Chapter III
Fide HonorThe following morning, Saturday, John arrived at Palazzo Vespucci at a quarter past eight, letting himself in with the precious latchkey – a, to him, wonderfully antiquated contraption – that Sir Christopher had entrusted to him when they dined together the night before. They breakfasted quickly, flipped through the newspapers that John had picked up on his way and then set about their respective tasks: John spent the morning arranging books, whilst Sir Christopher was locked up with his typewriter in the makeshift study; they broke for a brief lunch at one o’clock, each immediately returning afterward to his work, till about five o’clock, when they had tea on the loggia and attended to the plants; at six, John went out to buy one or another supply and to post (as he
