any
distinction between night and day.
