“You’re getting furious again,” said David. “Calm down. And what in the world do you mean—you burnt his house.”

“I was angry!” I said in a tense whisper. “My God. Angry. That isn’t even the word.”

I thought I had been too unhappy to be angry. I realized this wasn’t so. But I was too unhappy to carry the point further. I took another bracing swallow of the thick black coffee and as best I could, I went on to describe how I had seen Marius by the light of the burning shack. Marius had wanted for me to see him. Marius had rendered a judgment, and I did not know truly what that judgment was.

Now the cold despair did come over me, obliterating the anger quite completely, and I stared listlessly at the plate before me, at the half-empty restaurant with its shining silver and napkins folded at so many empty places like little hats. I looked beyond to the muted lights of the lobby, with that awful gloom closing upon everything, and then I looked at David, who for all his character, his sympathy, and his charm was not the marvelous being he would have been to me with my vampire eyes, but only another mortal, frail and living on the edge of death as I did.

I felt dull and miserable. I could say no more.

“Listen to me,” said David. “I don’t believe that your Marius has destroyed this creature. He would not have revealed himself to you if he’d done such a thing. I can’t imagine the thoughts or feelings of such a being. I can’t even imagine yours, and I know you as I know my dearest and oldest friends. But I don’t believe he would do it. He came to display his anger, to refuse assistance, and that was his judgment, yes. But I wager he’s giving you time to recover your body. And you must remember: however you perceived his expression, you saw it through a human being’s eyes.”

“I’ve considered this,” I said listlessly. “To tell the truth, what else can I do but believe that my body is still there to be reclaimed?” I shrugged. “I don’t know how to give up.”

He smiled at me, a lovely deep warm smile.

“You’ve had a splendid adventure,” he said. “Now before we plot to catch this glorified purse snatcher, allow me to ask you a question. And don’t lose your temper, please. I can see that you don’t know your own strength in this body any more than you did in the other.”

“Strength? What strength! This is a weak, flopping, sloshy, repulsive collection of nerves and ganglia. Don’t even mention the word ‘strength.’ ”

“Nonsense. You’re a big strapping healthy young male of some one hundred and ninety pounds, without an ounce of spare fat on you! You have fifty years of mortal life ahead of you. For the love of heaven, realize what advantages you possess.”

“All right. All right. It’s jolly. So happy to be alive!” I whispered, because if I hadn’t whispered, I would have howled. “And I could be smashed by a truck outside in the street at half past noon today! Good God, David, don’t you think I despise myself that I cannot endure these simple trials? I hate it. I hate being this weak and cowardly creature!”