XII
They were at Voisins waiting for Nicole, six of them, Rosemary, the Norths, d**k Diver and two young French musicians. They were looking over the other patrons of the restaurant to see if they had repose, d**k said no American men had any repose, except himself, and they were seeking an example to confront him with. Things looked black for them, not a man had come into the restaurant for ten minutes without raising his hand to his face.
‘We ought never to have given up waxed mustaches,’ said Abe. ‘Nevertheless d**k isn’t the ONLY man with repose.’
‘Oh, yes, I am.’
‘…but he may be the only sober man with repose.’
A well-dressed American had come in with two women who swooped and fluttered unselfconsciously around a table. Suddenly, he perceived that he was being watched, whereupon
