17.
PARTISAN
This caught Susskind's attention. "What are you, a
Fidelman couldn't help blushing. "Not exactly, really just
student."
"From which institution?"
He coughed a little. "By that I mean a professional student,
might say. Call me Trofimov, from Chekhov.
If
there's sOllnetlq
to learn I want to learn it."
"You have some kind of a project?" the other persisted. "
grant?"
"No grant. My money is hard earned. I worked and saved a
time to take a year in Italy. I made certain sacrifices.
As
for
&
project, I'm writing on the painter Giotto. He was one of the
m<ll
important-"
"You don't have to tell me about Giotto," Susskind interrupttAl
with a little smile.
"You've studied his work?"
"Who doesn't know Giotto?"
"That's interesting to me," said
''How do you happen to know him?"
"How do you?"
"I've given a good deal of time and study to his work."
"So I know him, too."
I'd better get this over with before it begins to amount up
to
something, Fidelman thought. He set down his bag and fished
with
a finger in his leather coin purse. The two porters watched
with
interest, one taking a sandwich out of his pocket, unwrapping
the
newspaper, and beginning to eat.
"This is for yourself," Fidelman said.
Susskind hardly glanced at the coin as he let it drop into
hia
pants pocket. The porters then left.
The refugee had an odd way of standing motionless, like a
cigar
store Indian about to burst into flight. "In your luggage," he
said
vaguely, "would you maybe have a suit you can't use? I could
IlIe
a suit."
At last he comes to the point. Fidelman, though annoyed, con–
trolled himself. "All I have is a change from the one you now
!lee
me wearing. Don't get the wrong idea about me, Mr. Susskind.
I'm
