He made no move toward her and she stared into his eyes. He wanted her, but only half from love. He did not want to abuse her. She seemed to be waiting for that, not for him. He did not want her to whisper encouragement she did not mean. He did not want her sympathy. And he could anticipate the defeat of finding her not ready for him. He kissed her again and put his head down on the pillow.

“Do you want to put your arms around me the way you used to?”

He didn’t answer. He was sorry she knew him well enough to remember his pleasure with such things. He loved her, and he was sorry about that, too.

He awakened later in the darkness and, not thinking, rolled toward her and found her. For him, it was over as quickly as it began.

“Did you make it?”

“Yes,” she said. “I was ready. I was dreaming about it.” She kissed him. She kissed him again.

“I don’t want to know what happened, Karen. Do you understand? There’s nothing about it that I want to hear. I don’t want to know.”

“Someday I’ll tell you,” she said.

“Not now.”

After a while they moved away from each other. She got up from the bed and opened the blinds. The lights from the street gave him a clear view of her face. She came back and sat on the edge of the bed. “Were you faithful to me?”

“I’m not going to tell you,” he said. It had been an impulse, but the words had come out convincingly.

She got closer. “You’ve never told me about any of your girls.”

“That’s right.”

“I hadn’t thought seriously about that side of you until this year.”

“Remember what I told you, Karen.”

“I am, sweetheart.” She kissed him. “Do you know what I think? I think your silence is the best line any man ever gave a woman.”

“I’m listening.”

“Scotland, for example. I would have believed that if—well, I would have believed it. I understand that Scottish girls are supposed to have very firm bodies.”

“And?”

“And the way you’ve always been, you could fall in love with a girl and I would never know.”

“Tell me, do I love you?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Then there’s nothing you have to know, is there?”

“Did you have a good time in Scotland?”

“Yes.”

“That hurts a little—but you know that.”

“That’s right, Karen. It’s gone far enough.”