"I won't ask what the food's like," Kate said ironically. "Too bad I'm tone-deaf."

The restaurant was a sliver of a place set between a cheap dress store and a furniture store. A good smell of cooking came from the back room. There were candles in chianti bottles and a hidden amplifier was playing a medley of Viennese waltzes. "Imitation Greenwich Village, but they can cook," Erika said, draping her loden coat over the back of a chair. "If they have wiener schnitzel we'll have it."

The dining room was almost empty. Two women sat near the door, picking at their food and making bored talk, and a young man at the next table had a book propped against the sugarbowl. Kate looked at him, decided she had seen him somewhere, decided she hadn't, decided it didn't matter. "Just so plenty of coffee comes with it," she agreed.

"Only don't let me order strudel, please, or I must buy all new clothes."

The young man looked up from his book with a pleased smile. "Hark, from the tombs a doleful voice," he said, half rising. "Is this a private summit conference or can I come over?"

"Come, of course." Erika's voice was pleasant. Kate, disturbed to have their privacy invaded, couldn't tell whether she minded or not.

"Nobody should eat alone, it causes indigestion and gravy on the pages," the young man said, pulling out a third chair at their table.

Erika said, "Kate, this is Doug Martin. He teaches history. This is my room-mate, Kate Wood."

He shook hands nicely, then went back for his book and a rather shabby jacket with leather patches on the sleeves. "I didn't know you had a room-mate. No reason why you shouldn't, only I always imagined you living in cloistered seclusion and communing with the spirits of Bach, Brahms and Beethoven."

"We spent our evenings washing dishes and listening to the other tenants fight for the bathroom," Erika said.

"Well, I'm a big boy, it's time I lost my illusions. How come you're moving?"

Kate sat listening while Erika gave him an expurgated version of the run-in with Mrs. Brownlee, making it funnier than it was. I've seen him before, she thought; but where? She accepted the plate the waitress brought her and picked up her fork, but forgot to eat.

"Well, look, why don't I come over and help you? Tomorrow's Sunday, no classes. I do have a car, if you can call it that."

"What do you think, Kate?"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."

"Doug will help us move."

Kate looked at her, then at Martin. There was nothing but friendliness on both faces. "That would be nice," she said slowly.

I don't want him to help, she thought. It's our home, I don't want other people walking around in it. Why can't people let us alone?

She knew she was being silly. There was certainly no reason to say no to an offer made in kindness. He would have done the same thing for anyone. It would save them money, an important consideration since Erika was paying all the expenses. And after he left they would be together. She smiled, and Erika, watching, looked relieved. "Then, we can move our bricks," Erika said.